I'll start with adding game events about additions to the message buffer as well as new commands to switch between message buffer modes. This is going to kill save file compatibility.

I've checked in my first batch of changes. Now opening a thread on the DevTeam board.

Another option might be a separate window for messages. For example, I use two monitors, so I could move that on secondary monitor while playing maximized on the primary.

I personally hate with a passion programs that open windows all over the place (like the first versions of ADOM II, before the immersive mode was introduced). If that alternative is taken, I hope it's optional.

This is kind of an interesting and tricky option. ..If you use separate windows it might be nice and flexible for those who play the game windowed. (me) But if the ADOM view is just extended in one direction to accommodate a message area, with the play-area remaining as it is, then it's still all in one tidy window. I'm quite partial to that idea as well. (I like its tidiness.) ..Two-monitor users should be able to make good use of it as well, just by having the window positioned with the message/game split on the split between the two monitors.

Probably impossible to do this so it pleases everyone. :)

Sorry, no separate windows. ADOM currently does not even have a concept for that idea.

Cool. That makes it an easy decision. :) ..I do like the all-in-one-window concept better the more I think about it.

Creator, have you seen this related request yet? Might be worth considering at the same time as this.

http://www.adom.de/forums/project.php?issueid=3226

Thank God, um.. thanks to the The Creator!

We now need to test this. The internal changes have been far most sweeping than I ever expected. ADOM internally is not well prepared to handle such different modes and there were dozens of problems. I expect some to pop up in the near future and we quickly need to get them ironed out for the Steam release.

If the changes are overarching I think you should do a prerelease before the Steam release... four people testing might not be enough to catch all the bugs!

We are right now trying to get a Steam beta test organized. I have some more data crunching to do for that and we are waiting for Steam keys. But we definitely will not release a public Steam version without some decent Steam community testing ;-)