Text Chat is Functionally Useless

[Foxop]

There are a few reasons why I say this

1. Text chat doesn't display automatically when someone types, but automatic text feed is the standard in almost every other game. Before anyone says "nobody wants to see text chat" I would first direct them to every other multiplayer PC game in existence, including the original Halo: CE itself, and also offer an option to turn chat off if it gets in the way of your MLG headshots. Oh, and try to have fun.

2. Text chat key is non-standard and unbindable. By the time someone realizes this game has text chat, and they find the key (which is J, by the way), then they've already taken a sniper bullet to the head.

3. You can't use Enter to cancel typing. Let's say someone found the text chat key but realized they were being shot at. They quickly press enter and then dodge. Suddenly,

wwwwwwwddd

Dead.

4. The channel system isn't very clear. I still don't know if "squad" means team chat or party chat, but either way, it shouldn't be the default. On top of that, you have to shuffle through channels using tab, which leads me to my next point.

5. There isn't separate input methods for all chat and team chat. Like every other first person shooter, Counter Strike has separate buttons for team chat and all chat. Halo so far has a rather unwieldy button for both.

Let's walk through the process. In order to see what someone has typed, you have to open text chat. This button is far away from anything you'll ever press, so good luck finding it quickly. Then you have to read what everyone else wrote, and think of a response. You then have to press tab a few times to find the channel you want to send to, type the message and then send. Your words will fall on deaf ears, though, because nobody will see what you just sent unless they go through the same arduous process. What's the point?

Text chat veterans will lament both the sluggishness of communication as well as the isolation that comes from no-one saying anything. However, this can change.

Thank you.

[Winblows]

text chat is useless for any thing but banter any ways and nobodys going to head your words especially in casual and you should be using a mic in comp play any ways