Difference between revisions of "Live Chat"

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===What is IRC?===
 
===What is IRC?===
  
IRC stands for Internet Relay Chat. It's the oldest, largest, and most well-established text-based chat system on the 'Net. In fact, it's one of the most popular services on the Net as a whole, just behind the Web and email. Yes even more popular than TO....... possibly
+
RC stands for Internet Relay Chat. It refers to a protocol defined in RFC 1459 that is used for chatting. Basically, it's an advanced form of chat that is very widely used for many purposes. IRC is not just one chat room, but rather the term IRC refers to a number of "Networks" which provide places to chat, and "Channels" where the actual chatting takes place. To connect to IRC, you will need an IRC client. There are many of these available to choose from including the web based one linked to in TO.
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 +
However I strongly advise that investing a little time in getting a client will greatly enhance your chatting experiance.
  
 
===Which Client?===
 
===Which Client?===
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Well if you have down loaded the [http://www.mirc.com/ client] we can get started.
 
Well if you have down loaded the [http://www.mirc.com/ client] we can get started.
 +
 +
Once you are in the program, you will get a popup window with the author. If you want to register online you may do so here. Otherwise, click Continue.
 +
 +
You will get yet another popup window that asks for various information. Here is a description of what all this means:
 +
 +
'''Full Name:''' This is sometimes called your GECOS. Most people do not put their real full name here as it will be easily visible to everyone on the same network as you. However, you should put something here. A fake name, whatever. It's not that important.
 +
 +
'''E-Mail Address:''' This, again, is not very important. Some networks use it for various purposes, but none of them will display your full e-mail address, so it's safe to put your real e-mail here if you want. On the other hand, doing so will not benefit you in any way, so you might as well put a fake one.
 +
 +
'''Nickname:''' This is what you will be known as on the IRC network you connect to. Just a pet peeve of mine: referring to this as a "name" creates some ambiguity over whether you are talking about your nickname or GECOS, so it is best to refer to it as your "nick" or "nickname".
 +
 +
'''Alternative:''' Since IRC networks do not allow more than one person to have the same nickname at a time, if your nickname is already taken, this will be used instead. It is recommended, but not required, that you fill something in here.
 +
 +
After you've filled out all these fields, click OK on this window. You should be just at a blank white screen now.
  
 
Choose ''File'' from the menu on the top left then ''Select Server'' a new popup window opens.  In the new window you should select ''Add'' now another popup comes in here for ''description'' simply add something like TO  in the box for ''IRC Server'' add '''irc.barafranca.com'''
 
Choose ''File'' from the menu on the top left then ''Select Server'' a new popup window opens.  In the new window you should select ''Add'' now another popup comes in here for ''description'' simply add something like TO  in the box for ''IRC Server'' add '''irc.barafranca.com'''
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Note that the 3 un-bolded prefixes are only supported in UnrealIRCd. In other words, they will not exist on all networks. I think they do on ours but hey I could be wrong time will tell
 
Note that the 3 un-bolded prefixes are only supported in UnrealIRCd. In other words, they will not exist on all networks. I think they do on ours but hey I could be wrong time will tell
 +
 +
===Advanced Chatting===
 +
 +
====Modes and their meanings====
 +
During the course of your chatting you may notice some messages like this:
 +
* Bob sets mode: +o Jim
 +
Or something along those lines. What this means is that Bob is setting modes...in other words, configuring the channel or its users. In this case, he has made Jim an op. Before we go father, here is a list of modes and their meanings:
 +
 +
o -- Channel Op*
 +
h -- Halfop*
 +
v -- Voice*
 +
q -- Owner*
 +
a -- Admin*
 +
b -- Banned*
 +
m -- Moderated Channel (Only Voices and above may talk)
 +
n -- Block External Messages (You can only send messages to the channel if you are in it)
 +
t -- Only Halfops and Above may change the topic (Self-explanatory)
 +
p -- Private Channel (Now exactly the same as +s in most IRCds)
 +
s -- Secret Channel (Basically keeps people from finding the channel's name...does just what you would think)
 +
i -- Invite-Only (You must be invited with the /invite command to join the channel)
 +
l -- Limit to certain number of users* (Only X users may be in the channel at a time)
 +
k -- Password-Protected* (You must supply a password to join. You join a +k channel using /join #channel password)
 +
 +
The modes with *'s require a target, meaning that they are applied to a specific thing on the channel or, in the case of k and l, accept certain parameters. The other modes are settings that apply to the entire channel. With the exception of Admin and Owner, which are unique to UnrealIRCd, all of these modes are universally supported. Many IRCds support more modes which are not listed here, you will have to look at the documentation for those IRCds to find them.
 +
 +
Now, it's pretty easy to see what someone's doing when you get a message like this:
 +
* Bob sets mode: +m
 +
In this case, Bob is simply setting the channel to Moderated. But mode strings can get pretty complicated. Take a look at this:
 +
 +
* Bob sets mode: +ilomb-h 12 Jim *!*@verizon.net Joe
 +
What happens in a case like this is you read the list of modes from left to right and look for targets...so here's a breakdown of what just happened:
 +
 +
+i - the i mode does not need a target. This sets the channel to invite only.
 +
+l - the l mode does need a target. So we look at the first target specified, which in this case is 12. Therefore, this sets the channel limited to 12 users.
 +
+o - the o mode also requires a target. Since this is the second target-requiring mode, we look at the next second supplied, which is Jim. So, this part of the string sets Jim to Op status.
 +
+m - the m mode does not require a target. This sets the channel to moderated status.
 +
+b - the b mode requires a target. Since it is the third target-requiring mode of this string, we look at the third target supplied, which is *!*@verizon.net. So this part of the mode bans all users with an address @verizon.net
 +
-h - the h mode requires a target. So we look at the last target specified, which is Joe. So Joe is losing his HalfOp status.
 +
 +
====A few advanced commands====
 +
/whois -- Returns various information about a user on a network.
 +
 +
/whowas -- Returns a list of previous users for a specific nickname which is not currently in use.
 +
 +
/userhost -- Returns a person's userhost. Since this same information is also given in a normal /whois, this is usually used in scripts
 +
 +
/info -- Same as a /whois, but returns the information in a prettier GUI.
 +
 +
/ctcp <nick> PING -- PINGs a user. Often useful to test how much lag a user is experiencing.
 +
 +
/ctcp <nick> VERSION -- This will usually tell you what client and version the user is using. Most often used to identify bots or check if a person's client supports certain features.
 +
 +
 +
====IRCops and Network Staff====
 +
An IRCop (sometimes called an oper) is a user with special server- or network-wide privileges. They are part of the network's administration, and their job is to keep the network running smoothly and keep the users happy.
 +
 +
If you have any problems or questions concerning IRC or a specific server, these are often the best people to ask, because they are typically very knowledgeable about IRC in general. They usually have the ability to act as if they were opped/ownered on any channel (this ability is known as OperOverride), even if nobody has set them as such.
 +
 +
They can also perform a /kill, which forcibly disconnects a user from the network, as well as G:Line and AKILL, which are essentially the same and are used to ban a user from connecting to the entire network.
 +
 +
They have other abilities as well, but for the most part this is all you'll hear talked about. Generally, IRCops do not help with channel affairs. This means if your channel is taken over, there is usually little that IRCops can do to help you. If this happens, you should still try to find an oper to help you, but know that the probability of them being willing to recover it for you is low, unless you know them personally and they know for sure that the channel is rightfully yours. It is also highly unethical for an IRCop to use op-restricted commands (such as setting modes, kicking and banning, etc) in channels where they have not been opped (by someone other than themselves, obviously).
 +
 +
If you hear someone referring to an "O:Line" or "Operblock", they are referring to the lines of the configuration file that give someone oper priveliges. There are several types of IRCops you might encounter; in loose order of least to most "power" (for lack of a better term), they are: Helpop (very few oper capabilities), Local Oper (limited capabilites, and only able to affect a single server), Server Admin/Co-Admin (full control over a single server; often have limited network-wide control as well), Global Oper (general control over the entire network), Services Admin and/or Services Root Admin (higher control over the entire network; also have full access to services), Network Admin (full control over the entire network). Keep in mind that oper's priveliges are very specific and therefore order in this list may not always be accurate.
 +
You can identify an IRCop by doing a /whois on the user.
  
 
[[Tycoon Online FAQ]]
 
[[Tycoon Online FAQ]]

Revision as of 10:44, 24 July 2009

Yes! On the right hand menu, click on Live Chat!

The chat is run on an IRC server and can be interacted with better with the usage of an IRC client. I will explain fully but first for those who know what IRC is the server is on irc.barafranca.com and the chat room is called to-chat.

Ok so your still reading this probably means you have not got a clue about what I just said above with regards to your IRC.

What is IRC?

RC stands for Internet Relay Chat. It refers to a protocol defined in RFC 1459 that is used for chatting. Basically, it's an advanced form of chat that is very widely used for many purposes. IRC is not just one chat room, but rather the term IRC refers to a number of "Networks" which provide places to chat, and "Channels" where the actual chatting takes place. To connect to IRC, you will need an IRC client. There are many of these available to choose from including the web based one linked to in TO.

However I strongly advise that investing a little time in getting a client will greatly enhance your chatting experiance.

Which Client?

There are way too many clients out there for me to give you a full list and guides on all of them, however i will give you 2 guides on how to download 2 different clients. One is for windows and the other is for Mac OS X. Both programs are free and are better and easier to use than the simple client that is used on the Tycoon Online Website

Please see This Page for more details on clients that are out there.

mIRC For Windows

Well if you have down loaded the client we can get started.

Once you are in the program, you will get a popup window with the author. If you want to register online you may do so here. Otherwise, click Continue.

You will get yet another popup window that asks for various information. Here is a description of what all this means:

Full Name: This is sometimes called your GECOS. Most people do not put their real full name here as it will be easily visible to everyone on the same network as you. However, you should put something here. A fake name, whatever. It's not that important.

E-Mail Address: This, again, is not very important. Some networks use it for various purposes, but none of them will display your full e-mail address, so it's safe to put your real e-mail here if you want. On the other hand, doing so will not benefit you in any way, so you might as well put a fake one.

Nickname: This is what you will be known as on the IRC network you connect to. Just a pet peeve of mine: referring to this as a "name" creates some ambiguity over whether you are talking about your nickname or GECOS, so it is best to refer to it as your "nick" or "nickname".

Alternative: Since IRC networks do not allow more than one person to have the same nickname at a time, if your nickname is already taken, this will be used instead. It is recommended, but not required, that you fill something in here.

After you've filled out all these fields, click OK on this window. You should be just at a blank white screen now.

Choose File from the menu on the top left then Select Server a new popup window opens. In the new window you should select Add now another popup comes in here for description simply add something like TO in the box for IRC Server add irc.barafranca.com

Leave all the other boxes blank and click add now select the new server you have just created open it.

the server will start up you should be promted for a channel to join if not type /join #to-chat as seen here, well done you are in.

Colloquy For Mac OS X

This is one of the best clients for Mac computers. To download this client, visit this link and click download. Once the client has been downloaded, a connections window will appear. Press New Connection and then enter your nickname and the service protocol which in this instance is IRC. Under chat server, type in "irc.barafranca.com". Click on the server and then press Join Room. Under chat room, enter #to-chat and press join. Then you have successfully joined the live chat for Tycoon Online. Enjoy!


Etiquette

IRC etiquette is often specific to what channel you are in and the atmosphere there. Referring back to the city/house analogy, each house is allowed to have its own set of rules, which may be enforced however the owner desires, so long as they follow the city laws. You will usually be able to detect the atmosphere of a channel by just watching for a minute or two as the other chatters converse. I'll expand on this in future updates of this tutorial, but for now, enough has been written about netiquette that I really don't feel up to rewriting it. If you're completely new to the chatting world entirely, here is a decent article that will give you the jist of how to behave. You should be able to pick up the specifics and subtleties as you go along.

Chatting Tips and Tricks

This will be just sort of a list of commands and stuff that is useful for normal chatting... --> /me does something -- displays an action message in the channel. Example: /me does something (if your nickname was Bob) would show up like:

  • Bob does something

--> /query NICK text -- opens a window in which you can converse 1-on-1 with NICK. Optionally sends text along with it. Example: /query Jim hey there! -- Opens a private conversation with Jim and sends him the text "hey there!".

--> /notice NICK TEXT -- sends someone a notice message. Notices show up a different color and are sent to only one user, just like queries. You can also send notices to entire channels.

--> /ctcp NICK PING -- Most (but not all) people will automatically send you a reply that tells you their ping when they receive this. The higher the ping, the greater the user's latency to the server.

Prefixes and their meanings

You may notice that some people in the channel nicklist (the nicklist refers to the pane on the right side that shows a list of everyone in the channel) have certain prefixes by their nicknames. The possible prefixes and their meanings are: ~ = Channel Owner - In the TO chat room this is Gunzour The Channel Owner is determined by the +q mode. They have access to a few more channel configurations than Ops or Admins. However, the main value of the Owner status is that the Owner is the only one that can set someone as an Admin. Only IRCops and Services may set people as owner, and usually ChanServ only allows one owner per channel.

& = Channel Admin (sometimes called Protected)- In our case this is Jasmine Admins do not have access to any more configuration settings or commands than Ops do. However, they cannot be kicked from the channel by anyone except the owner. Usually a channel has only 3-5 admins. An admin may not make someone else an admin; only the owner has that power

@ = Channel Operator (referred to as Op or Chanop) - We have a few some chat some are from our sponcers and mostly watch Channel operators are the main moderators of the chat room. They have access to the majority of channel configuration settings on Unreal servers and all configuration settings on Non-Unreal servers. They can kick and ban users from the channel (provided the user they are kicking is not of a higher level than them) and can set other people as ops, halfops, or voices.

% = Half-Op (sometimes called Hop) Half-Ops are somewhat rare. They have access to a handful of channel configurations, but not as many as ops. They are allowed to change the topic in channels that are set to "Only ops set topic". They can also kick and ban users from the channel, provided the user they are kicking is not of a higher level than them. Halfops can voice people, but they cannot add other halfops.

+ = Voiced Voiced people do not have any administrative capabilites. It's kind of just a more "respected" position, I guess, than a normal user. The only thing voiced people can do that normal users cannot is if the channel is set to "moderated" status, they are allowed to talk, while normal users can only watch and cannot speak.

Summary

~ = Owner. Total power. & = Admin. Same as op, but cannot be kicked. Cannot set other admins. @ = Op. Main position of power, can set most configurations, can kick/ban, can set other ops. % = Halfop. Limited power. + = Voiced. No power, can talk when channel is moderated.

Note that the 3 un-bolded prefixes are only supported in UnrealIRCd. In other words, they will not exist on all networks. I think they do on ours but hey I could be wrong time will tell

Advanced Chatting

Modes and their meanings

During the course of your chatting you may notice some messages like this:

* Bob sets mode: +o Jim

Or something along those lines. What this means is that Bob is setting modes...in other words, configuring the channel or its users. In this case, he has made Jim an op. Before we go father, here is a list of modes and their meanings:

o -- Channel Op*
h -- Halfop*
v -- Voice*
q -- Owner*
a -- Admin*
b -- Banned*
m -- Moderated Channel (Only Voices and above may talk)
n -- Block External Messages (You can only send messages to the channel if you are in it)
t -- Only Halfops and Above may change the topic (Self-explanatory)
p -- Private Channel (Now exactly the same as +s in most IRCds)
s -- Secret Channel (Basically keeps people from finding the channel's name...does just what you would think)
i -- Invite-Only (You must be invited with the /invite command to join the channel)
l -- Limit to certain number of users* (Only X users may be in the channel at a time)
k -- Password-Protected* (You must supply a password to join. You join a +k channel using /join #channel password)

The modes with *'s require a target, meaning that they are applied to a specific thing on the channel or, in the case of k and l, accept certain parameters. The other modes are settings that apply to the entire channel. With the exception of Admin and Owner, which are unique to UnrealIRCd, all of these modes are universally supported. Many IRCds support more modes which are not listed here, you will have to look at the documentation for those IRCds to find them.

Now, it's pretty easy to see what someone's doing when you get a message like this:

* Bob sets mode: +m

In this case, Bob is simply setting the channel to Moderated. But mode strings can get pretty complicated. Take a look at this:

* Bob sets mode: +ilomb-h 12 Jim *!*@verizon.net Joe

What happens in a case like this is you read the list of modes from left to right and look for targets...so here's a breakdown of what just happened:

+i - the i mode does not need a target. This sets the channel to invite only.
+l - the l mode does need a target. So we look at the first target specified, which in this case is 12. Therefore, this sets the channel limited to 12 users.
+o - the o mode also requires a target. Since this is the second target-requiring mode, we look at the next second supplied, which is Jim. So, this part of the string sets Jim to Op status.
+m - the m mode does not require a target. This sets the channel to moderated status.
+b - the b mode requires a target. Since it is the third target-requiring mode of this string, we look at the third target supplied, which is *!*@verizon.net. So this part of the mode bans all users with an address @verizon.net
-h - the h mode requires a target. So we look at the last target specified, which is Joe. So Joe is losing his HalfOp status.

A few advanced commands

/whois -- Returns various information about a user on a network.

/whowas -- Returns a list of previous users for a specific nickname which is not currently in use.

/userhost -- Returns a person's userhost. Since this same information is also given in a normal /whois, this is usually used in scripts

/info -- Same as a /whois, but returns the information in a prettier GUI.

/ctcp <nick> PING -- PINGs a user. Often useful to test how much lag a user is experiencing.

/ctcp <nick> VERSION -- This will usually tell you what client and version the user is using. Most often used to identify bots or check if a person's client supports certain features.


IRCops and Network Staff

An IRCop (sometimes called an oper) is a user with special server- or network-wide privileges. They are part of the network's administration, and their job is to keep the network running smoothly and keep the users happy.

If you have any problems or questions concerning IRC or a specific server, these are often the best people to ask, because they are typically very knowledgeable about IRC in general. They usually have the ability to act as if they were opped/ownered on any channel (this ability is known as OperOverride), even if nobody has set them as such.

They can also perform a /kill, which forcibly disconnects a user from the network, as well as G:Line and AKILL, which are essentially the same and are used to ban a user from connecting to the entire network.

They have other abilities as well, but for the most part this is all you'll hear talked about. Generally, IRCops do not help with channel affairs. This means if your channel is taken over, there is usually little that IRCops can do to help you. If this happens, you should still try to find an oper to help you, but know that the probability of them being willing to recover it for you is low, unless you know them personally and they know for sure that the channel is rightfully yours. It is also highly unethical for an IRCop to use op-restricted commands (such as setting modes, kicking and banning, etc) in channels where they have not been opped (by someone other than themselves, obviously).

If you hear someone referring to an "O:Line" or "Operblock", they are referring to the lines of the configuration file that give someone oper priveliges. There are several types of IRCops you might encounter; in loose order of least to most "power" (for lack of a better term), they are: Helpop (very few oper capabilities), Local Oper (limited capabilites, and only able to affect a single server), Server Admin/Co-Admin (full control over a single server; often have limited network-wide control as well), Global Oper (general control over the entire network), Services Admin and/or Services Root Admin (higher control over the entire network; also have full access to services), Network Admin (full control over the entire network). Keep in mind that oper's priveliges are very specific and therefore order in this list may not always be accurate. You can identify an IRCop by doing a /whois on the user.

Tycoon Online FAQ