The Mana World Forums

Well, at the moment if you sit down you're just sitting down. Many people are using sitting down as a sign that they are away, but many new players do not know this. I was thinking of using a chat bubble to say if you're away or not. Maybe we could do this like equipment or an emoticon that "sticks" above your head until you're back.

Btw, the reason I am not working on NPCs right now is because I'm waiting for Len.

Also, the chat bubbles are transparent, but the forum's skin doesn't show it.

Preview:

Good idea in general, as it will make the social part of the game easier.

Graphicswise, I think it would look great if the bubbles showed images rather than text, if they are easy to recognize what they are.

Slightly off forum topic (though related to thread topic). Instead of showing all the time the bubbles could perhaps be shown only when another player makes an action (talk, trade, ...) to the inactive player.

Alternatively, to switch on the away status on, the client could issue such an order after a certain time of inactivity or the player could write a command in the chat.

It would be nice if the AFK bubble could be constantly on rather then just showed once as an emotion.
I guess teh easiest way to do this is:
1. Add it to playersprites, and have a different sprite displayed when on AFK status (box ticked in menu or iddle)
2. Make it an equipable item

Stuff like that can easily be implemented as a particle effect.

5t3v3 wrote:It would be nice if the AFK bubble could be constantly on rather then just showed once as an emotion.
I guess teh easiest way to do this is:
1. Add it to playersprites, and have a different sprite displayed when on AFK status (box ticked in menu or iddle)
2. Make it an equipable item

Did you even read what I posted?

the first post in this topic wrote:Maybe we could do this like equipment...

the first post in this topic wrote:...or an emoticon that "sticks" above your head until you're back.

Also, as a particle effect? I thought that only worked with animation.

Particle effects can be animated but they don't have to.

It is perfectly possible to have a particle effect which just consists of a single, persistent, unanimated image which keeps its relative position to a being.

I am suggesting a particle effect because there already is an infrastructure in the code to attach an arbitary ammount of them to a being.

So then what should I do with the chat bubble? Should I really use images instead of words? I mean, don't AFK, BRB, LOL, etc. translate into the other languages as is? I mean, Uber does.

kr0n05931 wrote:Did you even read what I posted?

Sorry I must have overlooked where you suggested using it as equipment =)

Crush wrote:Stuff like that can easily be implemented as a particle effect.

What about players who will turn off particle effects?

why should you turn them off?

Turmfalke wrote:why should you turn them off?

My mistake, I thought that particle engine can be disabled, while only ambient fx have option to turn that option off

The particle engine is somewhat OTT for the effect requested

Over the top?

Not really. The particle engine has been made with such applications in mind.

Assigning a key for this would be nice. At least it could also appear when a person is standing. The AFK would suffice.
Unless you guys want to have a new player sprite position like sleeping. Maybe the "dead" position with Zzzz animation on top.

mon wrote:Assigning a key for this would be nice. At least it could also appear when a person is standing. The AFK would suffice.
Unless you guys want to have a new player sprite position like sleeping. Maybe the "dead" position with Zzzz animation on top.

Add a beer in his hand and we have the hammered position.