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Beta Release [Mutator] ColoredChat

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Ducky

Super Moderator
May 22, 2011
6,358
237
Netherlands
This mutator has now been white-listed.

Instructions and download link can be found
here.



I've created a colored chat mutator and released the first beta release of this mutator. It's still in beta state and not yet white-listed. This means that a server running this mutator will be unranked (for now).

The mutator is simple to use. Just install and activate it on your server and that's about it. It has no server side configuration settings. The only settings that it has are client side.

Client side configuration:
The configuration file is named ROMutatorEx.ini and it can be found at the following location:
<My Documents>\My Games\RedOrchestra2\ROGame\Config
This file will be created on the clients as soon as they connect to a server that runs this mutator. The configuration file allows you to change the color of the different message types. The file is client side, which means that the player is in control over his own settings.
These are the settings in the configuration file:

  • DefaultChatColor
    This is the default color that will be used for all messages which do not belong to any of the below groups.
  • AxisChatColor
    This is the color used for all public chat messages from axis players.
  • AlliesChatColor
    This is the color used for all public chat messages from allies players.
  • TeamChatColor
    This is the color used for all team chat messages.
  • TeamLeaderChatColor
    This is the color used for the team leader chat messages.
  • SquadChatColor
    This is the color used for all squad chat messages.
  • SquadLeaderChatColor
    This is the color used for all squad leader chat messages.
  • DefaultChatFontSCaler
    Font scaler for default chat messages
  • AxisChatFontSCaler
    Font scaler for public axis chat messages
  • AlliesChatFontSCaler
    Font scaler for public allies chat messages
  • TeamChatFontSCaler
    Font scaler for team chat messages
  • SquadChatFontSCaler
    Font scaler for squad chat messages
  • TeamLeaderChatFontSCaler
    Font scaler for team leader chat messages
  • SquadLeaderChatFontSCaler
    Font scaler for squad leader chat messages
  • bInitialized
    This is an indicator for the mutator that the mutator was initialized at least once on the client. Please do not temper with this setting.
  • bEnableLogging
    If set to true, then extra debug info will be written to the log file on your client.
The colors are defined in RGB values. This is the syntax:
Code:
(R=<value>,G=<value>,B=<value>,A=<value>)
Where:
R = Red
G = Green
B = Blue
A = This one is ignored
The values can be in the range of 0-255, where 255 is full bright and 0 is off.

The font scaler settings can be used to increase/decrease the font size for the specific message type. A value of 1.0 will keep the font height as it is. A value above 1.0 will increase the font height. A value below 1.0 will decrease the font height.


Color definitions:
The mutator allows more colors than those specified above. This can be defined by a color definition that is located at the head of the (chat) message. A color definition is defined as:
Code:
{Color=<red>,<green>,<blue>[,<scaler>]}
{Color=<preset>[,<scaler>]}
The following message string will be displayed in yellow on all clients.
Code:
"{Color=255,255,0}I will be printed in yellow"
"{Color=yellow}I will be printed in yellow too (using a preset)"
Color definitions can be used with:

  • In code with all messages send by the broadcast handler. The ColoredChat mutator has 2 static functions that will create the color definition for you. Those functions are GetTextAttr and GetPresetTextAttr.
  • Both the in-game admin and the server admin can use them in the start of their chat message.
    Regular users can not use color definitions in their chat messages.
  • Server messages.
The color definition must be placed at the head of the (chat) message.


The preset format allows the following presets:

  • Red
  • Green
  • Blue
  • Yellow (default value for squad leaders and tank commanders)
  • Pink (default value for team chat)
  • Violet (default value for squad chat)
  • Gray
  • White
  • Default (default value for server messages)
  • Admin (default value for admin messages)
  • Axis (default value for public axis messages)
  • Allies (default value for public allies messages)
  • TwiAxis (this is the default TWI color for axis. This color is not clear enough for chat)
  • TwiAllies (this is the default TWI color for allies. This color is not clear enough for chat)
Download:
<temporary taken out>

Installation:
Download the above file and extract both files. Both the ColoredChat.u and the MutatorEx.u file go in the cookedpcserver folder on your server.
There is no client side installation required.

Activation:
The mutator can be activated on your server by adding the next to the map URL:
Code:
?Mutator=ColoredChat.ColoredChat
If you run more than one mutator, then use:
Code:
?Mutator=ColoredChat.ColoredChat,Mutator2.Mutator2
 
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What about client-side predefined colors that users/server admins can define? Can you think of any way of having a "shortcut" for a color? They could be defined in the config file.

IDK... like... {color=red}Hello Guys!

And in the config file...

ColorShortcuts=(ID="red",R=255,G=0,B=0,A=135)
ColorShortcuts=(ID="blue",R=0,G=0,B=255,A=135)
 
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What about client-side predefined colors that users/server admins can define? Can you think of any way of having a "shortcut" for a color? They could be defined in the config file.

IDK... like... {color=red}Hello Guys!

And in the config file...

ColorShortcuts=(ID="red",R=255,G=0,B=0,A=135)
ColorShortcuts=(ID="blue",R=0,G=0,B=255,A=135)

Server admins defining the colors for their players is a no go. What looks good for a server admin can look bad for a player. Just imagine a color blind server admin defining your message colors :D. Even so would it result in players seeing color X on server A and color Y on server B. That's a no go too. The colors should be consistent for the players.

Predefines like that look nice, but it's really more a nice to have. A player probably play with the values only once and leaves them alone if he found his preferred setting.
 
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Server admins defining the colors for their players is a no go. What looks good for a server admin can look bad for a player. Just imagine a color blind server admin defining your message colors :D. Even so would it result in players seeing color X on server A and color Y on server B. That's a no go too. The colors should be consistent for the players.

Predefines like that look nice, but it's really more a nice to have. A player probably play with the values only once and leaves them alone if he found his preferred setting.

Actually i was talking about client-side config file.

-Intercept what the guy is telling
-Translate the local shortcut into the RGBA code.
-Broadcast the message
 
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As of today this mutator has been send to TWI for white-listing. Will probably get an official answer somewhere at the end of this week.



Nice feature, but that can't be done with a mutator.

Damn i miss all those stupid colours in the server browser......lol
Could the servercolor files not be adapted to work with this version of the engine ie: servercolor.ini servercolor.u and servercolor.ucl

 
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