How to avoid Arena games?

[TicketyBoo]

I keep being put randomly and without warning into Arena games, which I don’t want to play. I am trying to play a normal friendly game, and I find myself in some kind of league. I really am not interested. Is there a setting somewhere that I have missed?

[Ceaseless]

I keep being put randomly and without warning into Arena games, which I don’t want to play. I am trying to play a normal friendly game, and I find myself in some kind of league. I really am not interested. Is there a setting somewhere that I have missed?

What do you mean? I didn't see any Arena games from a brief look at your history.

[Mathew5000]

I keep being put randomly and without warning into Arena games, which I don’t want to play. I am trying to play a normal friendly game, and I find myself in some kind of league. I really am not interested. Is there a setting somewhere that I have missed?

Please post a link to some Arena games you played recently; this might help to clarify the problem. In general, if you go to https://boardgamearena.com/lobby and choose SIMPLE GAME from the drop-down menu on the left and MANUAL from one on the right, there's no reason you would be automatically put in an Arena game (though it may then give you an option to play in Arena).

[TicketyBoo]

Thanks for your answers. I play a lot of TTR, so “recent” history may not show.

These are games that you can’t refuse (unless you persuade the other player to abandon the game) and at the end instead of normal scoring you get bronze or silver shields and a notification of how well or badly you are doing in the league.

Next time I will take screenshots.

[nik592]

You only play Arena games if you request an Arena game or if you join an Arena game. My guess would be that there may not be a non-Arena table available and the UI is suggesting an Arena game to you. That said, I don't know how you tell, particularly as I don't use the new lobbies (game pages) to setup my games. But I play quite a bit of Arena and plenty of non-Arena, and I've never had Arena games I didn't request.