Launcher chat and cross-platform chat.

SG_Celerrimus

OK first off, yes this was sparked off of battle.nets launcher chat, but only because its a good idea.

I would like to see ESO's launcher have a built in chat system that allows you to talk to people even when they are not online in game, but are signed in on their launcher, and also allow people to talk to people cross platform.

This would be helpful because it would help friends contact each other to play ESO and other games together, help guild members find each other for events and or remind them of upcoming events, and help break down the social barrier between console and PC gamers, allowing the ability for friends who are cross platform the ability to still communicate. This could also potentially widen the mail system to allow cross platform mail, which could in turn help expand trading guilds as they potentially go cross platform with the use of guild websites.

KhajitFurTrader

The launcher, as it exists now, is a third party product that connects you to a CDN for game file downloads and updates. It is not affiliated with ZOS's authentication servers, you can log in via the client only, as of now. The launcher would basically have to be rewritten to incorporate secure authentication and passing of log-in tokens to the games' process.

Why is having a launcher chat a good idea? The battle.net Launcher is tailored to Blizzard's product portfolio, they have several games using the battle.net chat network already, people log in with a unique ID. Given this, a situation can arise where your friends are playing a game that you either don't own or don't want to play right now. Having the ability to chat with them without having to buy a game first or starting another game is convenient for you, and thus for Blizzard.

ZOS doesn't have a product portfolio, people can log into their sole product any time and chat with their friends. They don't have a chat server network that exists outside of the game's server cluster. You can't even chat or send mail between the two existing megaservers. They would have to invest in a feature that may have major (i.e. non-trivial) architectural impacts for a minor convenience improvement.

Besides, the console networks as they exist are closed affairs, as is the wont of their owners. They can only be accessed by devices in their respective product lines, nothing gets in from the outside, nothing gets out to devices that don't belong. There will be no cross-platform functionality, ZOS said as much when they announced the postponement of the console launch. It may be possible that the console versions of ESO will use the respective console network's own chat facilities, so console users could chat with other console users without running the game. But this hasn't been announced yet, so we will have to wait and see.

Edit: see the knowledge base articles here and here for further information.

DieAlteHexe

Skype?

dharbert

SG_Celerrimus wrote: »

This could also potentially widen the mail system to allow cross platform mail, which could in turn help expand trading guilds as they potentially go cross platform with the use of guild websites.

You buried the real reason you want this at the end of your post.....