Guild Wars 2

Hi, I looked quickly if there was a thread like this and didn’t see one so I’m posting this here. (If there is an existing one please let me know. I tried the suggestions forum but it’s closed. )

I would like to suggest that there be some way to manage who I allow to “follow” me as a friend. Whether that means adding a accept/deny friend request, are allowing to kick myself off of someone’s friend’s list.

This is my reasoning:
I keep getting messages from a bot and every single time it happens I place them into “block”, but then the next day the user has a new character/account name and then I have to place that one into “block” (and repeat). It was then that I found out that I was being “followed” by them when they placed me as “friend” and therefore almost digitally stalking me to see when I’m actively on. I’ve given up on reporting bots/gold sellers because there’s just too many for the devs to follow and they just end up remaking accounts. I also don’t like playing “invisible” because then I can’t chat with my guild or join dungeon runs and the like.

I know the “follow” list is nice to have so I can keep track of knowing who’s has me on their friend’s list, but it would be MORE helpful to stop the unwanted attention/stalking if there was a deny friend’s request. Otherwise, I have to go to everyone on the “follow” list and whisper/mail them to ask them to remove me as a friend. This is a pain when some of those users are never online or they are bots or simply they WANT to keep me on their list when I really don’t want to.

So there you have it. That’s my argument about wanting a accept/deny friend request.

This should’ve been in the game by default.

Should not blocking someone hide your status? I remember reading somewhere that it does.

Additionally, report them as a botter/gold seller every time they pm you.

If you are on a Gold-seller’s list, it probably won’t make any difference if you are on their Friend’s list or are being followed by them. Each new account can use whatever list they have at their main establishment.

anzenketh.3759:

Should not blocking someone hide your status? I remember reading somewhere that it does.

Blocking someone doesn’t hide anything. Setting Invisible mode does.

Hannelore.8153:

anzenketh.3759:

Should not blocking someone hide your status? I remember reading somewhere that it does.

Blocking someone doesn’t hide anything. Setting Invisible mode does.

Yes it does. When you block someone, that person’s friendslist shows you perma offline. They can’t see anything other than your account name then.

Romo.3709:

Hannelore.8153:

anzenketh.3759:

Should not blocking someone hide your status? I remember reading somewhere that it does.

Blocking someone doesn’t hide anything. Setting Invisible mode does.

Yes it does. When you block someone, that person’s friendslist shows you perma offline. They can’t see anything other than your account name then.

That is not true. They can actually see the location. Go test it…

The point still stands, if I don’t want to be on someone’s friends list, I should have a opinion to remove myself from their list if they refuse to voluntarily remove me after I’ve asked. Just seems like a no-brainer for me. :/

Just as a side note, I remember in GW1 that unless both parties had friended each other, you couldn’t see have map they were in.

There’s over 100 people on my follower’s list, but only have about 18 people on my friend’s list. I don’t even recognize the majority of people’s names that follow me, and it’s a feature I don’t like either.

I’ve had an issue in the past with a stalker-type using the follower list to try to figure out what zone I was in and with who. Whoever he saw me with he would put on his follower’s list too, then he’d send me tells accusing me of being with so-and-so whenever I said I was busy. It wasn’t someone I dated or even showed interest in. We did a few group events and chatted randomly, and he ended up being some some internet weirdo that took a liking to me / my character that I ended up putting on block.

It’s these sorts of things that are disturbing and why I hate not having the ability to have privacy.

I’m not sure what the point of the follow list is in an MMO, as people who wish to keep in contact with each other usually just friend each other.
Even if you had the option of removing your name from a Gold sellers list, there’d have to be some restriction in place to prevent the seller from just putting it back. Additionally, since they just keep creating new accounts to bug folks with, they can get around any account-based restriction that blocks them from following any given user. Ultimately the spammers would get around the follow list restriction the same way the get around the blocklist – creating a new account. There’s not a real foolproof system to put in place that would resolve the problem efficiently.

I feel your pain. I have the exact same problem as the OP here. Extremely annoying and no matter how many times I block them, they always come back and find me.

Also, there are some people who I know (friends of friends) who play and I don’t want to come right out and tell them i don’t want to play with them (feelings and all), but have no way to keep them from seeing when I’m online that doesn’t also block my real friends.

Hannelore.8153:

anzenketh.3759:

Should not blocking someone hide your status? I remember reading somewhere that it does.

Blocking someone doesn’t hide anything. Setting Invisible mode does.

Actually not true. If you enable ‘game messages’ it will tell you in chat when someone on your friend list logs in and out, regardless if they have chosen invisible or not. And, iirc, if you check your friends list it will still tell you what map they are in and it will update when they change maps.

When chat tells you if someone has logged on, it tells you when they are at the character selection screen and before they have a chance to choose the option to be invisible.

This is a good idea. I support it.

Fuzion.4193:

There’s over 100 people on my follower’s list, but only have about 18 people on my friend’s list. I don’t even recognize the majority of people’s names that follow me, and it’s a feature I don’t like either.

I’ve had an issue in the past with a stalker-type using the follower list to try to figure out what zone I was in and with who. Whoever he saw me with he would put on his follower’s list too, then he’d send me tells accusing me of being with so-and-so whenever I said I was busy. It wasn’t someone I dated or even showed interest in. We did a few group events and chatted randomly, and he ended up being some some internet weirdo that took a liking to me / my character that I ended up putting on block.

It’s these sorts of things that are disturbing and why I hate not having the ability to have privacy.

Dude, I had that happen in GW1. It started getting awkward because he gave me items but never asked for anything. Then the question popped up: How do you think about online dating? I imediatly cut all communications from him and had to play “invible” for weeks until he got the mesage.

Anyways, I also have the issue that my “follow” list is longer than my “friends”. I know some of them are my commission clients, but there’s others I have no clue who they are. Most are generally understanding when I ask them to remove me from their list, others are not and it’s those that I have to worry about.

Friendly bump.

Also, I talked to my guild about this and they like the idea as well, just none of them venture to the forums to post… >.>