I think the title is pretty self explanatory, but here’s some clarity. I have some friends that I’d like to play with. If we all want to play together, can we eventually create a lobby where two are actively playing while the others are spectating in a queue, waiting for their chance to play against the winner?
2 Likes
King of the Hill. Wouldn’t be bad.
What about rooms where people can challange each other?
No. Intentionally, we are maximizing the use of quick match and making the online play system the simplest and most elegant thing it can be. You can click quick match and get a match, or you can directly challenge a friend. Directly challenging a friend intentionally does not use any sort of lobby UI, and instead simulates exactly what the UI looks like when you are sitting next to your friend in local play. Custom rooms just take away from quick match, so we do not plan to create them. Incidentally, Hearthstone does the same thing.
That said, spectating will be supported. When you go to your friends list, right now there is a crossed swords icon next to each friend that lets you challenge them. If they are already playing, they aren’t challengeable, and the swords will change to an eyeball. You’ll be able to click that to spectate and doing this will automatically follow them from game to game (no need to click the eyeball again as they go from match to match). They’ll also be able to invite you to spectate them.
9 Likes
Thank you thank you. I have always hated lobbies and found it deeply mystifying that so many multiplayer games create a UX barrier between me and my opponent by utilizing them.
Will you be able to start spectating while a pair is still in character select?
Yes, you will.
3 Likes
I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind, but since I have the opportunity to add my voice I will.
The quick match features are great but have two key issues I’d like to call attention to.
One is when groups of three or more try to recreate a lobby’s functionality. It requires every in the group to take a half dozen or so actions every time: Challenge a friend, spectate a friend, kicking a spectator and then challenge them, and finally spectate the friend you were just in a match with. Thankfully the quick match system lets the players do these things quickly, but of course lobbies would handle all these things automatically.
The second issue is when the quick match method leads the first round to be missed in online tournaments as the spectator with the stream joined too late. In these cases, you have the host and the audience waiting for the second round to start.
Cheers