Mobile Apps: Receive Messages

[DeletedUser19458]

Can you implement the message center in the mobile apps. My fellowship has users that are solely mobile (or iPad) and we cannot communicate with them unless we catch them online in chat. Very annoying and very difficult to manage the fellowship when you can't even communicate with all members.

 

[DeletedUser2768]

I have a feeling they're working on this. The patch coming on Monday will make it easier for mobile users to move between realms.

I hope better communication for mobile users is at the top of their To-Do list.

 

[DeletedUser13313]

This is something that they need to do next.. like the OP, this causes problems in my fellowship. We have a bunch of AW threads that use the messaging system and mobile players miss out on these.

 

[DeletedUser2870]

@Whiteflame710
They would have to implement being able to donate KPs to other players AW's on the app first. Simply seeing such a message doesn't do anyone any good without being able to act on it.

But in general, this was a serious oversight when the implemented the app. It cuts out important communication. Like messages to and from active neighbours. Or messages to and from potential new members. Or discussions between only the mages. Etc, etc.
So I really, really hope those issues get adressed with the new update.

 

[Pearl Drops]

This thread was started over a year ago! It seems my excitement that Inno was working on this for the app was premature to say the least.

I am so frustrated with the inability to communicate in game. Over half the players in my Fellowships use the app, and attempting to do ANYTHING as a team is an exercise in futility. Many of the benefits Inno touts for belonging to a Fellowship are out of our reach. We are unable to strategize and work together in the FSAs; KP swaps for AWs are not an option; recruiting new members is exceedingly difficult when many of the players approached never see a message (as they are playing on mobile). We asked for feedback from all our Fellowship for how we wanted to describe our FS for recruiting, and only 4 members even acknowledged the discussion. We would need to post in 'chat' several times a day for several days just to communicate with the majority of the FS. I have no doubt that some don't even look at 'chat' when they log in. There is no way to reach some of our players if there is an important message at all.

And that still doesn't address communicating with trading partners or neighbors.

 

[Ashrem]

and only 4 members even acknowledged the discussion

I think you'll find that won't change even when you have messaging. I've been at this since long before the app existed, and getting 4 responses to a request for input would not have been unusual.

 

[DeletedUser2870]

@Ashrem
Though I've seen like results, the fact that the app has been around for over a year now and still lacks one of the most basic things: the ability to communicate is ridiculous.
The chat works within the FS, but even then it often happens one can only see the last few messages as the rest seems to have been cleared. Messaging does not work at all.
So effectively, you have no way of communicating with anyone outside your FS AND only a limited and often faulty way of communicating with members in your own FS. For a game that is so hung up on working together, and is more of a social game than a combat-game, it is incredible this issue still hasn't been solved,
As @Pearl Drops mentions, it means one cannot co-ordinate anything at all. And even the ability to link KP-donation is futile as the chat won't always show an acceptable history, even if one wanted to write down the info to donate later, since that basic function also still hasn't been added yet.

I know the Devs have a lot of other things on their minds, but really, some of the stuff should be a higher priority. Fixing the communication issue should be on the absolute top of the list.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

@Ashrem
Though I've seen like results, the fact that the app has been around for over a year now and still lacks one of the most basic things: the ability to communicate is ridiculous.
The chat works within the FS, but even then it often happens one can only see the last few messages as the rest seems to have been cleared. Messaging does not work at all.
So effectively, you have no way of communicating with anyone outside your FS AND only a limited and often faulty way of communicating with members in your own FS. For a game that is so hung up on working together, and is more of a social game than a combat-game, it is incredible this issue still hasn't been solved.

Actually, Nov 1st will be the 2nd anniversary for the release of the app, so 2 years now, not 1, which makes it even worse.

As to chat messages, they have a 24-hour time limit. After that, they are auto-deleted. So casual players who do not log in at least once or twice a day will never see many of the chat messages.

 

[DeletedUser13313]

I asked someone about this.. I'd tell you what they said but I don't remember.. I can only guess that it must be difficult to add email to the app.. but adding KP to Ancient wonders other than your own? Why is that so hard? I would love to see those two features added.. Maybe someday.

 

[DeletedUser2870]

Messages in the app is being tested now in beta

 

[Ashrem]

but adding KP to Ancient wonders other than your own? Why is that so hard? I would love to see those two features added.. Maybe someday.

The current mechanic for adding KP to another city involves loading their entire city, which would be a significant data hit for mobile users. That's the kind of thing that costs some people a lot of money, and they are probably looking for an entirely new mechanic, as they did for helping neighbours. The mobile help mechanic only requires loading three buildings, two of which are the same for everyone, and if you notice, they only load the non-leveled version of leveling buildings, regardless of where the building actually is in the city you are helping. Using the same mechanic for AWs could require up to 30 buildings be loaded, and without the hover ability of the desktop, they need to find a way to include all the KP donation data visually, so that we can decide where to donate. That potentially makes for a busy and unattractive screen with things rendered so small that lots of people would have trouble seeing what they need to. Mobile developers have to be very careful of using data, or they get angry customers who have unexpectedly large bills. Since Elvenar allows young people to play, they also have to be cognizant of angry parents.

I agree it shouldn't have taken this long, but I know pretty-much nothing about their existing programming choices and expect we'll just have to be patient.

 

[DeletedUser2870]

@Ashrem
It also has been long, long, long since suggested by players to add a separate box to the City name so that people can have a proper city name AND have a place to put their preferences for receiving neighbourly help and what AW to hit. Adding that and linking that box to a donate button shouldn't be overly hard and that way one doesn't have to load the entire city. In fact, one doesn't have to load the city at all that way, just like the NH system they implemented for the app.
It's not something new and doesn't require a huge amount of thought or programming. In fact, I'm pretty sure some people of their playerbase could help out. But then again, that would require actually listening to player suggestions and that doesn't seem to be Inno's greatest strength.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

@Ashrem
It also has been long, long, long since suggested by players to add a separate box to the City name so that people can have a proper city name AND have a place to put their preferences for receiving neighbourly help and what AW to hit. Adding that and linking that box to a donate button shouldn't be overly hard and that way one doesn't have to load the entire city. In fact, one doesn't have to load the city at all that way, just like the NH system they implemented for the app.
It's not something new and doesn't require a huge amount of thought or programming. In fact, I'm pretty sure some people of their playerbase could help out. But then again, that would require actually listening to player suggestions and that doesn't seem to be Inno's greatest strength.

A side note here, but you cannot modify your city name at all on mobile. Only in browser.

 

[DeletedUser13313]

i thought they were adding messages to the app in the last update? I know they said they had to wait until it was available to everyone. I was just wondering how much longer? Does it have to be available on a number of platforms. I downloaded an update from the App Store on my IOS device. Do I need to get my entire fellowship to do this? I’m truly excited about it.

 

[Laochra]

i thought they were adding messages to the app in the last update? I know they said they had to wait until it was available to everyone. I was just wondering how much longer? Does it have to be available on a number of platforms. I downloaded an update from the App Store on my IOS device. Do I need to get my entire fellowship to do this? I’m truly excited about it.

I updated my android phone & I did not see that it was available yet.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

i thought they were adding messages to the app in the last update? I know they said they had to wait until it was available to everyone. I was just wondering how much longer? Does it have to be available on a number of platforms. I downloaded an update from the App Store on my IOS device. Do I need to get my entire fellowship to do this? I’m truly excited about it.

No, still being tested on the Beta server only.

 

[DeletedUser13313]

I’m talking about this. It is “now” possible... and then there is that note. I’m guessing that is what the holdup is?

 

[Ashrem]

Probably waiting for the Apple Store to approve it.

My iPhone is still on 1.91.0

Edit: well, it's not the Apple Store, I was able to force an update to 1.92. Might be some of the stores outside of North America

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Then it is probably the Amazon store version that is lagging behind.

 

[Laochra]

I just checked & the update I did earlier in the week says my app is at 1.92.2