If this is possible it, would be good to have crew meetings

What about IRC?

There is no need to have a Chat room in a HQ, Thats is what IRC is for thats why your family has their own Channel.

So that your family can communicate to each other and its much easier to explain things if something goes on.

EG: War

The fact that irc is there does not negate the validity of this suggestion. The MR Bot announces deaths - should we remove the Obits page on this basis?

A simple shoutbox below the HQ forum would be an extremely welcome addition; especially for those of us who don't have constant irc access.

Good point Sproz i completely forgot about not being able to access IRC.

I have to agree with Noah on this one. Some people enjoy playing the game but aren't able to connect to IRC when they play due to restrictions at school, work, etc... even the Java based chat. Of course the majority of players are able to be on, but I like this suggestion for a couple of reasons:

1. It allows all users who can access the game to also access a real time chat client to speak with members in their crew, without having to use the java program or download an outside IRC client.

2. It brings the chat more 'in-house', whereas #divinelunacy is a communal socializing room, individual family rooms continue to blur the IRC/Game lines. By bringing a truly integrated (not having to go to a separate program or even a separate window) chat experience in real time to the game, we begin to move towards a more defined separation of game discussion and social chat.

I don't think we should go hogwild on this, and put a shoutbox or chatbox per city, or for the streets, or even back alley, as that would begin to negate the need for forum discussion, but I do agree that having a more real-time interactive area within the headquarters for members to commune is not a bad suggestion at all.