Increase lobby match timer when crew joins

[pandatopia]

It is extremely annoying to have the ability to join a game with 1 second on the timer, before you can check loadouts, before you can check ships, before you can select your team, before you can coordinate with your captain, etc.

Unless you join a game w/o max captains, its a lottery where if you win you get to be the third gunner on a ship and have lochnagar rounds for the hwacha.

There are several solutions to this:

1. Increase match timer by 10 seconds whenever someone joins.
2. Raise match timer to 30 seconds whenever someone joins.
3. When games are under "countdown" new joins will auto go to the spectator slot (this is my least fav solution...it doesn't address the problem)
4. Allow people to see match countdowns on the match list screen. This is problematic because that screen is delayed anyway.

Thanks!

[Squidslinger Gilder]

+10 Gilder points to Pandatopia.

[Andika]

This idea was brought up before, but the 'adding +10 seconds or so' idea was abandoned because it could be used for trolling. (Somebody won't let the game start by constantly reentering and resetting the counter, etc.) I would however appreciate an option where players simply cannot join in the last 5-10 seconds, only when the match has already started (maybe with a screen notification saying "this game is about to start, please wait"). Then you could choose ship/loadout just like now when you join an ongoing match.

[pandatopia]

I kind of understand the trolling argument, but

1. You don't want to play with those people anyway.
2. Captains can already do this, and noone ever does, except to reasonably grant themselves more time to deal with crew loadouts, most often from, again, this exact problem, people joining last second.

Since we don't allow kicking etc, because we trust the community enough, this seems like a good use of that trust as well.

I am 99% confident this will NEVER be used for harm, at least persistently.

I'm also okay with the "this game is about to start" lockout, this is a good solution as well.

[obliviondoll]

Match start timer increases by 20 seconds if the following conditions are met:

1. The time is less than than 30 seconds, AND
2. A NEW* player joins the lobby.

*The game should keep track of the last 3 people to leave the lobby, or anyone who left the lobby in the past minute. Returning players wouldn't reset the timer.

Problem solved?

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Want to know how to stop trolling? Put a cooldown so if they leave and join multiple times they won't be able to rejoin the match again for a set time that increases if they keep doing it. Cooldown only activates when the timer starts to begin.

[-Mad Maverick-]

up vote! how does the internet work?

[-Mad Maverick-]

like button...?

[sparklerfish]

THIS.  So much this.  Resetting the timer to 30 seconds would be perfect.  That's long enough to tell them at least what class to be and suggest a loadout.

[obliviondoll]

like button...?

SALUTE!

[Hoja Lateralus]

Match start timer increases by 20 seconds if the following conditions are met:

1. The time is less than than 30 seconds, AND
2. A NEW* player joins the lobby.

*The game should keep track of the last 3 people to leave the lobby, or anyone who left the lobby in the past minute. Returning players wouldn't reset the timer.

Make it happen.

[shaelyn]

yes.  so much yes.

[Ultimate Pheer]

I like this plan.

[Hoja Lateralus]

Matthew said sth like "We're working on it and some changes to lobbies regarding matchmaking implementations (...) but it's getting fixed"

[pandatopia]

That's good, hope to hear what the definite plan is soon.

Also, as an addendum to this idea: did anyone think about when you join a match, you join in the spectator slot?

And have there be more spectator slots (at least 8?).

I ask because I always feel terrible when I leave a (generally badly stacked against) team to join my friends or clanmates, I'd prefer to skip that intermediary awkward moment.

Everyone wants to win, and everyone wants to fly under the best captain, but noone wants to feel unwanted =( Tbh though at least part of that problem is level 1 pilots joining level 10+ games >.<

Perhaps matchmaking can even feature a somewhat "autobalance" mechanic where you can't join red if there are like, 7 people already on red, much like TF2.