I sympathize with Zwift when it comes to trying to stay ontop of the latest technology changes while balancing new customers - some with less than stellar devices - but that shouldn’t come at the expense of the current userbase. It shouldnt be too much to ask that when I log into Zwift I’m going to get a consistent experience to my previous ride. If something does change, we should be notified ahead of time and provided more consise detail than what’s being communicated today.
I’d like to point out that in addition to the proximity chat issues (among other issues referenced here), I’ve also experienced the change in sticky draft. I tend to free ride quite regularly; its quite jarring and something definitely changed.
The frustrating part is that after every update (or sometimes ride to ride) we’re left wondering if critical dynamics have been altered. It shouldn’t be this way.
I agree that the chat and draft problems have been very significant lately. The main reason I use zwift over other platforms is the community that has been built over the years. If the chat, and thus community, aspect is taken away… Then there is no reason for me to stick with only Zwift… I hope Zwift is able to fix the chat and draft problems soon. I also hope that future improvements to the platform are thought through and properly vetted to avoid creating new issues. It certainly seems to me that Zwift is doing what they can appeal to new customers at the expense of hurting those of us that have been with the platform for many many years.
It is already difficult enough to keep groups together without a functional fence. Now we cannot communicate with the entire group. Please make this a priority fix.
I agree, I have been doing group rides (200+ people) for the last year+ and they are a big reason I use Zwift. Until recently, communication on group rides was fine, but lately I get just bits and pieces of dialog from riders that are right around me. This really ruins the experience of the group ride where we could banter and joke around.
Mmmm, I wonder what type of approach would be best to get even a simple acknowledgment or validation of the concerns voiced by longtime zwift users within this post.
What exactly is required to get the developers to at least acknowledge this is is a problem? (And not a minor problem but a pretty significant one.) Honestly, I am struggling to remember any application/software I have ever used where there is so little communication between the developers and the community.
Everyone logging support calls/tickets and reference this thread???
Zwift seem to be quite allergic to acknowledging widespread issues and its certainly extremely rare to see them jump in with a “hey, you folks have identified something and we will look into it” like Flint is doing with the Zwiftpower issue. In fact the ZP issues are probably as important if not moreso than this but Flint is getting a bit of kudos for keeping the community updated … perhaps Zwift should look to their own team on how to provide good service.
Not sure what needs to be done to get their attention…though, as I said before, I do think if event organizers/teams complained that would help.
I did Stage 8 of AdZ today and noticed Eric Min was on the ride. I took the opportunity to politely mention the problem with the chat, he didn’t respond but who knows if he could see my message, lol. (Though I think he did though as he gave me a ride on.) Anyway, I put in a ticket to customer support today about this issue, perhaps if enough of us did so they would be more responsive. Persistence and squeaky-wheeling it may be required.
I have just sent through an email to support too. My group ride today with Tony Kanaan had him typing away while he streamed to Twitch so I could see when I wasnt seeing the messages he was seeing and sending. It was the most sterile group ride ever.
Indeed, you would think that Zwift would understand that at least acknowledging issues raised on here would go a long way towards helping communication and making their customers feel listened to. It’s not like they’d have to provide a timescale for a fix.
How would it hurt Zwift to acknowledge bugs? I don’t get it.
We are at a loss here, @shooj, on how we should proceed here. Many of us have contacted support directly in addition to chiming in here. Can you let us know what is going on with the chat issue?
As soon as the group ride is over, and we are brought back to the “open world” of Zwift I can easily communicate with any of the folks in the group ride.
This isn’t like the fence being broken, this is something that literally kills the social aspect of group rides, making them nearly irrelevant. If this isn’t marked as a high priority issue, it should be: the impact is wide and deep.
Something very odd going on with group ride chat.
zwiftalizer shows no network drops,
Log.txt shows no UDP Tx or Rx errors.
Using netcap on home network and can see the chat messages coming in with a destination of Zwift client machine.
If do a fan view of another rider in the group ride can see the group chat messages both on-screen and on the companion app but when switch to my view only see Rider Leader and listed Sweeper messages.
If this is truely a bug then I’m not understanding why we haven’t heard any acknowledgement from Zwift on the issue. Clearly they know about it by now especially with the TdZ happening.
Thank you all for keeping this thread active! It is one way to try to get Zwift’s attention on the issue.
As to what @Chad_Mercer said. I think this chat issue would be most apparent in regularly scheduled rides with larges groups of regulars and significantly less so in ad hoc events like TdZ.
There are groups of riders who regularly participate in regularly scheduled rides like Kiss at Base and BMTR Centuries/Fundos/Short Adventures. Friendships have been built over months if not years for many riders in these groups. It is significantly easier to realize that one’s messages are not reaching one’s friends than strangers in ad hoc events. As @M_cRib_servio so elegantly put it, he knew something was amiss when no one laughed at his jokes.
And this, I believe, is what makes the issue so frustrating to many of us. Others in this thread have pointed out Zwift group rides are one of the ways we keep in touch with people during the pandemic. Now it is significantly more difficult, if not impossible, to do with the chat issue.
I think all we can do is keep at it—keep the thread active and keep contacting Zwift Support—like what everyone here is already doing.
And some long-time Zwifters - as well as those who are newer - may be inclined to try and perhaps even switch to another platform. The banter and general camaraderie has been immeasurably helpful for many: both on and off the bike, not to mention the ability for Beacons of all colors to help others. All of this has been impacted.
Tried a full machine rebuild with windows 10 2H20 and a clean installation of zwift today.
Still the same within group rides, missing the banter, only get closest few riders, sweeps and lead messages.
