Anton how is hosting and joining games done?

[Raw Kryptonite]

I'd like to piggyback this thread with a question (ok 2):

There's no "unlocking" to be done is there? And if so, can it be done in private rooms?
The new trend of requiring people to play in public ranked rooms to unlock parts of the game/equipment is a major pet peeve of mine. I prefer to play the game with people I know who play in the spirit of the game and without the obnoxious average gamer.