Player count ranges gone??

[Romain672]

Yeah I was only talking for real time games

[Yasten]

Yepp, not we can't see how many players the table owner wants at least before they start the game. That's a big change for the worse.

It's also worse for the table owners as well. Because of they now attempt to start with their wanted minimum size, many players might decline and leave - as they wanted more players


Makes for longer waiting times, more frustration because of game starts getting declined

all games need to become premium, so non-premium players have no choice but to obey the table settings, thus reducing 'players decline to start'.

With the number of premiums, that might turn the site badder... Not everybody can pay for premiums if they have other hobbies and subs. Also, that would be tiresome for 2 player games as they get filled quickly a lot.

[Jest Phulin]

(I should add that we are not seing an increase of "refuse to start", so it seems that it actually does the trick).

I can understand this for real time games, but this is an issue with turn-based games.

Turn-based games require the player to accept the table settings before the table has been filled. If I join a 5-player game and agree to play to the end, and the table administrator starts the game with 2 players, I am suddenly forced into a game I do not want. Unless something else in the interface was changed, I have no option to refuse to start a game where the table settings were changed after I joined the turn-based table.

Exactly, for turnbased this is a bad move.
Sure, the tabler admin could before still change settings, but that required more clicks, thus was less likely to occur. Now it is just hit "start".

Actually, for turn-based games, no table configurations could be changed after someone else agreed to join. The "start game" button was disabled if the minimum players wasn't reached. Unless the start button is still disabled until the required number is reached (which would then make it useless, as when the required number is reached the game auto-starts), the problem I described still exists.

[voriki]

Actually, for turn-based games, no table configurations could be changed after someone else agreed to join. The "start game" button was disabled if the minimum players wasn't reached. Unless the start button is still disabled until the required number is reached (which would then make it useless, as when the required number is reached the game auto-starts), the problem I described still exists.

Well, I am not 100% certain as I never did it myself, but couldn't the table admin decrease the minimum players anymore, and THEN hit start?
Or was the lowering of minimum players alsa disabled?

[peshehod]

They say, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.

I would also prefer to be able to specify the range.
However, as a table administrator I have a workaround: I put a text like "5+ players" for Love Letter.
Can't say though that it takes less clicks no to open the table.

Aldo I think I've found one bug with this update.
I started a table for 5 friends via "play with friends" option.
The table opens, but it showed 3 as a number of players, although there were 5 invited.
No big deal. I could start the game as soon as they accepted invitations.

But the bug is: I couldn't add the sixth player! The system wouldn't let me increase the number of players, because that would mean I have to switch to 4 first, and there were 5 already!
Finally I had to expel one of the friends, after that it was possible to gradually increase the number.

And why it showed 3 in the first place? Probably, because when I was starting this game before that, I set the table for 3.

[Calmon70]

How about an optional checkbox next to player number on game creation: "Check for fix player amount"?

When checked, it will show it on the overview page as "This game will start with exact x players".

[Jest Phulin]

Actually, for turn-based games, no table configurations could be changed after someone else agreed to join. The "start game" button was disabled if the minimum players wasn't reached. Unless the start button is still disabled until the required number is reached (which would then make it useless, as when the required number is reached the game auto-starts), the problem I described still exists.

I actually just verified that the change of not listing the minimum breaks the system.

I created a table with a player count of 4. (table 194828402)
1 player joined.
I tried to decrease the player count to 3 and was given the red banner "you cannot change table configuration after someone else has joined."
I clicked "start" and forced the other player into a 2-player game.

This should not happen.

[Robgol]

I too don't think this change is positive.
In terms of UX it's much easier to set up a game's player range before starting than having to monitor it afterwards, needing one click more (now you have to click on view and then on start). In games such as 7 wonders where I find it ok to play in any range from 5 to 7 players and there are certain times of the day in live games when lots of players come in and out of the tables very quickly, to have the start button already on the "play now" screen when reaching the minimum amount of players was very handy.

[jenniweiss]

I also find this a negative change.

For the games I play, the table admins have tended to have a range in mind. I usually do not prefer 2-player games. If the table admin had created a 3 - 4 or a 4 player game, then the odds of them starting it with 2 players were low. I'd only join a 2-4 player game if I was willing to play 2 players. Now, the tables all look the same for admins wanting 2-4, 3-4, or 4.

The few extra clicks when setting up games are well worth the clarity.

[SardaukarWI]

I'm surprised more people haven't chimed in. This is a terrible change.

Chiming in. Terrible change. If the desire is simplify it to "I want to play with X players", then the game should ONLY be for X players.

Some games I do not want to play with less than a certain number of players. For example, Haiclue. I do NOT want to play this at 2 or 3 player. At least 4, preferably 5 or more. But now if I see a game open for 6 players and only the table administrator is currently in the game, I am not going to join that game. I do not want to get stuck in a 2 or 3 player game. I'll wait and check back later to see if it is still there and has more players. Even then, if I join and then other people quit, the table may start with too few people.

All games should have a fixed minimum and maximum number of players and these should be non-changeable once players have joined, just like the other settings. Period.