UX: nudge players to host private, not ban :)

[AileTheAlien]

So, I just re-installed the game this month, to play with my friends. The day after our game session, I decided to try joining a public game, and almost immediately uninstalled again, because the game still has a lot of people who kick / ban you, instead of making a private game with a password. This is a hassle for both parties - they have to keep banning random people who join, and the people who get banned have to spend time reloading the list of servers, and then loading into a game before getting kicked. This is a very frustrating waste of time!

A really simple solution, is to have the 'host a game' menu default to a private game, and to require a password before you can start serving. Public and other games are unaffected - you can click on them and host as normal. (To help nudge people into doing the right thing, when hosting a game.)

Another thing that would help, is to filter games from the server list from which you've been banned. (This helps non-hosts who run into this situation.) Right now, I can sort of do this manually, by hiding the server name so it looks different in the list, if I remember what it was called. Otherwise it's a dice-roll if I happen to click on the same one again, just to get a message that I can't join, further wasting time.

[Mike23Ua]

Xbox one does not have Klei official or dedicated servers: our servers are hosted by a host player- and only last for as long as that host remains playing the game.

I wish I could give hosting privileges to the next person who joined my room after me if I choose to leave (optional choice as Host) that way I don’t feel BAD when it’s 4am in the morning and I’m ready for bed.. but there’s people still in my world enjoying themselves- at least give me a choice of passing host privileges down on a FCFS basis.

Now: With that said I must ask why you don’t just host your own worlds for you and your friends to play in where you have control over who gets banned or not?

[AileTheAlien]

When my friends are available for playing, I play with them. I'm talking about joining public games when I've got nobody I know personally to play with. I sometimes also just want to play with people who are already online, rather than hosting, and hoping some people decide to join. The problem isn't with me, who's choosing to join other people's games, and dedicated servers are another topic entirely - I'm talking about games hosted by one person, where they just insta-ban people, because they don't host with a password, for whatever reason. That's really frustrating behavior to have to deal with, and the UI could nudge people into not doing it.

[VouMorrer]

i have this problem too, some peaple just forget to turn the world's settings to "friends only". 

one solution is to make available to change it when you are already playing the game, in the server actions. 

[Mike23Ua]

On 1/3/2021 at 1:59 PM, AileTheAlien said:

When my friends are available for playing, I play with them. I'm talking about joining public games when I've got nobody I know personally to play with. I sometimes also just want to play with people who are already online, rather than hosting, and hoping some people decide to join. The problem isn't with me, who's choosing to join other people's games, and dedicated servers are another topic entirely - I'm talking about games hosted by one person, where they just insta-ban people, because they don't host with a password, for whatever reason. That's really frustrating behavior to have to deal with, and the UI could nudge people into not doing it.

Oh I understand, I run into this issue often on Xbox One: and it sucks to join a room and be immediately banned for no good reason- It’s like people don’t understand HOW to host worlds with passwords on them or something.  

I usually send the person that bans me a message over Xbox Live and tell them “hey you know if your going to kick/ban everyone who joins your game you can just host private password locked rooms right?”

Some people are nice & thank me for the information they were unaware of, other people just send back hateful snarky comments.. but that’s just XBL for ya. 

[HellHeater]

there is private technically

if host could be smart enough to put server to friends only or password this wouldnt be an issue

[Karitha]

On 1/3/2021 at 9:23 PM, AileTheAlien said:

Text

I exactly want same thing. UP

[. . .]

i get very sad when i join a server and it takes 2 minutes for me to load in then i say hi and get banned

[Valak]

On 1/4/2021 at 5:23 AM, AileTheAlien said:

So, I just re-installed the game this month, to play with my friends. The day after our game session, I decided to try joining a public game, and almost immediately uninstalled again, because the game still has a lot of people who kick / ban you, instead of making a private game with a password. This is a hassle for both parties - they have to keep banning random people who join, and the people who get banned have to spend time reloading the list of servers, and then loading into a game before getting kicked. This is a very frustrating waste of time!

A really simple solution, is to have the 'host a game' menu default to a private game, and to require a password before you can start serving. Public and other games are unaffected - you can click on them and host as normal. (To help nudge people into doing the right thing, when hosting a game.)

Another thing that would help, is to filter games from the server list from which you've been banned. (This helps non-hosts who run into this situation.) Right now, I can sort of do this manually, by hiding the server name so it looks different in the list, if I remember what it was called. Otherwise it's a dice-roll if I happen to click on the same one again, just to get a message that I can't join, further wasting time.

This can be a little confusing.

Honestly, I'd prefer if when you click 'Host a game', the screen will prompt the player with two easily-understandable options - Public (Don't Starve Together with randoms around the world!) and Private (Don't Starve Together with your personal friends!).

if the player clicks on private, they will then be given an option on setting passwords and the types of friends that can join before they were moved to the usual world settings.

Easy, simple, and will probably solve the whole "Public but should play Private" issue.