Chat channels: change to ToME Spoilers and Spoiler Free

[jotwebe]

Since a lot of stuff discussed in the ToME main channel is spoily while the ToME spoiler channel languishes unused, it probably would be better if the chat channels were instead ToME Spoilers and ToME Spoiler Free.

Thanks to captainstrips for the idea.

[lukep]

+1, spoiler channel is underused, and those labels are better at describing it.

[CaptainTrips]

captainstrips? Only when I'm feeling naughty.

Just for clarity's sake: my main point was that the current setup doesn't suit the way the chat is actually used. Almost all chat is in some way 'spoily' - for that reason it makes more sense to have the spoiler channel as the 'default', and let the (I'm guessing) relatively small number of people who want to avoid all spoilers hang out in the Tome Spoiler-Free channel (or whatever you want to call it).

I would further suggest that new players (not characters) should be put into the spoiler-free channel by default, with a notice that if they wish to share or receive spoily info, they should switch channels. Also, to avoid creating a divide and thereby reducing the already sparse amount of chat we typically have, I'd suggest that people in the default (spoily) chat should be able to see messages from the spoiler-free chat. That way they could switch to the spoiler-free chat if they felt like responding (keeping in mind not to carry their spoilyness over with them).

[jotwebe]

captainstrips? Only when I'm feeling naughty.

[Aquillion]

I would further suggest that new players (not characters) should be put into the spoiler-free channel by default, with a notice that if they wish to share or receive spoily info, they should switch channels. Also, to avoid creating a divide and thereby reducing the already sparse amount of chat we typically have, I'd suggest that people in the default (spoily) chat should be able to see messages from the spoiler-free chat. That way they could switch to the spoiler-free chat if they felt like responding (keeping in mind not to carry their spoilyness over with them).

The problem with this is that nobody will bother to switch. I mean, if people would bother to switch, everyone would have switched to the spoiler channel already.

[lukep]

One way to help with this would be to colour code different chat channels in your display, and enable/disable display to each individually. One way to help with switching channels for speaking is making something like [shift + return] or a different button post into the other (non-primary for the player) channel.

[Tom]

Are there really, I mean really, those who play hard without reading any spoilers at all?

Tom

[CaptainTrips]

I would further suggest that new players (not characters) should be put into the spoiler-free channel by default, with a notice that if they wish to share or receive spoily info, they should switch channels. Also, to avoid creating a divide and thereby reducing the already sparse amount of chat we typically have, I'd suggest that people in the default (spoily) chat should be able to see messages from the spoiler-free chat. That way they could switch to the spoiler-free chat if they felt like responding (keeping in mind not to carry their spoilyness over with them).

The problem with this is that nobody will bother to switch. I mean, if people would bother to switch, everyone would have switched to the spoiler channel already.

That's possible, though I think the reason that people don't bother to switch now is that it's seen as something temporary - the idea being that asking or talking about spoilers is an exception to the rule, when in fact, not-spoily chat is the exception. Nobody wants to constantly switch back and forth between channels. Allowing the members of the spoiler chat to view messages from non-spoiler chat would essentially make the switch a much more permanent one - only people who want to converse specifically with those in the non-spoiler chat (or remind a new player that spoily chat should be taken to the other channel) will then be forced to occasionally switch channels, whereas in the current system people are expected to switch away from the de facto 'main' channel every time they want to get spoily.

One way to help with this would be to colour code different chat channels in your display, and enable/disable display to each individually. One way to help with switching channels for speaking is making something like [shift + return] or a different button post into the other (non-primary for the player) channel.

I thought about something like this, but I think handling things on a 'post-by-post' basis (even as simply as you've suggested) would lead to the same result we're seeing now - practically nobody will be bothered to do it.