Chat System Anomalies - Disecting the flaws.

[Isaiah Ropeswine]

Nice job on this mate, this is very helpful to all of us pirates that chat in game. Must have taken you a while.

[Dog Firestack]

Another one to add is for some.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Added "your black" but baffled that "you're black" isn't filtered. What are they even trying to filter? Anyhow, forgot to verify "for some" when I was double pirating, so I'll add that when I double up again.

Originally Posted by Isaiah Ropey

Nice job on this mate, this is very helpful to all of us pirates that chat in game. Must have taken you a while.

Preparing for a scavenger hunt last winter, we had to verify every line of text the weeks before. On the day of the event, some lines of text still didn't get through, as the filter seems to change from day to day. It also filters differently when a speed chat plus person is in hearing range.

Yes, figuring it all out has taken a enormous amount of time. Ironically, with a smoother design, they wouldn't waste anyone's time, nor endanger anyone, nor frustrate the broad majority of their customers. (Most, who don't even realize they are being undermined by the server side filter, instead left to assume this community is just rude.)

[MacIronhawk]

Unfortunately, I think they have more things to worry about than bad behavior from players.

They're taking WAY too long on a second story quest, and in only a few months, it's the third year of POTCO. That's it, and we still haven't seen a second story quest.

There's no excuse. There's just too many more things to worry about than some chat problems.

While it's a big thing they should worry about, they just can't. POTCO is almost down the drain, and if they can save it with another story quest or two, they will, and if that means letting the chat system stay unfixed, oh well.

Extremely good observations here. It's amazing what they let through and don't let through.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Mac,

I don't disagree. For POTCO to make a comeback, they need real content - the ever promised 2nd chapter of the story quest and the Kraken boss battle.

This thread, however, is about an entirely different, relatively minor disaster. Since no other thread discusses the chat flaws in detail, it makes perfect sense to me, to compile as comprehensive list as possible here. Will Disney spend time on it? That's up to them. When the time comes that they DO decide to review or revamp the chat system, my hope is that they will find this very thread and be helped by it. They still have the option of continuing to ignore it; given past history, they probably will do just that, instead, opting to work on whatever mini-game or cellphone thing they wanna. Fix the chat? Add the 2nd story? Those things probably sound too daunting for them to work on, any time soon.

In the meantime, this thread can perhaps help players compile other restricted keywords, so we at least know what words to avoid. E.g. the word "it" - replacing the indirect article with a specific object, greatly increases the chance of a line going through. "Hit the storm reaper!" instead of "Hit it!"

[MacIronhawk]

Are there any words in the chat that can be considered offensive but aren't blocked?

[Captain Sureshot]

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

... as the filter seems to change from day to day. It also filters differently when a speed chat plus person is in hearing range.

I know the white list and black list used to be maintained regularly. And yes, the white list seems to trigger based on Speed Chat Plus players being "in hearing range", both geographically and as part of a chat group (crew, guild). It appears that one of the bugs is that if a Speed Chat Plus player leaves, the white list is sometimes still used as a filter. Not totally sure though, as we never really bothered to see what all of the different scenarios are. Good luck on that EE, I feel for you lol

(Most, who don't even realize they are being undermined by the server side filter, instead left to assume this community is just rude.)

You know EE, while that may be your assumption (not getting a response so the player/community is rude) it might not be so safe to assume that it is also everyone else's assumption. For example, if I am in a conversation with someone and they seem to just stop responding, I assume they went AFK, found themselves busy with something else, or (more recently) maybe there is something buggy with POTCO lol. I am not offended and I don't categorize them as rude for something they apparently did not say. The only time I would ever consider someone rude for not responding is if they were like you, someone who is familiar with chat system anomalies and considers a non-response rude.

In real life, in a face to face conversation a non-reply could be construed as rude, in-game there are too many other possibilities for me to jump to such a negative conclusion.

[William ORoberts]

Originally Posted by MacIronhawk

While the word hell in the game goes through, I think it shouldn't. I know the word has been said in the pirate movies, but you'd be surprised how many people use it in ways they shouldn't.

"Hell" goes through because people often forget to put an apostrophe on "He'll" so it comes out "Hell" if you notice, all other contractions are the same way, you can say cant, didnt, im, and wont.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Added "for some" and "get some" - ironically, "four some" and "got some" go through just fine in open chat.

[Dog Firestack]

Can use me doesn't go through I believe.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Dog Firestack

Can use me doesn't go through I believe.

"I can use another gunner" does not go through. Wow.

[Nate Swordwalker]

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

"I can use another gunner" does not go through. Wow.

That's because what you should say is " I could use another gunner. "

[Edward Edgemenace]

Originally Posted by Captain Sureshot

...
You know EE, while that may be your assumption (not getting a response so the player/community is rude) it might not be so safe to assume that it is also everyone else's assumption...

It is not my assumption. Your implication that I assumed anything of the sort, is insulting. I'll assume that was not your intent.

The impetus for all of this, was someone thinking I did not respond to their question. The fact that their question(s) never went through, was lost on them. Within this game, similar scenarios play out daily for me - but I'm one of the few people (probably less than 5% of people playing) that notice what's happening.

For example, if I am in a conversation with someone and they seem to just stop responding, I assume they went AFK, found themselves busy with something else, or (more recently) maybe there is something buggy with POTCO lol. I am not offended and I don't categorize them as rude for something they apparently did not say. The only time I would ever consider someone rude for not responding is if they were like you, someone who is familiar with chat system anomalies and considers a non-response rude.

Based on your bad assumption that my third person statement was somehow a first-person comment, your ire is misdirected.

In real life, in a face to face conversation a non-reply could be construed as rude, in-game there are too many other possibilities for me to jump to such a negative conclusion.

That's fine for you, but the broad majority of players in this game, in fact, do assume they are being ignored. Particularly true, when the person is right in front of them, fighting their enemy (for example.) In every way, the chat is meant to imitate normal human communication as best as possible. How often, does "silence denote consent?"

For myself, the only time I assume anything about in-game communication, is when I already know the person I'm talking to, very well. With crew matching, lookouts, public boarding and invasions, I estimate less than half my in-game communication is with someone I know well. Maybe you only interact with a small closed group of people, but most people in this game, do not.

With each example above, more light is shed on just how absurdly extensive the "black list" filter is. For most of the isolated words and phrases, it is not clear at all, what the black list is even trying to prevent.

Again, if Disney were to indicate to EITHER the sender or the listeners (or both) that the chat line did not go through, this thread would be moot. Since Disney does not give any such indication, most people are left to assume the worst.

Originally Posted by Nate Swordwalker

That's because what you should say is " I could use another gunner. "

I seriously doubt their intent is to promote proper grammar.

"Swift Foot II drank" ORLY?

"Sink 5 Navy Predator ships" ORLY?

If they are going to begin giving grammar lessons, perhaps they ought to hit the books themselves, first. A thread to catalog the game's bad grammar, would be a hundred times longer than this.

At any rate, "You can use my ship." does not go through, today.

[Captain Sureshot]

Originally Posted by Edward Edgemenace

It is not my assumption. Your implication that I assumed anything of the sort, is insulting. I'll assume that was not your intent.

no no no EE, not at all trying to insult you. No ire, either.

That's fine for you, but the broad majority of players in this game, in fact, do assume they are being ignored.

My apologies again for assuming that you were assuming how other players react in situations. I didn't want to assume that you were making an assumption, lol, but I couldn't find this information after an extensive web search. Where did you get this fact from?

Thanks again for all the time and effort you have put into this and all the other contributions you make.

[Dog Firestack]

Try ' be your' Ed. It filters it for me.