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No.1 Bugaboo with Steam

• Slimjim001 1,053 Posts

  Thu, May 14 2020 5:59 AM

  There are a number of "minor" issues with the way Steam operates which I can live with but for me, the big bugaboo at the top of my list is my inability to know which of my friends are available to play or busy (red light, green light thing). If I am playing full screen, there is no way for me to toggle back and forth from Steam to Flash to check out my friends current status. It seems to me that this is probably a big deal with most of us who are launching from Steam. This is almost a deal breaker level issue as to whether I play from Steam or not. Have I missed something?

• Wutpa 4,803 Posts

  Fri, May 15 2020 12:16 PM

  Slimjim001:

  There are a number of "minor" issues with the way Steam operates which I can live with but for me, the big bugaboo at the top of my list is my inability to know which of my friends are available to play or busy (red light, green light thing). If I am playing full screen, there is no way for me to toggle back and forth from Steam to Flash to check out my friends current status. It seems to me that this is probably a big deal with most of us who are launching from Steam. This is almost a deal breaker level issue as to whether I play from Steam or not. Have I missed something?

  I agree that not being able to see who is online is irritating. If you hit the Windows key + M on your keyboard though that will minimize the game window and allow you to view your friends list if you still have WGT open in a browser window.

  That's the best I've got.

  Nigel.

• ScottHope 10,448 Posts

  Fri, May 15 2020 1:11 PM

  Try THIS Jim.

  Gives you a fullscreen game with the ability to use the Windows task switcher (alt + tab).

• MarchieB 1,530 Posts

  Fri, May 15 2020 3:52 PM

  Slimjim001:

  is my inability to know which of my friends are available to play or busy (red light, green light thing)

  I could be wrong but I believe this does exist on the Mobile/Steam/PCEA version, it’s just a bit different looking. 
  If you click on your “Friends” list along the bottom of main screen, the people who are available to play (green light) will show the word “play” next to their names and you can click on it to invite them to play a H2H match. The ones that are not available (red light) will not have this and cannot be invited to play. 
  I also believe this is the same when you go to create a Stroke/Match/Alt shot/Skins game. After setting the parameters and creating the game, you will then be given the option to invite people from your friends list and the ones that are available to invite will be shown.

• Slimjim001 1,053 Posts

  Sat, May 16 2020 6:17 AM

  Thank you all. Very helpful info. I'm glad there are folks like you who have some tech savvy who can keep us old guys going.

  Jim

   

• Wutpa 4,803 Posts

  Sat, May 16 2020 6:58 AM

  MarchieB:

  Slimjim001:

  is my inability to know which of my friends are available to play or busy (red light, green light thing)

  I could be wrong but I believe this does exist on the Mobile/Steam/PCEA version, it’s just a bit different looking. 
  If you click on your “Friends” list along the bottom of main screen, the people who are available to play (green light) will show the word “play” next to their names and you can click on it to invite them to play a H2H match. The ones that are not available (red light) will not have this and cannot be invited to play. 
  I also believe this is the same when you go to create a Stroke/Match/Alt shot/Skins game. After setting the parameters and creating the game, you will then be given the option to invite people from your friends list and the ones that are available to invite will be shown.

  Although it's true that you can access your friends list this way in my experience the word "play" appears next to any of your friends that are online, regardless of whether they are red, green or blue. 

  Also, unlike in flash you cannot access this list while you are already playing, so if you are just killing time in practice play while waiting for others to come online then you won't know when that happens.

  That's what I've found so far anyway, but if someone can show me I'm wrong I'd be genuinely delighted.

  Nigel.

  EDIT: Okay, you can see your friends list while playing. you have to click on your profile panel at the top right and then click Friends on the slide-out panel. But I've just verified that all the friends showing as available to play in PCEA/Steam are in fact red in the flash version.