No party system to play with friends? [ Edited ]

[Shamrock6699]

Bought the 360 version and there is no option to create a party before entering the matchmaking that I can see.  The only option I've found to play with a buddy is to join matchmaking by yourself, play a entire game, then try to invite them in as soon as the game ends and you back in the lobby waiting for the next game to start.

Next problem is the game doesn't seen to let friends join within 30 seconds of the match starting.  I've tried several times to invite a friend as soon as your back to lobby (you have about 60 seconds before next game starts).  My friend accepted the invite at 55 seconds, and the game just won't load fast enough for him to get in by the 30 second mark (at which time he gets a pop up saying joined failed). 

Again, my beef isn't with the matching issues (I've experienced them) and know they are being worked on, my issue is how the heck are we going to play with buddies on the same team?  Am I to understand that this is designed to be a 12 v 12 multiplayer game, that takes extreme teamwork and were forced to play every game with randoms?  PLease let us know if this is going to be fixed because I've already have numerous friends waiting to buy the game until we can confirm we can play with friends, even if it's a smaller group like being limited to 3-4 to a party to join matchmaking. 

[lonewahya]

Those interested in playing MP with friends should hold off on purchasing until this issue is addressed by EA. Shamrock's solution may indeed work but is a poor substitute for a friends lobby system and bringing a party into the PvZ experience. Seems to be a "sloppy" port to the 360.

[SnitchMob_Fox]

I agree very sloppy port to the 360, the game was made for the ONE early for Microsoft and slapped together for the 360 without proper testing...how do you allow a game to be released without being able to play with friends in multiplayer?Seems like a big issue that would need to be addressed ASAP. Hope something changes soon otherwise gamestop is gonna be full of used copies of this game.

[accualt]

Same exact problem.  Two of us sitting on the same couch (playing on seperate 360s) spent 20 minutes trying to join a match together and were never able to.  This is unacceptable.  I had been hyping the game at work trying to convince peopel to get it so we could all play together like Battlefield but now I feel like an idiot since there is no party system in place.  Such a huge dissapointment.

The most confusing part is they all ready have a squad staging system in place with the co-op portion of the game.  My hope is they can use that infrastructure to make a quick patch that allows a squad based system like in Battlefield.  Without it I really can't recommend the game to anyone.

[picklebird_101]

Create an Xbox Party and then enter a game mode.  Your friend should be able to join then.  

[lonewahya]

@ pickle Not on the 360.

[RobbyMac20]

I have the same issue and I have the xbox One.  This game must implement a lobby type feature, or it will be a bust.

[picklebird_101]

Start an Xbox party or create a game and send an invite to that person.  It works on 360 I tried 

[Lnin0]

I sm seeing same issue with 360. Tried for 30 minutes to join my wife in a game. No go. Do not get option to invite friend, invite party or join friend when in a match - even when looking at open slots on scoreboard. These options are available when friend is in lobby between matches but, as Shamrock said, the game will give you an error that game is in a mode or between maps and unjoinable.

This has to be the most frustrating multiplayer setup I've come across in a decade which is crazy considering this is a multiplayer only game. I don't find garden ops as enjoyable as competitive mp but if I cannot play with friends other than by random chance I want a refund.

[quarantinedfoxx]

This is such **bleep**ing bull**bleep** AGH I want my money back or I want people sued, the fact that this can even happen in this day and age is ridiculous. Let alone a direct exploitation of the consumer who bought this thinking it was a team based shooter/team driven game. The fact that you can invite people to a Garden Ops game and not an online party just reeks of developer laziness, I want to get laws about game release and see if there's anything that can be done about this cause I just wasted 60 mother**bleep**ing dollars of my hard earned money on two copies of this game for me and my friend and we're both not able to play with eachother 90% of the time, I just wish this didn't **bleep**ing happen with every **bleep**ing EA title.