Legacy Friends List - Why do we not have this feature yet?

[DustyDemonNinja]

This fundamental feature should exist for one simple reason:

1. Legacy Ignore

 

It's clear that the coding in the game is there to track players socially by legacy. Why can we not track our friends by Legacy name instead of having to manage long lists of character names and alts!?

 

Please give us a Legacy Friends list so that we can see when our friends are only regardless of the character they are on. Also, you could make this a handshake like FFXIV does with their friends list where a request is sent by one party and the receiving party must accept in order for both parties to see one and other on their Legacy Friends List for any privacy concerns.

 

This would really help improve the social aspect and quality of life in the game and I seriously hope the UI/UX team considers adding this functionality that is already fundamentally in the game, especially considering the average number of characters players in this game hop between.

[SteveTheCynic]

You left out the other things that are necessary:

* If either side unfriends the other, it unfriends in both directions. (It"s a natural extension of the mutual approval part, but games don't automatically have it.)

* It should also provide a way for people to log in without being marked "player is logged in", for those moments when we feel like being by ourselves for some reason.(1)

 

(1) Notably to be able to avoid interactions with that one slightly inept friend who asks for help with X, then "and another thing", then "and another thing", then ... and suddenly your entire evening evaporated.

[BRKMSN]

No thanks. I prefer the current friend system.

[xordevoreaux]

This fundamental feature should exist for one simple reason:

Please give us a Legacy Friends list so that we can see when our friends are only regardless of the character they are on.

Absolutely. Freaking. Not.

 

This suggestion pops up from time to time and every time I do my best to counter it. VERY BAD idea.

 

Not all of my toons are public. I occasionally like having my down time, when I don't need to contend with anyone for any reason.

 

If I want to sit there on Tython fiddling around undisturbed with my level 3 sage doing much of nothing, at no point do I want that interfered with.

 

Leave your hands OFF my down time.

 

Nor do I trust the powers that be to properly program such a function so there would never be any bleed-through between characters flagged public and those flagged otherwise. I worked on a QA team where a dev swore up and down there'd never be any bleed-through between clients on our new software portal. My QA team found it.

 

Think about. All it takes is one tiny screw-up in the code JUST ONE for even half a minute, and BOOM -- toons meant to be flagged as private suddenly aren't, and everybody with my legacy can see every one of my toons.

How much time do you think would elapse between that screw-up and the time the screw-up is fixed?

Two days? A week? Meanwhile my entire legacy's exposed that whole time.

 

NO THANK YOU

Edited August 25, 2022 by xordevoreaux

[JediQuaker]

This fundamental feature should exist for one simple reason:

1. Legacy Ignore

In answer to the question posed in the thread title, we don't have this 'feature' yet because, as you can see, there is much disagreement about it. Not everyone wants it.

Personally, I like the idea, but it would have to involve a 'do not disturb' function as well.

[xordevoreaux]

In answer to the question posed in the thread title, we don't have this 'feature' yet because, as you can see, there is much disagreement about it. Not everyone wants it.

Personally, I like the idea, but it would have to involve a 'do not disturb' function as well.

 

 

More like a "do not identify" function

[xordevoreaux]

Do I really need to drag out all the reasons from past threads why this is such a vile idea?

 

The way the OP wants this:

 

1. Your friend knows your legacy. Sees you log in every toon you have all the time. You have a falling out. Suddenly you're not friends any more. Now you have someone you despise knowing every time you log on.

 

2. Someone you don't really know wants to be your friend. You friend them. Young people do that all the time with social media. Now you have a potentially vulnerable young person with someone they really don't know able to stalk them on every last toon they have.

 

3. You're part of a marginalized population. Maybe you're gay like me, maybe you're in a different marginalized group. Currently, the way the game works, you don't need someone's permission to /friend them. IF no approval is required for someone to /friend you, someone could then /friend every last person that they perceive is in a marginalized group that they hate, and stalk and harass the absolute hell out of those marginalized people.

Talk about harassment tickets a mile high.

 

4. Highly controlling guild leaders might demand that they be able to /friend you as a condition for joining their guild. Every time you log into a toon that's in another guild, they'd know it, you're banned.

 

5. Anyone up to this point who was comfortable with people /friending them did so under the context it was just that particular toon, meaning they were still free to have other toons that person didn't know about. If the OP's proposal is implemented, all existing friends lists would suddenly expose all toons in your legacy. That's not what people originally were comfortable with. The devs would first have to delete all friends lists for everyone beforehand, then have people create brand new friends lists.

 

This idea is so bad for so many different reasons it's just freaking scary.

 

Privacy should always be placed far higher in priority than another player's convenience for tracking you down.

Edited August 25, 2022 by xordevoreaux

[casirabit]

The one thing I would like is to accept whoever puts me on their friend list. I got a message from someone that said I am on their friend list, and I said who are you?

 

I am the type to only add friends to my list when I know who they are. I do not add random people to my list. It would be nice if you had to accept the person that wants to add you to your list, such as we did in SWG.

[Toraak]

If a guild required me to be friended, I'd find a better guild to join. No guild is worth having knowledge of all of my alts.

[DustyDemonNinja]

1. Your friend knows your legacy. Sees you log in every toon you have all the time. You have a falling out.

 

In all the games that have this system if you remove someone on your list, or they remove you, the other is removed too. So if either side breaks the friendship, neither shows up on the list.

 

2. Someone you don't really know wants to be your friend. You friend them. Young people do that all the time with social media. Now you have a potentially vulnerable young person with someone they really don't know able to stalk them on every last toon they have.

 

This is why it would require an approval by the receiving party, like every other game that does this. WOW, ESO, FFXIV, etc.

 

3. You're part of a marginalized population. Maybe you're gay like me, maybe you're in a different marginalized group. Currently, the way the game works, you don't need someone's permission to /friend them. IF no approval is required for someone to /friend you, someone could then /friend every last person that they perceive is in a marginalized group that they hate, and stalk and harass the absolute hell out of those marginalized people.

Talk about harassment tickets a mile high.

 

I am part of a marginalized population. Gay as blazed. Lets be clear - you dont have to be marginalized to experience harassment. Again, this would be a mutual thing as I described in the original post. It would send you a request, you would have to approve. At any point if I remove you or you remove me, the friend request is broken and neither appears on either list.

 

4. Highly controlling guild leaders might demand that they be able to /friend you as a condition for joining their guild. Every time you log into a toon that's in another guild, they'd know it, you're banned.

 

Yeah no, this is not an issue in any of the other top MMOs that have this feature, and would never be because people wouldnt put up with that nonsense. Totally not a realistic use case.

 

5. Anyone up to this point who was comfortable with people /friending them did so under the context it was just that particular toon, meaning they were still free to have other toons that person didn't know about. If the OP's proposal is implemented, all existing friends lists would suddenly expose all toons in your legacy. That's not what people originally were comfortable with. The devs would first have to delete all friends lists for everyone beforehand, then have people create brand new friends lists.

 

They could easily keep the friends list as it is and change it to Followers - like in GW2. And add a new tab to the social window with legacy friends. Easy fix, as all legacy friendships would require a request be sent by one party to another and approval by the receiving party.

 

 

I would also add that this feature should go hand in hand with an 'Appear Offline' or 'Busy' mode so when you want some down time or to be left alone, that is an easy toggle to achieve and has been excellently implemented alongside a Legacy like friend list in these other games like ESO, GW2, FFXIV, etc.

Edited August 25, 2022 by DustyDemonNinja

[DustyDemonNinja]

In answer to the question posed in the thread title, we don't have this 'feature' yet because, as you can see, there is much disagreement about it. Not everyone wants it.

Personally, I like the idea, but it would have to involve a 'do not disturb' function as well.

 

All the concerns voiced thus far are easily resolved and have been resolved in other games for years. Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, Elder Scrolls Online, just to name a few.

 

The thing is that Legacy Friendships would require APPROVAL - So lets say I want to be legacy friends with you. I click your portrait and click 'Send Friend Request' - you get a social pop up that allows you to approve or deny the request. If you approve, we both appear on each others Legacy Friend List. If you deny, then neither of us appear on either's list. If you approve and at any point remove me, or I remove you - neither of us would appear on either list.

 

I do think this should go hand in hand with an Appear Offline mode like ESO has, or a Busy mode like FFXIV has. Again, this system has been done and done well in other games and it the current existing friend system is archaic to say the least.

[Toraak]

All the concerns voiced thus far are easily resolved and have been resolved in other games for years. Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, Elder Scrolls Online, just to name a few.

 

The thing is that Legacy Friendships would require APPROVAL - So lets say I want to be legacy friends with you. I click your portrait and click 'Send Friend Request' - you get a social pop up that allows you to approve or deny the request. If you approve, we both appear on each others Legacy Friend List. If you deny, then neither of us appear on either's list. If you approve and at any point remove me, or I remove you - neither of us would appear on either list.

 

I do think this should go hand in hand with an Appear Offline mode like ESO has, or a Busy mode like FFXIV has. Again, this system has been done and done well in other games and it the current existing friend system is archaic to say the least.

 

Not all. Many of us don't think the coding would be right. every major update especially something like this has bugs. The odds that the 1st few days of it would not require permission to friend someone would be high, and that would mean people would know your alts even if you didn't want them to.

[xordevoreaux]

Not all. Many of us don't think the coding would be right. every major update especially something like this has bugs. The odds that the 1st few days of it would not require permission to friend someone would be high, and that would mean people would know your alts even if you didn't want them to.

 

Agreed. Trust level is very low they'd get it right the first time, plus how many times has feature A broken when they changed feature B and the two don't have anything at all similar to do with each other? So even if it did work right out of the box, nothing but nothing promises they wouldn't break the feature later.

 

The convenience for other people is not worth the devs risking exposing the entire community's privacy.

Edited August 25, 2022 by xordevoreaux

[DustyDemonNinja]

Not all. Many of us don't think the coding would be right. every major update especially something like this has bugs. The odds that the 1st few days of it would not require permission to friend someone would be high, and that would mean people would know your alts even if you didn't want them to.

 

Well by this standard, they should just stop developing on the game.

[Toraak]

Well by this standard, they should just stop developing on the game.

 

Not necessarily. Definitely not to put in a feature like this because there would be a lot of people fully against any such friends list in the 1st place. I don't want it at all personally, because I do like to have my downtime away from even my guildies/friends. If I want them to know I'm around, I'd let them know I'm playing through Discord. I don't need them to see all of my alts this way.

 

The system that is being asked for if they do have bugs in it, can be used to harass, and stalk people if done wrong, and I can't imagine it would be an easy implementation that it would go off smoothly.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Toraak

[DustyDemonNinja]

Not necessarily. Definitely not to put in a feature like this because there would be a lot of people fully against any such friends list in the 1st place. I don't want it at all personally, because I do like to have my downtime away from even my guildies/friends. If I want them to know I'm around, I'd let them know I'm playing through Discord. I don't need them to see all of my alts this way.

 

Have you not actually read my posts, you would have to accept their request for them to see you on their Legacy list, so if you dont want that, dont accept. Its really that simple.

 

The system that is being asked for if they do have bugs in it, can be used to harass, and stalk people if done wrong, and I can't imagine it would be an easy implementation that it would go off smoothly.

 

There are plenty of people against plenty of things. Some people would rather have more story than opps. Or Updates to PvP instead of story and ops. People can harass and stalk people with the friend system now, and people do, I've seen it. Just report them, and move on. Dont feed the trolls. Like I've said several times in this thread - YOU would have to accept their request, OR sent them a request that they would have to accept. If you dont want it, dont use it. Just like people who dont play in guilds. Or just play the game Solo and dont even group up with other players.

 

Just because it's something you don't want it is not necessary to become hyperbolic about it.

[xordevoreaux]

Just because it's something you don't want it is not necessary to become hyperbolic about it.

There is no way to over-emphasize the very real risk to exposing our privacy through coding errors now or down the road, exposure that can be totally avoided from the get-go now by not implementing this.

[DustyDemonNinja]

There is no way to over-emphasize the very real risk to exposing our privacy through coding errors now or down the road, exposure that can be totally avoided from the get-go now by not implementing this.

 

Its already in the game with Legacy Ignore, and privacy is a non-issue when it's authenticated by both parties, as I have stated above. Thats what every other game does - and it is not an issue and has not been for years. Additionally, as stated above, this should be coupled with an Anonymous mode /appear offline / busy feature... just like every other major MMO on the market. Also, there would be no reason to remove the existing system which works the same way as Followers in GW2, so again privacy is controlled by the individual. Not to mention this is already in the game with Legacy Ignore.

Edited August 25, 2022 by DustyDemonNinja

[BRKMSN]

All the concerns voiced thus far are easily resolved and have been resolved in other games for years. Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, Elder Scrolls Online, just to name a few.

 

The thing is that Legacy Friendships would require APPROVAL - So lets say I want to be legacy friends with you. I click your portrait and click 'Send Friend Request' - you get a social pop up that allows you to approve or deny the request. If you approve, we both appear on each others Legacy Friend List. If you deny, then neither of us appear on either's list. If you approve and at any point remove me, or I remove you - neither of us would appear on either list.

 

I do think this should go hand in hand with an Appear Offline mode like ESO has, or a Busy mode like FFXIV has. Again, this system has been done and done well in other games and it the current existing friend system is archaic to say the least.

As far as I'm concerned, the issues are already resolved with the current system. I don't like games where I get "friend requests." I always feel like a jerk if I decline a "friend request." Some people get their feelings hurt when you decline their request. All that drama is avoided under the current system. Anonymity is protected for those that don't feel like being social every moment in the game. Stalkers lives aren't made easier.

[xordevoreaux]

Its already in the game with Legacy Ignore, and privacy is a non-issue when it's authenticated by both parties, as I have stated above. Thats what every other game does - and it is not an issue and has not been for years. Additionally, as stated above, this should be coupled with an Anonymous mode /appear offline / busy feature... just like every other major MMO on the market. Also, there would be no reason to remove the existing system which works the same way as Followers in GW2, so again privacy is controlled by the individual. Not to mention this is already in the game with Legacy Ignore.

 

You are purposefully ignoring my concern about the likelihood of any such system, and it would definitely be a new implementation, for failing to be bug free either at its inception or down the road. If you have any doubt as to the high likelihood of such a system not being implemented from the get-go bug-free and therefore fail to protect everyone's privacy, scan this.

Edited August 27, 2022 by xordevoreaux

[Toraak]

There is no way to over-emphasize the very real risk to exposing our privacy through coding errors now or down the road, exposure that can be totally avoided from the get-go now by not implementing this.

 

This is what I was referring to as well. Just because your intention is to have it be WITH PERMISSION ONLY, doesn't mean it will actually be that way if a bug happens to appear. This is a very BIG risk for people, since Harassment, and Stalking could occur.

[Toraak]

Its already in the game with Legacy Ignore, and privacy is a non-issue when it's authenticated by both parties, as I have stated above. Thats what every other game does - and it is not an issue and has not been for years. Additionally, as stated above, this should be coupled with an Anonymous mode /appear offline / busy feature... just like every other major MMO on the market. Also, there would be no reason to remove the existing system which works the same way as Followers in GW2, so again privacy is controlled by the individual. Not to mention this is already in the game with Legacy Ignore.

 

Just because other games gets it to work, doesn't mean this one will. Different Engines, means coding will be very different. Also consider SWTOR is using an ALPHA heroes engine, which they basically built up all by themselves. Touching a code in 1 place has had unexpected effects in other areas. This could easily cause bugs to occur in a Legacy Friends list just as it does in every other part of the game.

[DustyDemonNinja]

Just because other games gets it to work, doesn't mean this one will. Different Engines, means coding will be very different. Also consider SWTOR is using an ALPHA heroes engine, which they basically built up all by themselves. Touching a code in 1 place has had unexpected effects in other areas. This could easily cause bugs to occur in a Legacy Friends list just as it does in every other part of the game.

 

All Hyperbole. All games have bugs. Period. Its not a reason to not develop a new feature or add to the game in any regard. Im not sure why you feel the need to be a forum warrior and posting the same hyperbolic argument over and over.

[Toraak]

All Hyperbole. All games have bugs. Period. Its not a reason to not develop a new feature or add to the game in any regard. Im not sure why you feel the need to be a forum warrior and posting the same hyperbolic argument over and over.

 

Your welcome to your OPINION, but that's all it is. I personally would never want a game that had such a feature in it. This game has had, and continues to have such horrible bugs pop up when they don't even work on that part of the game when patches come out.

 

An example of this is. They added R4 Operation, and Manaan dailies, and EV's last boss gets bugged so it couldn't be completed. I can't imagine why R4 or Manaan dailies coding would interfere with a boss that came out when the game was first launched, but it did.

 

If that happens to a feature like legacy Friends lists, then Privacy is gone for those players that may want nobody to be friended to them. Better off not to have such a feature, and protect player privacy and avoid an easy means for harassment, and stalking that could occur from it.

[Samcuu]

Agree with the sentiments I've seen earlier. It's a nice idea but I agree i don't always want ppl to know I'm online even if they are my friends. Sometimes I just want to do dailies and not be bothered by invites or chatting.

 

For the OP if you want a function like this, just start a discord server and invite all ur friends. Then u can see when they are playing any game, chat at any time, and even contact them outside of swtor.

Edited August 26, 2022 by Samcuu