Make ALT+D permanent

[Ivan Eres]

Simple suggestion: Make the ALT+D reply to a player's "DIRECT" the permanent chat mode.

Let me explain: Right now after replying to a DIRECT with ALT+D and hitting enter the chat mode changes back to "LOCAL". This is not optimal since you have to use ALT+D every time you want to reply.

If, for example, you receive another DIRECT it's getting really messy and ALT+D is not really useful anymore.

For me the greatest thing about ALT+D is that I do not have to type the name of the guy I am responding too ("Haxx0rz 175 Soulfl1 Chegger") and that I am able to answer much faster. So I'd really want it to be more be useful.

[nabbl]

for me it is ALT+B for replying to an incoming direct?
ALT+D is just for switching to the direct channel which makes it possible to write to a player name you specified in F1 before?

[Cursed Shadow]

Bring the chat system in line with newer games, which is where new players will be coming from, using new games with better chat systems.

If I type /whisper or /direct followed by the users name it should fix that person to my direct chat, and I shouldn't have to muck about in the hypercom to get directs to work.

The whole +d Name and /d Message is not what most people are used to, certainly you can't find documentation for it easily, or are you told about it within the game.

An alternative could be a username e.g. /nabbl Hello

Here is an explanation I had to write to a new player the other day:

Press F1 to open the Hypercom
Select Direct on the left-side of the Hypercom Menu
Now click into the Search Box for Add/Remove Player and type my name
Then press Enter
Now you need to click my name in the right-hand list
You'll be able to Direct chat with me now.

[Agent L]

This all are half-solutions. The real thing what we need is to make character names on chat clickable (+ right-click menu with entries "add to DIRECT, add to BUDDY, add to IGNORE, invite to team"). Just adding this menu to the locallist would make Shadow's procedure so much simplier.
And ofc adding someone to DIRECT should immediatelly switch chat to this mode.

Consequences of not having the names clickable are harming almost every aspect of the game, reaching as far ban on l33t names and forcing case on names (which was single worst nerf in history of this game IMHO)

Also, chat windows should be detachable from the main chat, eg so you should be able to open another window, dedicated to one chat only, with own input textbox.

Direct message window should present DM history, with list of ppl who DMed you (or you DMed them recently). smth like BUDDY list, just autopopulating.

The lack of "/runnername message" syntax is certainly a problem, but whenever it is +d or /whisper is not really important IMHO, as long as this is well documented INGAME, eg as <help> button in F1 window.

As to the issue OP raised, I like it as it works, because I often run 2 threads, one on local or trade and another on direct. The only problem is that with 2 directs, the timeout the other person drops from cycle is bit to short imho. It is intended as QUICK reply and works good for this purpose, the problem is that you have no easy way to add the person to DIRECT permanently.

[lawless]

Personally i only use ALT+B if i have 2 directs at the same time. One is fixed, one i reply one by a time.

In general i use the +d command, because it is faster than using the F1 option and also because i'm always afraid my client will crash when i click in the namefield.

Also for teaminvites i use +t, which is again faster and safer.

If you want to have ALT+B changed go ahead, but don't change my +d command Rather add /dm, /direct, whatsoever. Whisper is just a fancy word for directmessage, which is used in chinese mmorpgs for easier understanding. I don't approve of that.

[Invi]

Bring the chat system in line with newer games, which is where new players will be coming from, using new games with better chat systems.

If I type /whisper or /direct followed by the users name it should fix that person to my direct chat, and I shouldn't have to muck about in the hypercom to get directs to work.

The whole +d Name and /d Message is not what most people are used to, certainly you can't find documentation for it easily, or are you told about it within the game.

An alternative could be a username e.g. /nabbl Hello

Here is an explanation I had to write to a new player the other day:

this!

if i go and play other mmo's i either contact/invite friends via. a "instant messanger" interface or per / command.

if i have to think about it too much it gets frustrating