[Rules] The invitation system

[Ace Rimmer]

so what about clan games, forgive me, I dont know much about them. Are they private?

Yes, or tournament games (in cases like the Clan League.

I like you L M S, but I think all your suggestions are poor ones!

How about:
-Change the auto email/PM script that is sent to the invitee (and start sending them again) so it reflects the name of the person/persons also invited to the game, make it easy to see? Take it a step further and highlight those invited to be on the same team? Probably gonna have to make in-boxes bigger to do this one, I wonder if all these PM's/emails could be sent to a separate folder only for this purpose?

You probably haven't been invited to any games lately to see how it's been changed This is all public now

-Make it possible for each user to select the other members he/she is willing to play team games with?

I don't like this, as every so often I get into a random team kick and play with people I've never played with before.

-Make it possible to exclude groups of users (on an individual user level) based on ranking, from being able to join team games with you?

I don't think there will ever be rank filters of any kind on the site.

-Do away with invites for public games (only)?

No, this is where invites make the most sense, as I want to be sure of my teammate in a public game

-When inviting other teams make it so the rank/points of all teams must be within say 200 points of each other? (Meh...maybe, this sounds better in my head.)

I don't think there will ever be rank filters of any kind on the site.

-Limit the number of invites a user can send in a, day? week? month?

I think that would be a bad idea, as I am inviting 56 people to games every Monday for one tourney.

I think that removing invites for the opposite team(s) in public games is the way to go. If you have an opposing team set up, make it private. If you know one person you want to play against (and have them bring teammates) then you can invite them to a private game and have them invite their own teammates. I am not seeing a reason that only blocking the opposing team in public games would solve this.

[L M S]

so what about clan games, forgive me, I dont know much about them. Are they private?

Yes, or tournament games (in cases like the Clan League.

I like you L M S, but I think all your suggestions are poor ones!

How about:
-Change the auto email/PM script that is sent to the invitee (and start sending them again) so it reflects the name of the person/persons also invited to the game, make it easy to see? Take it a step further and highlight those invited to be on the same team? Probably gonna have to make in-boxes bigger to do this one, I wonder if all these PM's/emails could be sent to a separate folder only for this purpose?

You probably haven't been invited to any games lately to see how it's been changed This is all public now
You missed that bit.

-Make it possible for each user to select the other members he/she is willing to play team games with?

I don't like this, as every so often I get into a random team kick and play with people I've never played with before.
This used to be the norm and what public games were great for, invites killed this and personally I think that is a shame to have lost.

-Make it possible to exclude groups of users (on an individual user level) based on ranking, from being able to join team games with you?

I don't think there will ever be rank filters of any kind on the site.
But, there could be as a way of fixing this.

-Do away with invites for public games (only)?

No, this is where invites make the most sense, as I want to be sure of my teammate in a public game
Once upon a time there were no such thing as invites, did you get your team in then, most times?

-When inviting other teams make it so the rank/points of all teams must be within say 200 points of each other? (Meh...maybe, this sounds better in my head.)

I don't think there will ever be rank filters of any kind on the site.
Just trying to start a discussion on fixing the system rather than punishing the accused , which seems to not be possible.

-Limit the number of invites a user can send in a, day? week? month?

I think that would be a bad idea, as I am inviting 56 people to games every Monday for one tourney.
I realize this would need tweaking, tourneys, clan games etc are a completely different animal than public games, I would never suggest that we change the system for anything but public games.

I think that removing invites for the opposite team(s) in public games is the way to go. If you have an opposing team set up, make it private. If you know one person you want to play against (and have them bring teammates) then you can invite them to a private game and have them invite their own teammates. I am not seeing a reason that only blocking the opposing team in public games would solve this.
No one seemed to like this so I was trying to start discussion on alternate ways to accomplish this same thing.

So they may suck, I can live with that; it happens when you just ramble off the top of your head. But if this starts a new discussion and gets people thinking about a few alternatives that haven't been brought up I am happy to play the fool.

You know we got along fine before invites ever existed....somehow.

[AAFitz]

Disciplinary Rules should be one of the last 'solutions' we look into I think, since it doesn't really solve the issue.


--Andy

I dunno about that. Mounting a few heads on the city gates tends to dissuade similarly-inclined people.

Not those that crave attention.

[Darwins_Bane]

OP edited to reflect more points.

[Knight2254]

Another question - Why are they still able to invite me to games when they've been foe'd?

Preventing invites from people on your foe list can really solve the problem quickly as well.

[Pedronicus]

if by game invites to other clans, i guess we are talking about competitive clans?

if that's the case, then why not make a similar thing like we have with tournaments, where you select 'clan game' in your drop down menu.
Then only competitive clan members can make these games / send invites.

If a member of a clan starts spaming - then the players can send a pm to the leader of the clan. The clan leader either has a word with the offender or just boots them out of the clan

[Joodoo]

if that's the case, then why not make a similar thing like we have with tournaments, where you select 'clan game' in your drop down menu.
Then only competitive clan members can make these games / send invites.

Invites to opposing teams would then be limited to Clan Games and Private Games only, which would lessen the abuse.

[Chariot of Fire]

To the best of my knowledge the invite function is only ever used by players (who aren't abusing the system) to invite their team mates - not the members of the opposing team (for we know not who they may be). The exception to this is when a tourney organiser sends invites out to fill all the slots in tourney games. Therefore surely the simplest solution is to restrict the invite function to team mates only, with the exception being for those who have tourney-staging privileges?

[Incandenza]

For the record, inviting opponents to team games can be handy for private games. And what about singles games? Are we just assuming that such will be excluded from any change to the invite system?

[eddie2]

maybe for the team game side of it. you can only invite players 2 team games if they have a doubles medal for doubles trebles medal for trebles etc. for singles games make it that you can only invite players on a rank of similar stature or one rank either side of your rank(as most players already do this) use this for public games only. also bring a rule into force about abusing the private invite system.

[Darwins_Bane]

What about if i edit the original post and add a poll
perhaps we can use this thread to lobby for general changes to the invite system. the poll would be should we modify the invite system or make comprehensive rules on how it can be used, and then I could on each side place the points that I, and others, have brought up in this thread.

[Darwins_Bane]

Post edited.

[Gold Knight]

As many have said, private games, which would include clan/tourney games, should be the only way someone should be able to invite the opposing team. Think this would cause a better revival of public games as well, for players like me. I dont scan the "Join Games" as much anymore because most of the games that appeal to me already have reserved spots.

[AndyDufresne]

As many have said, private games, which would include clan/tourney games, should be the only way someone should be able to invite the opposing team. Think this would cause a better revival of public games as well, for players like me. I dont scan the "Join Games" as much anymore because most of the games that appeal to me already have reserved spots.

This post seems to sum up a lot of the sentiment in the topic. So far it looks like the main ideas that we are all revolving around:

• Eliminate Team Opponent Invitations for Public Games.
  • Invitations for Non-Team Games remain unchanged.
• Establish a disciplinary procedure for those users that abuse/spam the invitation system.
  • Specific criteria to be defined.
• Make it so the Foes Lists prevents Invitations from such users.

Is there anything else, as it relates to Invitations and Team Games? I know there is a other discussions about invitations and inactive players, but we'll save that for one of the other topics that is currently in discussion already.


--Andy

[Bones2484]

Would be nice if the foe feature would prevent us from getting invites from people on our list.

[Commander62890]

• Eliminate Team Opponent Invitations for Public Games.
  • Invitations for Non-Team Games remain unchanged.
• Establish a disciplinary procedure for those users that abuse/spam the invitation system.
  • Specific criteria to be defined.

Would be nice if the foe feature would prevent us from getting invites from people on our list.

These would all be excellent additions to the site. I'm excited!


I suppose there is only one thing left to ponder: Can the invite system still be abused via private team games?

If so, I would like to see Andy's second point come to fruition. If it is possible to abuse the private team games, then the only possible solution is intervention by team CC. And I would like to see the punishment be rather harsh.

All in all, it looks pretty good to me. These additions would stop users like Emm and Klobber dead in their tracks, and if they wish to resort to private games, it's up to team CC to make the decision. There's really no way around that.

[JoshyBoy]

• Eliminate Team Opponent Invitations for Public Games.
  • Invitations for Non-Team Games remain unchanged.
• Establish a disciplinary procedure for those users that abuse/spam the invitation system.
  • Specific criteria to be defined.

Would be nice if the foe feature would prevent us from getting invites from people on our list.

These would all be excellent additions to the site. I'm excited!


I suppose there is only one thing left to ponder: Can the invite system still be abused via private team games?

If so, I would like to see Andy's second point come to fruition. If it is possible to abuse the private team games, then the only possible solution is intervention by team CC. And I would like to see the punishment be rather harsh.

All in all, it looks pretty good to me. These additions would stop users like Emm and Klobber dead in their tracks, and if they wish to resort to private games, it's up to team CC to make the decision. There's really no way around that.

This sounds perfect as a final suggestion. I cannot go for any other suggestions, but this one would be great. Nice one Andy.

[TheSaxlad]

Concise description:

To Create a new rule about invite abuse. This would include cracking down on emmdizzle, klobber and other invite abusers who invite cooks and other low ranks for easy points.

Specifics/Details:

To Create a rule or byrule that enables this method of cheating by almost farming. Perhaps even change farming rule to include farmers as farming ? or Cooks and Cadets.

How this will benefit the site and/or other comments:
1. It will clear up cheating and abuse forums no end as all the cases about this would mostly be open and shut rather than attracting flames and clogging up the forum for months on end with the same complaints.

2. People who abuse the system in this way would not be around much more if they continued doing it which would create a nicer society and give ? more security.

3. Less Flaming.

Thanks

TheSaxlad

[TheForgivenOne]

Already suggested. Merging this in.

[Chariot of Fire]

Well said Saxlad!

You should, as a matter of course, always close an argument such as this with "And as a player who is considering premium membership I believe prompt action in this regard will greatly influence my puchasing decision"

I use it as a deal-clincher all the time

[Darwins_Bane]

hmm...should i modify the poll so that option 1 and 2 can be picked at the same time? i know that some ppl would like to see a mix of both.

[jak111]

sure ^.^

[rdsrds2120]

Number 2 would be the most beneficial, probably.