New Wiimmfi Chat online! (experimental, feedback welcome)

datschge · 18. April 2015, 01:35

For everyone playing games on Wiimmfi there's now an easy way to chat with each other on chat.wiimmfi.de. One doesn't need to register anywhere for using it. The only prerequisite is that the Wii is on the same network as the device accessing the chat (i.e. sharing the same IP address). As there may be other people in the same household there's also the option to add a password.

For games that don't send the account's nick name (like Animal Crossing), that name will first be asked for before one can enter the chat. Same for friend codes and games that use unknown algorithms to calculate them (like Smash Bros Brawl).

This is based on the websocket technology in modern browsers, so chat messages are actually sent in real time as push messages. I hope this scales well and is of good use for this community.

If you come across issues or have suggestions please let me know in this topic.

SpyKid · 18. April 2015, 03:57

I like it.
Some ideas:
- the thing with the network. There are 4 wiis used by different people connected on my network, so these could be me too, right? I think also, if an user has an account on this forum, they should be able to login with that. I haven't understand the thing with the passwords yet.
- Also, people spam in this chat. Can you put in a limit of messages send by a user in a time duration?
- Something to censore offending words would be good, too.
- A list of users who are currently online in the chat?

eN-t · 18. April 2015, 03:58

Feedback: enable spam protection OR ban spammers from chat and game for 30 minutes

Seriously, some human beings just deserve to be hit by a hammer on their head.

Leseratte · 18. April 2015, 09:31

Feedback:

- Create different Chatrooms for the different games so you only see MKWii-related messages when playing MKWii (but also leave the global chat available)
- The chat kicks me after 3,5 minutes waiting in the WFC screen.
- The "who's online" list doesn't refresh automatically.

Tyto · 18. April 2015, 10:30

It seems to be great. =3

Feedback : Nothing more to add immediately. =3

Tock · 18. April 2015, 10:45

The Idea that someone has to be online with their Wii for accessing the Chat is kinda stupid. Why should I go online on my Wii just for access to the chat!?

Nobody is going to use the Chat when you have to have your Wii online in a game lol.

Leseratte · 18. April 2015, 10:46

Maybe define a password for the friend code and then allow logging in with that FC and password even when the wii's not online?

datschge · 18. April 2015, 14:32

Thanks for all the feedback in this short time!

Looks like the user list was not working as intended, it's updating more frequently now so I hope it's accurate this way. As for chat spam I added a simple check, but it will get something more robust later.

SpyKid schrieb:

- the thing with the network. There are 4 wiis used by different people connected on my network, so these could be me too, right? I think also, if an user has an account on this forum, they should be able to login with that. I haven't understand the thing with the passwords yet.

- Something to censore offending words would be good, too.

I'm afraid there is no easy solutions for several active players being behind the same IP, they will look like the same person to the outside world no matter what we do. Forum integration is not planned. I could try to offer a way to select between different Wiimmfi profiles whenever there are several ones of them for a given IP (currently it automatically takes the most recent one). Would that solve your issue?

As for censoring offending words I'd need a list of such first, do you know such a ready-made list that's commonly agreed on?

eN-t schrieb:

Feedback: enable spam protection OR ban spammers from chat and game for 30 minutes

I can't ban anyone from games.

Once the user list is confirmed to works as intended I'll add an easy way to hide offending users. Maybe that can be expanded upon more later.

Leseratte schrieb:

- Create different Chatrooms for the different games so you only see MKWii-related messages when playing MKWii (but also leave the global chat available)
- The chat kicks me after 3,5 minutes waiting in the WFC screen.

Filtering based on the game is definitely coming.

The kick sounds like a browser issue, normally even if the connection cuts off (which shouldn't happen unless the internet connection is unstable, e.g. on the phone) it should be re-etablished pretty fast (visible by the repeated welcome message). What browser are you using?

Tock schrieb:

The Idea that someone has to be online with their Wii for accessing the Chat is kinda stupid. Why should I go online on my Wii just for access to the chat!?

Nobody is going to use the Chat when you have to have your Wii online in a game lol.

I'm sorry to say but you seem not to be in the target audience then. I personally think all the per-game fragmentation of already small communities into different forums, facebook, chat programs etc. is very unproductive and at the end only prevents people finding players that are actually online. So I want to offer an easy no fuss way to communicate with others that are online, this is the purpose of the chat.

Wiimm · 18. April 2015, 14:39

Tock schrieb:

The Idea that someone has to be online with their Wii for accessing the Chat is kinda stupid. Why should I go online on my Wii just for access to the chat!?

Nobody is going to use the Chat when you have to have your Wii online in a game lol.

I agree. That why I fake my online status at server side.
Another point is: If reloading the interface and if not longer online, than you logged of.

About room split:
I think, if the chat is really accepted and heavily used, than sub groups for some games will be useful.

Leseratte · 18. April 2015, 14:59

The player list still does not refresh when someone enters / leaves.
But I do not get kicked any more. Was probably an issue with my system.

Another suggestion: Pressing the Up-arrow on the Keyboard should scroll through the last messages sent (if you want to re-send a message).

And a question: How is this chat implemented? If it were a simple IRC server with a web interface, we might be able to connect games which use "peerchat" directly to that IRC server.

Tock · 18. April 2015, 15:15

datschge schrieb:

I'm sorry to say but you seem not to be in the target audience then. I personally think all the per-game fragmentation of already small communities into different forums, facebook, chat programs etc. is very unproductive and at the end only prevents people finding players that are actually online. So I want to offer an easy no fuss way to communicate with others that are online, this is the purpose of the chat.

Then you have no target audience. NOBODY is going to have the chat open while they are searching for teammates to play a WiiWare game for example. You can't really type into a chat while racing for example either.

The idea of a chat is that people can idle there and look for people to play with for example Onslaught. I wont put my Wii on for hours on end just so I can access the chat and see if anyone is willing to play the game with me.

You talk about unproductive!? How is it practical to make a chat which requires you to have your Wii online all the time!? Your chat is going to be dead within a week this way. Why does a chat even need to have your console/Wii coonected!? A simple xat chat would have more people online in a week than the all time users on your own chat.

Look even Wiimm made a "hack" so he can access your Chat all the time lol.

Sepalani · 18. April 2015, 15:35

A good alternative would be to use the Wiimmfi profile (the one used for Open Host). This way you could know from which game the user can join or not and probably remove the check for the connected Wii. Another cool features would be to send/set user notifications for a specific game like "<THEGAME> I'll be online from 4 PM to 8 PM" and make them visible the time the user said he was online or something like that. Useful when you plan an online game or when people are playing the game.

eN-t · 18. April 2015, 15:36

Maybe just require to be online on the Wii once to "confirm" the registration (so that no fake accounts, spam bots or anything can go in there).

datschge · 18. April 2015, 15:39

Tock schrieb:

The idea of a chat is that people can idle there and look for people to play with for example Onslaught. I wont put my Wii on for hours on end just so I can access the chat and see if anyone is willing to play the game with me.

This is already happening will all games except Mario Kart. Now you just get the chance to actually talk to other players instead digging in the dark whether there are any, without jumping through additional loops like random facebook pages and unrelated chat apps.

Tock · 18. April 2015, 15:44

I would rather make it possible for everyone to access the chat without accounts or something. Then also make "[R]" registered profile which are linked to your Wiimmfi (openhost?) profile. How to make it? Let people click on the Wiimmfi profile something like "chat" and they are using their Wiimmfi [R] profile.

Why do people use facebook for Matchmaking? Because its possible to private message people and they are able to see old messages which makes it easier to find dates where everyone is able to play.

Edit: All your replies defend your decision and while everyone has agreed that my complaint is true, you stay with your decision which makes you seem arrogant.

Edit2: Having to have your Wii on while you are online in the chat is like the biggest hurdle ever. Why do people use Facebook to look for people? BECAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT ON FACEBOOK SO ITS NO HURDLE.

datschge · 18. April 2015, 15:49

Leseratte schrieb:

The player list still does not refresh when someone enters / leaves.But I do not get kicked any more. Was probably an issue with my system.

Another suggestion: Pressing the Up-arrow on the Keyboard should scroll through the last messages sent (if you want to re-send a message).

And a question: How is this chat implemented? If it were a simple IRC server with a web interface, we might be able to connect games which use "peerchat" directly to that IRC server.

Members entering/leaving should be reflected instantly now.

Previous messages should be available through the browser's native auto-completion actually, at least I don't prevent that and it works fine in Firefox.

The chat is implemented in websocket, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebSocket

eN-t schrieb:

Maybe just require to be online on the Wii once to "confirm" the registration (so that no fake accounts, spam bots or anything can go in there).

Currently one can join the chat if he was seen on Wiimmfi within the last hour. This can easily be increased further (with the downside that the longer the allowed time span is the higher the chance the IP is not by the same person anymore, thus stopping to work anyway or matching a wrong profile).

datschge · 18. April 2015, 15:54

Tock schrieb:

I would rather make it possible for everyone to access the chat without accounts or something.

Edit: All your replies defend your decision and while everyone has agreed that my complaint is true, you stay with your decision which makes you seem arrogant.

So without a nick and without a (then confirmed) FC? What's the purpose then?

To Edit1: Yes, I'm certainly arrogant wasting my own time on this, you are right.

I'm out for today. Have a nice weekend.

Tock · 18. April 2015, 16:01

datschge schrieb:

So without a nick and without a (then confirmed) FC? What's the purpose then?

For everyone to find people to play with? If you do not understand this basic concept of a chat then I do not understand why you even try to create a chat for Wiimmfi. You still have not managed to tell me why people HAVE to have their Wii online in the last hour.

datschge schrieb:

To Edit1: Yes, I'm certainly arrogant wasting my own time on this, you are right.

Well then have fun to be alone on your Chat next week.

m4xiking · 18. April 2015, 16:29

Well it would be nice if it reminds the player info until you log in with a new profile / different Wii.

So we could chat with our Wii's offline.

Tock · 19. April 2015, 20:05

aaaaaand the chat is already dead.

NintendoFan · 19. April 2015, 20:08

Tock schrieb:

aaaaaand the chat is already dead.

where? ._.

Billy549 · 21. April 2015, 18:04

NintendoFan schrieb:

Tock schrieb:

aaaaaand the chat is already dead.

where? ._.

The chat is based at chat.wiimmfi.de
I personally dont agree w/ the whole 'be online' aspect. We should have to go one once to verify our wii (unless we are registered)
Also, what if I'm packet capturing? I use my phone for that, so I'll have a different IP on my Wii to my router.
In short, using A) Be online all the time and B.) Same IP might not work for some.

Billy549 · 27. April 2015, 19:41

I'm online on Wiimmfi (Dr. Mario) but I cannot join the chat

Zeusus · 27. April 2015, 20:13

Some thoughts:
Guys, you should be more thankful. The chat is experimental!
I like the idea of being able to talk to people, you are currently playing with. Its nice for games like AnimalCrossing,but also between matches in SmashBros or TheLastStory for example.
However, i agree with the point of forcing to turn on the Wii. Registering with the consoleID seems like a great idea.
@datschge
Maybe showing an extra information like a colored name would be nice in order to inform users, if sb. is currently logged in and also online with his Wii. Seperated channels for games are cool.

NintendoFan · 12. Oktober 2015, 22:55

Sorry for the bump, but since that the developer of the chat is inactive(hasn't logged on for months), could we just take a few liberties and improve this chat on our own? I think that this was a nice idea, just not executed in the right way.

Was?	Info
Modell	Standard (weiß, Release-Day)
Zubehör	interne 500GB HDD, SDHC 32GB, LAN-Adapter, 128MB MemoryCard
Wi-Fi Spiele	Wiimm's MKW Fun, Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, ...

Was?	Info
Modell	Premium (schwarz, Release-Day)
Zubehör	500GB 2,5" HDD (schwarz), SDHC 32GB
Wi-Fi Spiele	Mario Kart 8, Nintendo Land, Sonic Racing (S&ASRT), ...

Was?	Info
Modell	3DS XL (blau-schwarz)
Zubehör	SuperCard DSTwo, 4GB SDHC
Wi-Fi Spiele	Mario Kart 7, ...

Was?	Code / ID
Wiimm's MKW-Fun	0904-9558-6482
Nintendo Network ID	Enting
Nintendo 3DS	5455-9634-9827

Was?	Info
Modell	Standard (weiß, Release-Day)
Zubehör	interne 500GB HDD, SDHC 32GB, LAN-Adapter, 128MB MemoryCard
Wi-Fi Spiele	Wiimm's MKW Fun, Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, ...

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