Chat
| Part of a series on |
| Mechanics and Plugins |
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| Core Mechanics |
| Common Mechanics |
| Minor Mechanics |
Civ servers commonly modify how chat messages are sent and received. In contrast to most Minecraft servers, chat messages on most Civ servers are not global, but can only be read by players within a certain number of blocks. This distance varies by server, but is typically around a thousand blocks. Messages can also be sent to a specific NameLayer group, where they are only readable by members in that group.
This was originally intended to create a sense of local community among nearby nations and to restrict the flow of information. However, Devoted introduced the concept of a global group, where chat messages are not restricted by distance. This global group has been included in every mainline server since Devoted.
Messages sent to NameLayer groups do not have any restriction on distance, and can be read by anybody in that group.
The mechanic of chat messages being readable only by nearby players is a staple of the Civ genre. First introduced in CivCraft, this mechanic has been included in every mainline server since, as well as virtually every non-mainline server.
Mechanics
/g Circleblob. The second and third line display a message that was types as-is. The fourth line, in yellow, is the output of typing /g. The fifth line was typed as-is.When sending a chat message to the local group (the default), only users within a certain radius of you will be able to see the message. This radius differs from server to server, but is generally around 1000 blocks. You can increase your range by sending messages from a high y level - again, the exact values depend on the server, but you generally get around 1 extra block of broadcasting range for every block you climb above y 100.
You can also switch your chat group from local chat to a Namelayer group with the /g <group> command. Messages sent to a Namelayer group will be visible to anybody in that group with the read messages permission, regardless of how far away they are.
Direct messages will also bypass the distance restriction.
Global Chat Group
Some civ servers have a Namelayer group for the sole purpose of providing a global chat. This group is usually called ! or g. It is used to effectively bypass the local chat restrictions and send messages which are visible to anybody, regardless of distance.
In earlier civ servers such as Devoted, this global chat group was entirely player-owned and managed, requiring players to join the group manually before being able to talk in it. Some later civ servers like CivClassic cemented the global chat group as a gameplay mechanic, automatically adding new players as members to the group and having the group be admin owned. However, not all civ servers do this.
Command Reference
| Command | Description | Alias |
|---|---|---|
/g [group] [message]
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If just group is specified, sets your current chat group to group.
If both If neither |
/groupchat /gchat /gc
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/exit
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Sets your current group to the default (chatting locally). | /e
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/tell <player> [message]
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Sends message to player. If message is not specified, switches your current group to be a private chat with player instead.
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/message /msg /m /pm
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/reply [message]
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Acts the same as /tell, but automatically sets <player> to be the last player to send you a private message.
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/r
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/ignore <player>
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Toggles ignoring player. You will not see any messages, in any group chat, from an ignored player.
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/i
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/ignoregroup <group>
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Toggles ignoring group. You will not see any messages sent to an ignored group.
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/ig /igroup /ignoreg
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/ignorelist
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List ignored groups and players. | |
/afk
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Toggles afk (away from keyboard) state. While afk, any private messages sent to you will be automatically replied to with a preset afk message. |