Okay, seriously, us console guys NEED text/zone chat. [RESOLVED]

Azurephoenix999

The Issue

You remember that guild you joined just so you'd have a trade partner/trials groupmate? Well, out of the 497 people in that guild, only 10 are online and none of them want anything to do with you.

I've been in this situation more times than I can count, and I'm sure this also goes for many other people too. Text/zone chat makes it so much easier for players on PC to get past this, as they can find people to help them out quickly and in a hassle-free way.

You know what we're forced to do on consoles? We've got four options:

1) Put on our headsets, join area voice chat, and walk around going "DU YA WUN' TA DU DA TRYAL WID ME GUYZ!?!?"

2) Spam passers by with group/trade invites.

3) Spam the "Group Up?"/"Trade" emotes in populated areas.

4) Go on an LFG website and hope someone sees your post.


Let me be frank when I say all four of these options sucks.

The first one is annoying as hell to everybody and they'll just end up leaving area chat, the second one is also annoying and rarely gets responses, same goes for the third except slightly less annoying for the person on the receiving end. The final one WOULD be a good option, if more than a handful of people actually used those websites.

Other People's Solutions

Play with friends - My friends aren't available at my beck and call, okay? They don't play nearly as much as I do, and having to force them to spend more time on the game isn't behavior that should be encouraged.

Join a Guild - As discussed in the Scenario above, guilds can't always be relied upon either. There's always going to be times when the guild is really inactive and you have to find another way.

My Solution

Give us console guys text/zone chat. It's already in the game for the PC version, all that should be different is the input method. It wouldn't be that hard to implement, surely?

Has ZOS ever actually given a reason as to why we don't have this?


Just Read the article "The Year Ahead"

Wow, that's a huge relief! I look forward to seeing this in-game, as well as a ton of the other stuff mentioned. Thank you to those that pointed me to it!

vyndral13preub18_ESO

Last i heard you are getting it. Im just not sure when. Im sure someone out there has more info.

RaXZon

Well you're not the only one who wants this!

And maybe I have a temporary solution for you. Add the ones who are active a lot as a friend on xbox and try to create a xbox party and speak to each other in that way.

Didn't do it myself tho, because I'm currently friendless on Xbox

And I don't know if ZOS said anything about the chat on Xbox

AzraelKrieg

It's coming.
http://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-gb/news/post/2016/01/12/eso--the-year-ahead

NewBlacksmurf

Go read the ZOS article. Year ahead

x_t7ink_x

Uhhm, personally i haven't experienced any of these issues.

I'm an officer in a large guild with 480+ members, we put out content in the MoTd and people come into guild chat and ask for help.

I also run a trials guild and I've managed to organise 4 successful runs of Sanctum this week including groups were 5/6 members were completely new to trials let alone sanctum. I've got more organised for the week ahead including my elite team for a speedrun.

I also run a FB page with over 1.1K members where we encourage people to group up for crafting, dungeons, delves, skyshard hunting. As well as help with builds, classes, new players and general info and banter.

I don't want text or zone chat, my screens full enough as it is and it will be majorly distracting as well as twice as hard to use as a pc player as we have no keyboard plugged in. Not to mention the bugs and potential added lag this will bring to the console experience. No thank you!

You don't NEED this, you NEED to get yourself in a guild or a proper community that wants to help people and you'll find this isn't even an issue anymore. Hell if you can't find one, make one I did.

IwakuraLain42

It's nice that you've found/managed two such active guilds, but it's my experience (on PS4/EU) that this is rare. Most guilds are rather inactive and finding guilds is not easy.
So an (optional) text chat on Console is very welcome.

Nussi28

I can fully understand the OP. Have to deal with the same issues. I'm not sure if I will be ever able to complete the craglorn group quests and trials. And no, guilds do not really help. The reason is quite simple: I play the wrong times. I'm not able to play in the prime time hours due to real life. I normally play after midnight. When I come online most players are gone to bed, others don't want to do a dungeon for the 3rd time and for trials it's to late for most.

So text chat highly appreciated!

Side note regarding audio chat for non-console players: There's not only one channel per guild. There are at least one officers channel plus several folks channels. According my experience it's nearly impossible to group up via this.

Mcwoods55

I hope they give us the option to turn it off. I personally don't want it. I don't have a keyboard and don't want to reach for my phone as 2nd display over and over... also It is hard enough to read some of the info on my HD tv the way it is anyway. I can only imagine how hard that will be to read.

Maybe an option to to scale some stuff on screen would be nice. Have options like small, med, large, xl.... May make people who have hard time seeing happier to play.

I have hated text in every pc game I play though because people SPAM it like crazy and your stuff gets missed 90% of the time.

Xellos77

It's a mixed bag but I'll welcome it. Zone chat gets clogged with nonsense. I'd still use voice chat for dungeons and PvP, but for general areas, text chat will be welcome.

x_t7ink_x

IwakuraLain42 wrote: »

It's nice that you've found/managed two such active guilds, but it's my experience (on PS4/EU) that this is rare. Most guilds are rather inactive and finding guilds is not easy.
So an (optional) text chat on Console is very welcome.

I can help you find a guild i know 3 major guilds (1 in each faction) I can get you an invite to if you'd like one just drop your PSNand faction. Also search Elder Scrolls Online PS4 EU if you have FB - plenty of active people on there

KaleidoscopeEyz

Find a more active guild. Sounds like your guildmaster needs to do some spring cleaning of people who probably left the game. The second text chat comes, I'm deactivating that aspect. Voice spam is bad enough. A visual spam is going to annoy me to no end.

x_t7ink_x

Nussi28 wrote: »

I can fully understand the OP. Have to deal with the same issues. I'm not sure if I will be ever able to complete the craglorn group quests and trials. And no, guilds do not really help. The reason is quite simple: I play the wrong times. I'm not able to play in the prime time hours due to real life. I normally play after midnight. When I come online most players are gone to bed, others don't want to do a dungeon for the 3rd time and for trials it's to late for most.

So text chat highly appreciated!

Side note regarding audio chat for non-console players: There's not only one channel per guild. There are at least one officers channel plus several folks channels. According my experience it's nearly impossible to group up via this.

It sounds like you guys are just having really bad luck with guilds, most guild on the PS4 EU don't use more than one channel and manage just fine - with the exception of maybe using the second one for PVP and the officers jumping in there to discuss guild business.

Have you tried searching for a guild with players who play at similar times to yourself? We have American and Australian players as well as people from all over Europe so we have a 'night shift' if you like. Try asking on the relevant recruitment section in this forum wont harm to try as text even if it does come won't happen overnight!

Beardimus

I concur with the earlier posts that joining the right guild resolves all this, and I would 100% want the ability to turn it off. Last thing I want is more nonsense clogging up the screen, or have it in a separate menu to view like email.

Beardimus

Info from the news link :-

Enable text chat on consoles later this year to help players – if they wish – to communicate zone-wide with other players, have easier access to emotes, and be able to chat with others using text instead of voice. This will be optional, and we will continue to fully support voice chat on console as the primary means of communication.

x_t7ink_x

Beardimus wrote: »

Info from the news link :-

Enable text chat on consoles later this year to help players – if they wish – to communicate zone-wide with other players, have easier access to emotes, and be able to chat with others using text instead of voice. This will be optional, and we will continue to fully support voice chat on console as the primary means of communication.

I hope i can turn the darn thing off!

NewBlacksmurf

Mcwoods55 wrote: »

I hope they give us the option to turn it off. I personally don't want it. I don't have a keyboard and don't want to reach for my phone as 2nd display over and over... also It is hard enough to read some of the info on my HD tv the way it is anyway. I can only imagine how hard that will be to read.

Maybe an option to to scale some stuff on screen would be nice. Have options like small, med, large, xl.... May make people who have hard time seeing happier to play.

I have hated text in every pc game I play though because people SPAM it like crazy and your stuff gets missed 90% of the time.

While I largely agree with you...here is the reality of adding this. (if its similar to what is on PC in the gamepad UI today)

-We will be able to turn it on/off
-we will have to use it at times (be asked or shunned, kicked, blacklisted, etc.)
-Hopefully with this, they add text size options not just for this but other text on the UI (hopefully)
-We will need to have the ability to resize and adjust, drag it


So this is just me...having been in countless discussions on this since console beta.
There is enough interest and requests on the forum to justify adding it....fine
However, I really hope ZOS doesn't do one of the following:

-upset the ppl who really want it by adding something that either isn't user friendly cause its an exact copy from the PC gamepad UI
OR
-upset the people who are either open to using it but dont mind as well as those who don't want it at all

I do believe this can be accomplished as long as what is on PC is not what we see on console but it will need a lot of logic based use, UI options and customized solutions for controller use with the idea that "most" shouldn't need to have a keyboard for this type of feature to allow interactions with those who prefer not to lay down a controller (even if they have a chat-pad connected to their game-pad) because typing on a chat-pad is taking your focus and hands off the part of the controller that allows gameplay. UI and functions have to work like on PC where you can play while the box is up....but on PC that doesn't flow cause keyboard keys also type as well as play but with a game-pad it does work better...but you still have to go back to the keyboard....it just doesn't flow for me on PC in game-pad mode


I'm eager to have details on their plans...hoping @ZOS_GinaBruno or @ZOS_JessicaFolsom can have a dev share their initial thoughts so others can react now...vs later once its released.
Hoping for everyone to have a chance to discuss whether its good or bad....this isn't something you just dump on the players. I think or rather hope ZOS has learned that from the back-lash after the console beta up to console release....they just dumped this.... "Oh, sorry, my comments are wrong, there is no text chat for consoles and wont be....then ESO live shows confirming...no"

BUT the big....what the... moment is when we hear them say, if its added later, it wont be like whats on PC.
Huh? you can't just throw that out and act like its not a HUGE deal.

Nussi28

@x_t7ink_x: Maybe I just didn't found the right guild. But that's also not an easy task. I was member in more than 10 guilds, left the most due to several issues. Maybe it's also a little bit related to my expectations.
Feel free to send me an invite to a better one. Currently I have the following chars:
DC VR16 MagSorc DD
EP VR11 DK tank
AD VR10 Temp healer

x_t7ink_x

By the time you type on the ps4 what you want to say, they will have left the area anyway.

How will text effect server performance, can platforms handle this much additional coding without lag - Please do not allow the use of this in PVP it will be an excuse for slanderous remarks and childish behavior to occur.

I just personally think any good that can come out of this will seriously be outweighed by the bad.

x_t7ink_x

Nussi28 wrote: »

@x_t7ink_x: Maybe I just didn't found the right guild. But that's also not an easy task. I was member in more than 10 guilds, left the most due to several issues. Maybe it's also a little bit related to my expectations.
Feel free to send me an invite to a better one. Currently I have the following chars:
DC VR16 MagSorc DD
EP VR11 DK tank
AD VR10 Temp healer

Nuissi28 - is that your PSN? I'll get you an invite to one by tonight

Nussi28

PSN is same as here: Nussi28

NewBlacksmurf

x_t7ink_x wrote: »

By the time you type on the ps4 what you want to say, they will have left the area anyway.

How will text effect server performance, can platforms handle this much additional coding without lag - Please do not allow the use of this in PVP it will be an excuse for slanderous remarks and childish behavior to occur.

I just personally think any good that can come out of this will seriously be outweighed by the bad.

Agree but the decision has been made now so....now I hope we get a clue at least a month or two prior to its release.
Screen shots and sorts based on what they have already programmed.

Ni7eWa7ch

I hope it's comming on console , in EU we have lots of different languages and not everyone masters the English language good enough or not to com with headsets
An other thing i'd like to see is that we'd be able to make friendslist within the game and not with PSN for example , this and hide PSN tag and use the name we've created our character with instead (its beyond me that we have to create a char name just to have our PSN tag showing on each char)
Chat wouldn't not only be good for LFG but also for trading

Jaronking

x_t7ink_x wrote: »

By the time you type on the ps4 what you want to say, they will have left the area anyway.

How will text effect server performance, can platforms handle this much additional coding without lag - Please do not allow the use of this in PVP it will be an excuse for slanderous remarks and childish behavior to occur.

I just personally think any good that can come out of this will seriously be outweighed by the bad.

I agree with you am personally fine with this being allowed in PVE zones but for PVP keep it out.Its just going to cause more lag then benefit PVPers on consoles.

Averya_Teira

To the people saying no to text chat and that voice chat is fine. Have you considered that a big portion of players are just not comfortable speaking to strangers/are not native english speakers (like me, I speak french) and have trouble speaking In English, but no trouble writting it ?

Maybe YOU think voice chat is fine, but it's not fine for everyone...

waterfairy

I think you're not realizing that text chat would be overrun with the same stupid, annoying people from area chat
*cough* kids *cough*

I would turn it off just like I turn off area chat.

reguvin

This is one of the biggest issues on Consoles right now.


Played for 2 Years on PC and when i transfered to Consoles i never felt the same without Text Chat.

x_t7ink_x

Averya_Teira wrote: »

To the people saying no to text chat and that voice chat is fine. Have you considered that a big portion of players are just not comfortable speaking to strangers/are not native english speakers (like me, I speak french) and have trouble speaking In English, but no trouble writting it ?

Maybe YOU think voice chat is fine, but it's not fine for everyone...

Not every guild or player has to speak English, yes that maybe a language that primarily takes up a big proportion, however there are guilds out there that are specific for German, Dutch or French players.

Korah_Eaglecry

x_t7ink_x wrote: »

By the time you type on the ps4 what you want to say, they will have left the area anyway.

How will text effect server performance, can platforms handle this much additional coding without lag - Please do not allow the use of this in PVP it will be an excuse for slanderous remarks and childish behavior to occur.

I just personally think any good that can come out of this will seriously be outweighed by the bad.

Text Chat is Zone wide and Guild wide. Its far more reaching then the actual VOIP area chat now. Areas like Cyrodiil, Imperial City and the people in the new zones looking to take on the World Bosses will have a far easier time using it.

The deaf and mute will actually be able to participate in discussions.

All of these nonsensical arguments against text chat has been proven time and again to be absolutely false and unfounded. Nothing can be said or done on text chat that cant be said and done on VOIP. In fact its far harder to get away with anything said and done on text chat vs VOIP since it leaves evidence. And its easily argued that the harassment and abuse that can occur over VOIP is far more damaging then text chat.

NewBlacksmurf

Averya_Teira wrote: »

To the people saying no to text chat and that voice chat is fine. Have you considered that a big portion of players are just not comfortable speaking to strangers/are not native english speakers (like me, I speak french) and have trouble speaking In English, but no trouble writting it ?

Maybe YOU think voice chat is fine, but it's not fine for everyone...

I believe its been confirmed that regardless of any feedback, the feature is coming this year to consoles per the year ahead article on this website. http://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-gb/news/post/2016/01/12/eso--the-year-ahead

I believe some of the comments are in regards to how they personally will decide to use or not to use it once released. DOn't take offense cause its just ppl sharing

x_t7ink_x

Korah_Eaglecry wrote: »

x_t7ink_x wrote: »

By the time you type on the ps4 what you want to say, they will have left the area anyway.

How will text effect server performance, can platforms handle this much additional coding without lag - Please do not allow the use of this in PVP it will be an excuse for slanderous remarks and childish behavior to occur.

I just personally think any good that can come out of this will seriously be outweighed by the bad.

Text Chat is Zone wide and Guild wide. Its far more reaching then the actual VOIP area chat now. Areas like Cyrodiil, Imperial City and the people in the new zones looking to take on the World Bosses will have a far easier time using it.

The deaf and mute will actually be able to participate in discussions.

All of these nonsensical arguments against text chat has been proven time and again to be absolutely false and unfounded. Nothing can be said or done on text chat that cant be said and done on VOIP. In fact its far harder to get away with anything said and done on text chat vs VOIP since it leaves evidence. And its easily argued that the harassment and abuse that can occur over VOIP is far more damaging then text chat.

Fair point on the deaf and mute, although real time dungeons and trials - this wont solve that issue. Currently cross alliances can't communicate via voice chat in PVP - not unless you're in the same guild and then its not exactly going to be an issue.

The fact that its far more reaching worries me even more with regards to lag especially if its to an entire zone.

I don't want to argue but you're wrong, consoles have a record option so it's just as easy to 'leave evidence' via voice chat. As to damaging content, it doesn't matter if it's by voice or chat the individual will make it just as damaging. It will however encourage more childish behavior as people will have things to respond to as apposed to wondering around in area chat. There's always that one person that wants to cause trouble, text chat makes that enabling 10 x easier.