Global Chat

Global Chat is New Bradford's shard-wide chat. Anything you post can be read by every player who has the chat window open, wherever they are in the world. It replaces the standard Ultima Online chat, so the Chat button on your menu bar opens Global Chat.

This page explains how to open the chat, send messages, mute players you don't want to hear from, and change your notification settings.

Before you start

You need a unique character name to use Global Chat. If your character still needs a name, or has to be renamed, the chat won't open and you'll see:

You must choose a unique character name before using global chat.

You'll then be asked to pick a name. Once that's done, the chat works normally.

Opening and closing the chat

The chat opens automatically shortly after you log in. You can also open it yourself:

Method	What it does
Chat button on the menu bar	Opens Global Chat. Click it again to close it.
`[GlobalChat` command	Opens (or reopens) Global Chat. Type it in your normal speech line. Capital letters don't matter, so `[globalchat` works too.

The command takes no extra options.

To close the chat, right-click either chat window. The two chat windows open and close together, so closing one closes both. A reminder at the top of the chat window says: Right-click to close. Type [globalchat to re-open.

The chat window

Global Chat opens as two windows, one on top of the other:

The chat log (top), which shows messages and the chat buttons.
The message box (bottom), where you type.

Header and buttons

The top of the chat log shows the title Global Chat and these buttons:

Button	What it does
Notifications	Opens your notification settings (see Notification settings).
Mute	Choose an online player to mute (see Muting players).
Un-Mute	See everyone you've muted and unmute them (see Unmuting players).

Staff also see an Admin button. Regular players don't.

Reading messages

The newest messages are at the top. Scroll down for older ones (the mouse wheel works).
Each line shows the time (24-hour, server time), the speaker's name, and the message, like this: 14:05 Aldric: Anyone heading to the mines?
The log scrolls back through about the last 40 messages you're able to see.
If nobody has said anything yet, you'll see (no messages yet).
The log updates live as people post. Anything you're typing in the message box is kept while it updates.

Mentions

If someone types your character's name in a message:

Your name is highlighted in orange in that message.
You hear a whistle that only you can hear, so you know someone is talking to you.

It has to be your whole name as a separate word. For example, if your name is "Ann", the word "Annie" won't count. Capital letters don't matter.

Links

Web addresses in messages appear as a bright green [LINK] tag. The address itself is hidden. Click [LINK] to open the page in your web browser.

Global Chat recognizes things like https://…, www.…, and plain addresses such as example.com. Only ordinary web links (http/https) become clickable.

Tip: You can't see where a [LINK] goes before you click it. Only click links from players you trust.

Sending messages

Click in the message box at the bottom.
Type your message.
Click the send button to the right of the box. Its tooltip says Send message.

After you send, the message box clears and is ready for your next message.

Message rules and limits

Rule	Details
Maximum length	147 characters. The box stops accepting text at the limit.
Cooldown	About 2 seconds between messages. If you send too quickly, you'll see Please wait a moment before sending another message.
Empty messages	Not allowed. You'll see Enter a message before sending.
Special characters	The angle brackets `<` and `>` are replaced with spaces. Extra spaces at the start and end are removed.
Single line	Line breaks become spaces, so each message is one line.

Note: If a message is rejected (for example, because you sent too quickly), the message box resets and your text isn't kept. Wait a moment and type it again.

There's one channel only. Every message goes to everyone using Global Chat. There are no private channels or whispers in this system.

Chat history

The server keeps a short shared history of recent messages, so the chat isn't empty when you log in. It isn't a permanent log. Older messages roll off as new ones arrive, and the history is cleared whenever the server restarts or staff clear the chat.

Muting players

Muting is personal. When you mute someone, only you stop seeing their messages. They can still chat, and everyone else still sees what they post.

To mute someone:

Click Mute in the chat window.
A list of online players appears, sorted by name, 10 per page. Use Prev / Next to page through it. If no one else is online, you'll see No other players are online.
Click the button next to the player's name.
In Mute Options, choose:
- Mute 24 hours: the mute ends automatically after 24 hours.
- Mute permanently: the mute stays until you remove it.
Click Back if you change your mind.

When you mute someone:

Their messages, including ones already in the log, disappear from your view right away.
You also stop seeing their "has come online" notices.
They disappear from your Mute list and show up on your Un-Mute list instead.

Things to know:

You can only mute players who are online right now.
Mutes apply to a single character, not to every character on that player's account.
Your mutes are saved, so they're still there after you log out or the server restarts.
The muted player isn't told that you muted them.

Unmuting players

Click Un-Mute in the chat window.
You'll see everyone you've muted, with a count at the top, for example Select a player to unmute (3 mutes).
Next to each name you'll see how long the mute has left, for example 24h (17h left) or Permanent.
Click the button next to a name to unmute them. You'll see You un-muted (name) in global chat.

Their messages show up in your chat log again right away, including recent ones that were hidden. If you haven't muted anyone, the list says You have not muted anyone. 24-hour mutes also drop off this list on their own when they run out.

Notification settings

Click Notifications to open System Notifications. Right now there's one option:

Option	Default	What it does
When Player Joins	On	Shows a line such as `NB: Aldric has come online` whenever a player logs in.

Click the toggle to turn it on or off. The change takes effect in your chat log right away, and your choice is saved. Click the button in the bottom-right corner to close the window.

System messages always appear with NB as the speaker.

Staff moderation

Staff can moderate Global Chat. Here's what you might see as a player:

Chat cleared. Staff can wipe the chat history. Everyone then sees one orange line: NB: Staff has cleared the chat. Muting can't hide this notice.
Removed messages. If staff take action against an account, that player's earlier messages may be removed from the chat log.
Being muted by staff. A staff mute stops you from sending messages to Global Chat. You can still read the chat. Staff mutes last 24, 48, or 96 hours, or are permanent. If you're muted:
- You'll get a message such as You are muted from global chat (23h remaining). or You are permanently muted from global chat.
- The send button changes to a different icon, and its tooltip says Muted from global chat.
- If you try to send anyway, the same mute message appears, with the time left.
- If staff lift the mute, you'll see You are no longer muted from global chat. A timed mute ends on its own when the time is up, without a message.
Staff mutes are added to your account's records.

If you think a staff mute was a mistake, please contact a staff member.

Quick reference

Open: menu bar Chat button, or type [GlobalChat
Close: right-click the chat window, or click Chat again
Message length: 147 characters
Cooldown: about 2 seconds between messages
Personal mute: 24 hours or permanent, online players only, only affects what you see
Notifications: "When Player Joins" on/off