[SUGGESTION] Showing where you're from (optional)

Following an idea and suggestion of Rage At The Washing Machine, I'd like to suggest to implement a system that shows which country a player is connecting from.

It should be optional, so that you can select on your client whether you agree with disclosing this information and the server sends such information only to the other players if the client has set the respective cvar.

The location information should be retrieved from the IP address (I think that's the easiest way but I am a noob at all this). Custom locations would just lead to everyone entering stuff like "up yours" or "in a box" or similar things. The nationality information could be displayed when a player joins ("halogene joined from Germany") or, if desired, with a little flag symbol next to the name in the scoring board. Personally I think the scoring board shouldn't contain too much data, but a flag doesn't take up much room.

Maybe it could also be implemented with the authorization system developed by divVerent.

Anyhow, just wanted to open up a discussion of whether this might be a good idea or not. Ideas? Concerns?

I like it. However, one modification, if one agrees to show the country where one's from, everyone should be able to see it, not just those who have set their cvar to enable.
Oh, and a little flag is a must. ^_^

Yes, that's what I meant. The cvar should be for deciding if you want to disclose the information - you should receive the information from the server independently from what setting this cvar is on your machine. If required, there can be another cvar ruling this

Just a precision: we can either display the location where the player is playing from (by some filtering on the IP address, but I'm not sure it's so easy to identify all countries), either we can display the nationality of the player, based on a some declarative data in his profile (I assume here that there will be such profile file for authentication).

Both informations are intesresting, but I think the second one is pretty much more easy to implement.

And a little flag is indeed an absolute must.

GeoIP is not very difficult to do - I have done it using Maxmind's GeoIP database found here. I did this in Python, but there is a C API as well. The limitation with this would probably be licensing of the database file itself; while the API is under the LGPL license the binary database file is not (license terms here). I'm not a lawyer, so I can't say whether or not the database portion is GPL compatible or not (the C API is compatible).

This isn't a significant barrier, though. Xonotic can ship it as an option and have the server admins download the geoip file on their own if they want it. That would be akin to the q3 maps which can't be distributed.

Haha, I want a flag now

French and Belgian players could have their flags in their name in Nexuiz, but those of us who are from countries with more complex flags couldn't

FLAGS FTW! Also like it as Optional thing!

Good idea (if is optional)

Can we have also a Pirate flag?

Good idea (if is optional)

Can we have also a Pirate flag?

+1

Pirate flag is a must for those who are opposed to the idea of nations.

Pirate flag is a must for those who are opposed to the idea of nations.

True that, pirate flag is a must have if we give options for showing nationality.

I like the idea !
That completes my idea of "Permanent ladder system, raking in-game" here http://forums.xonotic.org/showthread.php?tid=1041

Pirate flag is a must for those who are opposed to the idea of nations.

True that, pirate flag is a must have if we give options for showing nationality.

But there should be more "neutral" flags than just pirate, like the UN one for example.

Pirate flag is a must for those who are opposed to the idea of nations.

True that, pirate flag is a must have if we give options for showing nationality.

But there should be more "neutral" flags than just pirate, like the UN one for example.

NO!

I hate these filthy neutrals, Kif! With enemies you know where they stand but with neutrals? Who knows! It sickens me.

Could have a flag that represents Earth lol

I suggest a small bitmap editor in the menu to make any flag you like :p

I suggest a one man who can design flags, and who takes requests and designs all flags people want I like the idea of pirate flag, people should also be able to change flags over time, not to make it permanent.

I suggest a small bitmap editor in the menu to make any flag you like :p

That would be cool, but somebody would easily find a way to abuse it with pornography and such. Bungie was initially going to allow custom logos in Halo 2, but scrapped the idea because of that.

I suggest a small bitmap editor in the menu to make any flag you like :p

Then you'll need means to ban flags. e.g. imagine what would XSAX do with this feature.

Could probably have people submit flags and have them approved by people on this forum so that nothing offensive ends up in the game. That way people would be able to use the flags they want and at the same the servers won't turn into an infamous image board that is comparable to Xbox Live.

Or a set of rules + a template for flag in SVG so anyone can download it and make his own flag in Inkscape for egz. but to keep it in style with the rest.

Or let's go further and add small avatars for players Max 64x64 16k png/jpg/gif/tga. Those would be displayed above player's head if the unified icons system to display info about players would be implemented.

I think this thread is going berserk.

I suggest a small bitmap editor in the menu to make any flag you like :p

Then you'll need means to ban flags. e.g. imagine what would XSAX do with this feature.

nice idea!!!

If you are looking for flags and ideas:
http://www.hedgewars.org/node/1898

Hedgewars use tons of them, probably about the right size too. I'm sure they wouldn't mind us borrowing them if we asked nicely.

License
Hedgewars is free open-source software, released under GPL-v2 license.

No need to ask.

License
Hedgewars is free open-source software, released under GPL-v2 license.

No need to ask.

Well its always nice to be polite anyway