Joining game from Spectator

[Hoja Lateralus]

Why can't we do it? I go to a full lobby (full of my friends), so I spectate untill next game - but then I see that after 2 minutes some guy left. Oh, and there's another. And yet I CAN'T JOIN THE GAME.....why?

[GeoRmr]

its to stop people doing it always and joining only the winning team (supposed cheating etc)

imho we should be able to

[HamsterIV]

I really like this idea on principle. In practice however the spectator would need a way to configure their loadout before they join. I would much rather have a spectator who has been watching the flow of the match take over for disconnected crew member than one of those mid-game joining powder monkeys or steerers.

[sparklerfish]

I also wish I could do this.  I don't think many people would "cheat", and even if so I don't think people purposely joining the winning team mid-match is that huge of a problem.  Still better to replace one AI person in the game with a real person.

[Dutch Vanya]

The amount of people that so desperately care about winning that they will join the winning team from spectate for that reason, should be pretty balanced with the amount of people that would join the losing team to help and potentially turn the match around. (Isn't that more fun?)

[ramjamslam]

It might be good to be able to auto join any slot that becomes available.  That would create loadout problems,  although there might be solutions to that too.

[Hoja Lateralus]

its to stop people doing it always and joining only the winning team (supposed cheating etc)

I agree that may be the reason - but following this logic we shouldn't be able to chat as spectators. Imagine the possibilities! We could go "Oy, you have enemy right behind that building, but their gunner is stupid and loaded charged (to hwacha)" - either by PM or global chat. Yet someow we don't do that (or do after agreement from both sides - someone said that when on canyon-like match sometimes spectators tell that once a match they can tell enemy position).