ASWD woes

Ok, so most of you probably use the arrow keys to move around in SL with.

This last patch introduced some new fangled chat changes.

I would like to cut right to the chase here and say that it REALLY messes with people who use ASWD controls. BADLY.

Before we would hit enter to bring up the chat window, type something and hit enter to send it. The chat window would go away.

Now if you have friends highlighted, or inventory, you hit enter and it opens and closes those windows.

This is UNACCEPTABLE. Why do game developers insist upon changing simple systems that already work? We (the community) get used to a set way of things, and they have to go messing with it all the time. was changing the chat system necessary? did you test it? did you get any feedback? Obviously not because everyone I've spoken to either hates it to death or uses arrow keys.

Whats worse about this system is it seems random. like if you arent targeting anything it opens chat, if you target something nothing happens, if your inventory box is highlighted it opens that.

Well congradulations, you guys just made the world'd 1st online program with a "mystery button"! huzzah! (aside from diablo 2... i still think clicking the gem somehow affects the stock market... kinda like a seti stock market... thing )

Conclusion, give us a button that reliably opens chat. a keyboard button. one that always works. I shouldnt have to think to type. "oh hey gotta say something, better hit esc 3 times, click the chat button with my mouse and do a rain dance"

I agree. I also want my <TAB> key function back to the way it was! It used to make you look at the last avatar who said something... Now it just moves between buttons

It's not random. The UI buttons when clicked steal focus. Closing the windows with the X returns that focus to the chat bar while using the UI button again will re-steal the focus (keyboard commands do not return focus either).

yes. and while that is a wonderful new feature for people who use arrow keys. it is endlessly frustrating for people who use ASWD controls. All I am asking is for the option to go back to the old enter key functionality. thats all. To someone who is expecting to chat using the enter key, it is seemingly random. I apologize for saying random, I should have said "seemingly random" and elaborated. Whew, good thing you caught that major oversight on my end... I might have looked quite the ass. Thank you.

No it's not, it's HORRIBLE. I hate the focus stealing with a passion, I go to type and because the History button (or inventory, etc.) has focus (I keep my chat bar open all the time) I end up inadvertantly using the WASD controls.

well at least we are in agreement then that it sucks.

quitting SL for now. if they ever fix it, i'll be back. doubt they will though. today I couldnt even texture anything. select 2 objects, try to texture the 3rd... NOPE! yer beat. nice.

It seems like they've changed the way input focus works, and having return caught by closed windows is a side effect of that. They really need to back this out, it screws you up whether you use WASD or use arrow keys. I use arrow keys and I hate it.

1. Text you type should NEVER be intercepted by a window unless you're focussed on a text box in that window.

2. Default focus should be the chat window or the commands, depending on how you have your chat defaults set.

That way a closed window would NEVER have focus, so return would ALWAYS go to chat. Hopefully they'll fix this.

I seem to spend most of my conversational time trying to jump on the person I am chatting with at the moment. Which is not really very good manners.

How about adding a preference "use arrow keys / use WASD for movement"?
Or
How about a line of code: "if(chat_bar_open) { WASD types } else { WASD moves }"?