Zone chat suggestions for Cyrodiil

tinythinker

Maybe some groups and guild have a system like this, but I recommend it for anyone.

When giving a status update, brevity is great yet brevity with specificity is very helpful. Consider the following:

"The wall is down!!!"

"The east wall is down!!!"

"The east inner wall is down!!!"

"The east inner wall at Chalman is down!!!"

"The east inner wall at Chalman is down - attacking!!!"

The increased specificity is great, but let's add brevity:

"East inner wall Chal down +" (+ to signal offense)

"East inner wall Chal down x" (x to signal defense)

Other suggestions? Any helpful conventions you use?

cjmarsh725b14_ESO

"Get your asses to Chalman we're getting owned!!!"

SourceError

We've taken down the inner door. Let's stand in the oil fire.

-Aldmeri Dominion

TheGrandAlliance

+ x have no meaning. If players cannot look at the map and see who owns the keep (and thus determine who is attacking/defending) then they have much to learn about "strategy".

Adding in the extra symbol just takes that much more typing time (esp since they far away on ur keyboard) and slows the readback time (more stuff to read on screen). As long as players have general idea who is been talking in /z you don't need to even say where the action is.

tinythinker

TheGrandAlliance wrote: »

+ x have no meaning. If players cannot look at the map and see who owns the keep (and thus determine who is attacking/defending) then they have much to learn about "strategy".

Adding in the extra symbol just takes that much more typing time (esp since they far away on ur keyboard) and slows the readback time (more stuff to read on screen). As long as players have general idea who is been talking in /z you don't need to even say where the action is.

Thanks for the comment.

I was using "+" and "x" as generic examples. Anything that starts spreading and becomes conventional becomes meaningful, so it depends on what people find useful and comfortable. I am not suggesting those particular shorthand symbols will spread, but something like them could be potentially be useful. Not everyone is familiar with the map of Cyrodiil, as many players are not dedicated to PvP. Having to hit "M" and scrolling around to look up a keep on the map surely take more time than just seeing a single extra letter in the zone chat message. I agree that it would be easier if people could follow what is going on in the context of the zone chat, but on a busy campaign at peak hours there can be multiple assaults ongoing at any one time with players popping in at different times and lots of people shouting battle updates over each other.

In any case, your point about being able to follow along is kind of the point for the whole post, even if the "+" and "x" seem superfluous. I often see people just shouting "Outer wall down" or "Enemy alliance coming from behind" with no context. My primary suggestion is to type updates in chat that make it easier and quicker to get a snapshot of what is going on, not to push any particular format for doing so.

Be well.