Request: Quick invite player via link

Annotation 2020-05-29 122951

I think OGS should copy this feature from Lichess. As a very casual chess player this is how I play most of my games. I click ‘Play with a Friend’, chose a time setting and then send someone the link. The sender and recipient don’t even need to create accounts, if they aren’t logged in then they automatically play as a guests (and the games are of course unrated). Often I will just post the link to a group chat and play the first person to click on it.

I would personally use this feature a lot if OGS implemented it. It would remove another barrier to casual games and would also speed up the process of challenging specific users. You wouldn’t have to go through the steps of finding out their username, searching for it, and sending a challenge. It’s a lot less clicks, which makes all the difference.

OGS already has the major advantage of being able to quickly share links of ongoing or finished games/reviews, so this feels like the logical next step.

16 Likes

I believe this has been pitched a number of times before. I personally think its a great idea. You outlined all the reasons above why it would be good for users, but you didnt mentiaon the net positives for OGS.

This may be a way to draw in new users, and its also an easy way to introduce new players who are wary abut websits they can play on. this could be a trial to see how the site works.

If it does generate new members then it may also be a means of drawing in more site supporters who love the website that much. It would also be a means of introducing more players to the forums, to really grow our wonderful community.

I honestly dont see any negatives in this.

9 Likes

I join that idea even if I am completely not a user of chess game and websites.

2 Likes

You’d still have to find them to send them the link though. And if you’re using other platform you can send link to the profile. So it’s not going to be fewer clicks.


Allowing anonymous play can give a little more room for trolling depending on how we implement it. It’s easier for chess because checkmates and draw claims are detected automatically, there’s no score cheating there.

2 Likes

If only registered players could send the link then only the recipient could be anonymous and presumably most of the time would be known to the first player. Would that solve this problem?

I think it sounds like a great idea.

2 Likes

I think you miss the point here. First it’s very easier way to invite to play go someone from outside. (And discover OGS).
Second it’s bringing someone new via a player of OGS and this gives some guaranty about cheating and so on… If you don’t trust your own members, who are you going to trust?

Btw the OP said “unrated” “guest”, so what’s the point to talk about cheating?

4 Likes

I think two unregistered players should be able to use this feature. That’s allowed on lichess. Your friend might say ‘hey let’s play chess’, and so you open lichess for the first time ever, click that ‘play with friend’ button and immediately be in a game of chess with them.

These anonymous players would only be playing unrated games with people who sent them a link to it, presumably someone they already know. They wouldn’t be in the automatch pool. Trolling wouldn’t be an issue. It wouldn’t even be necessary to have a ‘call moderator’ button available for these games. It would be just like if someone was trolling you in a casual IRL game. An unlikely event to happen, but if it does it’s simply an issue between the two of you.

3 Likes

This topic was automatically closed 91 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.