I find it quite a hassle to put up a challenge here for a live game.
There are a couple of problems, but the worst is that when you hit “create” on a new game, you have little choice but to sit there watching the screen saying “waiting for opponent”, because as soon as they join the game timer starts!
Surely it would be fairer, and certainly it would be less stressful and time-wasting, if there was an entry screen for both players to click on before starting the game proper.
I appreciate that this screen can’t hang around for ever, otherwise the accepting person has the same problem, but at least give a short moment of time for the creator to be alerted that the game is about to start, so come back from what you were doing while you were waiting!
There’s a time period for Black to play the first move which doesn’t count towards the main time. I (when Black) usually make sure that the White player is present and ready in that time. Of course, this counts on Black player’s politeness and is nothing that can be enforced.
Obligatory link for making suggestions: OGS Uservoice.
I personally wouldn’t welcome a game lobby screen with additional confirmations as unnecessary and annoying. However, it may be useful to have a possibility to sound a signal that announces a game commencement. Something like lady Counter saying “The game begins in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, beep-beep!”
Before posting this, I set up a challenge and thought I carefully watched the timers as the game started.
It seemed to me that my black timer started as soon as I got past the waiting for opponent screen.
I do agree that an audible countdown to the game starting would solve the specific problem - you could come back to your OGS window from wherever you were looking at cats while waiting, and get on with the game.
