RIP preloader and ready button.

It makes sense, but there is an unexpected issue with this change.

If the player who created the game leaves the lobby, the other players have no way to start the game. It happened to me a couple of time tonight. A bit frustrating.

random new host picker?

I don't understand the question.

If you mean that I did not know the people I was going to play with, yes, I mean, no, I did not know them.

He means the what if the lobby randomly picks a new host?

A person who is just randomly afk can stall any other lobby type as well.
But yeah basically look at how Lobbies work in other RTS.
This problem has been figure out long ago. No need to reinvent the wheel.

What is the problem with Having The host start the game. The only flaw Is when the host Is afk. What wheel is being reinvented and what problem was solved long ago.

Look at a lobby like i.e. in FA:
Any player has a "I am ready" checkbox and the host can press "Start" once all have checked that box.
Simple as that.

You are not addressing my questions...

Am I asking something absurd?

I can't follow you?

What is the problem with having the host start the game? The only flaw I see when the host is Away from the computer.Is this Flaw bigger or smaller compared to waiting for someone who just joined to ready up?

What wheel is being reinvented and what problem was solved long ago?

There is no problem with that. As I said the solution to "how do an ingame lobby" (the wheel) has been invented years ago and a good implementation can i.e. be seen in FA: The host has the final saying on starting the game, but every player also has the ability to easily communicate "I am not fully ready, don't start just yet"

I have had a few cases where the host clicks start as soon as I join the lobby. It is pretty annoying not getting a chance to look at the players and planets and decide if it is a game I really want to play. It would also be nice to be able to choose a color and commander before being thrown into a game.

Press ready.
Please press ready.
Come on guys you have to press ready for it to start.
Click on ready.
Ready up.
Please ready up.

(sound familiar?)

At least give us 30 seconds to take a look at the game settings and pick our team color though. I'm fine with the host overriding it after that.

Yes, I agree with games being unstartable for 30 seconds post someone joining.

Yeah, we can look into something like that. Or maybe a 20 second countdown after the go button has been pressed.

I like it, hate people thinking their time is more valuable than 10 other people waiting on them to click ready.

That is why if we get the ready button back, then we should have a force ready button.


We could also do it like StarCraft 2 does it: when the lobby is full the game auto starts. In the case of PA it could auto start as soon as everyone is done preloading and the lobby is full.

One thing I'd like to add to this, is the ability (when preloaded is reimplemented) to see when everyone is done preloading the system, as if I joined the lobby of someone else and I wasn't done preloading when they started they game, then I'd likely have to forceably close the game as it would hang at the generating planets screen. I see the ready up button as a life saver for those with slower end computers, as it would keep the game from starting before the computer itself was ready

from what I understand it is at the doctors for routine checkup.

its not gone. Its beta. Things temp break. No biggie