Handwriting feature in multiplayer lobby chat.

[Draco Nihil]

If anyone has used Windows Live Messengers "handwriting" feature you'll know what I'm talking about. I remember messing with it in the retail version of WZ2100 back when I first got the two disc set.

I was wondering if there were any plans to implement this into the GPL game? The one thing that sucked about it was that it drew very thin lines (1px) and it takes awhile to actually receive the handwritten message. (It slowly slides from top to bottom onto the chat display, similar to how blips in the minimap would "trail" around) Would be interesting if it was improved on a bit, and made to draw something more legible than 1px lines. (It would literally look like henscratch even if you are good at writing with a mouse)

[Emdek]

The only possible benefit I would see in such feature is possibility to draw alliance tactics plans on map, but that would make more sense in game only and would probably only make sense if game would be much slower paced...
So personally I think that it is not worth effort to have it built in.

[aubergine]

Wouldn't it be easier to just drop beacons in the game? Or while the game is running have a skype voice conference or something like that?

[Emdek]

aubergine, exactly, I was only trying to find any possible use case.
And about voice communication, that might be a good idea to have built in.

[aubergine]

Voice comms would add a lot of cruft IMHO - it would be better for teams to choose their own voice chat (or other communication) systems external to the game, something they are familiar with and used to using, rather than to try and build a warzone version of skype.

[Emdek]

Well, it's not about creating something from scratch, just use some existing system, like here:
http://openarena.wikia.com/wiki/Manual/Voice_chat

[Draco Nihil]

Yeah there's plenty of VoIP clients that are cross platform that'll work. Mumble is a good pick. I also think integrating VoIP into WZ2100's multiplayer would cause lag problems.

I just thought the handwriting feature could be used to draw your signature or something silly like that. I understand that it might be a bit insignificant to re-implement but like I stated, was just a thought.