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Redesign the message centre

DeletedUser105078

Proposal:
The message window needs to be completely redesigned to be bug-free, clearer, more punchy, more user-friendly, and available for both Windows and iOS/Android

Have you Checked the Ideas section for the same idea...
I did a thorough search of the forum, and found many threads on how to improve the message system. The following stood out:

F/L/M are able to close guild message. (Proposal: Make it possible that Founders, Leaders and Moderators are able to close guild message.)

Create an option to message the guild name instead of a list of its members (Change the "All Guild Members" button to read "To Guild", which makes messages visible to all those currently in a guild, so if someone leaves or joins they are automatically removed from or added to the message thread.)

Add or remove players from email conversation (Have an option to remove specific user(s) from mass email, or to add a user(s) to a conversation.)

Disappearing Messages when creating or replying to a message (This has been happening for a very long time, apparently)

Reason:
1) Communication is an essential factor in player retention; you start playing because you like the game mechanics, and you remain playing because of the people you meet. Therefore, a good messaging system should be the developers' top priority.
2) The Windows Message Centre is riddled with bugs - disappearing threads, incorrect titles, etc. Although refreshing usually fixes the problem, not all players know they need to refresh, and important messages can get lost. Besides, a design that requires constant refreshing sounds rather shoddy...
3) The message window it pretty clunky by modern design standards. Among other things, I think it would work better if more than just 4 messages were visible on one page.
4) It's annoying having to recreate ongoing threads every time a new member joins or an old member leaves a guild. A couple of solutions have been proposed to solve this issue, such as allowing message recipients to be edited, or having messages "To Guild" rather then "To Guild Members", so if someone leaves or joins they are automatically removed from or added to the message thread.
5) There is nothing to stop a disgruntled player from spamming a message thread. This happens particularly when a member has been dismissed from a guild. The solution to this would be linked to problem 4 above - messages "To Guild" should have an option for a leader to lock the thread, messages to a list of names should have an option for the thread initiator to lock it.
6) Some beginners take a while to discover how the message Centre works. A tour of the Message Centre in the beginners' tutorial would help.
7) Trying to run a guild is disheartening when members go incommunicado because they're playing mostly (or exclusively) on tablets and phones, where the message system has been "coming soon" for about a year!

Details:
This is a big job. It will require a good designer to work out the details.

Visual Aids:
n/a

Balance:
Fixing the mail system can only improve game balance

Abuse Prevention:
n/a

Summary:
Prioritise the redesign of the message centre for Windows and make it available also for iOs/Android.

Additional note:
Please could the developers keep us informed of progress in this area, as players are getting frustrated not knowing what's happening... or if anything is being done at all on these issues.
 

DeletedUser2989

As of Update 1.61:
Reason 3 - There will be 5 messages displayed per page (compared to the old 4), this point might not be relevant anymore unless more are wanted.
Reason 4 - Being able to add and remove message recipients is coming.
Reason 5 - should be sorted by the same thing for reason 4.
Reason 7 - mobile devices will be able to message using the same system a week after 1.6.

Aside from proposing a tutorial for the message system there isn't much of this idea that would be relevant any more after the update (Assuming messages stop disappearing as per Reason 2).
 

DeletedUser105078

Yay! When I saw the info about the new update, it made my day! Really looking forward to trying it out :)
 

DeletedUser107282

Well actually the message system doesn't need to be redesigned. Instead of using the message system for all guild related info we need to use the Guild Forum instead.
Previous suggestions:
F/L/M are able to close guild message. (Proposal: Make it possible that Founders, Leaders and Moderators are able to close guild message.) Guild Forum can do this

It's annoying having to recreate ongoing threads every time a new member joins or an old member leaves a guild. A couple of solutions have been proposed to solve this issue, such as allowing message recipients to be edited, or having messages "To Guild" rather then "To Guild Members", so if someone leaves or joins they are automatically removed from or added to the message thread. Problem solved with using the Guild Forum.

There is nothing to stop a disgruntled player from spamming a message thread. This happens particularly when a member has been dismissed from a guild. The solution to this would be linked to problem 4 above - messages "To Guild" should have an option for a leader to lock the thread, messages to a list of names should have an option for the thread initiator to lock it. Problem solved with using the Guild Forum, if you are no longer in the guild you can not see the Guild Forum.

Now the main excuse I have heard for not using the Guild Forum instead of the message system is that it takes too many clicks to get to it and to the thread you want. Really? Have you counted the clicks it now takes to find the thread you want in the messages. Some guilds are message crazy and with this latest upgrade it is nuts with so many new messages from those deleting messages. It would be nice to see the icon to click on to enter the Guild Forum moved so its not buried in the global button.....put it beside the message button or on the same row as the Global button but out in the open so its just one click to get there.
 

DeletedUser2989

Hi MrZing,

Both the message center and the guild forums have their pros and cons when it comes to using them for communication. This idea is trying to improve the message center which is understandable as it impacts more than just guild communications. If you'd like to suggest moving the guild forum button to help make it more visible then that would require it's own thread (I can't find an existing idea where that was proposed).

I don't want to comment too much on the guild forum here (as the topic is the message system) but do agree that for a few internal "guild only" communications it could be easier to use the guild forums than the messages.

Also, SylverMoon are you able to update this idea? I'm pretty sure everything apart from point 6 will be addressed soon, so this idea could still function to promote that as a new feature.

(Given that threads auto refresh without closing the windows I don't think the disappearing messages as per point 2 would be happening any more... even then that would be better off in the bug reports than an idea)
 

DeletedUser107282

One of the problems I see with this new message system is when someone accidentally deletes his thread, and this happens a lot. now a new one will have to be made just as when someone leaves the guild or a new member joins. we were better off with the old system as at least you couldn't delete the thread so you couldn't receive future posts any more. this new system just creates another problem.
 

DeletedUser105078

I really like the look and feel of the new message centre, I find it easier to work with, easier to read, and so far I haven't lost any messages. It's nice that you can see who posted last before opening a thread, and the new design makes it easier to find one's previous post inside a thread. One thing I particularly like is how it shows unread messages.

As for being able to add and remove recipients, I can see that the design is ready to add that element, and am really looking forward to it! The plan looks good, but it's hard to give a definite opinion before trying it out.

Thankfully, we were able to completely avoid the "left conversation" spam in my two main guilds (by getting members to empty their mailboxes before the update and not to delete any threads after the update), but I can see how it could be a nightmare without adequate preparation. It could allow players to "grief" their guild by mass deleting of threads.

On the other hand, it's important to know that somebody has left a conversation (say you reply to a guild thread expecting everyone to see it, and don't realise that some people have opted out).

My suggestion is that the "left conversation" warning should not bump the thread and should not produce an unread notification.

There's no need to go and read who's left which thread - the only time you need to know, is if you want to add something to a thread, and then you'd be able to see any "left conversation" warning.
 
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DeletedUser107282

I second that suggestion......do away with the unread notification and posting the threads showing who left.......simply record it in the thread who left the thread so leaders can see who left. We are being told in our guild not to delete old threads because of the auto posting of who left issue which isn't any good either as now you end up with numerous threads of same name. Surely this will have an effect on servers having to hold all these older messages. All messages should have been deleted upon releasing this update....would have solved a lot of this problem.

Is there going to be any settings guilds can make to have old postings auto delete. I have postings so old and 140 + pages of threads

I suggest notification be sent out and all messages get deleted. it will be easy enough for guilds to repost all their important threads. This will get rid of the headache many guilds are facing right now.
 
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DeletedUser97199

Thankfully, we were able to completely avoid the "left conversation" spam in my two main guilds (by getting members to empty their mailboxes before the update and not to delete any threads after the update), but I can see how it could be a nightmare without adequate preparation. It could allow players to "grief" their guild by mass deleting of threads.
Click to expand...
Sylvermoon

"NIGHTMARE"! That's exactly what's happened in one of my guilds. And it's being penalised because it is a helpful, friendly chatty guild. So people check messages often, read, delete. Up till now that has kept boxes readable and new messages clearly noticeable. Now my box is filled with messages which have become indistinguishable as the top line is identical xxxx left the conversation when the same person clears their box. All it needs is a delete button which doesn't trigger the notice. You can still check on the group info who is a part of the message. If that doesnt suit then I'd agree with Sylvermoon's SHOULD NOT BUMP THE THREAD point. The alerts are pointless. Simply embedded in the messages they can be ignored but still visible.

In more uncommunicative guilds it's not such a problem. That cant be right! At present I'm not really reading messages at all. and many people are angry and fed up. PLEASE ask devs to resolve this.
 

DeletedUser105078

Besides not bumping threads following the "left conversation" notifications, I have another suggestion.

Since many players like to tidy up their mailbox, why not recreate the old "delete" button, but call it instead "hide"? That way, players who just want to tidy up their mailboxes can press the easily accessible hide button, which like the previous button does not leave a conversation - meaning that if anybody bumps a thread you've hidden, it will pop up again. Also, nobody needs to know if somebody has "hidden" a thread, because if they add anything to it, the player will still see it.

Then, if there's a conversation you really want to leave completely, you can follow the new procedure that allows you to leave a thread permanently (we do need to know if somebody has left a thread permanently, because if we add something to that thread we need to be aware that a player will not receive the info - but we only need to be informed if and when we are updating a thread).
 

DeletedUser2989

Hi SylverMoon (if you're still reading this thread),

The "left conversation" notification issue no longer bumps threads (so that's another suggestion implemented) which then leaves point 6 from your opening post (at lest I don't think there is improvements to the tutorial regarding messages...) and your newest point about hiding conversations. Would you be able to either edit your OP to reflect these 2 remaining ideas/suggestions or start a new idea for them?

As it stands I can't mark this idea as implemented due to some parts not being implemented and with so many parts of the idea implemented it'll be hard for others to find and vote on the valid suggestions remaining.
 
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