Message System

[Wise]

I always thought a good clean add on was a message system, where you type in /msg or /online or some other variation to see all the online player and have the ability to message them, this is handy for characters who may not be in guilds, or have alternates, its also not degrading the game play as we already use msn, icq, aim, ventrillo, MIRC, but this allows every one to connect with out having to download a special program if I use MSN and my In game friend used AIM, whatcha think?

[Barkley]

I like this suggestion. I think its a good one. Plus it would also have to ability to block people as well if they are having problems with someone messaging them. Theres no negitive to this suggestion, only positives. I like it!!!! Haha

[chumbucket]

I like this as well.

The obvious reply is that it is not era accurate. I suppose this is true, but your point about the widespread use of ICQ, AIM, etc, is right. This would be simply a way of adding an ICQ-type system into the game, so that everyone is able to contact everyone. It really wouldn't change things in a way that hurts accuracy, I think.

[StDrahcir]

Did they even add this feature into UO? I thought the ingame message systems were more just freeshard stuff that was implemented. I'm sure the Origin UO may have it now, but thought freeshards had it out way before them.

[Hoots]

You dont think it would be spammed with INGGOTS FOR SELL or other marketing messages?

Im not saying it is a bad idea. I just think people already communicate with the people they want to via the methods you mentioned (vent, icq, trillian, etc.)

If i want to communicate with people i dont know ill either meet them on a message board or hang out at the brit bank and have my runes get greif-stolen while i meet new people.

I see it being more of an annoyance than anything... UO wasnt meant to be played with a message popping up saying PKS AT SHAME when someone gets ganked..

Just my thoughts.

[StDrahcir]

I've played on various freeshards that had this feature and I was never spammed w/ that useless stuff.

[Faust]

In a way I can see this being helpful. However, what I love about UO and what I hate about today's online mmo's is the chat system. Ultima Online you had to actually be near the person to talk to them. With EQ, WoW, and all those other games that I think are bad use the same typical left hand corner chat box with the pm's, channels, and all that other crap. I have always loved the chat system for UO. Having a message system to me that is anyway similar to those other games seems like it would be heading in the wrong direction from what made UO great and apart from all other mmo's. I see how it would be nice to have but I also dislike it.

There are some examples that I could think of that would alter game mechanics. For instance, two people at a bank that are not actual friends with aim, irc, vent, etc... could tell the other person a thief is next to him without the thief knowing. The same situation can go for a blue pk scenario and I guarentee people would shout pk locations soon as they got pk'd. I know those are some pretty generic examples, but there are probably countless more scenarios like this. I personally would not be in favor of such a system the more I think about it. At first I was thinking how great of an idea this would be until thinking more and more of what something like this could do to alter the game mechanics.

[Redbeard72]

very well put..

[niqeo]

The LACK of world chat and the PVP is what brought me back. I enjoy my peace and people having to track me down in game to talk to me.

[Derrick]

I'm in agreement on not having this as well I think it changes the game too much for reasons already mentioned.

The in game chat window does work. Click Chat on the menu bar