Though I am sure others will have numerous suggestions for the in-game chat boxes, there are two things that seem important that could assist and improve several facets of gameplay.
My first suggestion would be an ignore command. It is a vital option for those who wish to keep a certain atmosphere to the game. Think of it this way: If a L33TFR33K shouts obscenities in a forest, and everyone chooses to ignore him, is he still a nuisance?
My second suggestion would be to add IC and OOC channels. That way, those who wish to speak to others about their new blade and how much they enjoy the ale in Kada\'s tavern can do so, and those who are having trouble with the options bar or have questions about movement can also do so separately, without interfering with each other. It would also be an interesting contribution to the realism of gameplay if /say was the immediate vicinity, /shout was a slightly larger radius, and the only way anyone could hear you all throughout the sector would be through a spell or in OOC. Whisper should only work either OOC or when you are right next to someone. It might prove an inconvenience, but hey, you can\'t shout to your friend across town and expect them to hear you! If there were a way, it would be nice to have a filter on the IC chat to stop people from sending messages if they have blatantly modern words in them like \"computer\" or \"telephone\".
Many might say, \"Oh, it\'s just a stupid chatbox. Who cares about any of that stuff?\" But one must consider this: without communication, there is no community, and without a community, there is no MMORPG.