Lobby Update & few extras

[Wreckage]

6. Using the new lobby, 95+% of the time when it says "this game matches my preferences", it doesn’t. My suggestion would be that for it to match my preferences, it must match against my preferences of the last game I created.

This is something that should work, can you provide more details on this please, since your last preferences are saved for further tables.

When I open a new table, my preferences are saved from my last game, and that's really nice. But what I'm talking about here is when I'm looking for other player's tables to join. On most of the tables it says they match my preferences, but they don't.

What I really need most when I'm looking at the table list, is my first 2 points. When I play 6 nimmt, I am looking for table settings "strong and above", "tactics", "Pro", and the number of players. I also want to see the level of players already joined to the table.

If I see a table that doesn't perfectly match my preferences, I might decide to join. But how can we make these decisions, without seeing this information from the table list?

The new bell notification and such sounds like a great idea. I appreciate efforts for improvements. But the basic layout and usefulness of the page is not good.

Just stop developing the new UI and improve the existing lobby. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It just makes much more sense to have a lobby in a platform like this. For detecting games to play, you do not need a matchmaker, you need a better visual representation in the lobby. More information on the screen, which is the complete opposite of the new game page UI.

I agree with this. The old lobby is really, really pleasant.

The reason stated for creating a new lobby was because BGA noticed many new players would visit a game page before going to the lobby to join a game. This seems like a huge jump to a faulty conclusion that people are lost and can't find their way to a table. I may have looked around the site myself before joining a table.

[GTSchemer]

If I see a table that doesn't perfectly match my preferences, I might decide to join. But how can we make these decisions, without seeing this information from the table list?

It is the same for me. I do not want anything to make an automatic decision for me. Instead, as an experienced player, I want to glance over a simple, clear, full list of games and choose based one that is ready.

A common reason this no longer works well is that players accidentally create 8 empty lobbies of the same game, using the new interface, not realizing what the buttons do. Then, if someone joins these lobbies, they sit idle because the player closed their phone and did not realize they made a lobby at all. If this aspect could be improved to avoid creating extra empty lobbies that are not obvious to the player, it would be great.

The reason stated for creating a new lobby was because BGA noticed many new players would visit a game page before going to the lobby to join a game. This seems like a huge jump to a faulty conclusion that people are lost and can't find their way to a table. I may have looked around the site myself before joining a table.

Likewise for me. I may look at the game page occasionally, but virtually never because I want to play the game. I only visit a game page if I want to read about the game, read the description (which might no longer be possible with the new interface because elo overwrites it?), read the rankings, read the instructions, etc.

If I want to play a game, I click Play Now.

[Silene]

I appreciate that with the overhauled game-page, it is now possible to start a game directly from the game page. That's a good addition and good for people who are new to the site. It's not intuitive or complete for me (some vital information is missing complared to the lobby-view and the structure is not how I'm looking for things like most important stuff on the left side) - but if it works for beginners or people only interested in one specific game, I think it's good that this is now available.

However for players who play a variety of games, this can never replace the play now section where you have an overview of many games and open tables of them at the same time. I really hope the play now keeps staying there and getting improved.

[miklomike]

I can't stress enough how well other players have already expressed why the Play Now section is very usable and needed. I would never want to be added to a random game, I want to make the decision while quickly seeing what tables are available with what options and join from that list.

I always go to the game page of a new game before I play it, to see how long it takes, the info, the rules, maybe some images, and sometimes to see a table in progress. I have never needed to start a game from here. If I didn't like the game based on its rules or type of game I would leave and continue on my way. If I liked the game, I would add it to my favorites and head over to Play Now to try it out.

I consider the Play Now section the most important part of BGA and would likely not continue to use or recommend to friends without it. Please keep both versions, and don't feel that you need to force one or the other, sunk cost fallacy is very real and I worry for BGA. You are the new admins, you don't need to die on the hill of your predecessors.

[Shaggy4343]

So many games I accidentally start tables up as real time because of your new lobby. I generally don't want to be playing real time.
To my knowledge I have never played a Castles of Burgundy game real time, yet that is my quick replay option?

The default used to be different, now it's changed and we can't change it back.

All the other complaints about over-engineering a non-existent problem with a Microsoft-quality solution and Apple-quality configurability are also valid, but this is the one that makes me play less, and not want to pay membership anymore.

[Meeplelowda]

sunk cost fallacy is very real and I worry for BGA. You are the new admins, you don't need to die on the hill of your predecessors.

I signed up to give feedback when this was being tested. I said that I (and probably many other experienced users) would likely not use it. True to my prediction, months later I have never once used the new lobby to start a game since testing.

[Meeplelowda]

However for players who play a variety of games, this can never replace the play now section where you have an overview of many games and open tables of them at the same time.

This is the key and I don't understand why BGA doesn't get it. If you like to play less popular games that won't fill in seconds, being able to queue for multiple games at once is essential. Sometimes I want to play a specific game and will wait as long as it takes, but sometimes I'm perfectly willing to play whatever table fills first.

Surely BGA has site analytics detailing how often people queue for multiple games at once?

[miklomike]

The new toaster notification is extremely intrusive on mobile. I often have friends start numerous tables to play over the next week, and so have multiple invites come all at once. I was in a game and when i exited the entire screen was toaster notifications and I cannot get rid of them without accepting ou denying. I also can't see any info about the table I'm being invited to because the rest of the toaster notifications are still blocking 100% of the screen.

[nik592]

From today update, we introduced some small changes based on your feedback:
- when you are invited to a tournament table, the toaster notification now displayed information regarding the tournament, and you can snooze the reminder.

Does it? Cause I couldn't tell from the two notifications I just had for tables until I clicked on the game name and went to the game page. Before that I was wondering why random people are inviting me to games. I assumed it was a tournament, but this used to be very clear, and if it's there at all, it's now not at all clear. Can you perhaps explain where this information is in the toast?

[Janabis]

The new toaster notification is extremely intrusive on mobile. I often have friends start numerous tables to play over the next week, and so have multiple invites come all at once. I was in a game and when i exited the entire screen was toaster notifications and I cannot get rid of them without accepting ou denying. I also can't see any info about the table I'm being invited to because the rest of the toaster notifications are still blocking 100% of the screen.

I agree. It's very, Very, VERY .... $*$£$*@ ... !!!

Le site devient inutilisable. Soit tu acceptes, soit tu refuses. Mais comment choisir ? Impossible de voir les informations de la parties, tous les joueurs, etc ... impossible de discuter ... impossible. C'est vraiment très Très TRES pénible.
Pourquoi une si grosse fenêtre ? Pourquoi ne pas avoir une petite icône qu'on pourrait agrandir ou non selon notre envie ? Elle se place même devant les fenêtres de conversations ... comme si on devait tout abandonner pour répondre à cette fenêtre intempestive ...