---
title: "Packet 49: ChatMessage"
description: "Carries player chat and server announcements. Types 0/1 are player channels, type 2 is a private system reply, and type 3 is the global top-screen CHAT_BIG presentation."
canonical: "https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets/49"
markdown: "https://aosplay.net/docs/protocol-168/packets/49.md"
last_updated: "2026-07-16"
protocol: "Ace of Spades Battle Builder 168"
packet_id_decimal: "49"
packet_id_hex: "0x31"
direction: "Both"
family: "Interface"
implementation_status: "Handled + sent"
evidence: "Live-verified"
wire_size: "Variable: 4 + text bytes"
---

# Packet 49: ChatMessage

> Carries player chat and server announcements. Types 0/1 are player channels, type 2 is a private system reply, and type 3 is the global top-screen CHAT_BIG presentation.

- **Decimal ID:** 49
- **Hex ID:** 0x31
- **Direction:** Both
- **Family:** Interface
- **Status:** Handled + sent
- **Evidence:** Live-verified
- **Wire size:** Variable: 4 + text bytes

## Exact wire layout

The application packet ID is the first byte. The remaining rows are in decode order. Byte sizes exclude ENet headers, wrapper prefixes, LZF chunk framing, and compression effects.

| # | Field | Encoding | Bytes | Purpose | Condition |
| ---: | --- | --- | ---: | --- | --- |
| 0 | `packet_id` | u8 | 1 | Always 49 (0x31). | — |
| 1 | `player_id` | u8 | 1 | Compact player-slot identifier. | — |
| 2 | `chat_type` | u8 | 1 | chat type value. | — |
| 3 | `value` | NUL-terminated UTF-8 string | N + 1 | Chat or announcement text. | — |

## Encoding conventions

- `LE` means least-significant byte first.
- `fixed16` is two-byte sign-magnitude at 1/64 precision.
- `orientation16` uses the measured 1/8192 orientation mapping.
- NUL strings consume their encoded byte length plus one `00` terminator.
- Counted arrays repeat immediately in the documented order.

## Related resources

- [HTML packet page](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets/49)
- [Complete packet catalog](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168/packets)
- [Packet catalog in Markdown](https://aosplay.net/docs/protocol-168/packets.md)
- [Protocol 168 guide](https://aosplay.net/protocol-168)