How do I block Cities and Knights Expansion on Catan

[Meeplelowda]

I have had this problem and it got me so frustrated because I couldn't play the game (didn't know how) and then I would lose tons of elo points and karma for quitting!

I emailed BGA Support for help and they responded with some instructions on Game Settings.

Basically, you have to select Expansion: Base Game and DO NOT MOVE the slider to green - green means you are Flexible on that setting. Mine was on green forever. It's a bit counter-intuitive, but put the slider back to grey - this means you won't be matched to any Expansion games during the matchmaking process. This means you will play ONLY base games.

I am still paranoid even though I have mistakenly accepted only 3 games out of hundreds, so I still make sure before clicking Accept. I think checking your Game Settings will help greatly. I haven't had a mismatch since I moved that slider from green to grey.

Alternatively, you can join games from the Play Now page where all of this is transparent and you don't have to fiddle with sliders and whatnot and guess what effect "flexible" will have.

[twiddly2]

ABSOLUTELY NOT. That's the worst way to join a game. Zero control over any settings.

[Meeplelowda]

ABSOLUTELY NOT. That's the worst way to join a game. Zero control over any settings.

You should quote who you're replying to. Your post appears below mine, but that can't be what you're responding to because using the Manual settings on Play Now you literally have control over every single option (if you know where to find them). Maybe you're thinking of the Automatic match making (if you're actually responding to my post), but even with that you can specify settings using the "I never want to play with" options, again, assuming you know where to find them. Either way, "zero control" is highly exaggerated.

[twiddly2]

ABSOLUTELY NOT. That's the worst way to join a game. Zero control over any settings.

You should quote who you're replying to. Your post appears below mine, but that can't be what you're responding to because using the Manual settings on Play Now you literally have control over every single option (if you know where to find them). Maybe you're thinking of the Automatic match making (if you're actually responding to my post), but even with that you can specify settings using the "I never want to play with" options, again, assuming you know where to find them. Either way, "zero control" is highly exaggerated.

We're talking about the same settings - I just specify them from a different place. Like I said, I just followed what BGA Support showed me in screenshots. They also checked my settings which are correct, so I appreciated that. I don't go to Play Now because I want to create the table. The way I am talking about is Games - Catan - Start and under the Start button are the same options. Player preferences are under Table Settings. I did however, also go to Play Now and manually set all the settings under the gear button.
I'm confident I will never see another Expansion board!

[Jellby]

I don't go to Play Now because I want to create the table.

Huh? You can create tables in the old lobby. If you want a premium game and you're not premium, you can also queue in the automatic lobby with your chosen options, but you cannot create a table anyway.

[twiddly2]

I don't go to Play Now because I want to create the table.

Huh? You can create tables in the old lobby. If you want a premium game and you're not premium, you can also queue in the automatic lobby with your chosen options, but you cannot create a table anyway.

I've been creating tables according to my specifications since I joined 697 games ago! I don't know what the "old lobby" is but I see it mentioned a lot. I just to 1 of the 2 games I play and click Start.

[Jellby]

The "old lobby" is the "play now" link. The "new lobby" is the game pages. As far as I know, if you are not premium, you cannot create a table in a premium game, no matter which lobby. The most you can do is create a search and wait for some premium member to create a table with your specifications. The "new lobby" probably makes it look like you're creating a table, but you can do the same in the "old lobby", just more explicitly by creating an "automatic" search with your specifications.

[nik592]

I did however, also go to Play Now and manually set all the settings under the gear button.

These settings only apply to tables you queue for from the old lobby (Play Now). They don't carry over to the new lobbies (game pages) from what I understand. However, the setting in the old lobby are much more granular and you can actually indicate the level of flexibility you want to have - whereas the new lobby flexibility slider basically means you'll accept ANY option along that slider (so your preferred game speed might be real-time normal, but setting the flexible setting means you'll also accept either real-time slow or real-time fast games - the only thing it respects is the difference between real-time and turn-based). That's why BGA told you to turn off the flexibility slider for the expansions.

However, to explain, if other expansions for Catan get included on here (eg. Seafarers), and if I know how to play Cities and Knights but not Seafarers, there's no way for me to ask for base games OR Cities and Knights Games but not Seafarers games in the new lobby. There is in the old lobby.

[Meeplelowda]

I don't go to Play Now because I want to create the table.

Huh? You can create tables in the old lobby. If you want a premium game and you're not premium, you can also queue in the automatic lobby with your chosen options, but you cannot create a table anyway.

I've been creating tables according to my specifications since I joined 697 games ago! I don't know what the "old lobby" is but I see it mentioned a lot. I just to 1 of the 2 games I play and click Start.

Despite what you think, you are not "creating" Catan tables as a non-premium member. You are joining a queue for tables started by premium members. Catan is so popular that there may not be a perceptible difference, and it "feels" like the table is being created by you.

You can create Yahtzee tables as a non-premium member. If you do this on the Play Now page with manual settings you'll notice that there will be an option to expel players from the table, which you only have if you are the person who created the table. Again, this difference may escape notice if you play with player counts that fill the table so quickly you don't see that option which Yahtzee probably does because it's so popular.

But if you try one of the less popular 700+ other games available you will see it.

[twiddly2]

Honestly still on the fence about joining as a Premium member because so many players are annoying in the game chat. I'm not paying for added stress! I am able to play Catan because I hv the board game. Even my children don't complain when they get robbed!