76 text chat mod now includes global chat, message encryption

[Nergal]

Fallout

 

Update: The Proximity Text Chat mod for Fallout 76, which originally allowed players who had the mod installed to send text messages to each other from a distance of 100 in-game meters, has received an update. Now it features global chat, so players anywhere on the server can communicate via text. Again, this requires anyone who wants to send or view text chat messages to have the mod installed.

I haven't tried this mod for myself yet, but the mod's page on Nexus Mods outlines some of the new features. The global text chat can be disabled by mod users if they wish, and it even has a feature that allows users to block other players using the mod, if need be. Players can swap between global and proximity chat with a simple command, and the chat pane, once opened, will vanish after a period of inactivity. You can even scroll through your last 100 messages with the arrow keys. This mod is already sounding pretty robust.

To address some user concerns that text messages were being stored on a third-party server and potentially viewable to others, the modder, Liyalai, says TLS encryption has been added to the mod.

"However there is a bug with the client right now not recognizing the server cert, I'll fix this when I can," the modder states in a discussion post.

If you're interested, keep reading the original story below, and keep in mind that Bethesda does not support mods for Fallout 76. We don't know what effects mods can have on Fallout 76, or what repercussions we might face for using them. Be cautious!

Original story: Fallout 76 shipped with a number of absent features, and one of the biggest misses Bethesda made was not including text chat. The lack of this extremely standard multiplayer feature means players can only communicate with mics and emotes, which is a major problem for players who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as for those who simply don't want to play with open mics. While Bethesda told me it is "looking into" adding text chat in the future, there has been no further mention of it in its roadmaps or future patch outlines.