Is it not about time we had a friends list in UO?

[DJAd]

Yesterday I was making a new character which started out at new haven. I went to buy up some skills from the NPC's as you do. I saw a couple of (young) players so decided I would go and ask if they were OK. About an HOUR later, of explaining the basics, buying a horse, how to insure stuff, getting him/her a runebook they asked me "can I add you as a friend".....

Is it not about time we had some kind of in game friend list or something built into UO?

Just a simple menu or something where you can click on a player to add them, they accept and then you can see if they are online/offline (optional by the player) and then send a message etc etc.

PS..Why not move the haven moongate right into the centre of Haven? This person I was talking to didn't even know there was a moongate to get to other places. It should be right there in the centre where you start in my opinion.

 

[Necron87]

Yesterday I was making a new character which started out at new haven. I went to buy up some skills from the NPC's as you do. I saw a couple of (young) players so decided I would go and ask if they were OK. About an HOUR later, of explaining the basics, buying a horse, how to insure stuff, getting him/her a runebook they asked me "can I add you as a friend".....

Is it not about time we had some kind of in game friend list or something built into UO?

Just a simple menu or something where you can click on a player to add them, they accept and then you can see if they are online/offline (optional by the player) and then send a message etc etc.

PS..Why not move the haven moongate right into the centre of Haven? This person I was talking to didn't even know there was a moongate to get to other places. It should be right there in the centre where you start in my opinion.

This good offer which can be combined with mine) Guild member comes into game or exit from game

 

[Tyrath]

LOL met a new player on legends yesterday, that thought New Haven was the extent of UO. Had no clue about GC, was affraid the moongate went to high end dungeons. And was in general very frustrated and confused. A friend and basic message would be nice for helping folks or just communicating with out telling the whole shard, guild, party, or alliance whats on your mind.

 

[cobb]

Only if there is an option to appear offline. Sometimes I don't want to be bothered.

 

[Dot_Warner]

Its well past time there was a friends list...or, actually, that it was brought back. KR had a friends list, it was half-assed, but it sorta worked.

UO needs some of the basic functions that are standard in MMOs these days. Friends list, email, and a real NPE. (Plus an account management website that doesn't make you homicidal)

 

[DJAd]

Plus an account management website that doesn't make you homicidal

Don't get me started on that. I'm trying to relax on my lazy Sunday!!

 

[Enziet]

Friends lists already do exist. It's called ICQ / IRC lol Have fun explaining what instant messenger is!

 

[Longtooths]

@DJAd, You are asking us to believe someone wanted to be on your friends list.....pffft

 

[GarthGrey]

This is one of those things we should have always had in UO, which is why we'll probably never get it.

 

[Magnus]

Kingdom Reborn had a friends list, it was wonderful. However the Legacy Client had the 'Ultima Messenger' system back in 1999 which I believe the Kingdom Reborn system just reactivated. This is among a number of systems UO has that are probably still in the codebase, but just deactivated.

 

[Merlin]

I agree with the Haven Moongate comment. For a new/returning player who isn't familiar with how to use maps (or know what a moongate is), something closer to NH bank would be a good idea.

But a "Friends list"... that's a little tough to imagine how they would go about doing that. Your guild list is already pretty much a friends list of who is online. What would be purpose of friends list? To send private messages? To see where they are in-game? Would this negate reason for being in party while hunting? I'd venture to also say ICQ is more than a sufficient way of having a 'friends list'... you don't have to be in-game to access it and it isn't subject to possible UO client issues, doesn't require a subscription if you go dormant for a while. Personally, I would see a 'friends list' as a distraction if it was within the internal CC/EC. And last but not least...no one would agree on how the 'friends list' would work, and it would just be another reason for people to moan and groan at the developers and their already limited resources.

 

[Ender]

I refuse to use ICQ as it is now, so a friends list would be nice just to see if any of mine are still playing.

 

[Dot_Warner]

Simply put, we shouldn't have to rely on outside programs to contact in-game friends. Especially when the capability is already in at least one, if not both, clients.

A lack of simple things like this (and the not-so-simple lack of an NPE) is part of why UO will never be more than a niche game.

 

[Spiritless]

Been asking for this for years. The social element is often integral to an MMO, and UO lacks even the most basic of social tools. It's actually pretty hard to stay in touch with someone purely through in-game means. Make a friends list and allow people to whisper others already. Make it work cross-shard too.

If only more time went into implementing stuff like this rather than creating unused landmasses, ruining old dungeons with elaborate systems and content which no-one uses and "fixing" stuff that isn't broken like Runebook colors, the game would be so much more user-friendly.

 

[FrejaSP]

agree with the Haven Moongate comment. For a new/returning player who isn't familiar with how to use maps (or know what a moongate is), something closer to NH bank would be a good idea.

Maybe place a book at it with info about or a quest NPC giving a simple quest to use the moongate to go to Britain moongate and find find a shop there and buy a special item to bring back to the quest giver. Maybe give the player info about Help/Gen Chat too, so he can ask for help.

 

[FrejaSP]

Is it not about time we had some kind of in game friend list or something built into UO?

I believe the basis for it already are in the coding, Counselors did have a Tell command and use the char number from chat for friend list. You can already put a player on ignore.

Add an options on a players contect menu "add as friend", then add a friend page to options, where you can see your friends and give them a short nickname, like Tink for a friend named Tina Tink. Set a max for how many friends you can have.

Now type . to get the Tell, like you type , to talk in gen chat so type .Tina Hey you on? to send a message to Tina Tink asking if she is on. If not on, system will tell, can't send message, else Tina Tink will get a message [Friend] Freja: Are you on?

Should not be hard to add to the game.