OpenArena Message Boards

Ok, a new chat system was a bad idea. :-[

Then how about this:  ::)
Split the screen in two (right half the current console, left half an "echo" console where "sticky" messages are echoed, and never disappear (the last N always visible).
Then, add several client variables that govern the sticky area: max messages, % of screen width, type filter filter (chat / team chat / whom I fragged / who fragged me / my team fragged, and so on and so forth)

This way, you can have a perma-chat by just setting a right filter. But this thing can be much more!

Also quite compatible with mods, I think, as they probably expect the upper left to be occupied.

May be interesting, but...

You still would have to deal with the fact that the upper left area (which would become upper right in your idea, right?) is strictly linked to the console: if you don't print a text there, it does not appear in console log. So you may need to show the same text two times in case you also want to have it in console log.

I can guess existing mods would just continue to work as they always did, probably the new system would not apply to them at all.

PS: for who did not read your previous thread about the new chat system idea, it was this:
http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=5304.0

no

Yes

Noooo...  :weep:

@Cheb:
I don't know if you already know this:

Since Q3A, the game allows to do something similar: printing team-specific chat messages also to the lower part of the HUD, in addition to the console/notification area. That feature allows to set the number of lines to show there and their duration time (cg_teamChatHeight and cg_teamChatTime).

It only applies to team-specific messages, as usually they are considered "more important" than public messages. Hence, it's not flexible as you asked, but at least it's there.

You can find more infos here:
(DO NOT LINK) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/wiki/Manual/Graphic_options#Text_chat_options
(I just wrote that section)

@Fromhell:
I tried cg_teamChatHeight feature also with UI3, and it looks like it's currently broken (not shown) there.



PS: I do not know if there is some cvar to set console notification area duration time or number of lines...

If I don't say "no" then I feel this undesired featurecreep would actually materialize.

I'm still designing to support 640x480 as a baseline screen resolution and this idea would throw major complicated clutter into it.