apparently there is a new option for players to block people from watching their EC games. I am filing this under bug reports because this is completely unbalanced. all EC, League, and tournament games should have the same viewing properties -- either all viewable or none viewable.

if this was implemented to deal with "lag", as I have heard suggested, then I suggest another solution that has been proposed many times in the forums: split the game log from the chat log and let a player elect to disable the chat log. heck, as a temporary fix, you don't even need a new UI element ... just let players choose whether chat is interleaved into the game log (as it is now) or whether it is redirected to /dev/null.

why is it unbalanced? Anyone can block watchers? There isn't a UI for it yet but the command is /sc ban in the battle.
If watchers really are causing lag it isn't because they chat. This is also a way to test if the watchers really are causing lag.

I agree that, in theory, because the option is available to everyone, it is not unbalanced. however, in practice, opt-in measures provide an advantage to more established players -- in this case, those who understand all the ramifications of a match being watched (deck composition, deck strategy, and the tactical information gained from the shared hexes).

First of all when I was in countryside and was playing on slow connection (also with lots of simultaneous downloads, etc.) I never had lag due to watchers. I played several games, with other players, EC games and against AI and all games was lagging same.

Watching EC battles is most enjoyable thing to watch.
Of course it's better for player to always disable watching to prevent spoiling his deck, but I don't like to take away possibility to see interesting battles. If player not disabling watch he have some disadvantage, so he forced to disabled it and it's really bad.
So please don't take away this enjoyable thing.

The only thing that might be helpful (as pointed before) is possibility to control chat, because it distract some players.
1) Simple variant: possibility to remove/hide chat.
2) possibility to ignore specific players or all except opponent.
3) limit watchers somehow to prevent them from talking with each other that sometimes is not related to game itself and distract players. This is more likely to proposal that magically fix everything, but I have no idea how to do that
Also want to add that even on slow connection/with army of watchers/whatever I personally don't need all this and flood in battle chat never bothered me, so this feature is completely not for me


P.S. I really don't like reading long posts. So sorry for long post.

I love the spectator ban.

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Looking for: Crumbling Alone (2)
Also looking for: Revenant Bishop, Osin Faith Healer, Pilgrim's Cairn, Avenging Angel (2)

Watching an EC match can be very cool!

The concern about spectators is valid on several levels. Strategically, and also sometimes because of distraction.

I was, and am, surprised that this was already an option. Does it kick out someone already watching, or just prevent anyone else from entering? Both players to activate, or just one? Interesting stuff for sure.

DarkJello

P.S. What recourse do I have if, during the course of a match, I have a reasonable suspicion that someone is watching my game while in a country illegaly? I mean, this is a major issue right now. What contingencies does jed have in place to deal with this issue?

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Ata, you only liek it because it was YOUR idea, mind you.

As much as I try to find some good in this, I find little in it's current state. I find watching games enjoyable, and who's really going to walk in and disrupt our matches (not counting that spammer dude)?

In all respects and with no offensiveness meant, I find this idea very silly with quite a bit trivial purpose, it is almost like ignore for only 1 game.

[quote="ZbladerI find watching games enjoyable, and who's really going to walk in and disrupt our matches (not counting that spammer dude)?
[/quote]

So... what you're saying is... get rid of the ban so that you can enjoy watching while the person that's doing the actual playing is going through hell due to the lag you're causing him and you end up enjoying watching someone timeout.... Seems like much fun.

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Looking for: Crumbling Alone (2)
Also looking for: Revenant Bishop, Osin Faith Healer, Pilgrim's Cairn, Avenging Angel (2)

I don't know if someone watching causes lag or not. If so, that is not good. But I don't have proof this occurs so holding out for facts from anyone in the know...

It is true that people can enter your game and talk enough that it becomes distracting. I myself may be guilty of entering a game as an undocumented watcher. Mucho apologies to anyone if I was bothersome while they battled. Please don't vote me off the island. And on a serious note, I am hungry.

DarkJello

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I, too, am hungry.