How to do you contact other UO players? Before we had chat, we had ICQ/MSN...

[LeBaiton]

... but I haven't used ICQ/MSN in ages now, nor do I see any use for it...

That is until I saw Rupert's thread about his new website, Ultima Auctions. And then it hit me, I'd have to use a way of reaching other people again if I sell an item or buy something through this website. Other MMO's use auction houses which can be viewed world-wide, some use mailing systems, but UO has a general chat and you still have to meet up...

Do you all think ICQ would still be the way to go? Would we rather see some sort of mailing system ingame? Biggest problem doing something with an ingame system would be the fact that there can be tens of Gandalfs running around, how would the system know which Gandalf to send an item to. Also, I can see this turn into drama once a players sends an item to the wrong Gandalf, etc.

As I was thinking this over, I was thinking of using Facebook to get in touch with other players instead of ICQ. Is ICQ/MSN outdated?

Thoughts?

 

[Shakkara]

I still use ICQ. Everyone that plays UO seems to have an ICQ account.

 

[Merion]

Same here, ICQ is what I use.

 

[Petra Fyde]

I have to be as accessible as I possibly can for my staff, consequently I use icq, msn and aim, all amalgamated into Pidgin, also more recently, Skype.

 

[Noti(Caci)]

I use icq.Itsa for uo the esiest way on this way to have friends.

 

[Potgut]

It's just funny I was thinking about ICQ and UO recently and wondering if there were any other mediums or games where ICQ is as big (in proportion) as it is for UO players. I guess when UO was released ICQ was the thing and has never broken tradition with UO players since then...

 

[old gypsy]

I don't care for ICQ. Tried it years ago, but I'm not big on multi-tasking, i.e., chasing "pigeons" while trying to do something else in game. lol

I didn't like Facebook when I tried it, either. It left me feeling kind of like a homeless person might feel wandering through a neighborhood and getting glimpses of people through their picture windows. I've told my family and friends that I'd rather share a phone call. For me, even an email would be better than group networking.

I look for PMs on Stratics, mainly. Other than that, it's "hit or miss" when I'm looking for someone in game.

 

[EvilPixieWorks]

Don't forget someplace in-between... there are the house message boards that most of us have on our houses that have business ties to the community.

I don't use the in game chat. It's bad enough having your screen filled by mindless chatter, why do it by design?

And I totaly refuse facebook or anything along those lines. Anyone can PM me here, thus being part of this community as well as in game. Not exactly hard to find me. hehe

 

[MalagAste]

If they have a mailbox my suggestion since many folk I doubt read their message board more than say once in a blue moon... I'd suggest dropping a book in the box.. they will more likely notice the red flag going up.

Also I personally use Trillian.... that way I can talk to anyone be they using Aim, MSN, ICQ or Yahoo Messenger... Works great.


Also I've had a lot of old UO friends contact me through friends of friends by shouting about looking for so-and-so in General Chat.

 

[Nok]

Fewer people (by percentage) still use instant messaging these days since the advent of social networks. Those that still do, have shifted away from single or partnered IM clients (like AIM|ICQ|MSN|YIM|WLM|etc., filled with... crapware) to better, lighter multi-IM clients (Meebo|Miranda|Pidgin|Trillian|etc.) that support all those and other IMs; and also Skype. If you run an IM at all today, a multi-IM client is the way to do it.

For gamers there is also Raptr and Xfire clients, these are extremely popular... multi-IM, IRC, voice chat (similar to Skype, TeamSpeak & Ventrilo), and gaming specific features.

 

[Willard]

I have used ICQ for years and would be lost without it.
MalagAste mentioned Trillian--if it works well with other chat programs, I may have to check it out.

 

[Nok]

MalagAste mentioned Trillian--if it works well with other chat programs, I may have to check it out.

Like MalagAste, I use Trillian Pro.

 

[Mapper]

ICQ for friends, Skype for staff.

 

[old gypsy]

If they have a mailbox my suggestion since many folk I doubt read their message board more than say once in a blue moon... I'd suggest dropping a book in the box.. they will more likely notice the red flag going up.

Yes, I think the mailbox is underused, but is an excellent way to leave messages. Unfortunately, it seems most people don't allow non-friended characters to access it.

I set my mailbox up again in my new place. The security allows anyone to drop a book in. I also leave a couple of house runes in it so someone who comes by can grab one if they don't already have one.

 

[Rupert Avery]

I use ICQ, Skype and Aim although Aim isn't used that much...

ICQ is by far the most useful IM I have for UO

 

[tiggertessa2007]

i still use icq for uo, im pretty sure the majority of uo players still do because i have a ton on my list that are on daily.

 

[Kayne]

Find myself logging into ICQ regularly now that Im back in UO. I hate ICQ and would rather everyone just used Skype though. Either way I only use Skype and ICQ with UO, I have no other uses for either of them

 

[Zosimus]

Fewer people (by percentage) still use instant messaging these days since the advent of social networks. Those that still do, have shifted away from single or partnered IM clients (like AIM|ICQ|MSN|YIM|WLM|etc., filled with... crapware) to better, lighter multi-IM clients (Meebo|Miranda|Pidgin|Trillian|etc.) that support all those and other IMs; and also Skype. If you run an IM at all today, a multi-IM client is the way to do it.

For gamers there is also Raptr and Xfire clients, these are extremely popular... multi-IM, IRC, voice chat (similar to Skype, TeamSpeak & Ventrilo), and gaming specific features.

^^^^This^^^^

Let me add facebook and guild sites. For our guild we use guild portal. I love it personally. We hit our goal of 6k members so with all the ways we use to communicate with our members this especially helps.

Some of the features they offer....


Voice Hosting Features

• Quickly and easily set up and manage your new Ventrilo/Mumble server from the Control Panel.
• Seamless integration with the Voice Server Status widget for hands-free display of who's online (Ventrilo only, at the moment) and client download/server login information.
• Some of the lowest prices you'll find for Ventrilo/Mumble voice servers, anywhere!

Web-Based Chat

• Conduct meetings or strike up a conversation with people online with our AJAX-based chat.
• Chat client is fully web-based, requiring no Java runtime, so there's nothing to install, and no firewalls to mess with.
• Fully-integrated Instant Messaging for member-to-member chat!

Social Features

• Use the Guild Rally widget to contact your members with urgent information. If they've set up their phone information in their profile, they'll be texted! If not, they'll receive an e-mail.
• Guild members automatically have a blog of their own, including a FaceBook-style "Wall" page where they can post status updates.
• Other guild mates visiting a member's site can view and comment on the member's status entries.
• A Status Updates content type is available to be placed on any of your guild web pages, and shows status updates entered by guild members.
• A Most Recent Bloggers content type can be placed on any guild page, showing the latest blog entries made by guild mates.
• Drop the Needs List content type onto any guild page for a place where guild mates can enter things they want to accomplish in-game.
• Why bother with an indoor voice when you can use the Shout Box content type, complete with optional alliance sharing?

Other Features

• News keep your members up-to-date with the latest guild happenings, subscribable with any RSS reader. Customize display options.
• Newsletters! Customizable and automatically sent out at time periods you specify, newsletters keep members up-to-date on what happening on the site and, more importantly, they get your members to the site more often.
• Guild Rules allow you to easily present a set of rules, your charter, and/or guidelines they must agree to before completing the application process to join your site.
• Stories content type allows your members to enter and edit stories, broken up by chapter. If they like, the stories appear on our gaming fan fiction page!
• Quotes with random display.
• Use the Recruiting Info content type to let visitors know what you're looking for.
• Who's Online box shows who's been active on the site within the last 45 minutes -- integrated with the Web-Based mail system.
• Information Sections to store things such as raid/loot policies, membership request information, recent brags.
• Links to other web sites.
• Embedded Pages allow loading of a remote web page within a page.
• Custom Text/HTML content with WYSIWYG editing.
• XML/XSL transforms will take a remote XML document and apply an XSL stylesheet to display remote data withing your guild pages.
• GuildPortal renders adaptively for those using an iPhone or a newer Windows Mobile device.

Some of us took time and built an app for our smartphone users that knows what is going on with the guild in the game real time when they check. Since Arenanet will have a app for GW2 we wont have to build one for that.

So we have a variety of ways for any member to communicate with the guild and ways for us to contact them for events and such. With all the vent servers we have, guild site, facebooks, skype, smartphone apps, email, icq ect ect ect makes it easier for players who dont like to use one option but may use another. It sounds complicated but actually with all the 200 guild officers have duties and communicating with our members is number one priority it is really easy.

With all the events we hold, in game quests, holiday events, every weekend events for different type of players we have ( some purely PvP, while others just PvE and some do both) they and we have many ways to keep contact and updated

PS: to cool the flames before it starts when I do play UO and I do make time when it's convenient for me Because I play more in another game doesn't mean I cant make time for UO here and there.

 

[Mirt]

Well people contact me through ICQ but I myself use trillian becuase I find it to use less of my system and be a cleaner program.

 

[MrNiceMNC]

icq

 

[Saphireena]

Find myself logging into ICQ regularly now that Im back in UO. I hate ICQ and would rather everyone just used Skype though. Either way I only use Skype and ICQ with UO, I have no other uses for either of them

Same here, word for word. I only use ICQ when I'm going through a UO phase. And actually something that kind of sucks right now is that sometimes UO will not start up properly if ICQ is already open - they must share the use of some system files or something. So I have to always start up UO first, then ICQ and it's fine. But yeah, much more a Skype person as well.

As for the original question, I actually find myself enjoying the new chat channels UO has, a lot in fact! The new chat is so much better than that clunky old chat we had in the old days!

 

[ii ii]

ICQ!

 

[Sevin0oo0]

pm @ fansite forums, icq pro (no ads), and in-game chat (usually general). If in FB, it'll be non-game issues/comments only.

 

[Uriah Heep]

I have had so many peeps tell me a while back they would never use ICQ because it was unsafe LOL
It's the only one I really use, been using it since, ummm,. sometime in 98? and have never had a problem at all. Common sense FTW! With any of em you have to think about what you send and recieve.

 

[Kayne]

Same here, word for word. I only use ICQ when I'm going through a UO phase. And actually something that kind of sucks right now is that sometimes UO will not start up properly if ICQ is already open - they must share the use of some system files or something. So I have to always start up UO first, then ICQ and it's fine. But yeah, much more a Skype person as well.

As for the original question, I actually find myself enjoying the new chat channels UO has, a lot in fact! The new chat is so much better than that clunky old chat we had in the old days!

I actually now just use Web ICQ - avoid having the awful ICQ client installed. Don't get any problems with that and UO

 

[Luvmylace]

UO Mailbag

 

[Mapper]

I actually now just use Web ICQ - avoid having the awful ICQ client installed. Don't get any problems with that and UO

I use Miranda IM for ICQ, The most lightweight IM program I've ever seen. I won't be seen dead with ICQ installed.

 

[Lord Frodo]

http://www.icq.com/legal/eula/en
ICQ End User License Agreement
November 3, 2011

Governing Law and Forum
This Agreement and the Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, excluding its conflicts-of-law rules.

This is a joke because ICQ is owned by a Russian Co. now.

Materials You Send or Post
While you retain ownership of all right, title, and interest in any information, documents, content, images, photographs or other material ("Material") sent to ICQ or posted to the ICQ Services, by sending or posting such Materials you hereby grant ICQ, its affiliates, subsidiaries, assignees, licensees, and legal representatives an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license to use, reproduce, edit, market, store, distribute, have distributed, publicly and privately display, communicate, publicly and privately perform, transmit, have transmitted, create derivative works based upon, and promote the Materials (as such may be edited and modified by ICQ in its discretion) through the ICQ Services and such other products or services as ICQ may designate in any medium now known or hereafter devised, for editorial, commercial, promotional and all other purposes.

Big Brother has the right to snoop all info and use any info it collects anyway they want. You do understand that this is Russian Law not US Law anymore. Try to do anything to ICQ and you will be doing it in a Russian Court of Law.

Sorry, when ICQ went Russian owned it was wiped from my computer and they are also getting thier fingers into other sites that transfer data to/from users (Facebook).

 

[Nok]

Here we go again, me posting a big explanation of this (seems I have to do this on UHall about once a year).

I have had so many peeps tell me a while back they would never use ICQ because it was unsafe LOL
It's the only one I really use, been using it since, ummm,. sometime in 98? and have never had a problem at all. Common sense FTW! With any of em you have to think about what you send and recieve.

I am one of those peops. True, everyone should be careful about what they send and receive... more importantly, what they open. That's great that you haven't had a problem at all, what that means is you haven't been targeted... it does not mean ICQ is safe or secure.

ICQ has more security holes than all the other IMs combined... and that is just the client. The clients also have backdoors and buffer overrun issues that allow the remote exploration of a PC without having the user send/receive anything. The server code and the protocol (Oscar) are also insecure. ICQ has only rewritten Oscar once since it was created, and still has the same flaws. When your username and password are sent to ICQ's servers for authentication & connection, they are sent in clear text (not encrypted).

avoid having the awful ICQ client installed.

Many companies ban the installation of the ICQ client on their networks and systems.

I use Miranda IM for ICQ, The most lightweight IM program I've ever seen. I won't be seen dead with ICQ installed.

Miranda is a decent lightweight client, that makes a good alternative instead of the ICQ client. Also it is a multi-IM, you can use the other IMs too.

http://www.icq.com/legal/eula/en
ICQ End User License Agreement
November 3, 2011

Governing Law and Forum
This Agreement and the Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, excluding its conflicts-of-law rules.

This is a joke because ICQ is owned by a Russian Co. now.

ICQ was created by a small company in Tel Aviv called Mirabillis, which after a couple of years sold itself to AOL... AOL is located in Reston, VA; hence the the Virginia reference in ICQ's TOS. When AOL sold ICQ to the Russian company, they never changed the TOS or much of anything else.

Big Brother has the right to snoop all info and use any info it collects anyway they want. You do understand that this is Russian Law not US Law anymore. Try to do anything to ICQ and you will be doing it in a Russian Court of Law.

Russia doesn't have the same level of copyright law and consumer protection for it's Internet companies that are found in the EU and US.

The point here is no one wants to stop "using ICQ" if that's where their UO friends and guildies are. Just be smart about it, use your ICQ account... through a better client than ICQ's client.

 

[popps]

Like MalagAste, I use Trillian Pro.

What do you find usefull about the Pro version over the regular Trillian ?

 

[iamSnippa]

The amount of people using Skype has grown... infact I believe at least 30,000 people that play Starcraft 2 have Skype. I say this due to the promotion of Skype through the "State of the Game" podcast and DJ Wheat's call in show.

At the same time, a large number of Starcaft 2 players are very widely using Twitter as well to keep in contact with other Starcraft 2 players and to get updates on Starcraft 2 events (MLG, GSL, DreamHack, NASL, etc.)

They also make use of Ventrilo as well.

When I returned to UO (about 4 months ago), I was a little surprised that people were still using ICQ at all. Infact, more than 70% of my old Ultima Online contacts have not logged into ICQ at all since I returned. This is almost 200 contacts.

I don't mind using ICQ, but I think Skype can only grow in popularity (like facebook) and eventually everyone will be using it because they will know multiple people that use it.

 

[Nok]

Hi Popps,

What do you find usefull about the Pro version over the regular Trillian ?

I used the free Trillian for several years, the Pro version does all the same things... just does them better and more of it. Like support for more IMs, better file transfer and video conferencing, better encryption, more themes & skins and so on. Also specific to Pro you get...

• Your chats are saved to the cloud (online secured servers). This is great so you can access your ongoing chats from anywhere on any device (home, work, traveling, desktop, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.)
• Priority support from the support team via an email system just for Pro users. Free users read and post on the support forum.
• Direct contact with the dev team so you know your feedback and suggestions are being heard.
• Pro users accounts are ad-free across the entire platform, regardless of which Trillian client you're using.
• Pro is only $12. I got mine for $8 (Pro is free when you sign up for Netflix, which I was going to do anyway... so I did, the $8 was my first bill for Netflix).

So the Free and the Pro are basically the same, just some value added stuff in the Pro version. Some things I like that are built into both versions are...

• The sheer numbers of IMs supported, or can be added on.
• Social network and Skype integration. I have a Facebook account, but not currently on it when someone on Facebook sends me a private message... a Trillian chat window opens to show me the message, and I can reply or carry on chat all from Trillian without having to launch a browser and go to Facebook.
• My brother can send me photos while we're video conferencing from his Yahoo IM to me; a user ICQs me about something in UltimaXbar; as I'm PM'ing someone on Facebook; while Skying with a dev... at the same time in Trillian, not four different programs.
• Having Trillian on my smartphone too, so having this on the go when I need it.

Free and Pro are not separate clients, when you pay... you get a code to unlock the Pro features. Hope that helps.

 

[CheesePlant]

Personally I use ICQ but through Meebo (its like a web based Trillian - it allows you to log into loads of instant messaging services like AIM, Yahoo, MSN etc) and I also use the Meebo toolbar which basically displays ICQ on the bottom of every webpage I visit, its extremely useful and doesn't require me to have ICQ installed.

 

[popps]

Hi Popps,

I used the free Trillian for several years, the Pro version does all the same things... just does them better and more of it. Like support for more IMs, better file transfer and video conferencing, better encryption, more themes & skins and so on.

Thanks, sounds quite interesting then to move to the Trillian Pro....

 

[Zosimus]

Yo!!! I dig the icq's from those russian women that want to talk to me when I use it. I always click block I believe the silent treatment is the way to go.