OpenArena Message Boards

It is VERY annoying to type something witty that then disappears into oblivion because of map change.
Please make a map-independent chat system that
1. works independently from the server state (preferably so that players can still chat while next map is loading)
2. is separate from console (may still echo messages to console for backward compatibility)
3. may be viewed as a table similar to the scores screen, with each player's portrait, name and last message. Ideally as part of the score screen (with a space reserved under each table line for a typed message) or, if not possible, as a separate screen.

I do wonder if it's worth the effort.

Splitting text chat from general console may be more or less be possible, with the limits which applied to the iconographic obituary (http://openarena.ws/board/index.php?topic=1908.msg54556#msg54556) (console log and upper left notifications are strictly bounded. If you don't print something to the upper left area, it's not logged in console history). What you will need that the iconographic obituary does not currently have is keeping an history.
I can imagine a chat text area similar to the iconographic obituary area...but adding a key to open a log with previous messages (I have no idea if a such thing may be useful also for the obituary). Where to store it? A bit complicated thing may be including controls to scroll that log.

Map loading is very fast on nowadays computers... being able to chat during it may require major changes not worth it.

Note: consider I'm not actually a code developer. I'm just expressing my personal impressions...

Most important is that history is not lost at the map change and not buried in other messages.
The problem with map change is that message posted before it is lost before anyone could read it.

The problem is that it would be difficult to separate the chat from other console messages. The only way out I can see is to make another console, filtering anything but chat messages. It could use the same functions to draw the console as usual, but would be displayed with a different key/command (ie, one command for normal console, one command for chat-filtered console).

It could be possibly done this way quite quickly I think, but as usual, there might be technical obstacles we can't foresee...

I've seen in one mod (can't recall which one) the log stays after map change. If you want persistent chat messages it would be simpler to patch the existing console.

As a side note, I've often find myself missing keys to get to the newest/oldest messages while scrolling the console.
I thought we could implement Home/End like commands (unless there are already commands for that?).

This is something also I miss.
I don't know if they are really not aupported at the moment, or they are just not binded by default... or maybe they are binded to some special key not easily reachable on Italian keyboards...
If someone knows, that would be welcome! :)

To answer myself, I looked at the code for the console home/end at it's set to Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+End.

Thanks 1pixel.

For years I have used Shift+Up and Shift+Down and being annoyed that Shift+End does not work. Now I know that it is Ctrl+End

Thank you very much!!!!  ;)
Info DO NOT LINK[/b]) h t t p s : / / openarena . wikia . com/index.php?title=Command_console&diff=17959&oldid=17926]immediately added to the wiki (http://([b). :)

I know in Sauerbraten, there is a menu option to toggle on/off the things you see in the console and on-screen, would something like that work here, without too much difficulty?  Adding a "console" menu to the main menu or a sub-menu?  Just a thought.