Pager Upgrade: Messaging in Feature Requests

ID:280080
 
Feb 7 2012, 7:31 pm (Edited on Feb 7 2012, 8:15 pm)
Applies to:BYOND Pager
Status: Open
Issue hasn't been assigned a status value.
Messaging on the pager is currently slow, awkward, and generally unappealing/unintuitive/unfamiliar. Switching each chat into its own box makes most of these issues even worse. By implementing a better messenger system into BYOND's pager, you could greatly increase user's experience and relationship with BYOND as a whole, instead of only using the pager as a middle-man for connecting to their favorite games.

As seen in this screenshot, the steam chat is intuitive and familiar. It shows the name and icon of the person you are talking to, this could be improved to show your own icon as well, personal customization is a good selling point. There is a simple button (which should be more than a small arrow) that opens up interactive options. If you are in a game, this drop down includes an option to invite the player to your server; if they are in a game, it has an option to join them. There are various other points I could make, but you get the general idea...

* Steam provides an excellent example for game distribution mediums.
#1 Feb 7 2012, 7:43 pm
This would be good. I would prefer it also have features on Windows Live like sending files (with confirmation of other person to recieve them and virus scan), possible addition of group chats (such as group people in "This project" and "That project" but not allow people to use "Friends" as a group.), and some other features that are in Windows Live.

Overall I agree here.
#2 Feb 9 2012, 3:48 pm
I believe that a virus scan would be a bit out of the question. But wouldn't it be easier to use something like DCC for chats through the pager? That way, you don't really need to have a dedicated chat server and no strain goes through the site. This would also mean that pager messages on the site would act more as e-mail and the pager chat more like IM, rather than what the current system is, which is more like neither.
#3 Feb 9 2012, 4:49 pm
In response to Hiro the Dragon King (#2)
I think IM would be better than pager messages, because pager messages already support sending to their email, when you can just have an option to email them.

If they replaced paging with IM, it would remove most of the spam and mass pages that goes on (except for the non-rippers with the brains to know how to send messages to a whole group) and that would pose an opportunity for others to say in the chat "IDFC!!!" and stop them from spamming.

Overall, the IM Idea Falacy had is way better than our current system, and I would rather have IM over pages.
#4 Feb 11 2012, 6:53 am
This is an awful lot like this feature request.

The pager doesn't offer much more than any IM program does. As long as the IM client can support hyperlinks, you can send byond:// URLs to people to invite them to games. If BYOND is installed on their computer they can click the link to join the game. You don't need to be invited through the pager.

It'd also be neat to have web-based chat. I don't know how useful it'd be to have a gchat/facebook chat type of thing on the BYOND website, but it'd be nice to be able to put a browser control on a game's interface and point it to a byond.com page that has web-based chat. That way your game would automatically let the player chat with their BYOND friends.

It's hugely underestimated how awesome it would be to have BYOND games that can be run locally but effortlessly have universal chat that connects all players. Not only does Kongregate do this, but when you think about it, lots of MMO- type games operate like this. When playing World of Warcraft, it's handy to be able to talk to other players and those players are in the same world, but that usually doesn't matter. If you're just asking people questions (ex: "Where do I go for this quest?") it doesn't matter that the person answering is in the same server.
#5 Feb 12 2012, 11:03 am (Edited on Feb 12 2012, 11:15 am)
Your request's intent seemed to be getting BYOND interfaced with other services. If anything, I'm requesting the opposite of that. As I mentioned in some other topic, BYOND provides next to nothing to its users. If BYOND provided a high quality messenger, that also happened to support gaming, then maybe people would care about it in general.
#6 Feb 12 2012, 12:04 pm
The interfacing with other servers isn't the intent, it's a free bonus.

Using an existing protocol means the BYOND staff could have a chat server running in minutes. All they'd have to do is get a shell server, run an XMPP server on it (Openfire, for example), and modify the BYOND key creation process to also create a user account on the chat server.

This could easily be done in an afternoon. For the cost of a shell server (which is something many BYOND users can afford to host their games) and 5-10 hours of work, the BYOND staff could provide all BYOND users with realtime chat.
#7 Sep 23 2012, 6:07 pm
Every time i send a page it takes to much time. Couldn't it be a chat? I would like BYOND Pager to be BYOND Chat or somehow be faster.

Thanks ^.^
#8 Sep 23 2012, 6:09 pm
In response to Diamond Jozu (#7)
Pages are slower for non-members. Last time I checked it's a minute delay. Try just inviting them to talk in an App like Chatters.
#9 Sep 23 2012, 7:46 pm
It's the same delay for members and non-members.
#10 Sep 23 2012, 8:40 pm
Can we just ditch the pager it's horrible I think a web based system (as some of you made suggestions about) is a more modern concept anyway.

I don't think the pager has been heavily updated for years...
#11 Sep 24 2012, 1:37 pm
In response to Red Hall Dev (#8)
Red Hall Dev wrote:
Pages are slower for non-members. Last time I checked it's a minute delay. Try just inviting them to talk in an App like Chatters.

That's even worse.