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I discovered Wizard101 recently when I was looking for something I can play online with my granddaughter - and I love it. It's perfect.

We have played it together a couple of times and she loves it too. I have subscribed and also paid for a load of crowns for her so she can buy nice stuff - and play further in the game when she's ready.

However, I have one major problem with Wizard101 - and it drives me mad every time I see it.

It's not a game-stopping bug or seriously unbalanced gameplay or anything like that. In fact it's purely cosmetic and doesn't really affect gameplay at all - apart from making my blood boil.

When four players fill up the available spaces in the battle circle, other players not involved in the fight can wander around in the circle as if nothing is happening. They stand next to the wizards and monsters, they even stand right in the centre of the circle while chaos reigns around them. They chat and their chat bubbles get in the way of what the fighters are saying to each other. It looks stupid and completely spoils the illusion. It reminds me that I'm just playing a game - which is not a good thing.

KingsIsle, can you please make the battle circle a forbidden area once the four slots are filled? Just slide anyone not actually fighting to the edge of the circle (and preferably a bit beyond it) and don't let them re-enter until the battle is over.

I was really disappointed when I had that epic battle with the kraken by the waterfalls in Triton Avenue. What should have been my first epic battle was ruined by a couple of sightseers wandering about among the explosions, flame, lightning strikes and leaping monsters.

Anyway, surely it can't take much to close off a battle circle once all the slots are filled.

Please consider it.

Just reading you say this makes me think that you are in wiz city. Because you will learn that further up in worlds you go the less likely this is to happen unless your friends are low level and they port to you at any time.

But honestly it does get better. In MS or DS no one will risk getting caught playing around in your circle. The spawns are irradict and being accidently trapped with those mobs are not as easy to beat. Also the further in the game you go the less people you will see.

So while wiz city is packed most of the time on all the realms DS can be almost deserted at times. Not as many people stick to the quest.

I'm not sure how that would work...

You have some settings you can play with and might even be able to fix the problem all together. Do you know what server (Realm) you are playing in..? It can make a big difference and you have quite a few to choose from.

Then, I play on a big screen in a small window, so there is no way I will ever have chat bubbles on.

At some time you will be in a battle with a wizard that panics at the end and just jumps on that arrow key ASAP and ends up in a new battle, where as if you don't move the choice is yours where to exit, if you want to jump right back in for more, or even step out to get a few near-by red wisps first.

If they change the system you might not get those choices and be doomed to battle for ever because a wizard didn't take the time to learn how long you can stay out of battle if you don't move at the end, or even juts a wizard that wants to trap you in battle to send you away.

I do agree it can be annoying, one suggestion for you would be to try to go to a different Realm perhaps a realm that is listed as "perfect" they tend to have less traffic ergo having less people wandering on to your Battle area's.

However I do realize that there isn't always a Realm that is perfect.

I don't agree on making the battle area a "forbidden zone" as sometimes battles occur in places that may block passage to other players who may have to skirt the battle area to get by without having to wait for your battle to end to continue on with their own personal questing. Although there are certain area's where they could perhaps create some boundaries such as the Kraken, and other open area Boss's.