Friendly robber in Arena (again)

[Shinobu Rei]

My problem is the opposite. I hate it when people overreact when I steal from them the first 7 of the game when friendly robber is turned off in the first place. I even got into an argument with folks calling it a dirty move. I tried to argue that Friendly Robber is literally a setting that can be enabled but it's not for Arena, which means it's not a rule followed by default. But of course, no one was having that and both started stealing from me exclusively because I broke the nonexistent rule. (Nothing too bad though, they did self correct and targeted the others later but that was annoying.)

I wanna say it's somehow worse now that the setting is available. It was never the expectation in Arena when I was active last year.

I mean if people don't steal when they get the first 7, I do feel a bit bad and follow suit. But, having that assumption is annoying in more complex boards. Sometimes, I'm in a bad pick slot and if I don't steal-block early, there's no way I can even compete with the production if I wait for others to get to 3.

[Rixter83]

Im also against Friendly Robber for the reasons already given

Today I experienced a lot of hateful comments from one player, Notting was agreed on (I wouldnt agree anyway...)

I really dont understand what the benefit is of playing friendly anyway.

[ufm]

Just report the user and move on. Nothing you can do really.

[Nekojin]

I really dont understand what the benefit is of playing friendly anyway.

Friendly Robber, in a competitive setting, benefits the people who have the strongest starting position, helping to cement their lead.

In a casual setting, among players who are not competitive and not strong at the game, it allows everyone to get going without having their most important production stifled. But Arena is never, ever this sort of casual setting - it is empirically, definitionally a competitive setting.