Board Game Arena

So I was playing an Arena game of Catan when a spectator joined and started offering suggestions on strategy that caused the other players to target me. Is this appropriate behavior? When I raised the issue of whether this was standard BGA etiquette one of the other players started acting rude and offensive, and doubled down on targeting me even when I was not a threat to victory.

So my question is: IS there an established protocol for kibitzers? Should someone be encouraging a change in game play when they are not in the game?

Genuinely curious!

nOOless cluebie wrote: ↑12 June 2023, 02:40So my question is: IS there an established protocol for kibitzers? Should someone be encouraging a change in game play when they are not in the game?

If it would be poor form over the board, the equivalent behavior doesn't become acceptable just because it's on BGA. Obviously, the difference is anonymity allows people to be jerks without consequences.

So IS it poor form for a spectator to make comments on strategy? I can see it as a gray area if someone is seeking to learn how the game is played, but I see no benefit to expressing information like “everyone should target orange and put the robber on his 9”
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In my opinion this is poor behavior. It would try to report this, but I am not sure which categories for reporting there are and if any matches.

Even in regards to giving some strategy tips to learn the game, this should only be done when all players agree on this. Especially when it comes from an spectator.

sesc wrote: ↑12 June 2023, 11:29 In my opinion this is poor behavior. It would try to report this, but I am not sure which categories for reporting there are and if any matches.

Even in regards to giving some strategy tips to learn the game, this should only be done when all players agree on this. Especially when it comes from an spectator.

I fully agree.

Poor etiquette anyway, and way worse because it happened in Arena, which is supposed to be for competitive play.

I would red thumb the spectator.

GeraldineMerida wrote: ↑13 June 2023, 05:08 I would red thumb the spectator.

Can you red thumb someone who is only spectating (and you've otherwise never played with)? I know I've tried to give some of my RL friends green thumbs when they join BGA before we've even played our first game and it says you can't til you've played with them.

I'm just curious anyway. If not, then reporting is probably the only option left, if there's a suitable category for it (which I agree, there should be).

Why is it even necessary to allow spectators to chat at a table? Let them see the match and read the chat, but don't let them write in the chat.

nik592 wrote: ↑13 June 2023, 13:36

GeraldineMerida wrote: ↑13 June 2023, 05:08 I would red thumb the spectator.

Can you red thumb someone who is only spectating (and you've otherwise never played with)? I know I've tried to give some of my RL friends green thumbs when they join BGA before we've even played our first game and it says you can't til you've played with them.

You can give a private red thumb. Unfortunately, not a public one (which counts towards their karma).