TL;DR:
Have you ever been on a diet and you see everyone eating your favourite chocolate cake in front of you? Torturous! Please do not put our friends through such torture when they see us online and yet they cannot play with us because we are feeling antisocial that day.
Please have an Invisibility function or allow us to truly Appear Offline within the game when we choose to appear offline in our PS4 setting.
Idea/Feedback Proposal
Allow someone who chooses to “Appear Offline” in PS4 to truly remain invisible/offline in-game.
Background
Some people need ‘me’ time. This personal time could be spent within a virtual world, like Warframe. And this personal time can vary from just wanting to blast music and enjoy the game or just wanting to stay off chat because you do not feel very sociable that day. But this sacred ‘me’ time can be disrupted because PS4 friends or Warframe friends can see you online within the game and they will start sending invites.
Now when I choose to “Appear Offline” in PS4, nobody knows I am online and that remains the case when I play certain multiplayer games as well. But not in Warframe. Everyone in your PS4 friend list and Warframe friend list can see that you are online if you are playing Warframe while appearing offline. This results in a number of issues.
I am not alone on this and i don't think this applies for just the PS4 console. The following links are that of postings in Reddit and the Warframe forum requesting for an invisibility/offline function in-game.
https://forums.warframe.com/topic/893001-appear-offline/
https://forums.warframe.com/topic/878964-id-like-an-option-to-hide-online-status/
https://forums.warframe.com/topic/1019587-offline-status/
https://forums.warframe.com/topic/889288-no-actual-appearing-offline-on-xbox/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Warframe/comments/7pyjrb/is_there_a_way_to_appear_offline_to_people_on/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Warframe/comments/6x83of/dear_de_if_i_choose_appear_offline_in_my_psn/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Warframe/comments/4feejs/can_i_set_my_status_to_offline_or_invisible_in_wf/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Warframe/comments/3j1eim/is_there_any_way_to_appear_offline_to_other/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Warframe/comments/9bbje3/xbox_if_you_appear_offline_on_xbox_live_do_you/
Potential Issues faced because there is no invisibility function in-game
1. Does not feel good to know you are being blocked/ignored
In-game invites can be blocked, but not PS party chat invites. PS party chat invites can be received even if you are offline or appearing offline. And even if PS party chat invites can be blocked, how would you feel if your invites got blocked by a friend? Especially if you are friends in real life? A virtual world as provided by a game is akin to a social space. How does it feel to be blocked by a real-life friend on Facebook?
2. Hassle to reply to every invite received
People don’t expect a response when they send a PS party invite to an offline person. But a response is usually expected when he knows you are actually online because he can see you in-game. It is a hassle to type a reply to every single person that sends you an invite. Be it by PS message or an in-game message, especially if you do not have a keyboard. In the event of receiving multiple invites, the hassle is multiplied.
3. Invites received everyday
Some of us may have the possessive type of friend who requires your undivided attention and wonderful company. Throw loads of free time into the mix and you will have an ultimate combination; A possessive friend who plays Warframe 24/7. Rarely a day goes by without you receiving an invite from him.
4. Mental fatigue
On the seasonal occasion where you prefer to have an extended period of personal time, there will come a time where you will run out of creative juice in providing a reason as to why you want to fly solo for that day, and your replies will eventually just be “I wish to fly solo today” for the next 20 consecutive days that your hardworking friend continues to send invites. And this may not sit well with that persistent friend of yours who really loves your company.
5. Hurt feelings of Inviter
If one chooses not to provide a response, be it by way of PS message, in-game chat message or phone message (for friends in real life), the other party will be hurt. Attached is a sample screenshot of what a conversation with my friend in real life looks like because of my repeated ignoring of his daily invites for about 4 days straight. (yes, just 4 days..) Note: I had to edit the messages a bit to protect his identity. Imagine if you had more than 1 friend that behaved like this, and imposes a requirement on you to respond to every invite?
Sample screenshots:
https://imgur.com/PtI3B1O
https://imgur.com/a/kJnJ6aK
https://imgur.com/a/IZbQC9Y
6. Strained relationships
Friendships can be broken because of the multiple rejections faced within the game. Aren’t multiplayer games meant to build relationships? Now my hours in Warframe are greatly reduced because I rather stay out to enjoy my ‘me’ time and preserve my real-life friendships than to be inside the game and have to ‘entertain’ friends or to be social.
7. Frustration from having to explain one’s antisocial behaviour
It is easier to appear to be offline than to explain why you prefer to play alone or to do your own stuff within the game, especially when it is going to be for an extended period of days where your mood just doesn’t allow you to be social.
8. Potential exodus of introverted players
According to some studies[1], introverts make up 30-50% of the population. That is quite a substantial number of people to create this function for I would think?
9. The persistent and very curious friend
Believe me, there are persistent, hardworking friends out there who will not have second thoughts about sending you daily invites until the day you accept the invite and then the interrogation begins. A typical list of possible questions can be:
“Why did you not accept my invite the past 10 days?”
“What were you doing?”
“Why would you want to farm solo?”
“Do you not like to play with me anymore?”
“I feel hurt whenever you reject my game invitations”
And after an extended antisocial personal break where you had to repeatedly reject all invites, would you want to come back to face all these?
10. Inability to help other Tennos
Most of the time if not ALL the time, whenever I am grouped up with my friends, I am unable to respond to requests for help in Region/Clan/Alliance chat etc. I am also unable to help out poor unknowing souls in Trade Chat who may be looking to purchase an Ignis Wraith or some basic mods (yes, I give them out for free whenever I spot such trade requests. I’m just trying to do my part to build a sharing community) I hate to explain myself to my friends, not to mention that it is disruptive to them as well if I keep breaking group for that night. And as mentioned in my previous points, I am unable to fly solo because they will take it personally that I hate them or something.
11. Peer pressure results in reduced enjoyment of the game at one’s own pace
Your friends are of a higher level because they have cushy jobs that pay them good and only require them to work 5 hours a day, while you come home from a 12 to 14-hour work day trying to get some good relaxation but you are forced into some high-level grind because of your friends’ incessant invites.
12. New players may feel hurt
You help out a random individual within the game and you add each other to your friends’ list. This individual may decide to appoint you as his next BFF and send you invites every day or every time that he sees you online. Being the nice person that you are, you do not wish to block him because you are considerate of how he would feel if he receives a “User has blocked you” or “User is ignoring you” message whenever he sends an invite.
13. Reduced number of friendships between players
If you have a real-life friend or friends who always want to group up with you whenever they see you online, it does not leave you room to interact with other players such as your clan mates or alliance mates. There will not be a sense of affinity with your clan mates and thus you may not be as inclined to contribute toward Dojo building or to initiate/participate in clan activities.
Whats in it for Warframe to have an Invisibility Function
1. Increased community activity
More help can be received by new players seeking help, because if people can stay invisible to their friends list and not be obligated to accept invites from their friends every single time that they are online, they are more likely to take up the option of staying invisible so that they can do random stuff like these. In turn, the Warframe community can be an even better one.
2. Increased gameplay time
Players are likely to spend more time within Warframe if they are able to remain invisible. Time that is not spent on responding to PS party chat invites and in-game invites and phone calls asking you to group the hell up, can be spent on fashion framing and browsing through the market store for the latest and most fancy skins/accessories for your favourite character.
3. Attracts more gamers to play Warframe
In an article by Keith Stuart on The Guardian[2], he mentions “There are gamers, then, who play games as a form of pure escapism – not just in terms of escaping to new worlds, but also escaping other people.” And that being stuck at a lower level (he used WoW as an example) is no fun when your friends are of a high level, and one is no longer playing the game as an enjoyment but as a competition.
4. Increased player retention
I believe people would rather just not play the game entirely than to be subject to pressure from their friends’ persistent inviting and requests to play together. So, if one could stay invisible, people are allowed to enjoy the game at their own pace. Moreover, if players are enabled (through the invisibility function) to interact with other players within Warframe such as their clan mates or alliance mates, the likelihood of them continuing to enjoy the game for a prolonged period is higher.
5. Increased appeal to lone gamers
In a survey done by Forbes[3], it was found that two thirds of gamers prefer to play alone. The lone gamer market is still existent. Given that Warframe is already a hugely popular multi-player game, adding an invisibility function can be seen as a simulation to playing alone and would enable it to increase its appeal to the lone gamer market, further expanding the reach of its gamer demographics.
https://imgur.com/a/wTsW3NQ
6. Reduction of invite harassment
There are gamers out there like the writer of this article[4] in Engadget that like to play multiplayer games as a solo player. But I’m not sure if they would continue playing the game if they are constantly ‘harassed’ by invites.
7. Maintain peace and harmony within the Warframe Community
An invisibility function would aid in maintaining a peaceful and harmonious community because people no longer have to receive negative messages like “User has blocked you” or “User is ignoring you” any more.
8. Increased platinum spending
If you are not being dragged off by your friends to some alert or endless kuva survival, you would be able to spend time in trade chat or browsing through the latest access packs. How many gamers group up over PS party chat/in-game and then spend hours camping in trade chat together as a group or browsing through the market as a group? People’s tastes differ and I’m not sure if your friend would appreciate you gawking over that latest Mesa skin or Operator face mask while he is just staring out into space in his orbiter.
instead of being dragged off to yet another relic farming session or 10 hour Mot survival, especially in the season of Warframe giving; Tennobaum, players can take time out to look at their clan mate list or friends list and send gifts instead of ending up being frustrated by the constant stream of invites or repeated invites (PS Party Chat invites and phone messages) and just exiting the game altogether.
Conclusion
Therefore, can I humbly request that we be more considerate toward all these poor, persevering, persistent and hardworking fragile souls out there and have an Invisibility function in-game so that we need not hurt their feelings any further?
[1] https://introvertdear.com/news/there-might-not-be-as-many-extroverts-in-the-world-as-we-think-science-says/
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/14/single-player-gamers-destiny-solo-activision-grand-theft-forza
[3] https://www.forbes.com/sites/abigailtracy/2016/03/13/survey-video-games-gamers-gaming-preferences-ps4-xbox-one/#459f19921928
[4] https://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/the-soapbox-why-solo-players-dont-just-play-a-single-player-ga/
