NORMAL CHAT DOES NOT WORK in
HARDCORE LADDER games
as of October 10 2020.
I did notice, however, that in NON-LADDER Hardcore US WEST games,
normal chat DOES work.
From complaints I have read here, the “hacked in bug” seems to, though I have not verified this, apply to ALL US LADDER games. As a real-time s/w developer for over 20 years with extensive system analysis & design,
the nature [and surrounding evidence] of this bug, lead me to consider the distinct possibility that this bug may have been deliberately installed. For instance, if linked to other areas of the software, the possibility that this “bug” was accidentally installation/activated is significantly possible.
However, the nature of such logically distantly related linkages suggests spaghetti code & weak design. If true, then the game could very well be plagued by a unfathomable game crippling code.
Furthermore, past game upgrades would almost certainly have created a growing avalanche of untenable issues, almost guaranteeing failure of the most significant electronic game achievement in modern history.
Since this “for instance”, is highly improbable, the former improbable “hack”
should be considered, unless you actually did initiate the hack deliberately for, say, in part, [anti]security reasons, which suggests the evils of the world aren’t significant users of non-ladder games… yet.
Interestingly, no well known way exists for users to access the “!” chat history in game, implying that not vaporizing public access to game chat could well aid the evils of the world, unless you have succumbed to these “alien” definitions of “good”. Hopefully, we’re … ALL … on the same page.