Walkie-talkies and terminal text chat for long-distance communication

[ruan-luidy]

What's the idea?
Two ways for players to communicate when they're far apart on the map:

1. Walkie-talkies: an item players can pick up and carry. While holding it (or with it in the inventory), a push-to-talk key sends your voice to every other player who also has a walkie-talkie, no matter the distance.
2. Text chat on terminals: let players type and read messages on the in-game terminals/computers, like the ones at the base and at the antennas. A message sent from one terminal shows up on the others.

Why would it be useful?
In co-op it's very common for players to split up: one stays at the base handling signals while another goes out to repair antennas, or two players explore different areas. Right now, once you're far away there's no way to coordinate. These features would solve that while staying immersive and in line with the game's atmosphere, instead of a generic global chat.

How could it work?
Walkie-talkie:

• Push-to-talk key, only works while you have the item
• Radio effect on the voice (light static/filter) so it sounds different from proximity voice
• Optional: battery that needs recharging, or signal getting worse with distance/terrain, to keep some tension

Terminal chat:

• A simple "messages" screen on terminals where you can type and read
• Messages are shared between all terminals (base, antennas, etc.)
• Shows the player name and in-game time for each message
• Useful for leaving notes like "dish 3 repaired, going to check the transformers"

Extra notes
Both features could be toggled on/off by the host, for groups who prefer the isolation of the vanilla experience. I think the walkie-talkie would bring the most value, and the terminal chat could come later as a smaller addition.