Entering Game Chat Before Game Begins

by **Tarzanchuck** on Fri Dec 22, 2006 12:39 pm

[MOD EDIT: Over the years, several suggestions have been made to enable some in-game functionality before the game actually begins, i.e. while still waiting for other players. This suggestion has been REJECTED because of the amount of difficulties related to implementation compared with the added benefits. The main problem was pointed out several years ago by the former owner of the site:

lackattack wrote:Yeah I got rid of that for mainly technical reasons. If the game was dropped after pre-game chatter, you'd have orphan chat records (yuck) and to delete them would require defragmenting the entire chat table in the databse (ouch) because it is optimized for inserts only.

Note that really only the chat window and player stats could really be shown before the game. Showing what the the drop looks like would open the door for all sorts of abuse as people could join the game and (as long as they weren't the last to join) leave the game if they didn't like the drop.

So, by necessity, the only benefit of suggestions like these would be to allow the 2 to 7 players who are waiting for the game to start an area to talk to each other about life or whatever comes to mind. This is not much of a benefit compared to the costs of implementation.

Feel free to post here if you support this suggestion, but be aware that it is highly unlikely that this will be implemented. If you see another suggestion that should be merged with this one, please inform a moderator.

--agentcom]

I got this idea from a thread I started about getting rid of multis and it also goes into a RT game that I joined on accident, which really sucked for everyone else.

What if when you started a game there was a notes field next to it, for just some special rules? Like for instance, only allowing people with a minimum score into the game, or having a note stating that it's a RT game? By limiting the rank/score, we could eliminate some multis, since most multis don't have a high ranking 2nd player.

Also, it would eliminate people like me accidentally jumping onto a game that was intended to be a RT game.

Comments?

by **LazarusLong** on Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:11 pm

What if when creating a game the person was able to enter a short description and this was put in the game chat. Then this one line was displayed on the join games page.

I don't think there is any other way to get into the game chat before the game starts. You would need to add a new field to the database. Just a new hook in the start page and a new display on the join page.

by **AndyDufresne** on Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:14 pm

I misread the idea! Anyways, this idea was also rejected a while ago. As users would be able to put anything they want in there, up to a certain char. limit, and open to abuse.

--Andy

by **CreepyUncleAndy** on Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:37 pm

Possibly this idea could be enabled/unlocked ONLY for Players that have BOTH a high positivie feedback score > 24 AND a very low negative feedback score < 5. Or maybe 0 negative feedback and 100 positive feedback would be the ONLY way to place notes like that on a game of your creation....

by **wicked** on Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:44 pm

The feedback system is somewhat abused as it is, although we do our best to keep it legit. I wouldn't want to tie any "perks" to it and create more incentive to abuse it.

by **Tarzanchuck** on Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:42 pm

Open to abuse how so? You mean like using foul language?

by **firth4eva** on Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:02 am

<Subject>:

* Leave message in game chat before game starts

<Body>:

* Suggestion Idea: The ability to leave a message before the game starts
* Specifics: Say you were leaving for 10mins when you set up the game you could say it in game chat before it starts
* Why it is needed: Helpful.

by **firth4eva** on Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:06 am

wrong forum. please move

by **AndyDufresne** on Sun Sep 23, 2007 11:43 am

I remember a 'lobby' type pre-game was suggested a long time ago, but I don't think it was ever commented on.

--Andy

by **Herakilla** on Sun Sep 23, 2007 12:40 pm

you actually used to be able to do this, or rather i was. my first private game i entered, i put in the password and for some reason i didnt think i got in so i used the game find to find it again and clicked on it, the game hadnt started but i could see a blank map and could enter stuff in chat

by **lackattack** on Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:33 pm

Yeah I got rid of that for mainly technical reasons. If the game was dropped after pre-game chatter, you'd have orphan chat records (yuck) and to delete them would require defragmenting the entire chat table in the databse (ouch) because it is optimized for inserts only.

by **wicked** on Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:36 pm

lackattack wrote:optimized for inserts only.

by **AAFitz** on Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:38 pm

i was thinking of a joke there too, but since I only understood every other word, I couldnt come up with anything.

by **lackattack** on Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:32 pm

dirty, dirty, wicked [-X

by **vodean** on Tue May 15, 2012 8:39 am

Concise description:

having the option of entering a game while awaiting players
could get a feel for the map and chat with teammates

Specifics/Details:

naturally, you would not be able to see starting territories
could see more stats on players (some of the info from the wall, perhaps?)
could open game chat which would enable you to start talking and strategizing
on awaiting players page, would show drop game and enter game

How this will benefit the site and/or other comments:

could make strategizing and communication at the start of games easier, as well as provide info on other players

by **crazymilkshake5** on Tue May 15, 2012 8:46 am

Already suggested. by myself i might add.

so im all for it! :lol:

by **maxfaraday** on Tue May 15, 2012 8:56 am

Good idea, I'd like to see that.

by **agentcom** on Tue May 15, 2012 7:31 pm

CMS, why don't you link to that previous suggestion so that this can be merged and all support for the idea can be in one place?

I support this suggestion. I would add one other benefit: the ability to use tools like "PM team" or whatever it's called prior to the game. I've often wanted to get everyone on the same page before the game fills and it's tedious to do this by doing it manually.

I agree that you shouldn't be able to see starting positions. But I only came to this conclusion after I thought about it for a second. For those that might think similarly to my initial thoughts, the problem is that in, say, an 8-player game, a player could decide he doesn't like his drop or that another player has a better drop. This player could drop the game, tell a friend to try to join in a certain position, or try to himself join in that position.

by **vodean** on Wed May 16, 2012 11:20 am

crazymilkshake5 wrote:Already suggested. by myself i might add.

so im all for it!

sorry... i hope i at least gave a couple new ideas! :oops:

by **legionnare** on Mon May 27, 2013 11:39 am

Hey, was reading the Battle Royale thread and noticed that a lot of people have accidently dropped their game and not been able to rejoin. I've done this with normal games a few times mistaking the Drop Game button for an Enter Game button ( I do daft things sometimes).

With this in mind would it be possible to have it take you to chat log instead. This would let the waiting players have a bit of banter while they wait? Maybe even forge alliances like gladiators in the ring, uniting against a common foe before ruthlessly turning on each other when the time is right?

by **Shannon Apple** on Mon May 27, 2013 2:44 pm

Terrible idea. The idea of forging alliances in BR games is pretty lame to be honest. They are a lot of fun just as they are.

by **chapcrap** on Sat Jun 15, 2013 12:32 pm

legion666boss wrote:Hey, was reading the Battle Royale thread and noticed that a lot of people have accidently dropped their game and not been able to rejoin.

If that happens, it needs to be reported in the Bugs Forum. If you drop a BR, you should be able to join another immediately. Bugs Forum: viewforum.php?f=506

legion666boss wrote:With this in mind would it be possible to have it take you to chat log instead. This would let the waiting players have a bit of banter while they wait? Maybe even forge alliances like gladiators in the ring, uniting against a common foe before ruthlessly turning on each other when the time is right?

I agree with Shannon that making alliances ahead of time is a bad practice and should be against the rules if this were implemented. However, the issue with this being implemented is that if a game never starts, then there are no records of chat kept. I'm gonna go ahead and merge this with a few other threads.

MERGED:

Entering game before it starts

Leave message in game chat before game starts

Adding a notes column next to new games.

AND REJECTED for this reason previously listed by our former leader:

lackattack wrote:Yeah I got rid of that for mainly technical reasons. If the game was dropped after pre-game chatter, you'd have orphan chat records (yuck) and to delete them would require defragmenting the entire chat table in the databse (ouch) because it is optimized for inserts only.