Chat Logging and a request for in-game email

Tips, tactics, and general discussion for Evochron Legacy.
elcman
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Chat Logging and a request for in-game email

Post by elcman »

I've only spent a couple hours on the game so far. And because of my professional experience (beta coordinator, quality assurance, usability) I have a few questions or, perhaps, requests?

This could be part of that "what would you like", but I may be doing it wrong... and this is also just one of those things I think would help everyone right off the bat.

Chat log:
It has a very limited history, plus, it seems to be the only place where contract information is held. If anything pushes it beyond the 30 line limit, then I lose it. Fixing this would go leaps and bounds to making the game a bit more usable and friendly.

Thus... my thought of in-game email. Even if it was just a way to save the contract information, and the XYZ coords. A link to the coords, so you could click on it and it would automatically set your nav to that spot (and/or switch to the Nav screen), would be ideal.

If I got distracted and lost the info and the NAV, I can't "re-dock" for the contract information. I basically lose the contract. (Which I would expect to affect rep, but it doesn't, thankfully.)

This would allow for multi-phase contracts to be a little easier to track... (and, thus, be implemented.)

Plus... with in-game email, you could do a little more coordination in multiplayer, having a primitive email server built into the game with the ability to hyperlink to targets and NAV points.

And for some UI adjustments:
I would love to have the ability to grab and move windows. Chat, Inventory, Nav. I've seen that there were requests like this... but a single "display submenu" function that allowed it to float should work on all of the floaty menus. Including in-game email! :D


I love the framework this game is built on... there's definitely more that can be done, but... what it has is a great foundation. :D
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elcman
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Vice
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Chat Logging and a request for in-game email

Post by Vice »

Chat log:
It has a very limited history, plus, it seems to be the only place where contract information is held. If anything pushes it beyond the 30 line limit, then I lose it. Fixing this would go leaps and bounds to making the game a bit more usable and friendly.
Hello and welcome. The chat log is scrollable and holds a long history. Just move the mouse pointer up to the log area where you see the buttons, you can then use the scroll bar or the mouse wheel to scroll through past messages. If you're using mouse for flight control, hold the Alt key to suspend flight control while you browse chat messages. If you're using the keyboard or a joystick, then this isn't required.

[Edited on 1-20-2012 by Vice]
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elcman
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Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:08 pm

Chat Logging and a request for in-game email

Post by elcman »

Hehehe, I should have thunk that. :|

I was using ALT - / to scroll up or make the messages appear again. Sometimes the most obvious route is... the one least taken.
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elcman