Possible use of irc

[srwu_mods]

Recently a lot of people had trouble connecting to mission rooms using AIM or other software that supports AIM. It has always been an issue for some but usually one we could get under control - but it got a lot worse during the last few weeks.

So we're considering using irc to run missions. We'd still use AIM for communication, but this is an alternative in case someone gets dropped and AIM won't let them rejoin during a mission.

Without further ado, which of those options do you prefer best?

1 - Stay as it is now. Don't use irc for running missions.

2 - Try to use AIM for running missions, but keep irc around as an option in case AIM is acting up.

3 - Use irc for mission running every time.

Say which option is your favorite, and maybe also why. Discussion is welcome and encouraged. Make your voice heard on this matter.

Comments

[majestic_keiki]

Out of the options presented, I'd personally prefer number 3. It might be a simple matter of being more used to it, but in my experience irc is easier to use than aim for larger chatrooms.

[way_of_vengeance]

Option 3, by far. I use irc on a regular basis, and there are solid free programs for it on OS X/Linux and Windows platforms. On top of that there's auto-logging, browser-based programs as a fallback, and almost all have an automatic rejoin feature that actually works, unlike AIM's (where I will be locked out of group chats for hours at a time). The use of Topics would let you leave the initiative order stuck at the top of a room, so anyone who had questions could see it without having to scroll up...

Also, no ads, and people could hang around at non-mission times to chat about random things.

[prismphantom]

I'm kinda a mix between 1 and 2. I don't want to rush to use IRC, especially if using it is problematic for a lot of people and my own memories from UG1 where going into using it blind was a trial by fire for me.

That said, if the only problems with IRC come down to people just not knowing how to do stuff -stuff a simple guide could explain- I think we should have it in reserve for when AIM decides to just crap out on one or more of us. Problems with AIM always seem to be things that we can't do anything about. Unfamiliarity with IRC on the other hand is something we can actually address.

[gravitons]

I think the main drawback of actually using IRC full-time is that the client programs tend to be full of unwanted stuff (like adware for mIRC). Don't know if this has changed now, but this is what I've heard from people before.

Personally, I've only used IRC once through a browser-based program (Mibbit? IIRC), and that was just messing around to see what it could do. It did seem to have a lot of useful features such as handle/name changing and the /me command. All in all, it wasn't that difficult to get used to, at least for me. However, I don't know if this holds in a more hectic situation, like in OOC chats or missions.

So, I don't know where I am on this one because there isn't enough information to go on. One can say that it all just looks like text on a screen, but the experience itself is something words can't quite capture. What I'd suggest is what I've mentioned on OOC before - run a test mission of some sort to see just how feasible the platform is as an alternative to AIM, and see how players and mods will manage while using it.

From that, we'll be able to decide on which option is best.

[way_of_vengeance]

If you get hexchat for windows or limechat for OSX, those don't have ads going on.

[gravitons]

As much as it is a problem, it's nothing I can't get around by using Mibbit or some browser-based program. This might not be the same for others.

What's more important here is still the latter half of what I said: how missions will be like on IRC. I know better than to judge things from second hand opinions.

[break_the_nine]

Admittedly while I favor 1, I actually feel that 2 and 3 may end up being the long term solution with the best results.

[tiger_ken]

I don't really use IRC, so... I'd have to be guided through a lot of steps. Honestly at least half the trouble on my end seems to be phone aim not being as good as I had hoped, or at least easily confused by being logged in elsewhere, and summer is just too damn to use my laptop so easily.

...I may shift around a few things, see if that works.

[keep_your_dignity]

I'm not enthusiastic about using IRC, but if we're going to use IRC at all, it should probably be option 3. Changing things mid-mission would only cause chaos.

As for the setting it up, I would say that we should recommend using Chatzilla and put a little tutorial for how to set it up. A lot of the IRC programs have all sorts of shitware to trap newbies - Firefox gives no troubles and for something like mission running Chatzilla suffices plenty. It also has the advantage that the mod can just toss an irc:// link to the chatroom and chatzilla auto-opens it on click, no need to go around doing /join and stuff.

[no99]

I've been phasing out all of my usage of AIM, so I vote 3. There are various free browser clients for IRC, so the unfamiliar need not mess with mIRC.

[streamedastar]

Option 3 is my vote
Because honestly I already have to switch to Trillian in order to get into a version of AIM that lets me get in the chats, and IRC can set up with Trillian fine. I'm already have two of them there.

Honestly the only detractor imo to IRC if we did it is we'd have to make two different chats on two different networks for OOC and IC. And I'm not sure how to handle tracking logs.

[majestic_keiki]

Why would we need the IC and OOC to be on separate networks? About the only reason I can see for doing that is to keep our IC and OOC names separate, but that seems like far too small an issue to bother with that kind of trouble.

[streamedastar]

Well because you can't switch between the two with one name/account, and considering how much we gab in OOC we can't just switch back and forth with names easily without it hindering things.

[majestic_keiki]

You can just make a second channel and join it easily. When I'm on irc I'm in six different channels. I have a weekly game that has separate IC and OOC channels.

[streamedastar]

I think that's what I meant when I said networks

[majestic_keiki]

Channels and networks are different things. Networks are the toplevel organization of irc and need separate setting up to join. Channels are just different rooms for discussion and anybody can create one simply by going /join SomeChannel. There are ways to register them and get more control over them, but on the basic level they're just individual chatrooms.

We should definitely have separate IC and OOC channels, but there's no need to keep them on separate networks.

[srwjunker]

1)- I have no want to go back to IRC the client can be maddening and I have just moved on from it to be perfectly honest.