Suggestion: In-Game Friends/Contact List

[MrBongo]

Pretty self explanatory I think.

[JESUS]

I don't think so. .

enlighten us. . . .

[KingAl]

I'm assuming he wants some sort of in-game contact list that makes it easier to find games hosted by your friends. Unfortunately:

• Names aren't unique.
• Neither are authentication codes for Steam users.
• IP is unreliable: DHCP is used by some ISPs, and more than one system can potentially use the same IP.

So it would be fairly difficult to implement the actual identification of friends with current means.

[RedDwarf]

Yes but this is the think tank and it would be a great addition to the game.

It could help build the game and the community and is a ver good suggestion - sure there are tech problems but nothing the Dev's could'nt sort out. Using the Steam friends list could help if (and I don't know the answer this) you can access the game via Steam even if you downloaded or purchased it directly from Intro or a shop?

[KingAl]

The problem, more than the solution, is at Steam's end. If they set up a system whereby a player retains the same authentication code, then I'd imagine it'd be much more trivial to set up a friends list based on unique IDs. Without this, you'd need some sort of separate login to establish yourself as a particular player, which could be a bit clunky.

I never denied that it would be a good idea, I was merely raising the related issues that need to be solved before it could be implemented.

[MrBongo]

Sorry for not fully elaborating upon the idea, but where Friends/Contact lists are almost universally-implemented in most PC (and even Xbox Live) games, I had assumed you would be familiar with what I was suggesting. As mention in the second post, I was referring to a means of tracking the online status (perhaps whether or not the individuals were browsing in a lobby or playing in a game as well) of individuals who have consented to share a "Friendship" status with yourself. I think it would greatly benefit people looking to arrange matches between friends or competitors.

As for implementation, I agree - the current setup of non-unique usernames/accounts (besides authentication keys) for users of the Introversion Games-"version" (if you will, by which I mean the "pure" version not utilizing Steam) would make such a thing trick, but perhaps not unfeasable. Steam, for example, does require that the full version of DEFCON be registered to a single, static/non-alterable account, and many Steam games make use of this requirement by implementing "Friends Lists" through the Steam system itself.

Thanks,
Bongo

PS: I enjoyed the giant enlightenment picture, thank you.