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#3372179 - 08/22/11 10:50 AM World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat.  
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HogDriver Offline
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If you're like me, you're probably tired of reading pointless chat, or people complaining about how much "their team sucks" or criticising your style of play. Since WoT doesn't come with an option to turn off chat in game, I started looking for a way to disable it myself. I finally found a working solution.

Some people are going to argue about why you'd want to disable chat in a "team game". Fair enough, but the vast majority of chat I read is actually worthless to the game. A lot of it takes away from the enjoyment of the game. I sat through a match where one player on our team, decided in the first 15 seconds of the game, that we were all noobs and would lose the match. The entire game he whined and chatted with the opposing team about how bad we were and even told them what we were doing. After he died early on, it just gave him more time to whine about his team and brag about having "called the loss". It felt so good when we actually won, despite this jerk's constant crying.


CAUTION: Doing this will completely disable the chat window in battle. You will not see any messages from players of any kind. That means no "Back to Base!", "Attack!", "Help!" etc, as well as chat. Also you won't be able to send messages yourself. You will still see when someone pings the map though. While this method DOES work safely, always do so at your own risk. That's why making backups of the files involved is specifically mentioned in the steps below.

Here's how it works:

1. Find your WoT directory. C:\Games\World of Tanks\res\gui\flash
2. Make a backup of "BattleMessenger.swf". Copy that file to somewhere you'll remember where to find it. I put mine on the desktop.
3. Delete "BattleMessenger.swf" from the "Flash" directory.
4. Make a copy of "BattleTimer.swf" and paste it somewhere you can find it. I put it on my desktop too.
5. Rename that copy of "BattleTimer.swf" to "BattleMessenger.swf" and then copy it back into the "Flash" directory.

If done correctly, the next time you play WoT, you won't have to put up with jerks and the mentally challenged. To reenable your chat, just delete the modified "BattleMessenger.swf" and replace it with the original you backed up to your desktop or wherever.

Doing this does not change the look of the interface in any negative way. You simply won't see the chat window. (it also won't add a 2nd BattleTimer if anyone was worried about that)

Hope this helps somebody. I know a lot of people are demanding that WoT adds in this feature, but until they do, here's your workaround.


I refuse to buy a flight sim that I have no interest in playing, on the off chance that MAYBE someday they'll make the one I really want to play.

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#3372485 - 08/22/11 08:18 PM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: HogDriver]  
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Nice find!

I have a built-in BS filter in my brain. I tend to not-notice these things. The past few days though, while platooning with my son, we've found the chat-box to be of some help. When the battle starts, we decide which way to go, then we type that in on the chat box. We don't ask help or anything, just tell people what we, as a platoon, will do. 8 out of 10 times, we get sufficient backup and win the game with their support.

Meanwhile, that n00b who just died on the other side of the map? We just ignore him.

If one player is constantly moaning though and it gets in your nerves, just press CTRL to gain control of the mouse pointer, right-click on his name, and set to Ignore. That way, you still get the chat but ignore everything he says from then on.


- Ice
#3372571 - 08/22/11 09:44 PM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: HogDriver]  
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Having had roughly a dozen games yesterday where I was literally begging for help in chat (being the ONLY person covering a particular area) only to be totally ignored and have our team spectacularly raped, I say: if you don't want to interact with other people, go play another game.

No offense.

Last edited by Speedo; 08/22/11 09:44 PM.
#3372907 - 08/23/11 06:58 AM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: Speedo]  
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Originally Posted By: Speedo
Having had roughly a dozen games yesterday where I was literally begging for help in chat (being the ONLY person covering a particular area) only to be totally ignored and have our team spectacularly raped, I say: if you don't want to interact with other people, go play another game.

No offense.


None taken, and you have a very valid point. But what you're saying is another plus in my book for going ahead and disabling the chat. If no one pays attention to what you type, why bother? I used to see that all the time too. Somebody will say at the beginning of the round "take the hill!" or "go left", and then everyone will go right.

It's the same with voice chat on a game like Bad Company 2 with random people. I got so tired of listening to people rapping, singing, whining, insulting etc over comms,that I tossed my mic in the closet and muted all voice chat. I think I had around 5 complete DAYS worth of playtime on both Bad Company games total, and I can probably count on 1 hand the number of times I actually heard anyone on my squad actually trying to coordinate with one another. I think the only people who care to coordinate and play as a team, only do so with people on their friends list, and they do it in private chat. If that's the case, why subject yourself to the crap that puts you off playing the game?

For me personally it made World of Tanks enjoyable again.

Maybe I wasted my time sharing this, but the option is there for anyone who wants it. GLHF


I refuse to buy a flight sim that I have no interest in playing, on the off chance that MAYBE someday they'll make the one I really want to play.

#3372926 - 08/23/11 08:27 AM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: HogDriver]  
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Very true, Speedo. If you go around by your lonesome and expect people to run to your aid, that won't happen. Better to go with the group even if it leaves a front/flank open. You say you were spectacularly overwhelmed? That's probably what the other guys on the other side of the map were planning to do to the opposition.

Like I said, I would announce our intentions and it would be up to the other players to help us or not, but at lease WE know what we're doing, THEY know what we're doing, I'm happy to leave it at that. If they help, cool. If not, we'll still play our best and try to take as many as we can down with us.

Don't take this as a "don't disable chat" post, I'm just saying there are some uses for it and there are some in-game moments where it is a gem. However, for 90% of the time, I'd say you guys are spot-on.

I would recomend platooning to "increase" your enjoyment of this game's tactical side, but this isn't what this thread is about. biggrin


- Ice
#3373368 - 08/23/11 08:56 PM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: - Ice]  
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Quote:
If you go around by your lonesome and expect people to run to your aid, that won't happen. Better to go with the group even if it leaves a front/flank open.


I don't care about anyone running to my aid. I care about them covering massive, gaping holes in our defenses. In several cases I managed to delay the other team for several minutes while calling for help and STILL no one seemed to be aware until the enemy broke through and started capping our base.

I'm becoming more and more convinced that most players at the higher tiers really have no idea what they're doing - they've just spent a lot of time mindlessly grinding.

Originally Posted By: - Ice
That's probably what the other guys on the other side of the map were planning to do to the opposition.


Frankly "steamrolling" almost NEVER works in this game. 1-2 tanks in a decent defensive position can hold up 6-8 opponents, because almost no one is willing to attack out of their cover and risk taking hits. So the whole team may zerg in one direction, but they'll get held up and accomplish nothing, while they're flanked/surrounded or the base is captured behind them. Every game I was referring to above ended in a massive failure for my team.

#3373376 - 08/23/11 09:11 PM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: HogDriver]  
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Nothing against you personally, Speedo, and I do agree with you for the most part... on the other hand, I believe that a spread-out, cover-all-the-gaps defensive strategy can fall to a well-placed blitz by the enemy, especially on the higher tiers wherein tanks are slower so even if the enemy figures out what you're doing, they're usually too late/slow to get back to base to deal with you. I guess I'm more of an "attack" guy than a camper. At other times, I've kept the enemy advance busy for enough time to either get the rest of my group in position or for arty to kill them. Either way, I just go in a fight with a plan and try to take down as many tanks as I can before I go. biggrin

But like I said, I do agree with you for the most part -- I'd say 80% of the players are just your typical MMO players who happen to be playing with tanks and have no concept of armored warfare.... they're just playing counterstrike with tanks. But when you get in a game with Tigers and Ferdies who know what they're doing (and they're not in platoons, mind!), these are gems in the game that keep me playing. Want to get more tactical rather than just wait for that random collection of good players? Join a clan, or team up with a friend or fellow SimHQ-er. Since playing with my 8-yo son on some simple Marder or Stug battles (he's still low level, but can't wait to take out two JagdPanthers for a spin!), I can say that the difference between a simple, free, 2-man platoon and your average daily grind is massive.

Having said that, my son and I have steamrolled through many battles successfully and have taken down bigger opponents either by massed fire or by keeping him distracted while one of us goes 'round and surprises him from his flank/rear.

Hehehe... I guess the linchpin here is co-op play (which I'm harping, either with a clan or friend or with a very lucky group of random players) vs your average day-to-day gamers.


- Ice
#3373557 - 08/24/11 01:40 AM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: - Ice]  
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Originally Posted By: - Ice
Nothing against you personally, Speedo, and I do agree with you for the most part... on the other hand, I believe that a spread-out, cover-all-the-gaps defensive strategy can fall to a well-placed blitz by the enemy, especially on the higher tiers wherein tanks are slower so even if the enemy figures out what you're doing, they're usually too late/slow to get back to base to deal with you. I guess I'm more of an "attack" guy than a camper. At other times, I've kept the enemy advance busy for enough time to either get the rest of my group in position or for arty to kill them. Either way, I just go in a fight with a plan and try to take down as many tanks as I can before I go. biggrin


Well, about 90% of teams lack the coordination to make steamrolling work - see my last post. For that reason, my heart usually skips a beat when the enemy team has a platoon of T-54's... if they have any idea what they're doing they will wreak havoc. I prefer attack as well, but if I see glaring holes I usually try to fill them to avoid a massive failure. But yeah, I need to find some people to platoon with more often.

#3373725 - 08/24/11 09:54 AM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: HogDriver]  
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Lol @ T-54s. Even if I see just one and I'm in arty, oh boy! Lucky enough most of the time the T-54 driver is more interested in taking out other tanks than arty-hunting... which is his mistake.

Do try to get with one or two other friends and play... steam rolling is massive fun even if it's just the 2 or 3 of you on that front...


- Ice
#3374128 - 08/24/11 09:52 PM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: HogDriver]  
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i like chatting. i openly vent my frustration at idiots in the game. so what?

#3374145 - 08/24/11 10:33 PM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: HogDriver]  
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Hehe, true, true. While I am usually polite and civil in these forums, I get to be more foul-mouthed in the in-game chat, hitting back at whiners and poor-tactics play... not that I make a habit out of it but it's a great vent when you've had a bad day at work... biggrin


- Ice
#3396305 - 09/23/11 05:52 PM Re: World of Tanks, How to disable in-game chat. [Re: HogDriver]  
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LOL I agree, too bad the next version they are adding way to report people for rudeness. I have a feeling this will quickly get mis-used by the whinners and fools who don't know their hat from a hand grenade.


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