Welcome to the Wizard101 Message Boards


Player Guide
Fansites
News
Game Updates
Help

Follow important game updates on Twitter @Wizard101 and @KI_Alerts, and Facebook!

For all account questions and concerns, contact Customer Support.

By posting on the Wizard101 Message Boards you agree to the Code of Conduct.

Menu Chat Frustration

AuthorMessage
Survivor
Feb 15, 2010
13
I have been playing the game for a little over a month now. I am over 18 so I have all the chat types. I find it extremely frustrating to chat with players who have only menu chat. For example tonight a friend asked me to come help with a boss mob. I tried to go where he was and all I got was a message saying he was "busy". I couldnt find any phase in the menu chat to explain my dilema and he just kept yelling help, please, help, hello, help.

An explanation of the reason for "busy" would be great as well as something added to the menu chat for when it happens.

I hate to take these players off my friends list but sometimes it seems to be the kinder thing to do.

Adherent
Mar 12, 2010
2831

There is one answer on the menu chat that helps. "I don't have access to that area." Even though YOU might have access, it helps to let them know you can't get in for whatever reason.

But I agree. Menu chat can be frustrating.

Survivor
Feb 15, 2010
13
Thanks for the response. I will look for that one the next time it happens although it really doesnt fully explain what is going on. With a bit of searching I believe the "busy" message comes when someone is in a solo instance and if that is the case why doesnt it just say that. Then there could be a menu chat that states something like "you are in a solo instance, I cant help you"

The zone, by the way, was McTavish Hideout in Chelsea Court. I solo most zones and group up when players ask for help so I don't remember if that was a solo zone or not.

Explorer
Apr 26, 2009
70
I have actually gotten to the point where I won't friend anyone unless they have text chat. It's just too frustrating trying to communicate. It also is horrible to PVP with someone who only has menu chat, if you try to tell them what spell to use, the other team sees it!

Survivor
Feb 15, 2010
13
I have never done anything in PVP but I think that is just aweful. I really dont like to dis-friend anyone but it did today but only for their own sake. There is no way of saying "sorry I bailed on the fight but my game client crashed, again!!" or something as simple as " I need a moment to adjust my card deck and items to match the mobs we are facing"
There are so many things I would like to say but just cant find the right phase. So, for those of you who dont have text chat, and maybe for a good reason, we are so sorry.
On another note, for those of you who do have text chat, STOP asking me out!! I played an adult mmorpg for 4 years and never got hit on in all that time as much as I have in this game in 1 month. Really? Some people need to get a life.

Illuminator
May 22, 2009
1310
Recently, I and two friends went to battle Malistaire. As we went to enter the dungeon a menu chat person jumped on the sigil and joined our dungeon. This had us groaning. A menu chat person would mess up our traps, not understand what we had to do with the crystals.

Our first battle in that dungeon proved all our fears about him to be groundless. He surpassed all of us in the ability to use our wizards to the maximum of their ability. He was balance and used his skills to buff us with out us having to ask. Needless to say, our trek through that dungeon was quick, and mainly thanks to him.

Granted many of the menu chat people are kids and do have a hard time communicating, yet we must remember they must also get frustrated with not being able to communicate what they want. I also believe for someone to get a menu chat person up to grandmaster does take a moderate amount of skill. Face it, many of us with text chat will avoid helping the people with only menu chat.

I do not PvP, so do not have an opinion on that matter, but I can see how it would be difficult.

Just wanted to say that my recent experience in Malistaire's Lair with that menu chat wizard changed my opinion of the menu chat wizards and I will help them when if I can.

Hannah Lifebringer Level 50 Life

Geographer
Feb 27, 2009
889
superluther wrote:
Recently, I and two friends went to battle Malistaire. As we went to enter the dungeon a menu chat person jumped on the sigil and joined our dungeon. This had us groaning. A menu chat person would mess up our traps, not understand what we had to do with the crystals.

Our first battle in that dungeon proved all our fears about him to be groundless. He surpassed all of us in the ability to use our wizards to the maximum of their ability. He was balance and used his skills to buff us with out us having to ask. Needless to say, our trek through that dungeon was quick, and mainly thanks to him.

Granted many of the menu chat people are kids and do have a hard time communicating, yet we must remember they must also get frustrated with not being able to communicate what they want. I also believe for someone to get a menu chat person up to grandmaster does take a moderate amount of skill. Face it, many of us with text chat will avoid helping the people with only menu chat.

I do not PvP, so do not have an opinion on that matter, but I can see how it would be difficult.

Just wanted to say that my recent experience in Malistaire's Lair with that menu chat wizard changed my opinion of the menu chat wizards and I will help them when if I can.

Hannah Lifebringer Level 50 Life


Exactly. I have to admit, I cant have text chat because my parents wont let me . And i have to say, i hate menu chat. But i have proven alot of text chat people wrong about me, i can kick many of their butts easily. Although the slight difference, please dont judge us because our parents are protective of us, perhaps for reasonable reasons.

Plus I find myself alot smarter game-wise than some people with text chat. Its because although we may have to find ways around the difficulties, it makes us smarter. We find out how to do things and different strategies because we had to take more time to work on them. I know there are some noobs out there that are like duhhh, but please dont judge us because of a disadvantage in the game and take some time to know what we ARE capable of, and dont focus on what we CANT do.

Survivor
Feb 15, 2010
13
Let me reiterate, my frustration is with the menu chat phases themselves not necessarily the players who only have menu chat. I get it that they are younger players but not to say they are not good. I still have menu only chat friends. It has just been difficult to get across what I need to say sometimes. Take last night for example, a menu chat friend called for help. I was in the middle of a battle at the time and wanted to tell him I would be there as soon as I was done. The best I could come up with was "sorry, I'm busy" and "almost done". I wanted to say "I'm busy fighting" and "I will come as soon as I'm done with this fight" but those phrases aren't there. Then I needed a break after a fight and I didnt want him running off and starting another right away. There is nothing in the battle chat which would convey my needs and I had to hurry right after to find "wait a minute" which still doesnt convey that I needed to step away from the computer for a few minutes. He kept asking "ready?" "ready?" "ready". and of course there is no "I'm back"

So really my plea is for the Menu Chat only players to have patience with us Text Chat players who have to take time finding the right phrase unless KI adds a few more, which would be nice.

Survivor
Jan 09, 2009
6
IamLezul,

Your reply is very well written and I agree with all your points... that being said. I think you completely missed the point of this topic. No one in any way.. shape or form implied that chat menu players are unintelligent or don't play as well. It about how frustrating using menu chat is and that there are many times that the reply you need isn't even an option. I have this problem as well and I always feel terrible when I can't answer and the chat menu person doesn't understand why. I'm sure a lot of times the person thinks I'm being rude, mean or just plain ignoring them. We are asking for more options so we can play together more proficiently. Don't even get me started on filtered text. I couldn't even say hamburger or steak last week.

Historian
Jun 14, 2009
678
LynnB126 wrote:
Let me reiterate, my frustration is with the menu chat phases themselves not necessarily the players who only have menu chat. I get it that they are younger players but not to say they are not good. I still have menu only chat friends. It has just been difficult to get across what I need to say sometimes. Take last night for example, a menu chat friend called for help. I was in the middle of a battle at the time and wanted to tell him I would be there as soon as I was done. The best I could come up with was "sorry, I'm busy" and "almost done". I wanted to say "I'm busy fighting" and "I will come as soon as I'm done with this fight" but those phrases aren't there. Then I needed a break after a fight and I didnt want him running off and starting another right away. There is nothing in the battle chat which would convey my needs and I had to hurry right after to find "wait a minute" which still doesnt convey that I needed to step away from the computer for a few minutes. He kept asking "ready?" "ready?" "ready". and of course there is no "I'm back"

So really my plea is for the Menu Chat only players to have patience with us Text Chat players who have to take time finding the right phrase unless KI adds a few more, which would be nice.


I totally understand what you are saying. I too have now decided to not to accept menu chat players due to the difficulties it is to communicate with them. A lot of times I feel terrible about it, because I can't tell them why I am not accepting them.

It has nothing to do with how well they play. I have fought with some very good menu players. It is just frustrating to talk with them and unless you are very very familiar were all the comments are located, it makes it even more difficult.

The other day, I was in a dungeon and someone called for help. I couldn't find the phrase to tell them I was busy. By the time I found it, I missed my turn. In the mean time, this person kept calling for help and there was nothing I could do. I still couldn't tell them I couldn't come because I was in a dungeon and couldnt leave.