A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE INVITE FAILURES

As it becomes more and more evident that there is some problems . That have a tendency to spark many different unfavorable reactions and opinions and arguments . 
  Some that directly effect the survival of some events and formats in the future of WGT . 
  Some are too complicated to be certain of what kind and how much , or how many fixes it would take to solve .
 
  There is one though in particular . An area of GR8 concern to many . For various reasons . 

  Is the current old school poor excuse for an invite notification system . 

  A little tiny GREEN icon . Placed in the absolutely worst possible location one could think of . 
  
  That alone has been responsible for more devastating misunderstandings and catastrophic and devastating endings of everything from friendships to tournaments , to CC's . 

  Believe me when I tell you that the little tiny green invite icon located 2 3rds of the way up on the left side of a tab page . Is not likely to be seen by anyone that has an active brain and fingers that work . 

  As they are probably doing something constructive during their green status . Which only means that their computer is on and they are logged into WGT . 

  They are not sitting there staring at that little tiny green icon waiting to accept or decline the invites . 

  But in my case . I am extremely busy with admin . Which is my choice . But I would much rather accept an invite from anyone . And play a match . If there was a chance that I see the icon . I do surely jump on it . Unfortunately I am not in a position at the time to see the icon and I regretfully miss many invites . If I were to change my status to red . I would not have that chance to accept an invite . And it would be a week before I noticed that I was red . That sucks . So I will never turn my status from green . 

  This is a WGT wide problem and has been the case since before  I joined in 2012 . Quite simply the invite notification is a failure . There is no way you can predict what is happening on the other side of that invite . There are as many possibilities as their are players . And is not anything personally reflective to you . 

  There are ways to make the invite more likely to be noticed . Message any and all players prior and let them know you will be ready to invite soon . Any that respond . You have your answer , invite , and game . Seems like the hard way ? Thought it wouldn't be ? 

   I always encourage my members to message anyone they want to play with . Whether the person shows green , red , or even hidden . Yes they will get the email notification either way . Maybe come out of hiding . 

  The invite system is such a failure with that little tiny icon 2 thirds of the way up the left side of your screen . You have to actually literally almost stare at it at all times . So not to miss a rare or welcome invite . Very poor notification . 

  To have the same little Icon at both the top and bottom of your window tab pages. ( all the pages in WGT that are not the game client ) . Would make those invites hundreds of times more likely to be seen . 

  Or better yet  . A pop up that there is no way to avoid . That says So & So is inviting you to an alt shot match . Click here to accept , decline , leave message , or already playing 

  I know that these suggestions would be probably about 1,739th on the list . If even approved for review . 
  If you knew the turmoil and misunderstanding that this issue alone provokes non stop 24 / 7 / 365 with out fail . 
  Involving every kind of scenario . CC vs CC Interplay community organized and non community organized tournaments . Where the participants are from different CC's . Many already unfamiliar with the invite system . In which it is required that the opponents contact , communicate , arrange a mutually agreed upon time and day for which to be  GREEN . And then expect that this unlikely appointment is met by both parties . On the occasion that both parties find themselves GREEN at the same time . There is no response from the invitee . Frustrating the inviter . Causing him or her to message the unresponding  counterpart . Hopefully remaining calm and mature , professional , and polite . Inquiring about the un accepted invite that they had discussed the week before and agreed to mutually . Of course now that has blown any chances to play their match that week . And the following week one of them will be on holiday . 

  Well turned out that the invitee had in fact been GREEN and available during the agreed upon time . Had waited for the inviter to become GREEN . An extra 30 minutes . Had then gone to message the inviter and inquire . 
  The inviter it turns out had miscalculated the time difference and was actually 1 hour late . 
  This was hypothetical but I promise you this happens everyday . 

  If there were 2 more invite icons added to the the current icon . But placed one on the top and one on the bottom of the page ( s) . Anyone who was in a different area or page or looking at his daughter while she asked him what those GREEN things are blinking on the top and bottom of his page were . 
  Would be many many times more likely to see respond , and accept that all important invite . 

  Now that to some would be the more important scenario . Others that consider any of their time in WGT valuable . Would say that when they invite friends or CC mates to multiplayer matches . When the prospective invitee is GREEN . And knows the invitee is around and available . But did not respond or accept the invite . 

  And it turns out again that the invitee was just lower in the page responding to a forum post . Way below the little tiny GREEN icon 2 3rds of the way up on the left play now flash player section of the tab page . Completely out of site . Any dedicated and committed WGTer . Should have the ability to multi task and tend to what ever tasks is on their agenda . With the " luxury "  should be common place knowledge that . While tending to their administrative duties ( which could amount to hundreds of duties ) Should not be required to be playing a match , or just sitting ther staring at the invite icon . Just for the simple reason to be aware of an invite . Should have the suggested 2 more notifications , or an even better system to alarm , alert , notify the moment an invite is initiated . To enable the invitee to respond quickly and timely with no chance of missing the invite from a friend that you had not heard from in 3 years . If missed would be possibly  the last opportunity to connect with that player . At any moment any invite could be that rare invite from a CC mate that you had never had then chance to play before . And not likely would again . From another fellwo CC owner. One of the highlight rounds one can play . Would never want to in convenience those rare inviters . And should feel comfortable enough to stop playing and start answering the 100 plus messages that you received that day . To make some trophy's . To clean up the CC forum . To spend 2 or 3 hours messaging and explaining what WGT is to the several recruits that had just showed up . And literally dozens of other possible necessary tasks that any WGTer should be able to do . While staying GREEN . Available to play . As anyone would rather accept that invite and play than doing admin . So long as the invite notification were so efficient and effective that they would be seen and responded to . Whether it be to accept , or send a message , or decline . One must be able to see it . 

  In every scenario . The obvious and simple , cost effective way to solve this enormous problem that is an enormous problem . Concerning WGT  player relations and the highly volatile and negative ongoing , unnecessary daily , hourly turmoil that I would ask you to please take my word for the depth and vast effect that this issue presents . As I have only the best intentions for this WGT and my fellow players all the site wide . 

  To please take this suggestion very seriously . You can check out . investigate , interview members of my piers . Selectively and or randomly to verify and validate the extent of this problem that I feel is the root and cause of the sadly failing by the minute most popular and precious and necessary multiplayer format . 
  
  That once was a thriving and preferred choice for the masses . 

  But over time . With the various glitches in the past ( the invisible invite fiasco ) Immediately halted , ended forever . Some of the original organized ongoing site wide multiplayer tournaments . Stopped them cold in their tracks . As they all depended on the invite system for game play . WGT being the only game in town . 

  Most all of those long time favorite events for hundreds . Had played their last match . Never again to be able to generate the interest and commitment necessary to restart and continue a successful event . 

  And as the WGT community grew in leaps and bounds . Glitches came and Glitches went . Some remained and  got worse . Some became playable with work a rounds . 

  With the wavering uncertainty of game play and the always crap shoot of the multi-player invite . 

  And a couple few generational changes to the player in WGT . The trickle down effect of some of the older formats slowly but steadily dwindling down . Some to obscurity . Some still with hope to revive and live again and prosper and be enjoyed again  by the masses . 

  It would seem to be a no brainer . To install just 2 more icons added to the present featured icon . 1 to the top of the page . 1 to the bottom of the page . The smallest fix to one of the most volatile concerns today . 

  Sincerely GR8ly concerned as always 

Paul Boppart owner VOTSCC 

  home of
  https://www.valleyofthesuncc.com/
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