IDEAS FOR RYZOM


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#1 [en] 

PROBLEM: Ryzom currently has no universal chat channel, as the Universal channel apparently only exists for Ryzom Q&A. This is a problem because this game has a very low active playerbase in comparison to other games, the Universal channel currently offers the only method of socializing with said low playerbase scattered across the server, and most attempts to use the Universal channel generally end in drama because a player will pop up with a request to go back to just Q&A and interrupt the social flow of a given conversation.

CURRENT WORKAROUNDS: The only two workarounds I know of are the aforementioned player butting into a conversation to end it, or players creating their own chat channels, which can cause problems for new players just joining the game (specifically, they likely won't know in advance what that channel is and mistake Uni for a social channel).

PROPOSED SOLUTION: Create a dedicated Chat channel with serverwide reach to satisfy players' needs for socialization, thus freeing up Uni.

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"What doesn't kill me gives me XP. :-p" -Sherkalyn

#2 [en] 

PROPOSED SOLUTION (2) - Ignore the person who is kvetching (unless it's a CSR).

Seriously.

Right now the population is low enough at any one time that new people (and even less-new people) can ask questions, LFG, announce milestones, and say hello and good night all without overloading Uni and without too much sturm und drang. If the chat is really fast and furious a question might get lost for a little while, but there are usually those like myself who will go to /tell to help. And if it has gotten ... hot ... a quick note in CeB will usually get a CSR logged on to turn on the sprinklers.

The problem with a second channel is this: The newbies will go to it, because it is active, and ask their questions there, with the same result as now when Uni is busy, so we will still in effect have only one Uni channel. It will just be called something else. Oh, and the kvetchers will tell the newbies to "Use Uni for that!", which is, in my opinion, less welcoming than getting lost in the midst of a crowd of people who are obviously having fun.

Or we can use the current fuctionality to set up a channel "/channel Social" and by dint of forming a fun vacuum, we can drag all the cool kids over to it, but in the end that has the same effect as having an official social channel. If we get up to high population, then any universal channel will be overloaded, and we'll have to go to social channels (plural) or to Region chat.

-- My two cents as a longtime observer of social dynamics.

-- Bittty

Last edited by Bitttymacod (1 decade ago)

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Remembering Tyneetryk
Phaedreas Tears - 15 years old and first(*) of true neutral guilds in Atys.
(*) This statement is contested, but we are certainly the longest lasting.
<clowns | me & you | jokers>

#3 [en] 

Now I'm confused. Is it a hard-and-fast rule that Universal is for Ryzom Q&A, or am I okay to start talking about hockey or non-game-related stuff on the Universal channel?

I'm not interested in starting any trouble with this request - I just want to know where I'm supposed to go chitty-chatting while playing if the mood strikes me (which it often does - otherwise, I'd just play single-player RPGs) without having to bother the same one or two people that always seem to be in the Oasis on Region.

Variety is, after all, the spice of life and humanity is a pretty dull trip without conversation. :-)

(The individuals in question with whom I have a problem in this regard have already been placed on my ignore list - sadly enough. I've never had to use that feature before in any other games. I almost felt like a bad person doing it, to be honest.)

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"What doesn't kill me gives me XP. :-p" -Sherkalyn

#4 [en] 

How I see it, is just use common sense. If someone asks a question, even a stupid one from Silan, try and be helpful. When all the questions are answered, I can't see why can't you use Uni for general chat.

When I first joined Silan, I saw the Uni, and didn't like the chit-chat much there, but it didn't stop me from asking questions, and as I always got a few replies, it didn't bother me at all that others were talking on non related topics too.

So, unless the chit-chat takes over the channel so that no questions are reasonably answered anymore, I can't see why anyone would hate to see some side chat going on.

#5 [en] 

Dainan
Now I'm confused. Is it a hard-and-fast rule that Universal is for Ryzom Q&A, or am I okay to start talking about hockey or non-game-related stuff on the Universal channel?

Here is the text of the dialog that comes up when you enter Uni for the first time (there is a check box to never show this again).
Universe Channel
Warning! The Universe Channel is intended for players asking for help about the game and for those giving them information . Misuse of this channel will be dealt with by GMs.

I would much rather see an optional social channel. Just include it as part of the standard server MOTD: Hello! Welcome to Atys and have a great day! Type /channel Social to join the server social chat channel.
Dainan
I'm not interested in starting any trouble with this request - I just want to know where I'm supposed to go chitty-chatting while playing if the mood strikes me (which it often does - otherwise, I'd just play single-player RPGs) without having to bother the same one or two people that always seem to be in the Oasis on Region.

Variety is, after all, the spice of life and humanity is a pretty dull trip without conversation. :-)

(The individuals in question with whom I have a problem in this regard have already been placed on my ignore list - sadly enough. I've never had to use that feature before in any other games. I almost felt like a bad person doing it, to be honest.)

Personally, I don't come in game to hear about the latest sports events, political events or any other real world issue. I come in game to enjoy an experience AWAY from those things just as I don't go to a movie to catch up on the latest trends. Everyday, Uni is more a social channel and less a Q&A channel; so, I mute Uni completely more and more often.

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Eldest, Order of the White Lotus

#6 [en] 

At this point, it seems prudent to wait until hearing from a GM. The warning posted (which I have never seen - maybe a Linux issue?) is a little too open to interpretation from what I see, and as a rule utilitarian it seems best to hear from "on high", so to speak, and get the matter clarified.

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"What doesn't kill me gives me XP. :-p" -Sherkalyn

#7 [en] 

Dainan
At this point, it seems prudent to wait until hearing from a GM. The warning posted (which I have never seen - maybe a Linux issue?) is a little too open to interpretation from what I see, and as a rule utilitarian it seems best to hear from "on high", so to speak, and get the matter clarified.

You can easily check whether the dialog displays on Linux, exit Ryzom, rename your interface_Dainan.icfg to interface_Dainan1.icfg in the save directory, restart Ryzom and enter Uni. That is the process I used to have the dialog reappear.

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Eldest, Order of the White Lotus

#8 [en] 

Gorran
You can easily check whether the dialog displays on Linux, exit Ryzom, rename your interface_Dainan.icfg to interface_Dainan1.icfg in the save directory, restart Ryzom and enter Uni. That is the process I used to have the dialog reappear.

I will check and see if it's just an issue on my end, then. Thanks for the tip!

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"What doesn't kill me gives me XP. :-p" -Sherkalyn

#9 [en] 

It would be interesting to see if there's a balanced way to address this. There are some solid methods of communication in place already for sure, but there are also people like myself playing during hours when the shard is far less active and I often have a region to myself.

It would be a bit nice to have a channel with signs of life where I didn't feel like I was breaking the rules by joking around or meeting new people.

It could easily bring issues with policing a new channel etc etc. It might also give Ryzom a bit of extra staying power with new players though. Easy enough to ignore the channel if you want. Players on during slow hours get to see active chatting and life in Atys.

Of course we could just leave things as is and assume we're not going to get thumped for goofing off in uni when it hasn't moved in 2 hours. That would probably work fine.

#10 [en] 

wasn't it changed from "Q&A only" to "Q&A as well" when the ceb-chat integration in the game was done?
except for the message never being removed afterwards...

just to remind everybody:
ceb is accessible from in game via the command
/supportChat

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#11 [en] 

Gorran
I would much rather see an optional social channel. Just include it as part of the standard server MOTD: Hello! Welcome to Atys and have a great day! Type /channel Social to join the server social chat channel.
This

#12 [en] 

FYI, the current Arispotle policy on universe chat is:
Universe chat is for Ryzom Q and A. 

However, some chit-chat is allowed, provided it is Ryzom related, relevant and in English, does not degenerate into a monologue or is dominated by a small group of people. Also, when a player asks for help, unrelated chit-chat may not interfere with any answers, or 'drown out' the question.

Last edited by Sywindt(Yubo) (1 decade ago)

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Sywindt | Game Master | EN, NL, de, fr

#13 [en] 

Works for me, and I thank you.

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"What doesn't kill me gives me XP. :-p" -Sherkalyn

#14 [en] 

i think what you're asking for is actually implemented already.. we have the ability to create custom channels all can join.. and in one of the tips in the load screen is call to join a specific channel. (sorry cant remember the name)

this way you can join, but is not active from default so you don't get the q&a from the ryzom-newcomers

i propose that the 'gossip' channel name and a call to action is just printed a little more often in the loading screen

#15 [en] 

Dedicated channels would be useful not only for socialising. A trade and "looking for team/guild/" channels could be useful and would lower the load on Uni. Or there could simply be a diffirent channel named "Q&A" instead of Uni. that way Uni could easyly contain all team requests, trade offers, chit-chat without anyone being irritated.

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