While I was playing at my public server I got in logs someone tried to connect. It doesn't show anywhere so players have no opportunity to decide if they want to stop the current game and start another one with the new player. Connected player also gets only error about already starter game.
Then I decide what if provide him access to ingame chat. The simplest way to do it is to move him into multiplayer lobby. Any updates in lobby he could do will be ignored by the server but he could send and receive chat messages.
Moreover it will be possible to introduce "Take on AI" option same as freeciv where player replace AI and controls empire.
"Ingame" multiplayer lobby
Moderator: Oberlus
"Ingame" multiplayer lobby
Gentoo Linux x64, gcc-11.2, boost-1.78.0
Ubuntu Server 22.04 x64, gcc-12, boost-1.74.0
Welcome to the slow multiplayer game at freeorion-lt.dedyn.io.Version 2024-04-14.ad50e93.
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Ubuntu Server 22.04 x64, gcc-12, boost-1.74.0
Welcome to the slow multiplayer game at freeorion-lt.dedyn.io.Version 2024-04-14.ad50e93.
Donations're welcome:BTC:bc1q007qldm6eppqcukewtfkfcj0naut9njj7audnm
Re: "Ingame" multiplayer lobby
Sounds generally fine to me, though I think you'd want to have some kind of 'private' setting available when starting up a multiplayer game session, so that people could prevent intrusions if they didn't want to be distracted, or to protect against hecklers etc.
If I provided any code, scripts or other content here, it's released under GPL 2.0 and CC-BY-SA 3.0
Re: "Ingame" multiplayer lobby
I think authorization system already does it. At least if player have a right to enter to pre-game lobby he could also chat in public in-game chat too.
Gentoo Linux x64, gcc-11.2, boost-1.78.0
Ubuntu Server 22.04 x64, gcc-12, boost-1.74.0
Welcome to the slow multiplayer game at freeorion-lt.dedyn.io.Version 2024-04-14.ad50e93.
Donations're welcome:BTC:bc1q007qldm6eppqcukewtfkfcj0naut9njj7audnm
Ubuntu Server 22.04 x64, gcc-12, boost-1.74.0
Welcome to the slow multiplayer game at freeorion-lt.dedyn.io.Version 2024-04-14.ad50e93.
Donations're welcome:BTC:bc1q007qldm6eppqcukewtfkfcj0naut9njj7audnm
Re: "Ingame" multiplayer lobby
I've created PR: https://github.com/freeorion/freeorion/pull/2284
Gentoo Linux x64, gcc-11.2, boost-1.78.0
Ubuntu Server 22.04 x64, gcc-12, boost-1.74.0
Welcome to the slow multiplayer game at freeorion-lt.dedyn.io.Version 2024-04-14.ad50e93.
Donations're welcome:BTC:bc1q007qldm6eppqcukewtfkfcj0naut9njj7audnm
Ubuntu Server 22.04 x64, gcc-12, boost-1.74.0
Welcome to the slow multiplayer game at freeorion-lt.dedyn.io.Version 2024-04-14.ad50e93.
Donations're welcome:BTC:bc1q007qldm6eppqcukewtfkfcj0naut9njj7audnm