Discord

[Idolon]

We're considering making the move from Steam chat to Discord, which is a text and voice chat client. If you're not familiar with Discord, you can read more about it here. Here's a summary of the pros and cons as far as I can tell:

+Multiple rooms
+Voice chat (this is opt-in, you can join or leave at any time and you're not ever required to join)
+No more chat ghosts
+@mentions to grab someone's attention
+More robust moderation tools (we can create custom roles for users, which lets us configure permissions in a lot of ways)
+A more robust API for bots (and a wide selection of available bots)
+Mobile access (iOS/Android app)

-Requires a separate program/webpage to be open
-Requires moving from an established way of doing things
-No convenient way to check someone's game info (Possibly supplemented by a bot? We're not sure.)
-No Steam emotes

Discord would effectively be replacing Steam chat, so we'd like to know how inconvenient the move would be. We'd also like to know how you'd like to see the Discord set up: What kinds of different text and voice channels should we have? Discuss!

Our experimental Discord server can be joined here: https://discord.gg/invite/tf2maps

EDIT: In case you hadn't guessed, we're on Discord now. The link above will take you to it.

 

[SC PL]

It will be good for meh, due I'm not able to join Steam chat Due I hasn't spend 5$ on steam Screw you Steam, don't you even dare to touch my wallet

 

[Kube]

RIP Steam convos thread, you had a good run.

 

[Hi5TBone]

I feel like a move from steam to discord would be very good, but there's big consequences, and you mentioned most of them.

If I'm playing a game and I get killed in whatever game I'm playing, I would open my steam overlay and check the steam chat to see if there's any new revelations for something. Since I play most of my stuff in fullscreen, I'd have to windows key out of it to check discord. This could take time rapidly opening or re-opening your game, especially if you get a bug that delays you going back into your game, which happens to me sometimes. This would be the main reason that I, personally, would not like a discord. But most of the pros outnumber the cons in the end.

As for discord setup, there doesn't have to be much. Steam chat gets off-topic a lot on different games and such, and when a mapping question is asked, answers are received, Multiple text channels would probably range from "Mapping", "General" and... that's it. Not really a creative thinker. I don't see a need for multiple voice channels (besides AFK) 1 seems fine to me, but it all depends on how many people are going to be in the voice channel. But, the less channels, means more sexy voices. Which is never bad.

 

[Beef Bucket]

How much of a drag would it be to continue operating the Steam based VBot if we did transfer to Discord?

 

[Idolon]

How much of a drag would it be to continue operating the Steam based VBot if we did transfer to Discord?

We probably wouldn't continue officially supporting the steam chat, in that we wouldn't be actively moderating it or using VBot there. Moderating two chats is beyond our ability/will. However, we would very much want VBot or an equivalent in the Discord.

If I'm playing a game and I get killed in whatever game I'm playing, I would open my steam overlay and check the steam chat to see if there's any new revelations for something. Since I play most of my stuff in fullscreen, I'd have to windows key out of it to check discord. This could take time rapidly opening or re-opening your game, especially if you get a bug that delays you going back into your game, which happens to me sometimes.

Discord has an in-game overlay. I've never used it myself, so I have no idea how good it is, but it's probably worth looking into.

 

[TMB]

And will work like steam chat? You know, like i can put a map and that stuff?

 

[Zed]

Twitch sub emotes + emojis > Steam emotes

 

[Izotope]

I don't know much about Discord, but if it supports custom emotes, you could simply take popular steam emotes and put them in there.
I think it's a good idea, because with more rooms the entire chat won't go off-topic so much, there could be rooms for certain topics like Mapping help etc.

 

[dryerlint]

The biggest downside would be that users have to make new accounts for Discord. Steamchat is good because pretty much every TF2 player has a Steam account. Or does Discord support "logging in with Steam", like TF2Maps does?

Discord itself does sound better than Steamchat though. It has more features and feels more "professional" in general.

However, I'm not sure if it would be a good thing to have multiple rooms. TF2M chat is already often pretty inactive. Splitting it into multiple rooms would occasionally help with crowding; but a lot of the time it would only be a downside, when chat only has a few active users.

 

[Jethro]

-No Steam emotes

There are servers with custom Discord emotes that you can then use in any server - you'd probably be able to set up stuff like Jimijam or other stuff like that as emoticons.

However, I'm not sure if it would be a good thing to have multiple rooms. TF2M chat is already often pretty inactive. Splitting it into multiple rooms would occasionally help with crowding; but a lot of the time it would only be a downside, when chat only has a few active users.

Probably the main course of action would be to have a "General" channel, and then split-offs as required. Off-topic, contest, 72hr, etc.

 

[Zurby]

• Custom emotes can be added to channels so technically you could add steam ones (unless you meant using them as a prestigious icon, which is quite silly on it's own so I'm gonna assume you want them coz they're pretty or something).
• Spoiler

  
  It is possible to access the discord through the browser version whilst ingame. (blurred the image because I couldn't be asked to ask permission to screenshot someone's conversation to demonstrate this...)
• The ingame overlay is voicechat only, so you wouldn't really use it when map testing since TF2 Voice chat is a thing.

I think Discord would be nice, It'd be easy when you have an issue and need someone's help. You can easily send private messages or even have a private call. While at the same time it's not as personal as sharing Skype names. I mean, who really uses the steam calling thing...

You can also nicely organize chats and voice channels. I'm a sucker for organization and structure.


I would switch to Discord in a heartbeat.

(there's also some pretty cool bots out there).

 

[PortalStorm4000]

I would like this switch, the steam chat was made for one on one conversations. So ya know, it's pretty cool
it's meh thin nowz...... ill lev.... Ya... nope.mp3 - wait, gotta meme it (I am so sorry, I felt an urge to the dark side, I'm craving some cookies right now, they have cookies...)

 

[Another Bad Pun]

nothing will ever replace steam chat
not IRC
not skype
not even discord

Well anyway, the discord client has always been very buggy for me. Won't be able to join user games from the chat either. There's also the potential for music/waifubot spam. I know there are some benefits and that discord is the new hip thing, and my points are probably pretty weak, but I would rather not make the change. I think discord is meant for fewer people anyway. Multiple channels could help with VO overuse but then you'd miss what people were saying and I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[LeSwordfish]

I would like this switch, the steam chat was made for one on one conversations. So ya know, it's pretty cool
it's meh thin nowz...... ill lev.... Ya... nope.mp3 - wait, gotta meme it (I am so sorry, I felt an urge to the dark side, I'm craving some cookies right now, they have cookies...)

2009 called, even they don't want those memes back.

 

[dryerlint]

I would like this switch, the steam chat was made for one on one conversations. So ya know, it's pretty cool
it's meh thin nowz...... ill lev.... Ya... nope.mp3 - wait, gotta meme it (I am so sorry, I felt an urge to the dark side, I'm craving some cookies right now, they have cookies...)

How high are you right now dude

 

[Jethro]

I would like this switch, the steam chat was made for one on one conversations. So ya know, it's pretty cool
it's meh thin nowz...... ill lev.... Ya... nope.mp3 - wait, gotta meme it (I am so sorry, I felt an urge to the dark side, I'm craving some cookies right now, they have cookies...)

There is infact a Steam group chat. It's been in use by the TF2M community for.... quite some time, now.

 

[PortalStorm4000]

How high are you right now dude

I'm sorry, I'm really tired. I'm going to sleep now (No I am not, why would I do that?)

 

[Jethro]

Well anyway, the discord client has always been very buggy for me. Won't be able to join user games from the chat either. There's also the potential for music/waifubot spam. I know there are some benefits and that discord is the new hip thing, and my points are probably pretty weak, but I would rather not make the change. I think discord is meant for fewer people anyway. Multiple channels could help with VO overuse but then you'd miss what people were saying and I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING

Discord has more tools/possibilities for dealing with more people/spam than Steam chat does. There's a bot that can do Twitch-style slow-mode, a default option can make it so you have to be in the server for a certain amount of time before you can chat for the first time, there's making it so only approved members can use certain channels, etc etc.

I think I would advocate the creation of a bot that auto links the server with a steam://connect link much like Vbot does currently.

Hell, that's another benefit - Vbot could just be in a separate channel altogether, and no longer is bot spam an issue.

Where as Steam has... four options? There's locking the chat, so guests can't join the chat. Officers only, so only officers can chat. And then there's kicking and banning.

 

[LeSwordfish]

We would of course be fairly careful and considered with what bots we used.