Auto-start + spectators chat + many little things (May 8th update)

[nosoup4u]

I love this website and all the work that's been done, and especially how well it's been working with the increased traffic lately, but... I just don't understand the muting all spectators decision. Like 70% of my activity on this website is sitting and watching Terra Mystica games, haha. Without knowing the reason why spectator chat was disabled and what problems it was causing I can't really comment on the best solution, but it seems like either having it allowed as an option when creating a table or any of the muting suggestions thus far would be much better than just a blanket ban on all spectator chat.

Hope the feedback here is listened to and they find a better solution.

[Otithes]

In my opinion, neither of these changes is helpful.

Auto-starting tables pretty much defeats the purpose of allowing manual table management in the first place.

Muting all spectators just feels unnecessarily hostile. Like many here, I sometimes drop in on friends' tables to say hi, or see if I can join the group for the next game. I like when others visit my games, too. Why institute a blanket chat ban for spectators, instead of simply allowing the players to mute/kick any troublesome spectators? I personally can't remember the last time a spectator misbehaved.

[Baroness]

Many small improvements today (May 8th 2020).

Auto-start

Now, when a realtime game table is full, you go automatically to the "accept game start" screen.

Spectator chat

But there are more situations where this is causing problems than the opposite. And in real life, you would not want to let anyone come and start discussing around your game table while you are focused on your game.

Many small things and fixes

The Auto-start and the Spectator chat ban are very good improvements.

I've been frustrated about waiting for the table to start when it's already full. I don't think 'managing the table' is a common need. The table setting could be set beforehand to prevent 'undesirable players' (ie low reputation). Besides, the table creator can expel anyone (except the last joiner) before the game auto-starts. Needing to expel the last joiner is probably a rare case, not worth the hassle.

What's frustrating for other players too is seeing the table full, then the table creator gets picky, kicks out the last joiner, and the rest of the table gets too wait even longer for the table to get filled and for the game to start - a recipe for leaving the table, which just execerbates the problem.

As for the chat ban. I really like these. Chats are annoying during the game. I'm concentrating on the game, and some random chat pops up. So distracting - more distracting even it's from spectator who's not even a player.

[Ankeszu]

making the allow/forbid spectator chat a facultative option when creating a table. And/or just allow players to mute specific spectators. It's really really rare to have a spectator trolling. It's a bit less rare to have a spectator talking a lot with one of his friend's playing (and most of the time it's just not disturbing at all). Edit : and to adress Sourisdudésert's exemple with irl games, I want to say I absolutely don't mind a spectator in an irl game. It's part of the conviviality of boardgames.

I and friends often use the spectator mode to watch each others Hanabi games, we sit and say hi, maybe have a bit of a chat.
It helps a lot in setting up the next round, by asking if I can join the next game players then indicate if anybody plans on doing a rematch/leaving.

If it would be possible to make this a setting where players could choose not to see the spectator chat or kick spectators that would be awesome.

I've personally never had issues with spectators. And if I would then a (personal) red thumb would be the solution.

To me this does not feel like an improvement, rather the opposite. I appreciate all the effort you guys put in, so this is nothing against those that work hard to make this site. Just wanted to express my opinion on the matter.

+1 or +million

This sudden change resulted in me(player) receiving request on PM from spectator (friend of all players) to send "say the rest hi from me", and if the change sit here long, there will be more of game-related PMs that distract far more than the spectator chat. Not to mention the social part of the site will go down... possibly with players moving to another websites. If spectators aren't allowed to chat, why are they even allowed to see our chat, and why are we seeing them around table anyway? If you want to stop them from "interfering" our games anyway, why do we even need info they are around? (That's not my idea of solution, that's my way to show how absurd this "no spectator chat at all" policy is.)

I think the solution would be to have an option when table creating to disable spectator chat. I would love as well a button option to TEMPORARLY disable any chat in game (for the player requesting it), to not see it - to not be suggested by anything on chat and/or distracted. It could go together with "[player] temporarily disabled chat" (and later, "turned on back the chat") message in chat for others. (That could actually work as a great solution for whole game for players who doesn't approve chat at all, and help people who are interested in.)


For autostart I don't have an opinion, I haven't noticed it yet, though probably agree with the arguments against.

[hakha3]

I dont like spectator chat change, I like to sometimes come to my friends table and say hi and for example say that I will play next game. I am from hanabi crew which already said some of their opinions about this change and I think hanabi as coop team game makes that you have more relations with other players you like to play with. I imagine that probably in most of other games where you play solo specs are rather annoying. So I would advice either letting spectators chat in Hanabi or do fix which someone suggested to have personal settings if player wants to see spec chat.

Auto-Start seems like terrible idea. Like if Host is online he will start anyway (you prolly just save 3 seconds before he clicks start) and if he is afk either way you need to wait for him, additionally I like that when game is starting all tabes changes into ready page which is cool, but what isnt that you cant escape it until someone press not ready or everyone press ready. Being interrupt during writing messages and not being able quickly to go back is annoying me. I sometimes would start later to finish writing message. Also really you sometimes would like to see who is last player joining and being able to kick him (especially that you made recently that when you rematch table lose their restrictions and people join my tables which I didnt want). If some players like auto start maybe make that as possible table settings. Btw I havent played with auto play change yet, I hope it doesnt auto start game with full players, when it was already refused

[ppsantos]

I like the auto-start improvement.

I play only 7-player 7 Wonders, so I wait for tables that has seats up to 7 players, not joining early because the game might be started with fewer than 7 players. But when it gets full with 7 players, sometimes, the players end up waiting and if the wait is long before the game starts, people just leave, ending up with fewer players. That's frustrating.

Even in other games, when the table is full and it does not start right away, people start wondering if the host is afk, or if the host does not want these many players, etc.

I like the auto-start, lessens the frustrating wait.

As for spectator chat, they are not part of the game. They could watch but talk to players, I don't know if that's even necessary. Maybe make it so that after the game, everyone (including spectators) would be able to chat (in case they want to join a rematch, etc). But during the game, spectator chats for me are distractions, best prohibited.

[Deranged]

So that autostart thing?

That pissed me off enough to seek a place to complain about it.

I play quite a it of Hanabi on this site, and I'd like to know who I'm playing with, whether they know Finesses if thats an issue, I want to know WHY their karma is so low instead of simply banning them from entry (as karma says little of how pleasant a player is), and most importantly I want to know all the players at the table are non-assholes! Also, if the table chief is slow to hit that button, they've probably got a reason for that. If the people think it's taking too long, let them get another table.

Besides, just yesterday somebody entered my table, which triggered the autoplay criteria, but he then declined to start, getting us back to the normal pre-game page. But that loaded slowly, as if the site itself was confused about what was happening. Then they left and entered again, to have the same exact thing happening. I mean this was probably not on purpose even if it was *)&%$)* annoying, so just think of what someone with a nefarious purpose could do with that?

Spectators Chat I can see the reasons for - there's probably a few more bored, unpleasant people on the website than normally, and those might interfere with games in a negative way. I have not yet experienced this. In fact I've only once had a negative experience with spectators and that was some three years ago! Does that really outweigh not being able to speak at tables to discuss game settings, being able to ask for a seat in the next game, to just say hi to a friend? Two friends of mine started a game without me just because I couldn't ask them to wait up one minute.

Okay complaining is one thing, how about solutions?

Why not add a tickbox to mark if you want the game to autostart? Shouldn't be that hard!

And normally you could turn off chatty people from outside the game, right? With X's if they did something stupid or annoying? Well why not just turn that around - make spectators unable to speak unless granted permission by those on the table? I mean we know you can toggle between sound and silence with the click of a button, you've offered that for years!

I really hate Autostart. I mean I don't like the chatty ban, but I straight up hate Autostart.

[Deranged]

Yeah I almost forgot to preface my rant with "you guys are terrific in general, and how you've managed to keep the site afloat during times of Corona is quite a feat! Keep up the good work!"

Well, almost, I actually did forget to do that. But I do love this site, it's very clearly the best online gaming platform for me, in terms of scope, accessibility and players. I'm not a fan of the new table lobby system, especially with all the tables jiggling at me and the weird way it works, but it works for others, apparently.

And in real life, you would not want to let anyone come and start discussing around your game table while you are focused on your game.

In general: yes i do want them to come and say something. For me this is still most importantly a social situation . If for some reason I want nobody disturb the game it's good to have an option to switch it off (like already suggested by some).

Also, in real life, I either love for people to come join the table and even discuss the current board state, or I ask them politely to be quiet on the matter. In case of friends, sometimes impolitely . It's a matter of respect. They don't spoil my game, they add to it - and when they don't or can't, they just apologize and watch, or move away again.

In general, I'm here to play games, but I'm not here for the games - I'm here for the people I play them with. Both of these changes are completely at odds with that.

I hope these changes get rolled back (highly unlikely) or adapted to be opt-in (possibly), because I'd love to keep using this wonderful site and not grumble about it.

Cheers!
Deranged.

[Shaid]

I keep watching the answers ... eager for a solution ... these changes are really diminishing a satisfaction ...

I respect the people who said they like the change ... I saw only two reporting something like this ... but I reiterate that the arguments spoken by them are easily resolved with buttons on the table to "silence chat" ... and a button before the table with the option "enable automatic startup"

ps: I'm using a tool for automatic language change. could someone give me feedback if the messages are clear?

once again, thank you all the BGA team for the great job they do.

[Deranged]

ps: I'm using a tool for automatic language change. could someone give me feedback if the messages are clear?

once again, thank you all the BGA team for the great job they do.

Nah man, still English .