I think the Minecraft role-play community needs something to support it, and seeing as how servers are being reborn through Sponge, now be the time to make a chat plugin that utilizes the best features of previous role-playing plugins to bring the role-play community into server spotlights.
What this plugin is meant to do is offer ranged talking in-game, which isn’t an unfamiliar concept thanks to previous chat plugins. However, this particular plugin would take everything a step further. If you have ever been on the original factions server, MassiveCraft, you will know they are undoubtedly the most supreme and notorious role-playing server in all of Minecraft’s history as to-date. Let’s explore their role-play chat plugin as an example for me to explain what I (and likely others) are looking for.
In MassiveChat (the MassiveCraft chat plugin), players select one channel that they are speaking in, as well as multiple that they are listening to. While in the LOCAL channel, every message they say is ranged, therefore not global. Rather, if they were to say something in chat, you’d see this:
{User Nickname/Username} says: {Message}.
Steve says: Hello everyone.
You would only see the above message if you were in a radius of the player saying it. In addition to this, adding special characters to the end of a message would change how it is output. See the below examples:
– Adding an asterisk for “whispering” (lowers radius that message can be heard in)
{User Nickname/Username} whispers: {Message}.
Steve whispers: I am trying to be quiet.
– Adding an exclamation point to “exclaim” (slightly increases the message radius)
{User Nickname/Username} exclaims: {Message}!
Steve exclaims: I am not that quiet anymore!
– Adding two exclamation points to “yell” (significantly increasing the message radius)
{User Nickname/Username} yells: {Message}!!
Steve yells: Now I am being loud!!
– Adding a plus turns the message into an action (a barely increased range, hides the ‘+’ at the end)
{User Nickname/Username} {Message}
Steve walks in circles as he continues yelling.
Steve gets tired, and decides to stop yelling.
– And finally, adding ]] or )) to the end to use OOC, out-of-character, chat (separate color, and avoids nicknames)
{Username} OOC: {Message}
StevesUsername [OOC]: My character Steve really likes yelling.
This plugin should make players feel like their characters are having an actual conversation, as per fulfilling the role they chose to role-play. If other players are not within the radius of the message, or are barely in the radius, parts of the message get garbled with periods as to make it “partially heard.” For example, Steve is saying something at normal volume/range and Alex is just barely in range.
Steve’s chat looks like this:
Steve said: I wonder if Alex can hear me.
Alex’s chat looks like this:
Steve said: I w…de. i. Al… c.n h.ar me.
As for the other nifty features that MassiveChat has, it essentially just includes channels for faction members, allies, enemies, a general (global) chat, private messaging, selling or trading stuff, recruiting players, staff only, or for players to ask staff for help… all of which aren’t all necessary for this particular plugin.
Ideally, having a mimicked version of the MassiveChat LOCAL channel, along with private messaging and a GLOBAL channel, would make the dream chat plugin that role-play servers need to grow and be successful. I have lots of other ideas for role-play-related plugins, but alas, my budget is thin and this is no page for me to attempt to recruit a plugin development for hire.
That said, if you think you can pull this off, feel free to keep me posted on your progress! If you think you can do more stuff related to this, do try and contact me. I am currently not a high-enough rank on the forums for private messaging, but you can reach me by emailing my spare email account: [email protected]
Thanks in advance to all the developers out there working hard!
DISCLAIMER: I am, in fact, new to the forums - if I have broken any policies or rules in this post, please let me know respectfully and I will gladly make necessary changes to amend it.
