Live widget chat boxes enable users to communicate with other alliance/galaxy members. No login details are required as you are already logged into the game and it's a live feed, so no need to faff around with expanding any boxes or clicking any confirmation buttons.
I cannot speak for other alliances, but in Vikings, I have noticed an increase of folk using the comment boxes on the alliance defence page, as it seems to be more convenient to 'communicate' than popping on IRC.
My suggestion is to go a step further and have some sort of live chat widget box that allows members to communicate via a live feed. Similar to the current notes system on the defence page, but have it viewable on every alliance related page.
Currently, you need to expand a defence call, write your stuff in the note and click 'update note'. This can be quite tedious especially when viewing from a phone.
Planetarion needs to move to more browser based user friendly for users to communicate. Not only would this be more 'noob' friendly, but it'll be keeping up with the times.
Maybe make this feature available only to upgraded planets.
It's quite simple really, if you want to expand on the playerbase, you need to make it more noob friendly, and IRC is not noob friendly.
I have had 'noobs' apply to Vikings, where we have accepted them on a trial bases, but they ended up quitting because they couldn't get the hang of using IRC.
I have added a few examples, picked up from external websites, so you can get a better idea:
http://www.bestfreeonline.net/wp-con...Chatbutton.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...VwxLcqzGzAbRPg