In Game Tablet For Text Chat
Jamie Vatarga
The idea of having text chat in game has been tossed around quite a bit. Usually one of the main issues brought up is that it could harm immersion. Be it with chat bubbles appearing on screen as people are talking, or just text appearing on screen.
An idea i heard that i think may solve this problem would be to have a tablet in game. Similar to the camera. something that we can put away, and just pull out to see/send messages sent by text. People who send a message over text can just have an icon over their head if they said something, and if they are trying to contact someone specifically, you could have a small message icon on your HUD to check the text tablet.
This would resolve the fear of cluttered text messages filling our view in game.
There is always the argument that typing in VR is a pain. But I think those who would like a text chat would appreciate this, even with the slow typing method of virtual keyboards
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Tristan
Maybe text is not good, but voice messages like in Whatsapp would rock.
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aytimothy
Tristan: One doesn't just glance at an audio file though, whereas you can with text. Also, fyi, WhatsApp is text-oriented.
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Hugo Zink
I disagree. Any form of text chat should be completely kept out of this game.
What drew me to VRChat is that it forced me outside of my comfort zone. By being forced to use my mic, I overcame a lot of my social obstacles and my social anxiety.
This game made me stick around for more than a year. It made me buy a VR headset and a new PC. If it supported text chat, I would have written it off almost immediately. And rightfully so, because every instance would just be mute desktoppers text chatting to each other.
If anything, I think we need better pen support on either avatars or players. The main issues with markers like Snail Marker is that they're prone to desync. Lower framerates or network lag can cause the writing to be distorted unless you write really slowly. And of course, the game's paranoid "distrust system" blocks these features by default unless you're a "trusted user".
An officially supported drawing tablet with synced contents would be a lot better than text chat.
Jamie Vatarga
Hugo Zink: i used to be right on with you on that. But since i became friends with a couple people who are actually mute irl who say they really want this because because they hate being forced to only communicate with pens and hand gestures, I really just feel like this idea of "You should push out of your comfort zone and just talk" is a bit of a selfish idea that overlooks others. Not saying it's intentional, but its doesn't take everyone's situations into account
John Smith
Hugo Zink: I'm not agree with you. Text chat is only an addition to voice chat and expands the functionality of the game. How are you going to solve the language barrier problem? You cannot attach an electronic translator to a words drawn by pencils in the air.
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Hugo Zink
John Smith: the language barrier isn't gonna be solved by voice or text chat either.
John Smith
Hugo Zink: Unfortunately, today, technical tools are not able to eliminate completely the language barrier. However, it can be reduced. Once I tried to talk to a Japanese. I do not know Japanese, and he spoke English very bad. In general, we was not able to talk to each other. Then I thought that if there were a text chat with an electronic translator, then we would be able to communicate.
John Smith
I think that text chat should be targeted. That is, text messages should be addressed to a specific person. Circles with text, that pop up above your head, will clutter the space. Instead of a virtual tablet, simply display the screen where you can enter text either through the virtual keyboard or through voice input. Electronic translator also should be added, for example, Google-translate, since the problem of the language barrier is very relevant. Our interlocutor must also open a text screen to see the messages that we send to him. If its text screen is not opened, a notification appears when a new message arrives. If the message is in a foreign language, he can select the translation language in the built-in translator.
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aytimothy
A simpler fix would be to make a chat window in the "Escape" menu that is room-wide rather than trying to fancy and have it be visual in the world.
Plus you can also hit the "communicate with someone far away (outside of voice range) in the same room" bird with the same stone.
MrDummy_NL
This is good alternative for pencils. I know the pencils are poor due user delays between users, causes in poor shaped writings or totally unreadable texts.
A popup keyboard to make chatbubble possible should nice, like in MMORPGs where chat bubbles are pretty normal above the players.
But there is problem. We have different avatar sizes (small to very big) and special avatars. Where should chat bubble placed? That is the problem here, because MMORPGs have default / fixed characters and VRChat has nothing default. So chat bubble above head is not best solution.
And there is also "spam" risk or too much chat bubbles in the room, which makes it not great readable. You dont want see many chat bubbles in the room btw.
The best idea is to mark your player first, then send the message to the player. It will pop up slight in front of the player face. This is also better for some private chatting instead chat bubble where others can read it. (though talking is already public wide)
I saw one solution with special avatar addon (like add finger trails) where player can send letters in front of him/her, so others can see it. Or course you must not block everything from the player, or you wont see it.
Useful for deaf / bad hearing players. But i think it's not easy how chat bubble will showed due so many avatars sizes. Most people will just use finger trails.
Verser
MrDummy_NL: I would think the devs could probably make a slide phone akin to the Droid 2 and have the chat appear on the screen. People have been also asking for a native tts. This would make the chat bubble concern a non issue. As far as spam goes I think discord has a good way of dealing with it by slowing down chat and if you see abusive chat you can block them. A slide phone design tho a little dated would allow the devs to make a multi use device for users. The camera is long over due for a overhaul. It would have a detachable screen like normal and all the features it currently has with hopefully raycasting to see what your controllers are pointing at.
MrDummy_NL
Verser: What i can think:
- use Social Tab in the VRC menu.
- click on user (only friendly users - because you cannot sent to non-friend user, it will only annoying others due spam risk)
- in info screen user, there should button to send message
- type message with onscreen keyboard
- send it away
- the other user will see popup in the left or right lower corner (same spot for invites, requests and your mic icon - it will show "note" icon)
- the user can open menu, will see user above the menu (same way as invite or request) but with different color edge for notes.
- click on user will show screen with message
- you can dismiss message or click reply to send back message
This system uses already used part of messaging system for invites and requests, so there should not much work to make it possible.
The biggest reason for ingame messaging system is because i am invited by a friend, but i am in very big map, almost impossible to find my friend there - and i cannot yell because voice will not reach far. This is why text messaging system will help me to warn my friend and talk for meeting point in the big map - so i can much easier to meet friend INSTEAD walking around for minutes to search my friend.
Searching in big map takes too much time!
The messaging system is VERY welcome!
The idea for separated tablet is not really needed, because we can use existing icons system from invite / request.