The Players' Guide to the Cities/User Interface/Chat Window

Update Needed for I12 Need to add info on clicking names in chat. Need to add info on placing/using links in chat (i.e. "[Hasten]") or dragging and dropping enhancements, inspirations, powers, or recipes into the window.

Overview

Chat Window

The Chat Window displays the following:

Chat Tabs

Messages from other players and informational messages from the game will appear in any chat tabs to which they are mapped. Any automated message - such as power recharge and important server messages - can be displayed this way.

Messages displayed are color coded by the channel on which they are sent.

Chat Channels

Players are capable of both sending and receiving messages in chat channels. (Trial accounts are subject to certain restrictions regarding which channels they are allowed to use.) The following is a list of standard chat channels that can be mapped to chat tabs and a brief synopsis of each channel's intended purpose.

Architect Entertainment

Arena

Messages sent in the Arena channel can be read by anyone on your current server, regardless of location. This channel is intended for use in coordinating arena events and finding information about all things arena-related. Arena messages are displayed in pink.

Broadcast

Messages sent in the Broadcast channel can be read by everyone currently on the same map. Broadcast messages are displayed in gray.

Coalition

Messages sent in the Coalition channel can be read by everyone in your super group's coalition. Messages sent on this channel are location independent. Coalition messages are displayed in orange.

Emotes

Any string of text entered in the emote channel that is not actually an in-game emote appears as italicized white (?) text in the chat window. Emote text can be read by anyone in your immediate vicinity.

Friends

Messages sent in the Friends channel can be read by anyone in your Server Friends list who are currently online Messages sent on this channel are location independent. Friends messages are displayed in red-orange(?).

Help

Messages sent in the Help channel can be read by anyone on your current sever, regardless of location. The Help channel is intended for use as a general help forum where players can ask general questions on game mechanics or request aid from fellow players when they are stuck (literally or figuratively.) Help messages are displayed in blue.

Local

Messages sent in the Local channel can be read by anyone in your immediate vicinity. Local messages are displayed in white.

Pets

Text generated by Mastermind pets via the /petsay series of commands appears in this channel. Pets text can be read by anyone in your immediate vicinity. Text in this channel appears blue(?) in the chat window.

Private Messages (Tells)

Used to send messages to only one other character. Tells may be sent by entering the following in the chat line:

/tell <character's name>, <your message>

In order a work properly, a comma must be placed between the character's name and the message. The tell won't work correctly without it. The receiving character must also be online at the time the message is sent in order to receive the message if the character's local name is used. If the global name of the player is used, the message will either go directly to the player if logged in or into a queue where it will wait to be displayed the next time the player logs in.

Request

Messages sent in the Request channel can be read by everyone currently on the same map. Though identical in behavior to the Broadcast channel, the original intent of this channel was for announcing offers to buy, sell, or trade items. This channel is also commonly used to coordinate large numbers of players simultaneously for events such as Hamidon raids. Request messages are displayed in purple.

Super Group

Messages sent in the Super Group channel can be read by everyone in your super group Messages sent on this channel are location independent. Super group messages are displayed in light blue.

Team

Messages sent in the Team channel can be read by everyone currently on your team. Messages sent on this channel are location independent. Team messages are displayed in green.

Global Channels

Any global channels that have been subscribed to will be available for addition to/removal from tabs in the Chat Window. Messages sent in global channels are cross-server, meaning that any message sent by a player on a given server can be read by any other player on any other server who is a member of the same global channel. Global channel text varies in color by channel.

System Channels

The following is a list of system channels that can be mapped to the chat tabs and a brief synopsis of the information they relay.

Black Market

Combat Warnings

Cutscene Captions

Damage Inflicted

Damage Received

Event Messages

General Combat

Healing Delivered

Healing Received

Hero Zone Events

Hit Rolls

Leveling Pact

NPC Dialog

Pet Combat

Pet Damage Inflicted

Pet Damage Received

Pet Healing Delivered

Pet Healing Received

Pet Hit Rolls

Rewards

System

Villain Zone Messages

Chat Line

The Chat Line (also referred to as the Command Line) is used to to communicate with other players using chat and enter slash commands.

Selecting Chat Channels

At the top of the chat line are several small bubbles which may be clicked on to change the currently selected active chat channel.

• L - selects the Local channel
• B - selects the Broadcast channel
• T - selects the Team channel
• S - selects the Super Group channel
• R - selects the Request channel
• F - selects the Friends channel
• C - selects the Coalition channel
• A - selects the Active channel
• Active - This will activate the channel designated as the default channel in the chat tab that is currently highlighted. (For information on how to change the default channel for a chat tab, see Tabs below.)

The currently selected channel appears at the left in the chat line.

Tells -

Sending Chat Messages

make sure that you have selected the channel you want, click on the empty "chat line" at the bottom of the Chat Window and type your message. When you are finished, hit Enter to send the message. By default, pressing the Enter key will activate the chat line and allow you to speak in whichever channel you currently have selected.

Accessing

The Chat Window can be opened by:

• Clicking on "Chat" on the outer border of the Status Window
• Selecting "Chat" from the Menu Window
• Pressing the 'C' key (with default keybinds only.)

Provides Access To

The following additional windows may be accessed from the Chat Window:

• Team Window
  • click "Team" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window
• Friends Window
  • click "Friends" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window
  • click "Tab" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window and select "Channel Members"
• Super Group Window
  • click "Super" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window
• Email Window
  • click "Email" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window
• Chat Tab Edtior
  • click "Tab" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window and select "Add Tab" to create a new tab
  • click "Tab" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window and select "Edit Tab" to edit the currently selected tab
• Global Channel Search Window
  • click "Tab" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window and select "Channel Search"
• Custom Chat Displays (1, 2, 3, 4)
  • click the numbers "1", "2", "3", or "4" at the top or bottom of the Chat Window
• Other Windows
  • Any other window can be displayed by entering the /window_show command in the chat line.

Guide Text

The Chat Window is possibly one of the most important windows in the game. Not only is it your means of communication with other players, it is also the game's means of communicating with you. The chat line is also where you enter slash commands and can create key bindings and macros.

In order to communicate with other players using chat, make sure that you have selected the channel you want, click on the empty "chat line" at the bottom of the Chat Window and type your message. When you are finished, hit Enter to send the message. By default, pressing the Enter key will activate the chat line and allow you to speak in whichever channel you currently have selected.

Ignore - If you no longer wish to communicate with another character for any reason, you may ignore them. This command will block them from being able to send you any further messages. To ignore a character, type the following command into the chat line:

/ignore <character name>

This will add the specified character to your ignore list and he or she will remain there until you choose to remove them. To remove a character from your ignore list, enter this command into the chat line:

/unignore <character name>

Changing Your Global Handle

Global Chat - Global chat is a method for you to communicate with friends playing City of Heroes or City of Villains no matter what character they are playing or what server they are on. You need only know their "Global Chat Handle." This Global Chat Handle is an all-encompassing name used to locate you for chat and is specific to your account, regardless of what character you are playing at any given time. Global chat Handles are designated by a 'commercial at' (@) at the beginning of the name, distinguishing them from ordinary character names. By default, Global Chat Handle assigned to you will be the name of the first character you log into the game with. Every time you log into the game, your Global Chat Handle will be displayed in a message in your Chat Window. If you wish to change your Global Chat Handle, you may do so only once by typing the following command:

/change_handle <global_chat_handle>

where global_chat_handle is the new handle you wish to have.

In order to send a message to someone using their Global Chat Handle, use the tell command, placing a 'commercial at' (@) before the player's Global Chat Handle. For example:

/tell @<global_chat_handle>, <message_text>

Unlike tells sent to a character, tells sent to a player's Global Chat Handle do not require that the player be online to receive them. If the player is offline, the sender of the message will receive a response that states the player is currently offline but will receive the message the next time they log in. The message will be placed in a queue, and the next time the recipient of the message logs in, they will see the message displayed in their Chat Window.

Tab Editor

Tabs - Tabs allow you to filter chat dialog into separate windows if you are getting too much information on your screen at once. Right click on any tab you with to change filters, and select "Edit Tab" on the dropdown list. You can now add channels to or remove channels from the tab. Channels that will display in the window are listed in the left side of the window. All other channels from which you may choose are shown in the right side of the window. Highlight the channel you wish to add or remove and click the "Add" or "Remove" buttons at the bottom of the window. In the top of the window, you may rename the current tab if you desire.

Custom Chat Displays - Each of the custom chat displays opens a new window which may be configured with its own tabs to display additional chat. Except for the lack of a chat line or the ability to spawn other windows, these custom chat displays each function identically to the Chat Window.