Offering supplementary means of communication allows players with no or low literacy a means to easily express themselves. If developing specifically for these audiences, consider making non-textual communication the sole means of communication, to ensure that it is possible between all players rather than a one way process.
Offering a symbol chat option also has internationalisation benefits – its inclusion in Phantasy Star Online was to allow gamers who speak different languages to be able to communicate with each other.
Best practice example:
Categories & Levels:
- Cognitive (Advanced)
- Hearing (Advanced)
- Speech (Advanced)