Rptd: Getting Locked into the Free-Text Chat Window

[xFW190x 0]

# I have:

· Restarted the game: yes

· Cleared the cache: yes

· Checked game integrity: yes

· Disabled custom content: yes

# Game version

My game version: (2.13.0.76)

# Description

Short summary: Player ends up stuck with open chat window.

Description: Since the latest patch I have frequently encountered that I end up with an open free text chat window which I can neither use, nor leave. The vehicle remains stationary and can't be controlled other than turret controls (rotation, elevation, fire, but no binoculars or ammo change, etc.). In the chat window, one can cycle between "All/Team/Squad", but not type, enter a text (number and letter keys), send (enter key) or leave (exit key).

# Steps to reproduce the issue

1. Start a battle (I only play RB Ground Forces, but presume this would occur anywhere).

2. In game (after spawning), press several "drive" buttons (e.g., W+A or arrow up+arrow left) and while depressing it, open free text chat (e.g., enter key). In the example appended below I provoked the bug by pressing up and left and hitting enter. It took about 10-15 attempts before it succeeded. Before succeeding, the chat window opened as usual. In another game, it worked upon first try (up+left+enter).

# Affected vehicles

· All that I have tried on - does not appear to be vehicle-specific.

# Files

You must attach these files:

· Screenshots: Appended

-Immediately after provoking the bug. Vehicle is stationary. I can neither type nor drive.

-Notice that I can still rotate and elevate the turret and fire.

-Notice that I am able to cycle from “Team” to “All” in the chat menu.

· Replay: https://warthunder.com/en/tournament/replay/31936449102147310 [after 4:00]

· CLOG: Appended

· DxDiag: Appended

2022_01_24_20_22_11__6684.clog DxDiag.txt

[KnightoftheAbyss 3,387]

My first question would be, why are you using the chat in a manner it was never designed to be used as?  This is IRC(largely), it has been around for years and years.  

 

I used the chat in the manner it was designed.  I navigated vehicles, selected the chat.  Typed responses etc without issue.  Others were chatting in the channel as well. No one indicated that they had issues.

It was in GF AB.  But as you indicate, the chat is the same regardless of the mode.  Why are you spamming the up and down arrows?  There is no up or down in the chat channel.  What happens if you use the chat in the manner it was designed to be used?

 

You are running a laptop with an NVIDIA card installed. In most laptops the 'discrete' GPU(NVIDIA)and the Integrated GPU(Intel) work together using NVIDIA's proprietary "Optimus" software.
The graphics card GPU does not have any direct(wired) connections to the output ports(VGA, HDMI, display ports) but instead it is just calculating the frames/pictures and is sending them to the Integrated GPU which is passing them to the output ports.  For this process to work flawlessly the drivers of both GPU's have to be kept up to date.  Yours currently are not.

 

Card name: Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630  Driver Version: 27.20.100.8729   Driver Date/Size: 11.09.2020 01:00:00, 1465312 bytes

Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650  Driver Version: 27.21.14.6280  Driver Date/Size: 09.06.2021 01:00:00, 1049056 bytes

 

Can you please remove the current graphics driver(s) using DDU (or similar). https://www.wagnardsoft.com/

Please ensure that you follow the instructions and use Safe Mode.

Then re-install/install the latest driver(s) and re-test.

 

Thanks
 

[xFW190x 0]

Hi,

 

I am not sure I understand what you mean by "using the chat in a manner it was never designed to be used as". I use the chat to communicate with other players, both in my team and the enemy team, sometimes to relay useful information (e.g., "KV-1 on B"), sometimes for nonsense (e.g., "GL HF all!"). Because I like to type fast, it may happen that I strike the enter key (open chat) while still holding the arrow keys (drive controls). Yes, I use the arrow keys for drive controls instead of WASD. I suppose you take "spamming the up and down arrows" from the .clog file - you will find it matches the vehicle's movements.

 

I will look into the driver issue, thanks for pointing that out. Please note I am playing on the laptop screen, not on an external screen on a wired connection. Is this relevant then?

 

EDIT: I have updated the drivers as instructed. Versions now: NVIDIA: 30.0.15.1123 (10.01.2022) INTEL: 30.0.101.1191 (03.12.2021). The issue prevails. I have tried in Air RB (could not reproduce) and in Ground RB (could reproduce by trying different combinations of two arrow keys and enter). It seems that the combinations up+left+enter and down+right+enter behave differently than the combinations up+right+enter and down+left+enter.

 

EDIT2: Game version now (2.13.0.83).

 

Cheers

Edited January 26, 2022 by xFW190x

[KnightoftheAbyss 3,387]

Thanks,

             If you press the arrow keys(or any key), either by holding it down or repeatedly you can overflow the keyboard buffer.  Then all those characters arrive in the chat at the same time and have to be 'read' and then displayed etc.

22 hours ago, xFW190x said:

Please note I am playing on the laptop screen, not on an external screen on a wired connection. Is this relevant then?

No for Optimus, it makes no difference, the issue is that GPU has to send most of the information through the Laptop CPU etc as there are no direct connections.  ie; In a desktop, the Serial or HDMI are direct from the GPU card.  There are output ports on the back of the machine that plug directly into the card.  In a laptop this is not the case.  The output ports are all controlled by the CPU and motherboard(unless you have a particular type of external GPU attached to your laptop).

 

I think what is happening is that you are pressing the arrow keys a filling the buffer, then the chat cannot handle all the characters sent.

 

I spent some time in a game recently telling some players who were discussing politics to stop and then the respective 'pile on' by others who thought that they knew better etc.

I was typing quite long sentences without issue.

 

If you want to respond to game events quickly etc.  I would suggest that you and your friends use something like Discord or Teamspeak to communicate.

 

[xFW190x 0]

Thanks for the explanation.

When I play with people I know, I use Discord or TS for obvious reasons. I use the in-game chat when I play on my own but still want to communicate with the "strangers" on my team. Is that not a legitimate use of the chat?
Long strings of text never caused a problem at my end either. As outlined above, it seems to be the combination of "open chat" and "some specific keys". One thing I could try to circumvent the issue is to assign a new key to open the free-text chat. Perhaps the issue with a filling buffer, as you outline it, becomes a problem because the enter key is both the "open chat" and the "send string" command by my settings. Like, the chat is opened and immediately prompted to send whatever has been typed, and the arrow keys raise some kind of exception. I will edit this post once I have tried.

 

EDIT: I have changed my "open chat" key binding to the "#" key. The issue prevails as described before, now with "arrow key(s) + #" to provoke it.

 

Cheers

Edited January 27, 2022 by xFW190x

[KnightoftheAbyss 3,387]

Hi
  Thank you for your interest and help improving the game.  

Your information has been forwarded to the Developers for their consideration.  

If there is anything further regarding this report a Technical Moderator will contact you.

Thank you again for your support.

[KnightoftheAbyss 3,387]

@xFW190x

 

The Developers are asking that if you use the Alt key, does the issue disappear?

[xFW190x 0]

Sorry for the delayed response. I have just tried it - pressing the Alt key while locked into the chat window does not resolve the problem.

[KnightoftheAbyss 3,387]

Thanks.  I will pass that on to the Dev's.