====== Improving Player Communcations ======
Ideas on improving the communication between players.

===== Inter-Server Chat =====
Allow players on one server to chat with another server.

==== s2s ====
Servers connect to other servers directly, and exchange messages.

Possibly have a central blacklist of abusive servers (which one can choose not to use).

=== Possible ways ===

== Server lists ==
Options to connect to all compatable servers on the metaserver

With a List (like ban lists, etc) of connections to make with other servers

  * Can have a split network
  * No one single point of failure
  * more difficult to deal with abusive servers than using the "central server" method

== Dynamic Private Conversations ==
  - Player1 on Server1 types "tell Player2@Server2 SOMETEXT"
  - Server1 initiates connecton with Server2, if not already connected
    * cache the servers?
    * callback like done with xmpp to prevent spoofing?
  - Server1 sends Player1's message to Server2 with address to Player2
  - The message gets sent from Server2 to Player2's client

  * No general chat, unless combined with "Server Lists"
  * No single point of failure
  * More diffucult to deal with abusive servers than using the "central server" method

==== Central Server ====
Use a central server (possibly runing on, or intergrated with the metaserver).

Server1 ---- Chat Server ---- Server2

  * Easier to impliment channels/general chat
  * easier to blacklist abusive servers
  * central point of failure
    * use fallback servers?
  * If an abusive admin takes over the central server, bad stuff can happen

==== Port the protocol to Jabber/XMPP ====
  * would have to redo the protocol, and its related code
  * added network overhead
  * interesting built in features of the jabber/xmpp protocol which could yeild interesting game features
  * code/standards for interconnecting servers are widely used.
  * WEIRD, but would work

===== Out of game chat <> In game chat =====


==== IRC bot ====

  * exists, in some form
    * written by [[User:Rednaxela|Rednaxela]] in perl based upon the code for the seer bot.
    * Rednaxela is planning on eventually rewriting as a supybot plugin, so it can be run on cfbot that is already running on IRC. Rednaxela is not currently active in doing that though.
    * not actively running (code hasn't been cleaned up, no host to run it on)
  * A significant amount of players don't use irc, or don't know how to use it.
  * Simple
  * Appears hackish

==== Chat Mode Connections ====
Allowing connections to servers just for chating

  * more load on servers
  * doesn't appear to be as hackish
  * would increase the amount of users of crossfire (if not necessarily players)
  * crossfire could end up being more of a chat protocol than a game
  * A gaim plugin, and/or jabber transport would draw attention to the game.