Board Game Arena

FrankJones wrote: ↑14 May 2026, 18:44 We do not choose our Arena opponents! There is no need for the 3-wins penalty in Arena games.

Well, we also don't exactly choose opponents in obscure games with tiny player base. But penalty is the same everywhere.

For arena, it would make more sense for red thumbs to be ineffective (as if I'm not mistaken you can currently avoid certain players by red thumbing them) and remove the decreased Elo penalty. Given that you wouldn't be able to pick your opponents anymore, there wouldn't be much justification for it.

tbhp wrote: ↑16 May 2026, 15:59 Given that you wouldn't be able to pick your opponents anymore, there wouldn't be much justification for it.

Can't you?
Don't you now have an accept screen, so it would be pretty easy for someone using two accounts to avoid being matched with someone else?
In any case, with not-too-popular games it takes a while to be matched. Someone with two accounts can easily ensure that the two will be matched. Much more if using custom game speed filters.

Jellby wrote: ↑16 May 2026, 16:23

tbhp wrote: ↑16 May 2026, 15:59 Given that you wouldn't be able to pick your opponents anymore, there wouldn't be much justification for it.

Can't you?
Don't you now have an accept screen, so it would be pretty easy for someone using two accounts to avoid being matched with someone else?
In any case, with not-too-popular games it takes a while to be matched. Someone with two accounts can easily ensure that the two will be matched. Much more if using custom game speed filters.

For Arena games, whether real time or turn based, you get randomly matched.

And there is no accept screen - the match automatically starts.

For real-time Arena games, there is an accept screen.

FrankJones wrote: ↑16 May 2026, 18:54 For Arena games, whether real time or turn based, you get randomly matched.

You get randomly matched, but if you enter two accounts simultaneously in a game that's not too popular, they will probably be matched, especially if you have the same restrictive speed setting in both.

And there is no accept screen - the match automatically starts.

So they introduced the accept screen (in the last few months) and they removed it already? Or am I dreaming/misremembering about the accept screen?
Release October 9th, 2025: https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewto ... 69#p228969

h_illes wrote: ↑16 May 2026, 19:17 For real-time Arena games, there is an accept screen.

I didn't realize that. I seem to be having a recall failure - I have played real time arena, but not recently. Apparently, I am mis-remembering.
So, 3 players could, in fact, do point-dumping in arena, and not just for Elo, but also Arena points.

Jellby wrote: ↑16 May 2026, 19:18
So they introduced the accept screen (in the last few months) and they removed it already? Or am I dreaming/misremembering about the accept screen?
Release October 9th, 2025: https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewto ... 69#p228969

No, you two are correct, I was mis-remembering. Or maybe back when I played real-time arena (It was a long time ago), this had not yet been introduced? Yeah, I did not play any real time Arena after October 9 2025.