in game web browser

constantly during a game (pve) a question is asked about what bosses and skill caps are present. there are also questions about monsters, the path to take and/or bonuses.

i think it would be nice to have an in-game browser so ppl can look this information up online (guildwiki.org) instead of alt-tabbing out. alt-tabbing out takes time to do and makes you go afk.

an in game browser would allow the player to still move his/her character while reviewing the information needed. this browser could be transparent like some of the other windows.

if an in-game browser to surf the web it difficult, what about making some sort of in-game encyclopedia? similar to that in the game Civ IV.

comments?

There is so much info that they would have to put in there. Personally I would ask the group to wait while I check, and then reduce the game to windows. Pull up Wiki on the internet while the game is going.

You have no idea how hard it would be to add a browser, do you? Microsoft's still struggling to make a decent standalone browser, how do you expect ANet to pull off an in-game one?

I had a very similar idea (but not exactly the same) a short while back. I thought that all the articles that the GW site puts out aren't really reaching their audience. The people who read them already know about the things they talk about. So I thought about a 'library' or 'newspaper service' where you could read them in-game. The window would contain 3 sub-sections, 2 small boxes at the top next to each other, and one big box underneath. The left box contains the titles (the scribe, state of the game, etc), the right box contains the editions of each one after selecting one in the left box, and the bottom box contains the body of the article. New articles get a *new!* symbols next to them. That way the articles reach everyone in game. It could also be used for documentation.

As you can see, it's similar to your idea, albeit not as 'open'. The problem is web browsers are non-trivial to write. Things like server browsers are easier as the information they have to render is much simpler and expected. The info the player can view is restricted. Allowing the player to visit any general website would require a fully blown web browser. Now there probably are open source rendering engines they could borrow, but they would have to use something like the BSD licsense, as the GPL makes requirements that Anet would not be able to keep. There is also the question of bloat, and another concern would be the time and effort it would take the relatively small team at Anet that ultimately amounts to saving minimizing the game for a few seconds.

I think your encyclopedia idea is much more viable. It would not be difficult for the client to fetch some plaintext from the Anet servers, some of it being documentation that amounts to an encyclopedia. It would also allow for fetching articles as I mentioned earlier.

All in all, /signed for the simple version

I usually just switch to windowed-mode and bring up my browser. I arrange the windows so I can keep an eye on the GW chat window while browsing. Then I just click back and forth as needed. True, in-game browser would be nice, but it'd be hard to implement...or to implement well, anyhow.

In-game encyclopedia? Maybe...

/undecided

i like bamm's ideas.

a web browser would come with certain complications which would make it hard/impossible to implement.

but some sort of simple, in-game reference would be a nice touch. there needs to be some way to get information about bosses, quests, etc. out to everyone.

here is another idea that is along the same lines....how about a way to permanantely mark your characters maps with boss/monster locations or somehow create and associate notes with areas on the map?

i often find myself taking hex removal or condition skills into areas where they are not useful. i need a way to remind myself to leave these at home and take other skills.

another good idea a buddy had was to have vendors that sell maps of the different areas of the continent. these would update your characters maps with boss locations and other relevant information.

the main point of this thread is that it would be nice to have an in-game method of storing and/or sharing information.

There's absolutely no need for one. Alt+tab or switch to window mode, problem solved.

/notsigned

-edit due to your previous post-

Marking elites, spawn points, whatever else on maps would fill up the map with things I don't need there. Unless there's an option to disable it I don't want it included.

Still, learning which monsters are where (and which skills to bring along) is part of the game, I don't think that should be changed. If you really want to know, check wiki. It'll take you 1-2 mins including alt+tab and starting up the browser.

Having a place to store information has been suggested before, especially about collectors, artisans and crafters. I'm all for including that.

what if you download a virus with your ingame browser? oO

Source engine is capable of it.... ( example: cs:source MOTD's )

/not signed

Its as easy as putting the game in windowed mode.

That probably is only capable of simple HTML. The OP wants a fully feature browser that supports most, if not all of the current standards.

/notsigned

Just look it up before you get a group together.
An ingame encyclopedia doesn't really fit with the feel of the game either.

MOTD's are hardly qualified as a browser. It is far from fully functional. Can it even be accessed at will? Besides it is one thing to allow a server with 24 people access to the internet, but a server with 500,000 would cause many lag issues. That is a hell of a lot of information being transmitted through ANet's servers. Not to mention making the server, game and user vulnerable to hacks or viruses. Switching to windowed mode is quite easy, you can surf the web without missing out on anything, and wont affect the servers (it may cause your connection to lag, but not cause other people to lag).

/not signed

No..

But allowing us to script our own plugins, would be awesome.

I sense, FF in-game lite plugin.

No there doesn't need to be a in game browser just minimize it and look it up on you browser as this what I do.I would say reconnects are more important a nd a few other things.

I've seen it all.....

Click the square in the top right.

There will never be an ingame browser. Any moron with a scripting book would hack the game. Browsers already suffer from malicious javascript.

Terrible idea, no thanks.

Do like i do... dual monitor setup :P
Never fails

And, if we're asking, why not a messenger too?
C'mon we don't have a decent trade system and you're asking for a browser?

I run GW windows all the time now with the windows task bar visible at the bottom... let's me play and jump between gaming and browsing as needed. No performance issues whatsoever if you have a dual core+ system.

Just play your game in windowed mode. If you need info you can have wiki open in another window and then quickly switch and check. Problem solved.

Besides having all the info there for people who haven't played through the game the first time through kinda defeats the purpose of even buying the game in the first place.

/notsigned

how about!

/no scotty!

we dont need it just a waste of space on my computer when you can just put the game in a window and open up your browser.

Wow... Guru never fails to amaze me how people can group bash an idea into nothingness. It's not enough that someone is bashing it, everyone hops in for the bashfest.

Anyways, here is my addition to the thread.
With the information we have in Guildwiki, we could provide a powerful library. All wiki would have to do is export their content into a file. Than a coder could use this file to program a basic viewer for this content and hook it straight into D3D, creating a transparent overlay in the game (sort of like what Fraps or Taksi does).
But there are two problems with it:
1. A-Net would ban for the use of third party software, like they have done with a friend of mine that was using Fraps.
2. Paranoia would result in a "warning trojan" Flamewar everytime a new version would appear.

Other than that, this would be the best solution and all thats necessary is an "okay, do it" from A-Net.

Or like I do, look up the info on my other computer :-p

either that or alt+tab/windowed mode ftw.

/notsigned for reasons of feasibility

/no signet
yes trade sucks

Umm...

GW already has a messenger, its called the Guild Wars Chat System. It just won't connect to MSN.