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HeroR

Banned
Dec 10, 2017
7,450
They're not as bad as people make them out to be.

Plus, you can add people who follow you on Twitter or Facebook with a click.

People here really makes a big deal of FC. I only used it exactly once since I got the Switch during launch. Everything else has been in-game invites.
 

Aters

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
7,948
The Switch is almost too good, so Nintendo have to remind you it's still a Nintendo console.
 

Lackless

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,137
Well I ever live to see the day where Nintendo's online infrastructure catches up to what Xbox Live was in 2008?
 

Captain of Outer Space

Come Sale Away With Me
Member
Oct 28, 2017
11,312
They're not really friend codes in the old sense, which were one per game and all had to be entered manually as there was no other way to add friends. Now you have social, and played recently etc.

And as I've said before, I find it much easier to type 0303 1557 3231 than Rekt_Bi11yTH3MAN!!
The Wii also had systemwide friend codes for a general friends list, but they also required them for each online game for some dumb reason. Nintendo just kept the first part of that for the Switch instead of the username system from the Wii U.
 

HeroR

Banned
Dec 10, 2017
7,450
Is it possible to send friend requests to randoms that you meet or play with in games? That method makes up a large proportion of my PSN friends list, so I'd be severely disappointed if I ever get a Switch and can't add people without jumping through hoops. For example, if you each need a 'friend code' on Switch, can you just send this information via a private message?

Yes. You go into your profiled, look at last played against, and you get everyone you played against recently. That's how I blocked trolls in Splatoon 2.
 

HeroR

Banned
Dec 10, 2017
7,450
My sons face was priceless when he asked how to add a friend on switch and I explained about the codes. When an 11 year old gives you a look that says 'what the fuck is this shit' you know you've fucked up. That's how Nintendo should test stuff going forward.

Weird, my niece added me to their friends list without using my Friend Code. They just looked up my profile.
 

Amaterasu

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
3,310
It's hard to get upset over them when I add people maybe once a year. Beats spending ten bucks to change my name...
Also helps that there's like four other ways to add people.
 

Deleted member 26535

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 30, 2017
836
They're not as bad as people make them out to be.

This.

It is easier to type some numbers than this:
7QCWE3p.jpg



Sometimes people complain just for the sake of complaining.
 
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Thrill_house

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,611
Would be a little weird if someone would make an era account and not have any of the previous and still want to add people they meet online.

*raises hand*

Era is the only social media I use. Facebook and twitter are a fucking plague I refuse to touch with a barge pole. I see where op is coming from, friend codes are some archaic shit. No party chat and friend codes being a thing is just Nintendo being stuck in the past at best and incompetent at worst.
 

Deleted member 3894

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
112
Just wanna point out:

Nintendo Account had you register a unique User ID which isn't tied to your Switch display name.
So this User ID could've been used in place of Friend Codes (which is what we initially assumed would happen, que mass scrambling to get your name) whilst still allowing the benefit of changing your Switch Username on the fly.

As it stands I have a Nintendo Acccount user ID, a different Nintendo Network ID linked to that account, a different Switch Friend Code and a different Switch Display Name.
Friend Codes are fine, but it's adds complication and convolution that didn't need to be there as there was a perfectly good system already in place.
This. A unique user ID is already there. Nintendo should let users add friends with either the FC (because the user ID is not mandatory) or the user ID.
 

Darkstar0155

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,162
The hate for F.C.'s is so annoying since 90% of the people that complain don't even understand how it works and all the options.

Its making a mountain out of a mole hill. There are MULTIPLE ways to add people that don't require them, and its no harder than swapping phone numbers for people.

And yes if your UN is simple, that is easier to remember, but there are more than enough people with names like "LinkzSwordzzz58368".
 

Darkstar0155

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,162
This. A unique user ID is already there. Nintendo should let users add friends with either the FC (because the user ID is not mandatory) or the user ID.
This wouldn't be bad either and I could get behind this argument (although still not a huge deal). Although your probably going to have a bunch of times when you search a name and get multiple people with it (are you LinkisCool with the red background or the white background?)
 

brinstar

User requested ban
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,263
I have never had to punch a single code in in all my time of owning this Switch. It sync'd up with my other nintendo devices and instantly let me import everyone over. Not only that, but I can actually see if someone adds me. Trying to compare it to the Wii/DS/3DS days is ridiculous.
 

Akita One

Member
Oct 30, 2017
4,626
Except they arent friend codes, and don't works as friend codes. A cat and a Tiger aren't the same animal.

Bingo. These aren't the same as the friend codes that people used to complain about.

They are literally usernames that Nintendo uses to take the away the same username issues that other platforms experience.
 
OP
OP
entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
60,006
I'm aware they are system wide coded. I have a 3DS.

My issue is that it seemed a step back since I would think they would have done the industry standard nicknames since they did that with the Wii U.
 

Deleted member 46429

Self-requested ban
Banned
Aug 4, 2018
2,185
Circumstances and motivation change.

A downside to using player IDs (e.g. Gamertag) is once a username is taken, it's taken. Using friend codes allows to not only freely change your username at will, but not be restricted by other people. Discord has a similar system, where your username has a four digit pin to disambiguate your name from other people with your same username.

I generally prefer a system like Steam, where you have a username to ID you but your display name can be changed at will, but we're heading in a direction where using a 'ID number' is more common so people have more flexibility with the names they choose.

I'll add I'm much more okay with how Switch handles friend codes than past Nintendo systems since there's more options to find friends. The impression I get is the code is for identification purposes only.
 

Oniletter

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,245
Their current implementation is absolutely fine and it's embarrassing that people refuse to see the difference between how the Wii did them and how things are right now just because they share the same name.

It's much easier to type in a string of numbers than to search for some variation of xXxSuperBrolyFanLP69xXx.
 
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Jonneh

Good Vibes Gaming
Verified
Oct 24, 2017
4,538
UK
It's an odd step back from Wii U's infrustructure which was based around usernames but it's not something I think about too often. Most of my additions have probably been done through Twitter and the occasional friend code request is quick and easy
 

beetlebum

Member
Nov 24, 2017
776
Brazil
I agree that friend codes suck, but...

I don't care if they made it so names were unchangeable
...this I have to vehemently disagree with. One should only take a quick look at the PSN username debacle that's been going for years (and Sony's recently announced solution of actually CHARGING for username changes) to see why this would be a really bad idea.

In an ideal world, you'd be able to add people based on an unique and easily memorized variable - say, an e-mail address. If the alternative is to do what Sony did, however, I'll take friend codes every day of the week.
 

HeroR

Banned
Dec 10, 2017
7,450
Their current implementation is absolutely fine and it's embarrassing that people refuse to see the difference between how the Wii did them and how things are right now just because they share the same name.

It's much easier to type in a string of numbers than to search for some variation of xXxSuperBrolyFanLP69xXx.

Honestly, the one thing I like is being able to chose any name I want without getting the infamous, 'this name is taken'. Not sure if this is the case with the other systems, but it's one of the reasons why personal username account got on my nerves.

So how does he search for someone's profile?

I was on my brother's account already. That and she saw me in Splatoon 2 and added me.
 
Oct 25, 2017
3,529
It's not really a step back as much as a step sideways. That's why it's both a weird decision and also not a problem whatsoever. It seems worse because Nintendo's online is genuinely bad in numerous, far more problematic areas. This isn't one of them, though. It's a perception issue, not a functional one.
 

Atreides

Member
Oct 25, 2017
94
Spain
Friend codes, as they are done on switch, are better than what Sony and Microsoft use. Steam could be considered better, and even that is debatable, because letting the user pick their identifier can backfire if it later needs to be changed because it is considered offensive. It could be argued that they are not the best option, but they are better than what most of their competition use, hardly backwards.
 

Kiter

Member
Oct 27, 2017
61
Switch friend codes are nothing like they were on Wii or 3DS.
On the old systems you had to add each other mutually, that was the actual horrible thing about friend codes prior to Wii U. Since Wii U you can send friend requests to people.
On Switch they are just unique identifiers like your PSN/XBL ID with the exception that you can change your display name whenever you like for free. Imo a much superior system to PSN/XBL.
Steam uses by far the best system though.
I don't see the problem with having a long switch friend code. Just take a photo and send it to your buddy, it's a one time thing... The pros far outweigh the cons for me.
 

Oniletter

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,245
Friend Codes coming back for Switch is one of those definitive signs that Nintendo has no idea what they're doing when it comes to online gaming
What a fucking dumb post. Nintendo's system is literally better than Sony's if you can manage the Herculean task of exchanging telephone numbers in real life.
 

Syranth

Member
Oct 28, 2017
962
I'm sure friend codes don't work for adults, but for my kids they are fantastic and I adore the practice. On the PS4 my son has gotten random friend adds and harassment. Nintendo screws up lots of things but the inconvenience of the friend code is far outweighed by the control it gives to parents.

People get so worked up over features that are there to help make people safe. You might want to accept the risk but not everyone does. Nintendo COULD however make some sort of opt out but that would be pretty complicated for how inexperienced they are in online.
 

HeroR

Banned
Dec 10, 2017
7,450
I'm sure friend codes don't work for adults, but for my kids they are fantastic and I adore the practice. On the PS4 my son has gotten random friend adds and harassment. Nintendo screws up lots of things but the inconvenience of the friend code is far outweighed by the control it gives to parents.

People get so worked up over features that are there to help make people safe. You might want to accept the risk but not everyone does. Nintendo COULD however make some sort of opt out but that would be pretty complicated for how inexperienced they are in online.

But it's really easy to get random friends request on the Switch. I get them all the time. The only thing you can't really get is random messages.
 

Boiled Goose

Banned
Nov 2, 2017
9,999
As implemented they're not an issue.

They were horrible on ds and wii.

Totally fine on Switch.

You can add strangers from games.
You can add using social media.
Unique code can be changed.
Single code per user

With today's tech (take screenshot, send) it's basically the same as a username, without having to worry about unique usernames and moderation

Switch online has issues. Friending isnt one.
 

Syranth

Member
Oct 28, 2017
962
But it's really easy to get random friends request on the Switch. I get them all the time. The only thing you can't really get is random messages.

But have you put your friend code online somewhere? I can say when my kids were younger (they are well past this now) they didn't have the method or knowledge to do so and that helped insulate them.
 

Big_Erk

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,359
Chief's Kingdom
There should be a two tier system where you have a "hidden" username that people can use to find you and add you then the public username you can change whenever you want.
My biggest issue with the friends infrastructure is that you can't directly join someone in a game or invite them from a game which is pretty basic stuff. At least Discord exists but it's dumb to not have that stuff natively.
Isn't this literally what the current friend code system is?
 

Sephzilla

Herald of Stoptimus Crime
Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,493
What a fucking dumb post. Nintendo's system is literally better than Sony's if you can manage the Herculean task of exchanging telephone numbers in real life.
Yeah, no. Saying Nintendo's system is literally better when I can't even send messages to my friends on Switch is when you need to dial down the hyperbole
 

Onilink

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,586
Yeah, no. Saying Nintendo's system is literally better when I can't even send messages to my friends on Switch is when you need to dial down the hyperbole

Yeah, yes. Who want to have "SuperGoku" or "Cristiano Maradona" as username can do it, and the username can be changed too.
And we are talking about username and how to add friend, why moving the goalpost?
 

Dekuman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,026
In this day and age where multiple mobile games continue to use friend codes, it's about par for course really and not as bad as mentioned as only one of you need to add the other. Something people always criticized the Wii for was both parties needed to add each other. But I feel like the objection has shifted to 'friend codes' as a catchall criticism with a moving goalpost.

Outside of that, previous connections via other Nintendo platforms. Nintendo mobile games like Mario run and social media also carry over.
 

Decarb

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,641
Its a dumb system and sole reason why I don't have that many friends on Switch compared to 500+ on both other systems.

lol@ phone comparisons though, its funny seeing people do backflips to defend anything.