Xbox and Probably PlayStation UI's NEED A Custom Chat Wheel!

Woefulmonkey

Ok the my suggestion is up front followed by my reasoning.

Just allow us to use the existing Emot Wheel to store custom 'Text' messages of say up to 500 chars each.

It would also be nice if we could have set of say 3 or 4 'Wheel' mappings so we could store custom message for some specific common complex dungeons.

Yes, there is already an Emot Wheel, and it does have some very basic useful messages like:

Attack Boss
Attack Adds
Ignore Adds
Follow Me
Point
Ready Check....

That is ok for some situation but if you have every tried to do an even simi-complex dungeon where no one else in 'on voice chat' you would quickly find these are inadequate to describe even moderately complex mechanics like.

Must kill boss before 3rd Major attack or it causes a team wipe.
Use levers to stop gas AoE
Must fight boss on stairs

Or even simple general information like

There is a Chest here.

Trying to use the Xbox controller to write even a small message dynamically in a dungeon is a huge pain in the arse.

Even using a chat pad takes too much time in the heat of the moment since you still have to go through several screens and open the 'Texting' window at which point your character is just getting wailed on.

It would be great if everyone just used headsets and spoke but the reality is almost no one does, especially in 'Random' dungeons with strangers.

I bet PC users have an in game 'Text' hotkey solution...
Even if the game does not support it directly I am 100% certain there are free hotkey mapping solutions.
Hell they existed for 'Everquest' 20 years ago.

This is not 'Just' as important for Console users it is 'More' important since we don't have any 'Keyboard Hotkey' addon app solution to fall back on.

dainswulf

Woefulmonkey wrote: »

I bet PC users have an in game 'Text' hotkey solution...

We have keyboards. But I feel your pain, having played ESO on PS4 also. I don't mind running vet dailies with randoms on PC, on PS4 I never did and only ran them with people in voice chat. Seems easy enough for them to add to console honestly.

TequilaFire

We also have keyboards on PS4 and use group chat.
But some editable canned messages couldn't hurt to save time.

Nephimana

Easy solution, get a headset, they don't have to reply when you call out "chest here" or explaining mechanics, they just have to listen. If they're not in group chat which happens a lot, a short text of "group chat" is enough.
But like myself, I hate talking, so I bought a keypad on the xbox controller, you can even plug in a keyboard to your console and just type really quick, I can do it mid fight on my tank and healer.
But saved quick text options would be nice like "stop frost heavy attacking the boss" (I use that one a lot).

Woefulmonkey

HI Nephimana,

I do have a head set, and I wear it and use it every time I play. The problem is that in my experience about 1 our of 15 people I have matched with in random dungeons will also have a headset or even be on the 'Group' channel.

I find when I try to just 'speak' and give directions no one appears to hear them or at least give no indication that they heard them either via voice chat or text chat.

However when I take the time to write out a text message people seem to 'see' that must more often and actually respond in some way that shows they understood the message.

I would love it if everyone used headsets, or at least seem to hear me when I use void chat, but the just don't.

The only thing that seems to consistently get peoples attention in a dungeon is text chat and that is a pain in the but to manage even with a chatpad.

This was an issue all the way back to Everquest, and it was 'solved' then by allowing custom hot keys mapped to pretty complex text message. Back then I could roll play an multi staged argument with my Pet to entertain my companions with 3 hot keys.

The 'quick wheel' is a pretty good analog of that solution that seems like it could be modified for this purpose.

I am just saying it 'should' be modified for this purpose.

I will try to attach a full keyboard to the controller as you described though since the chatpad is not working out as well as I hoped.

Typing with thumbs is ok for non combat but I have to look away form the screen and focus on the pad which makes fast messaging impractical.

NOTE: I have tried to attach a keyboard to the xbox USB slot directly from the system in the past and that did not work.

CapnPhoton

I would also like to see the emote wheel have more slots. It's difficult to choose a few and I think people would use them more often with more instantly available.

Woefulmonkey

Just as an FYI, I attached a full USB keyboard to my Xbox 1 X and it WORKED!

I have tried to use a full keyboard in the past (not with ESO) and the keyboard never seemed to be recognized so I figured it would not work, but it does.

1. ) You just plug in a USB keyboard. (I am sing a wireless system)
2. ) When you hit enter on the keyboard it brings up the little chat window at the bottom right side of the screen instead of the Xbox virtual keyboard that takes up half the screen (which is what you get with the chat pad).
3. ) You can quickly change the 'chat channel' by typing /group /say /zone or /guild

This is a much better option than a chat pad. I just keep the keyboard sitting next to me and if needed I can quickly type something now.

However. It still requires me to let go of my controller so it is not a good option during combat. It is however a good option when trying to communicate instructions before combat beings.

I still say that a 'Custom Text' chat wheel option would be a 'good' addition, but it is not a vital as I previously thought.