Improve the textchat window

[wonderworld]

by allowing people to directly type into the window to send text to the channel, rather than having to go via the menu all the time....

would be cool
greets wonder

[woutur]

My opinion:
Unnecessary, TS is not a messenger. The power comes from the voice ;)

[Peter]

I see two ways:

a) implement a feature as userfriedly as possible
b) dont implement a feature

The current TS-Client GUI needs a usability review very badly IMHO, and a *direct* line to type to your channel/mate would be one of my definate suggestions to make the thing EASIER to use.

[SatanClaus]

I always agreed with peter concerning this add-on, too :)

[woutur]

bastards... you're supposed to be on my side ;)

Anyway. The chat option is just there to do some important messaging. That's all, it gives a nice feature to the people that closed down their ordinary messengers.

IMO it is nifty enough.

[wonderworld]

so it would't hurt to make it more simple to text-chat. i got a lot of people text-chatting on my server and things would be easier (more standardized even) if ther'd be a text-input-line.

I think noone would even start discussing about this if teamspeak would be an IRC-client.

Why don't make it better ?
It would improve the experience for the people who actually use the textchat and wouldn't change a thing for the guys who don't.

tnx
wonder

[Peter]

Ok,

now lets think:

How do most recent applications look like if their guis are made according to reviews of usability specialists ? I tell you the main difference: Lots of things are accessible without many clicks, and very intuitivly (e.g. the *back* button on my browser, which issnt situated in "Menu->Browsing->Page-changing->previous page". This makes it easier for the unexperienced to find AND faster for the experienced to use. The TS Gui has none of these *quick* ways to do stuff (its all in the (right click) menu(s), you need two clicks at least to do stuff - Only *quick* thing I can think of: double click for switch channel).
In my opinion, it would be good to have a few such *one* (or even none) click ways to do stuff. One of these is simplify "search-list, right-click-channel, search text to channel, click text to channel, type some text, hit OK.
Beleive me some of us use text-talk quite frequently (/me vividly remembers typing stuff to a linux noob that couldnt talk or hear on teamspeak...geez i got sick of that click orgy everytime i said something).

[Meth0dMan]

Id say most ppl use TS as a VOICE tool (u can speak without klicking once ur connectedto a server ;)
and thats what TS is good at.
The chat feature is nice to notice someone about a pass or something though not really needet because i think TS never intendet to replace IRC or chat tools in general.

So id say go on and stick to the voice codecs, net code and stuff that actually is improving what we need : -> voice tool <-
+DaeNg+

Meth0d

[Peter]

Well methodman, on your main point I aggree:

TS _IS_ a voicecom, and messages are definetly only a side aspect by far not used as much as speech. Thus, the focus should be on voice too. BBBUUUUUTTTT: There is enough space on the ts-client, which should be used in regard to usability aspects. As long as I cant see any voice related features that would take the place of a text line, I see no downside to implement this...Also taking into account that this isnt what Id call a difficult (eating lots of time) thing to implement. But then again I dont know what sticks dephi might throw at the innocent developer between the feet :o).

[wonderworld]

TS is mainly a voice thing, but i (and maybe a lot of others too) don't use it just for gaming. i use it as a "normal" chat client too and the FEATURE ! just wouldn't hurt. so if it's easy to implement i'd LOVE to see it, no matter if some other people don't want to use it. I would and i know a lot of other people who would too.

thats why i started this thread.

tnx
wonder

[Peter]

Ok,

here are some options of argumentation lines against this text-type-line that I would consider sensible:
a) we dont have the room for the tt-line, we need it for other stuff (like ?).
b) ok, textspeak was a bad idea, we dont need it. Lets remove it completly.

I cant understand this:
ok its not very easy to use, and we would have space to make it better accessible, but lets not.

[woutur]

Hmmm,

Could you guys tell me what the difficulties could be?
Or how it should work, exactly.

[wonderworld]

tell about any difficulties in
delphi-programming, because i have no clue about it.... but how it should work ?

like in any other textchat



_____________________
|
|
|Server > bar joined.....
|
|bar> sfdesadf
| foo> blah
_______________________
ENTER TEXT HERE
_______________________

[SatanClaus]

I don't think that there'll be many difficulties, because basically you just don't have that pop-up text-bar any longer but another text-edit which acts the same way like the popup when you click OK onexit. (or on keydown(Enter)).
I also don't know the exact delphi syntax, but I know that you still can use the old functions and you'll just have to use them with the new text-edit.

It should work like this:
When you select a player and have the permission to sendtexttoplayer, text which is typed in into the new chat-bar should be send to the specific person.
When you have CA or in general: when you have the permission to sendtexttochannel and you select your channel, text which is typed in into the new chat-bar should be send to the channel.
When you have SA or in general: when you have the permission to sendtexttoall and you select your server, text which is typed in into the new chat-bar should be send to the whole server.

I think this is the best way to implement it, because whenever you select anything from the list on the left side, it gets send to that "object", depending on whether you're allowed to send it or not. Perhaps if you don't select anything in the chat-bar there should be a message telling the user to select an item from the list. When he selects it the message automatically is removed.
cu
SatanClaus

[Total]

The gaming site I play at uses your TS2 application and we are very fond of it. We use one TS2 server with many channels for different hosted games and also use a moderated channel for meetings between staff and sometimes the community members. We use the voiced ability here frequently and let all the other non-voiced members use the chat window. This works very well and the conversation can and does flow smoothly. Even people that can voice use chat during meetings. Having a text chat box at the bottom to enter chat real-time is a frequent topic of disscussion. Just some minor feedback.

[bierdopje]

All for it!

It's quite annoying to have to click in the context menu to get text to a person, send it to a channel or to everyone even.

I sometimes even make someone CA/SA instead of sending text to the guy.

Downside would be, less time for main thing *voice*.
Also the interface looks ok now, you want to change that?

If it wouldn't take much time, go for it!

2 cents..


Greet'Z
Rik, bierdopje

[LionbI4]

Is it very difficult to press "Alt+C, T" in Team Speak window?
enter text and then press alt+enter?
use keyboard people.. it's usefull

[bierdopje]

It's not that difficult, but it would be easier like...

" Click.. " ;)


Greet'Z
Rik, bierdopje

[Poseidon]

I'm with pwk.linuxfan. I can't think of a really good reason not to implement a text-entry line. I'm a member of a large online gaming group and we use TS as our main method of communication and organization. We occasionally have large meetings with 50+ people on a single channel. Text chat is almost a necessity for these events. For one thing, it helps keep the meeting organized because while someone is talking on voice, other people can still ask questions in text. Also, some of our members don't have a microphone or a good enough sound card to use voice chat, so their only method of contribution is through text.

A text entry line would make the feature more accessible and user friendly.

OK, I did just think of one hitch: While the focus is in the text entry line, would the user still be able to use their activation key? What if the activation key is a text character?

[Cstar_maxim]

I would imagine while text cursor is active in "Text Edit Line" ALL keyboard keyBinding is then inactive.

[LionbI4]

try this:
http://www.teamspeak.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6892

[Peter]

By listening to the drummers i found: The textchat will be improved for the ts2 final, so be patient a bit and youll have a nifty textchat :D.

[BigRedBrent]

I too would like to see something such as this. But I would have it a little simpler.


I think it would be a bit more confusing for some to have it only send text to what is currently highlighted such as "SatanClaus" mentioned.





I have put all my thoughts in a post that is linked under my sig.

[BigRedBrent]

Originally posted by Cstar_maxim
I would imagine while text cursor is active in "Text Edit Line" ALL keyboard keyBinding is then inactive.







I personally would not like this. I think always having the text cursor active in the "Text Edit Line" should not hinder the program from doing what it is set to do.

I have no problems sending text in games wile using teamspeak. I suggest you select another key like "Ctrl" and not a key in the center of your keyboard like "T" (for transmit).

Anyway I do hope they add the ability to have a chat bar that is able to send text to the channel you are currently connected to by default. That is all I would like.

But as I said for more advanced use they could add a user defined mode that should be easily switchable if they do add more advanced abilities for the chat bar.