Another Official thread by @Yawn - The highest quality threads you'll never bother reading because they're too long anyways. ™ Explanation: This code, when implemented, would notify any server staff that a new report has come in by flashing the GMod Icon. This is useful as staff are known to alt-tab between the forum, the game, Steam chats, and screenshot takers/other forms of media; notifying them when a report comes in during those long winter hours. Code: hook.Add( "FlashWindow", "FlashTaskbarIcon", function() if system.IsWindows() then if !system.HasFocus() then system.FlashWindow() end end end ) //Now just hook the hook up to the client-side retrieval (unless RDM Manager pushes the notification, ew but okay. Just plug that in there then.) of a new report, most likely just below the in-game notification display-er which the staff see. hook.Call( "FlashWindow" ); Read-Friendly: (For those with human eyes. Ew.) Code: function FlashTaskbarIcon() //Check if the user is running Microsoft Windows, FlashWindow does not work otherwise. if system.IsWindows() == true then //Check if we already have the users focus (if the user is playing in the window) before flashing. //This is so the icon does not flash when a report comes in, and the user is in the game playing. if system.HasFocus() == false then //Flash the Garrys Mod Tray Icon system.FlashWindow() end end end I heard someone talk about this functionality on another server, did a bit of research and whipped something up real quick because I can get interested in anything. This would be very easy to implement, just a call that Highwon would have to put in the right place.
+1 Similarly could this be done on the deathrun server for whenever the round starts? A server I used to play on did this and it was the greatest thing
That's amazing. I'm often guilty of tabbing out to check the forums or such after I've handled the reports; having it flash if a new one comes up would definitely be great. +1
You know I may be a minority on this situation, but I believe that its the staff's responsibility to be IN GAME while you are staffing. How can staff members moderate something you are not paying attention to? I mean shouldn't members feel like someone is watching out for them when a staff member is on? One of things we as a server say is that if you are being rdmed, harassed, etc.. you go to a server with a staff online. What difference does that make when staff are watching a YouTube video instead of the server. I mean how much harassment, loopholing, and hacking do staff miss when they decide that going on facebook in between rounds is more important than doing their job (Of course I mean job in the loosest sense of the word). I know people will go like but Darth what about the bathroom, well of course you can go. There is a big difference from going to the restroom for a couple minutes every 6 or so hours then spending 5-6 minutes every round outside of the game. But Darth I have to write a paper, then why are you staffing? But Darth I am preparing to move, then why are you staffing? But Darth why you are so good at Star Wars The Old Republic, that's because I spent 100+ hours playing the game! Then there is an idea in which you can more easily get caught in this terrible habit. I mean I love the idea but it leads down a dark path, some might even call the Dark Side. Just like the Dark Side its super easy to fall into, but has devastating effects. This is why I cannot support this as it will lead even more staff down the path of the Dark Side. -1 P.s Comma's are hard, sorry for the grammar :'(
You have an interesting point in saying it could bring forward bad habits, but I can't help but disagree with the rest. There's a reason most, if not all of the staff team plays in Windowed Mode. I remember alt-tabbing constantly, that doesn't mean I slipped up. Think about the night Moderators who stare at low pop servers during graveyard shifts, you can't tell me they're expected to stare at their screen and do absolutely nothing else. We have to keep in mind that Moderators are volunteers who are doing a jobs work with no pay and little to no reward or gratitude. If they want to switch the song on Spotify while nothing else is happening, they're going to and I don't see a harm in it. >Important Bit Below A Moderators responsibilities extend further than just in-game, I'd also like to add. This includes anything from TeamSpeak to the forums, staying active in shoutbox to see if any other servers need covered or if anyone specifically needs help. Even ban appeals and reports that might be related to their session. Recap: Not implementing this isn't going to stop people from paying attention to other stuff, it's just going to mean they're going to miss more because they don't have a notifier for when that stuff is actually happening.
I am not saying that it is will happen 100% percent of the time that you will mess up if you Alt-Tab. What I am saying that its not a good habit, that it leads to people missing things. You cannot tell me that people haven't missed things, that they wouldn't have missed if they weren't alt-tabed. I think as a general trend, over the course of the servers history, things tend to be more easily missed if you are not there to see/hear it. You know I 100% agree. But what you said is also what I believe is the beginning of a bigger problem. A problem in which staff will go longer and longer without actually being in game. I mean have you heard of report modding? No sound but just doing the reports. I think that eventually alt-tabing leads to this sort of moding. Atleast to me report moding is one of the worst things you can do as a staff. Again I agree with you, but like I said Teamspeak is a interesting one for me, I found it very hard to listen to listen to them and the server people at the same time. So naturally I picked one over the other and listened to the server people. This made it so I was an ineffective moderator on the teamspeak because I couldn't hear them. While I was able to deal with some situations most I would never even notice, because I was in essence alt tabed. Now does this mean I also didn't look at the shoutbox, of course not. I would use the steam browser and have it very minimal so that I could see if people needed me and still hear them. I would do the same with ban appeals and reports, also at times in which you are not exactly needed but also should still be alert if something does happen. Which is something that I find is harder thing to be more prepared if you are alt-tabed I mean isn't that the same argument people make for why murder should be legalized, so that it wont be in a dirty place but in a nice place where everything has good vibes to it? whether or not you legalize it, murder will still happen. In this case if you "legalize" the code, I think that it will became common for more staff member to alt tab, which IMO leads to poor staffing eventually. Also as a last side note I find it really funny that you said my post was long. When your known for making ridiculous long posts, that you don't even except people to read. I'm not being sarcastic, I really do find it funny and I thank you for it. P.s It's 3:30 AM I will fix grammar and stuff tommorow
So I play with two monitors, and I also play with my Gmod on window mode as well so that I can click out of the window to click on the forums on my other monitor, but I still have the sound overlapping so I can hear and see things. This does not make me less aware of what is happening because I can see what is going on in game. I can totally see what you're saying @Darth West and I seriously appreciate the concern of the community and people within game. I would really like to see this in affect though, because even when I am looking at the forums and looking back at the game simultaneously, it would still catch my attention and make me more aware of what i'm looking at. +1
I agree that staff shouldn't tab out but sometimes it needs to be done. Anyone, we could have the "dadada da (I'm horrible at this stuff) sound play by playing it from a URL, which plays sound even if your tabbed out of Garry's Mod. Same for a reported player, play the sound if their tabbed out of the game so they can respond ASAP
I think this would be great. Personally I just keep my sound on so I can hear when a report comes in even if I am on the forums. +1
