Friends/Suggestions

From Valve Developer Community

This page contains suggestions for Friends as well as Steam in general. It also contains implemented suggestions.

Feature exists in MSN Messenger

Remove all friends

• Ability to 'remove all friends...', reset list to a fresh, clean state on the backend in one click. * Mark

Log chat to file

• Not much more to say. Log chat transcripts to text files by username.
• TomEdwards

Steam account name, Friends profile name

• Early users of Steam have an e-mail address as Steam account name. They may not wish to disclose an e-mail address, but may still want to be found via a (not necessarily unique) nick name.
• The "Add friends" dialog should also search for Friends profile names.
• Alternatively let users change their Steam account name.Pizzahut
• It would be great if its possible to change the steam account name! --Andi
• Maybe just allowing users who currently have e-mails for their name to change it to a non-email name ONCE. --Alph Tech STUART
• Everyone should be able to change the account name and I'm sure that a lot of people wish this feature since years.
• Every account as a unique FN#. They don't seem to be hooked up yet, though. --TomEdwards 10:43, 5 Feb 2006 (PST)
• For us HL1 mappers that still use hammer 3.5, this is an issue too. The compiled Bsp cant get copied past the folder with the email address because of the @ in the folder name. So all the compiled files end up in the steamapps folder instead of the maps folder were it should be.--PlayEdUdE 21:01, 27 Mar 2006 (PST)

Status should respond to user behaviour

• Inactivity: Away
• Fullscreen app (apart from Steam games): busy
  • Like most things... see MSN Messenger --Alph Tech STUART 08:35, 4 Feb 2006 (PST)
  • If you're in a fullscreen app you're likely in a game in which case steam will display as such -- EAi
    • Um... didn't you read the parentheses? There ARE other full-screen apps than Steam games. --Alph Tech STUART
      • But working in another full-screen-app does not necessarily mean you're "busy". --Rotzi 02:44, 14 Feb 2007 (PST)

No way of telling which contact has come online without popping up a window

• The system tray icon should notify users of recent Friends list activity, e.g. through mouseover or visual prompts
• TomEdwards
  • There is now, per user --Alph Tech STUART 20:23, 2 Feb 2006 (PST)
    • I've yet to see anything...--TomEdwards 03:12, 4 Feb 2006 (PST)
      • Right-click friend to prompt for and view user details... --Alph Tech STUART 08:35, 4 Feb 2006 (PST)
        • Eh? I'm talking about when Steam is closed down to the systray. --TomEdwards 10:28, 5 Feb 2006 (PST)
          • What, you want the Friends list to appear in your tooltip? And what would you suggest to animate "Friend online"? --Alph Tech STUART
            • Maybe the Steam icon changing to a white stylised head and shoulders on black? --AiusEpsi

This would be very helpful, specially for multi-tasking people. Mikeym88

Selected list item appears white

• Selecting a contact makes their name appear white, as if they are online. This can be disorienting for a short moment when you glance at the list
• Colours should be different for selected and online friends
• Select an offline friend and quickly look at the Friends window
• TomEdwards

Extended Profile Options (Windows Live Messenger)

• I'd like to see a little more flexibility in the profile (Kind of like the Bnet short profiles which allow a location, gender, short description or link space) as opposed just to a name option and the sounds.
• RabidMonkey

Seconded VealCalf

Would be neat... Matveims

Seconded as well Mikeym88

• I don't want a messenger in steam but a friends list. Nickname, location and maybe gender would be important. But I don't think desc is. --Rotzi 02:47, 14 Feb 2007 (PST)

Make the "Add Friend" a one-page wizard

• When adding multiple friends, the task of searching for a friend and hitting the "Back" button quickly becomes tedious. I suggest that the "<user> has been added to your friends list, under the name <username>" message appear under the search field on the same page.
• Screenshot
• Lunchtimemama

Seconded EAi

This would be appreciated. Mikeym88

Highlight friends in the Server Info window

• Consider: I see a server in the Friends tab of the Server browser. I would like to know which friend is playing on that server.
• And consider: I see in the Friends window that my friend is in-game. I would like to know how they are scoring.
• At present: I must open the Game Info window of that server and hunt for a name I recognize.
• But what if: The Game Info window would list friends of mine in another color.
• Lunchtimemama

Doing this in in-game player lists would be good too.

I like this suggestion, but I don't think it would be a good idea to do on an in-game scoreboard, as some mods use scoreboard highlighting for other purposes - ReK_

Perhaps an icon, then.

If they use a variable to set the color any mod could easily change it. No problem. -Rotzi

Replace Options button with a standard menu

• When the friends box receives more options, e.g. mini-games etc, having just a single options button to access the functionality will be awkward, as it was in the Steam v1 'My Games' list.
• I'd suggest using a real menu system for the above reason and for consistency.
• EAi
  • As long as there are no such options it's ok the way it is, right? ;P -Rotzi

Friends and My Games windows docking

• The Friends and My Games (and maybe other) Steam windows dock to the task bar and window edge, but do not dock to the middle of a two screen set up. I'm sure many valve developers use two screens at once, so I doubt I'm the first to notice this (or maybe valve developers don't use steam!)
• EAi

Renaming Friends (Windows Live Messenger)

• "View User Details" and "Remove Friend" are the only options available to users in your Offline list.
• It would be nice to be able to rename these users (if only just in the list itself) so you don't have to keep track of multiple display names for one user.
• Inimitable
  • I second this - it would keep people from switching 'display names' to confuse people! It would be best if this information was kept locally - Hampster
  • Yes, would be great to rename your friends. Quite annoying like is at the moment. --Snafu.c
  • I would appreciate this too. Mikeym88
  • Appreciated. We need possibility to rename friends in our list! -Rotzi

Minimizing the in-game vgui2 windows

• Adding the action to minimize the child windows of the vgui2 interface while playing games would be a nice feature, that way the user can maintain a clean and organized view.
  • I assume this would be like minimizing windows in windows (in Windows (malkovich malkovich malkovich)) where it would just shrink it to a little titlebar-only window and move it to the corner? --Alph Tech STUART 08:35, 4 Feb 2006 (PST)
• underplay

The yellow line breakers shortened on both ends

• I personally think it would be better having them shortened instead of having them stretch right across the window, it looks more clean in my opinion. This also means bring the Collapse button tighter in.

Seconded. Mikeym88

Notification of Friend playing in chat window

• When having a chat window open with a friend and they are in-game, there is currently no quick way to join the game that they are playing directly from the chat window. Perhaps some quick button here (or subsequent simple hyperlink after the [playing 'Game'] statement) would work well.
  • Perhaps something like a shift-double click? --Alph Tech STUART 08:35, 4 Feb 2006 (PST)
• Hampster

Add steam:// Browser Protocol support

• Users should be able to add friends using steam:// links (eg: steam://friendadd/<account Name>). This would allow users to post "add me" links on webpages, etc.
• VealCalf

I like this. Added to Steam browser protocol#Suggested commands. --Alph Tech STUART 08:35, 4 Feb 2006 (PST)

Would be a good feature. Matveims 18:33, 4 Feb 2006 (PST)

Good idea, but should be noted that this would obviously need confirmation (else you'd see people putting it in iframes, or even in the motd window) Semi 16:10, 1 Mar 2006 (PST)

This is a must! Good idea. With a confirmation to add of course. -Rotzi

Friends count

• Simply put, the friends list should be able to count up how many users are in each group (current game, online, offline) and display them in the headers
• ts2do

See User:Alph Tech STUART/Friends Design --Alph Tech STUART 08:35, 4 Feb 2006 (PST)

Seconded Mikeym88

Appreciated. -Rotzi

Groups

• It will be useful if there will be the possibility to create personalized groups of the collected users/friends.
• hostfat
  • And include status within these groups, see User:Alph Tech STUART/Friends Design. That would be one thing currently lacking from MSN Messenger.
  • Appreciated. -Rotzi

Show Friend messages in chat stream

• Maybe the ability to see messages from friends in the in-game chat stream? I don't know.
• Alph Tech STUART
  • No. Too complicated and performance intensive. -Rotzi

Windowshare

• I should be able to quickly reallocate the amount of the window taken up by the chat pane vs. the text entry.
• Alph Tech STUART

Voice Chat

• The ability to speak to your friends through a microphone (especially while playing) would be beneficial.
• N1K23

I second this. Mikeym88

Problem... excessive, and easier ghosting. steamfraiser

In proportion to the ease of communication. Any ghosting prevention would logically apply to voice as well as text, anyway. --TomEdwards 09:34, 15 Feb 2006 (PST)

Ghosting happens no matter what, why impede functionality? I'd personally even like an option in hlds/srcds to remove the dead chat restrictions (so dead people can ghost with live people). All competitive teams are on vent ghosting anyways, its allowed and part of the gameplay. If they could at least use in-game you'd start to see it in demos and make for a better spectator experience and an easier time for reviewing old demos. Semi 16:38, 1 Mar 2006 (PST)

This would be nice! No more need for teamspeak or vent to speak with clanmates! Puls

Ability to start offline

• I'm sure some people would like the ability to start Friends offline, or to otherwise disable it on their account without going into offline mode across the whole Steam platform. Friends should remember if it was set to Offline when it was last used.
• TomEdwards

This is a good idea. Mikeym88

I'd prefer a "save last status" or "start in offline status" in friends options. So everyone can decide :) -Rotzi

Multi-user chats

• This idea wasn't mine but it's a good idea nonetheless. There should be 'group' chats so members in a clan or a group of friends can coordinate or talk while in a game.
• AndrewNeo
  • Question: Do we want a messenger or a friends list? Where does messenger begin and friends-list end? I think this is too much. Question of performance for me... -Rotzi

In-game Friends notices

• Suppose one is playing DoD:S.
• Suppose one's friend joins the server.
• Currently:
  • One (optionally) hears a notification noise.
  • One must escape to the main menu to open the Friends window and see who has joined.
  • Furthermore, if the friend's player-name differs from their Friends-name, one must open the Player List window and identify the friendly individual.
• Solution:
  • One (optionally) sees a brief message informing one of the newly joined friend.
  • If the player-name differs from the Friends-name, the message appears different.
• Lunchtimemama
  • I believe this would be up to the mod maker, which raises the question: Will Friends be pluggable? --Alph Tech STUART

There will be a full SDK [1] (http://www.steamreview.org/?p=38). --TomEdwards 09:34, 15 Feb 2006 (PST)

I would appreciate if this was incorporated in the actual Steam Client, not just some mod. Mikeym88

In-game Friends chatting

• Suppose one is playing DoD:S.
• Suppose one receives an instant message through Friends.
• Currently:
  • One (optionally) hears a notification noise.
  • One must find a moment of repose in the game, during which time one may receive additional Friends messages.
  • One must escape to the main menu to view the message(s) and respond.
• Solution:
  • One (optionally) sees Friends messages appear on-screen in a fashion similar to server chat.
  • One may press a key to respond in a fashion similar to server chat.
• Lunchtimemama
  • Or just throw it in the standard text stream, vis. my earlier suggestion. --Alph Tech STUART 20:20, 19 Feb 2006 (PST)
  • I like this idea a lot and would like to see it implemented. --Bøx

Offline Messages (Windows Live Messenger)

• I think it would be useful to leave offline messages to our friends, and when the user signs in, a sound would tell him that he has an 'offline message'
• Mikeym88
  • Or just display them to him. Question of performance I think, Valve will know :) -Rotzi

Adding Friends

• I think there should be more ways to add friends, namely, through a server browser list or in-game like before. Right now I need to find their steam account name or email address, which isn't as simple as it could be. It would also be nice to add users to your friendslist by SteamID. --AndrewNeo 13:54, 20 Mar 2006 (PST)

• I second the Steam ID thing because Steam ID's are usually displayed on clan and ladder sites and it could make contacting someone much easier.

--Steveukpwnz 06:22, 17 Apr 2006 (PDT)

Seconded make it how it used to be. Don

Open Protocol for 3rd party clients

• I think a second open protocol should be published so that clients like http://www.pidgin.im could implement a version. I think whenever Steam is loaded, it should not disconnect the 3rd party, but instead pretend it doesn't exist till Steam logs off. While I know Linux isn't supported, this is nice for Linux users, as wine eats up a bit of ram to leave Steam open all of the time.
  • +1. Actually, this page seems to imply that it's MSN/Windows Live Messenger, which Pidgin already supports. If it uses the standard wire protocol and auth, all we'd need to know is the server address. --Ryanb 01:09, 16 Nov 2007 (PST)

Implemented

Double-Click "ONLINE", "OFFLINE" & "IN GAME" to expand/collapse

• Observed: In the Friends window, the only way to expand/collapse the ONLINE/OFFLINE/IN-GAME groups is to click the +/-.
• Expected: Double-clicking on the group titles - ONLINE, OFFLINE & IN-GAME - should also expand and collapse those groups. Change mini games list for consistency also.
• Lunchtimemama