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Chat & HUD Messaging Guide

This guide covers sending messages to players through chat, HUD announcements, console output, and world text.

What You Can't Do From the Server​

Before diving in, the ceiling is worth knowing — it's asked about often:

  • No custom HUD panels. Panorama (the Deadlock UI system) is locked down server-side. You can't inject new UI elements, listen for game events from Panorama, or mutate the chrome.
  • No worldtext pinned to the screen. The camera is not a networked entity. You can only parent to the pawn. However, you can configure the reorient mode of a worldtext to face the camera (billboarding).
  • No per-recipient rendering. OnCheckTransmit lets you hide an entity from specific players, but you can't give the same entity different text/color per viewer.
  • No colored minimap lines. CCitadelUserMsg_MapLine renders green only.

What you can do:

  • HUD announcements (CCitadelUserMsg_HudGameAnnouncement) — a single title/description popup per-player
  • Chat messages (CCitadelUserMsg_ChatMsg) — supports per-recipient text by sending one message per player
  • Console output (PrintToConsole)
  • World text (point_worldtext) — 3D panels parented to entities
  • Minimap lines (CCitadelUserMsg_MapLine) — short-lived green strokes

HUD Announcements​

Large on-screen announcements visible to targeted players:

var msg = new CCitadelUserMsg_HudGameAnnouncement
{
    TitleLocstring = "ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE",
    DescriptionLocstring = "Description text here"
};

// Send to all players
NetMessages.Send(msg, RecipientFilter.All);

// Send to one player
NetMessages.Send(msg, RecipientFilter.Single(playerSlot));

Console Messages​

Print to a specific player's console:

controller.PrintToConsole("Hello, player!");

Print to all players' consoles:

CCitadelPlayerController.PrintToConsoleAll("Server message for everyone");

Or use Server.ClientCommand:

Server.ClientCommand(playerSlot, "echo Hello from server!");

Chat Messages​

Intercepting Chat​

Override OnChatMessage to intercept all chat:

public override HookResult OnChatMessage(ChatMessage msg)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"[Chat] Slot {msg.SenderSlot}: {msg.Text}");
    return HookResult.Continue;
}

Rebroadcasting Chat​

Hook outgoing chat messages for custom formatting:

[NetMessageHandler]
public HookResult OnChatMsgOutgoing(OutgoingMessageContext<CCitadelUserMsg_ChatMsg> ctx)
{
    var sender = Players.FromSlot(ctx.Message.SenderSlot);
    if (sender == null) return HookResult.Handled;

    // Send personalized chat to each recipient
    foreach (var controller in Players.GetAll())
    {
        var personalMsg = new CCitadelUserMsg_ChatMsg
        {
            // Customize per-recipient
            Text = $"[{sender.Name}]: {ctx.Message.Text}"
        };
        NetMessages.Send(personalMsg, RecipientFilter.Single(controller.EntityIndex));
    }

    // Block the original message
    return HookResult.Stop;
}

Sounds​

Play sound effects on entities:

// Basic sound
pawn.EmitSound("Mystical.Piano.AOE.Warning");

// With parameters
pawn.EmitSound("Damage.Send.Crit", pitch: 100, volume: 0.1f, soundLevel: 75f);

World Text​

3D text panels in the world:

var text = CPointWorldText.Create(
    "GAME OVER",
    position: new Vector3(0, 0, 500),
    fontSize: 200f,
    r: 255, g: 0, b: 0, a: 255  // Red text
);

// Update later
text.SetMessage("ROUND 2");

// Clean up
text.Remove();

See World Text API.

Targeting Players​

All Players​

NetMessages.Send(msg, RecipientFilter.All);

Single Player​

NetMessages.Send(msg, RecipientFilter.Single(slot));

Custom Selection​

var filter = new RecipientFilter();
foreach (var controller in Players.GetAll())
{
    if (IsEligible(controller))
        filter.Add(controller.EntityIndex);
}
NetMessages.Send(msg, filter);

By Team​

var filter = new RecipientFilter();
foreach (var controller in Players.GetAll())
{
    var pawn = controller.GetHeroPawn();
    if (pawn?.TeamNum == 2)  // Team 0
        filter.Add(controller.EntityIndex);
}
NetMessages.Send(msg, filter);

See Also​