Disable chat for the first 5s (configurable) after joining a server.

OpenRA.Game/Network/UnitOrders.cs

@@ -34,6 +34,21 @@ namespace OpenRA.Network
 					TextNotificationsManager.AddSystemLine(order.TargetString);
 					break;
 
+				case "DisableChatEntry":
+					{
+						// Order must originate from the server
+						if (clientId != 0)
+							break;
+
+						// Server may send MaxValue to indicate that it is disabled until further notice
+						if (order.ExtraData == uint.MaxValue)
+							TextNotificationsManager.ChatDisabledUntil = uint.MaxValue;
+						else
+							TextNotificationsManager.ChatDisabledUntil = Game.RunTime + order.ExtraData;
+
+						break;
+					}
+
 				case "Chat":
 					{
 						var client = orderManager.LobbyInfo.ClientWithIndex(clientId);

OpenRA.Game/Server/Connection.cs

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 		public readonly int PlayerIndex;
 		public readonly string AuthToken;
 		public readonly EndPoint EndPoint;
+		public readonly Stopwatch ConnectionTimer = Stopwatch.StartNew();
 
 		public long TimeSinceLastResponse => Game.RunTime - lastReceivedTime;
 

OpenRA.Game/Server/Server.cs

@@ -476,6 +476,10 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 						LobbyInfo.Clients.Add(client);
 						newConn.Validated = true;
 
+						// Disable chat UI to stop the client sending messages that we know we will reject
+						if (!client.IsAdmin && Settings.JoinChatDelay > 0)
+							DispatchOrdersToClient(newConn, 0, 0, new Order("DisableChatEntry", null, false) { ExtraData = (uint)Settings.JoinChatDelay }.Serialize());
+
 						Log.Write("server", "Client {0}: Accepted connection from {1}.", newConn.PlayerIndex, newConn.EndPoint);
 
 						if (client.Fingerprint != null)
@@ -892,8 +896,19 @@ namespace OpenRA.Server
 						}
 
 					case "Chat":
-						DispatchOrdersToClients(conn, 0, o.Serialize());
-						break;
+						{
+							var isAdmin = GetClient(conn)?.IsAdmin ?? false;
+							var connected = conn.ConnectionTimer.ElapsedMilliseconds;
+							if (!isAdmin && connected < Settings.JoinChatDelay)
+							{
+								var remaining = (Settings.JoinChatDelay - connected + 999) / 1000;
+								SendOrderTo(conn, "Message", "Chat is disabled. Please try again in {0} seconds".F(remaining));
+							}
+							else
+								DispatchOrdersToClients(conn, 0, o.Serialize());
+
+							break;
+						}
 
 					case "GameSaveTraitData":
 						{

OpenRA.Game/Settings.cs

@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		[Desc("For dedicated servers only, treat maps that fail the lint checks as invalid.")]
 		public bool EnableLintChecks = true;
 
+		[Desc("Delay in milliseconds before newly joined players can send chat messages.")]
+		public int JoinChatDelay = 5000;
+
 		public ServerSettings Clone()
 		{
 			return (ServerSettings)MemberwiseClone();

OpenRA.Game/TextNotificationsManager.cs

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ namespace OpenRA
 		static Color chatMessageColor = Color.White;
 		static string systemMessageLabel;
 
+		public static long ChatDisabledUntil { get; internal set; }
+
 		static TextNotificationsManager()
 		{
 			ChromeMetrics.TryGet("ChatMessageColor", out chatMessageColor);