Each character starts the game possessing a metachannel FTL communicator. This allows people to transmit on the set of channels viewable only by their alliance as well as the Tactical and General channels, open to all alliances. Also, the Newbie channel is available through this device.
To use them, the following commands are used. (Please note that you must be wearing the communicator and it must be on. It must also be YOUR communicator. Do not give your communicator to another player, or swap it. This will stop the communicators working, as they are assigned to the person in question both ICly and OOCly.)
To turn the communicator on and off completely, the command TURN COMM is used. Use the SET COMM command to toggle specific channels and change other settings.
Use the TRANSMIT command (it can be shortened) to transmit on your alliance channel. Use the TRANSMIT command followed by a channel command to transmit on that channel.
Your metachannel communicator has a number of channels built into it, as well as functionality for community channels. Here are descriptions of each channel as well as a quick policy brief. All channels are in-character at all times unless otherwise noted.
- General: A channel open to all pilots for general chatter, trading, debates, and so on.
- Tactical: For things of immediate tactical interest, such as invasions. This is also the place to organize short term "work" activities like missions, decoy beacon drops, RATS nest exterminations, ground force raids, and so on. Important: To keep things organized and inclusive, short term activities should ideally always be organized on this channel, and not on the General channel (because it is often turned off) or any community channels (because those are social channels only).
- Hyperwave: Anything transmitted on this channel is broadcast by active long-range hypercasters, such as the one on The Torus.
- Community Channels: A player-created channel ideally based around a particular common interest or a specific concept. These are purely social channels and should not be used to organize exclusive short term "work" activities.
- Newbie: A channel for new players to ask questions and have them answered. Nominally out-of-character, though "in-character" questions should be answered too as long as doing so is not disruptive to any important roleplaying. See the Newbie Channel help file for the complete policy.
- Alliance Channels: A set of ten channels specific to your alliance. Channel 5 will also broadcast to any allies.
To transmit on the Newbie channel, use the command TRANSMIT NEWBIE message (this can be shortened to TRA NEWB message)
Example: TRA NEWB How do I communicate with people?
Result: [Newbie Help] Cameron Jellas transmits, "How do I communicate with people?"
To transmit on the General channel, use the command TRANSMIT GENERAL message (this can be shortened to TRA GEN message)
Example: TRA GEN Hello.
Result: [General Communication] Darla Kinnington transmits, "Hello."
To transmit on the Tactical channel, use the command TRANSMIT TACTICAL message (this can be shortened to TRA TAC message)
Example: TRA TAC There are Battle Thralls in sector 26!
Result: [Tactical Communication] Ella Lerini transmits, "There are Battle Thralls in sector 26!"
The channels specific to your alliance are slightly different.
You can TUNE COMM TO NUMBER, where NUMBER is a channel number from 1 to 10, to transmit on that channel using the command TRA message.
Example: TUNE COMM TO 1
Result: You tune a metachannel communicator to ALLIANCE | Channel 1.
Example: TRA Hello.
Result: [ALLIANCE | Channel 1] Faye Masters transmits, "Hello."
You can also TUNE COMM TO 0 (the number zero) which puts the communicator in tuner mode, allowing you to hear transmissions on all of your alliance channels. However, this means that the command to transmit to those channels is slightly different. Since the comm is no longer tuned to a specific channel, you must specify the particular channel number you wish to transmit to.
Example: TUNE COMM TO 0
Result: You tune a metachannel communicator to the ALLIANCE tuner.
Example: TRA 1 Hello.
Result: [ALLIANCE | Channel 1] Georgina Norrington transmits, "Hello."
You can also use social commands with your communicator by simply transmitting the command, or emotes by transmitting a normal emote command.
Example: TRA GEN laugh
Result: [General Communication] Darla Kinnington laughs.
Example: TRA GEN :snorts and then laughs.
Result: [General Communication] Darla Kinnington snorts and then laughs.
Note that your character is physically speaking into the communicator -- anyone in the room with you will hear any transmission made by you.
If you wish to have a private conversation with someone, your character will need a device called an einrophone.
