[RussEfarmer]

5. Do Not Sit in Unassigned/Spectator/AFK

When you join the server, you are expected to pick a team to play on, whether that be hunters or props, and stick with it. 

• Spectator is for staff only, please do not question staff that are in it. If they are here, it is for a reason.
  

It used to be back in the day before we had our Discord and Enhanced Prophunt, spectator was kept as a staff only team to give staff members a quieter, staff only voice channel to talk in and make it an easier time to find hackers and ghosters. Keep in mind that before enhanced PH, voice chat was team only.

In current day, voice chat is global, and we have a staff only Discord channel, so I'm not sure what the point of this rule is. Some argue that it's easier to ghost when you're in spectator, and while that's true, it's not like it's a crushing advantage to spectate in spectator as opposed to spectating.. well, normally. I don't think the marginal inconvenience to someone wanting to sit in the spectator team and ghost (considering it's easy enough to ghost as is) is worth all of the altercations and bickering the enforcement of the rules causes.

Staff have better things they could be doing than telling someone probably not even at their computer to stop doing.. uh, I'm not sure what they would be told to not do, since they're not really doing anything.. you get the point hopefully.

Anyway, my main problem with it is the bickering about it in chat. The more seemingly pointless things staff tell players to not do, the more players dislike the staff, and this rule is really hitting the mark on that "seemingly useless" part. No good.

(sorry if this post comes off as abrasive, I'm sleepy)

[Kina]

If I'm not mistaken it's mostly the fact why be on the server if you aren't going to play or something like that. It has been a while since I've really thought of it so I could have forgotten the actual reason or twisted it.

[TheUltraFish]

What would probably be better would be to not have spectator as a team to join other than staff. Just like how some commands and other things are only accessible by staff. Yes it is easy to cheat with discord nowadays, but spectator only makes it easier to do so. Not to mention it is about 50/50 on spectator being used to go afk or just troll anyways. If the server is close to full, sorry randoms in spectator is not going to be an allowable thing.

[§5Aki]

Yes, being in spectator would make it easier to cheat with a buddy, etc. However, I'd say the main reason the rule is there so people don't just sit in it to be afk. Then it's taking up a spot someone else could be playing. If you know you're going to be afk for just a second just stop playing and step away. However, if you're going to be gone for a long period of time (aka longer than a round or 2) then just disconnect from the server rather than sit in spectator.
This rule also applies for people who will join the server and sit in unassigned for up to a whole map. Which is why there's a rule for that too.

[[Yellow] Travis1421]

Ah yes. Let's give people easier access to ghosting and time farming. No. I think this rule is fine as is. If you have to go AFK, you can sit on your team for the 5-10 or 15 mins you're gone. I'd argue that the spectator rule makes staffing easier.

[JesseTheUndeadCowboy]

Ah yes. Let's give people easier access to ghosting and time farming. No. I think this rule is fine as is. If you have to go AFK, you can sit on your team for the 5-10 or 15 mins you're gone. I'd argue that the spectator rule makes staffing easier.

It does make catching ghosters and hackers hard sometimes for non staff members though, however you are most likely right in the regard that it probably gives staff members less of a hard time.

[Pixie Pickle]

You can cycle through everyone’s spot and their ghost to a friend or you can learn where people hide to give yourself an advantage to kill them yourself as a hunter. 

It’s staff only for valid reasons. I just wish it was only staff who has access to it. Then it would make life a lot easier. I don’t even use it often as a staff member, only if I’m on my own and things get hectic with staffing cos I don’t want to play and staff at the same time. If I’m catching ghosters or hackers I watch them from my team not spec as that’s too obvious. So non staff no not need it to catch people either.

[B0T.ikillyou]

Ah yes. Let's give people easier access to ghosting and time farming. No. I think this rule is fine as is. If you have to go AFK, you can sit on your team for the 5-10 or 15 mins you're gone. I'd argue that the spectator rule makes staffing easier.

It does make catching ghosters and hackers hard sometimes for non staff members though, however you are most likely right in the regard that it probably gives staff members less of a hard time.

You should be pinging staff if there are ghosters or hackers on. We don't want people sitting in spectator because that gives the idea that it is fine to be in spec. The spec team is only rule is to avoid ghosting. You can easily say "I am going AFK BRB" and sit in spec and ghost. It opens a whole can of worms and its not worth opening for one situation. Want to AFK for a small bit, just AFK. Want to AFK for longer, Disconnect.

[JesseTheUndeadCowboy]

Ah yes. Let's give people easier access to ghosting and time farming. No. I think this rule is fine as is. If you have to go AFK, you can sit on your team for the 5-10 or 15 mins you're gone. I'd argue that the spectator rule makes staffing easier.

It does make catching ghosters and hackers hard sometimes for non staff members though, however you are most likely right in the regard that it probably gives staff members less of a hard time.

You should be pinging staff if there are ghosters or hackers on. We don't want people sitting in spectator because that gives the idea that it is fine to be in spec. The spec team is only rule is to avoid ghosting. You can easily say "I am going AFK BRB" and sit in spec and ghost. It opens a whole can of worms and its not worth opening for one situation. Want to AFK for a small bit, just AFK. Want to AFK for longer, Disconnect.

Yeah I know that I’m just saying it’s possible staff can’t always get on. Anyway I do understand why the rule is a thing a little bit better now. Better safe then sorry in the long run.

[RussEfarmer]

What would probably be better would be to not have spectator as a  team to join other than staff. Just like how some commands and other things are only accessible by staff.

This script will kick whoever joins spectator out if they are not in the groups table after one second when placed in the lua/autorun folder. The original plan for this was to actually go into the fretta gamemode and disable the spectator button from showing to people other than staff, but B0T convinced me to use something not so.. ad-hoc. He also told me which hook to use :>

Download

Code:

groups = {
    "trusted",
    "dtmod",
    "moderator",
    "adm",
    "admin",
    "superadmin",
    "operator",
    "superdonor"
}

function checkTableValue(table, value)
    for k, v in pairs(table) do
        if v == value then return true end
    end
return false end

hook.Add("PlayerChangedTeam", "RestrictSpectator", function(ply, oldTeam, newTeam)
    if newTeam == TEAM_SPECTATOR then
        if not checkTableValue(groups, ply:GetUserGroup()) then
            timer.Create("SwitchSpectator", 1, 1,
                function()
                    GAMEMODE:PlayerJoinTeam(ply, oldTeam)
                    ply:PrintMessage(HUD_PRINTTALK, "This team is reserved for staff members.")
                end)
        end
    end
end)