Chat System Anomalies - Disecting the flaws.

[Edward Edgemenace]

The POTCO game has an elaborate chat system built-in as an integral part of the game. The chat system itself (when it works properly) is highly complicated.

Local chat has efficiency throttles, so that on a quiet server, you can hear someone on the other side of "Cursed Caverns" yet while on Tortuga/Abassa, you can't hear someone at the other side of the same dock. Local chat messages also appear in a cartoon bubble above the speaker's head.

Local chat messages that begin with ". " (a period then a space) will appear in a thought bubble over the speaker's head and will not disappear after 6 seconds. However, that thought-bubble is NOT visible to people who arrive later - only pirates who were present when the message was sent, can see that thought bubble over the speaker's pirate's head.

Whispers can be sent to people "nearby" or to people in crew, or people in guild, or people on friends list or people on player's friends list. If the person is not within line-of-sight AND not on your regular friends list, the message is delivered with a false indication to you that it is NOT sent (even though it really does get through.) Whispers sent to someone who is no longer nearby, or to someone who switches servers, or who logs out, are deceptively REDIRECTED to guild chat or crew chat to maximize embarrassment.

Crew chat has multiple "modes" of operation, where different keywords are restricted depending on the crew composition. If all crew members are "open chat" different things go through, that don't go through if there is a "speed chat plus" member in-crew.

Guild chat also has multiple modes, similar (probably identical) the the crew chat restrictions. Guild chat, however, has ENORMOUS complexity added, in that it is the only chat mode that reaches multiple recipients on DIFFERENT servers.

Privateering chat simply lets nothing meaningful through, only insults and taunts. For example, "They are surrounding Porc!" does not go through.

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In all chat modes, there is a primary-level filter that prevents blatant obscenities, from going through. Entering that in a chat line, prevents the line from going through and displays a warning on the person's screen, warning them that their account standing is in jeopardy. Further such attempts give sterner warnings. Ignoring those can automatically block an account.

In all chat levels, there is a strong distinction between "speed chat", "speed chat plus" and "open chat" - only open chat players can type (and read) game-relevant numbers such as "zero one two three four five six seven eight nine ten twenty thirty forty fifty 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 30 40 50" etc. Speed chat members can't type (nor read) any free text typed - only the straight preset speed chat phrases accessible from a mouse (clicking the icons left of the chat entry line.)

Note that "speed chat plus" is the default mode for children under the age of 13. Parents can restrict chat to "speed chat" through the DxD parental controls, but cannot enable "open chat" for their children, no matter what. Only accounts that have an "age of record" over 13 years of age can have "open chat." An "open chat" account can also be restricted by parents to "speed chat plus" or even down to "speed chat."

In all chat levels and modes, no 5 (or more) digit numbers are ever allowed, despite being extremely game-relevant. Any line of text that has 5 or more numbers present anywhere in the line (no matter what separates them) is completely blocked from going through. The person typing the line is given every indication that the line DID go through, even though it does not.

In all chat modes, there is a secondary server-side filter that eliminates entire lines of text if they contain words such as "number" or "telephone" or "phone" or "e-mail" or "account." While the sender sees their line of text as it was intended, absolutely zero of the intended recipients actually get to see that line of chat.

In all chat modes, putting someone on IGNORE will remove their text from your chat window history. Reporting someone to Disney using the in-game report feature will automatically IGNORE them and remove all their text. Local chat messages typed will still appear in thought bubbles over their heads, but will not appear in the chat window. Preset speed chat phrases, however, will get through.

In all chat modes, there is no local text chat log for parents to review. There is no way to check what time a line of chat was sent. While text archives are kept on the server-side, they are not necessarily reviewed unless someone is reported. (And the report feature currently does not work at all - instead, the person clicking report is ejected from the game to the "Report a bug" page.) Disney only sends lines of text (with timestamps in PDT) relevant to a suspension, when sending an e-mail to parents or account holders. So for parents concerned about their children's safety, there is simply no text log anywhere.

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In all of the chat modes, Disney complies with federal regulations for children's safety. While eminently reasonable to their lawyers, this usually results in a completely unplayable game when and children with "speed chat plus" are involved.

Almost every aspect of the game is about numbers. While lawyers have decided that "telephone numbers" (((and all variations))) need to be prohibited, they obviously never tried to actually play the game with such bizarre and random-seeming restrictions.

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It would be infinitely helpful in-game, to change how POTCO handles "super-restricted" or "legally-restricted" keywords. Currently, the line appears to go through (on the sender's screen) with no indication at all, that the message was filtered. I feel it would extremely helpful to the game overall, if Disney would add a message such as:

"The COPA regulations prevent us from allowing your message to go through. Please review the Terms Of Service. Adult topics may not be discussed with minors. Further attempts at this type of communication may be reported to local police or the FBI."

whenever a message is quashed. They of course, could have increasing severity levels with more explicit warnings, perhaps reminding people that topics regarding communication outside the game are verboten. Perhaps even, being more explicit about what else is prohibited.

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What other words have you discovered in-game to be "super-restricted"? Just to simply play POTCO, it would be very useful to have a list of known words that trigger the server-side silencer. Add words here on this thread and I will update this list as I confirm that they are blocked.

Restricted words:

• account
• and I start
• back up
• be your
• but it
• camera
• can use
• ****adoodledoo
• ****ney
• dog is
• e-mail
• for some
• get it
• get some
• hit it
• jack of (all trades)
• jason of all (trades)
• kiss
• number (note, not "numbers" plural!)
• phone
• porc
• shoot it
• take me
• take off your
• take off ur
• telephone
• test it
• web site
• website
• your black