I must say, I do find these 24hr deadlines a bit of a struggle, particularly considering you need time to analyse the map, suggest plans to allies, wait to hear back, and all while playing with people in different time zones. I realise that the option of longer deadlines is on the cards, but I do think the 'miss the deadline and your units hold' rule is a real problem. Not only does it put the guilty player at a big disadvantage, whose tardiness may well be a rare oversight or due to circumstances beyond their control, but it also puts his/her neighbours at a huge advantage, in that they suddenly have uncontested SCs for the taking, or find their attacks undefended against, which upsets the balance of the game and is unfair on the other players...
So, here's my suggestion. A 'three strikes and out' rule...
1. Miss a deadline and the game system automatically emails you a reminder to the email address you have registered with the phpDip, and then extends the game period by another 24 hours (or whatever).
2. Miss the extended deadline and you're docked a number of points -- exactly what the penalty would be I'm not sure, perhaps the original stake required to join the game? Again the deadline is extended.
3. Miss this third deadline and you're automatically ejected from the game, and again fined points. The turn isn't processed until another player takes over and actually puts in a turn...
I realise this could potentially slow things down, but my feeling is that this would be preferable to an unbalanced game. In any event, I think the game system automatically emailing reminders of deadlines/notices that a turn has been processes is a great idea. Mind you, I have no idea how feasible any of this would actually be to implement.
Discuss...
I think the system's fine as it is. Having said that, dangermouse's idea sounds good.
Emails won't help. Someone who can't get it together to place orders once in 24 hours probably isn't going anywhere near a computer, or just doesn't care.
Docking points won't help. The worst offenders will be newbs. We get our points back when we've spent them all. (Actually, right now, we get bumped back up to 100 points every time a game finishes.)
Extending the game is, I think, unfair on those players who just want to get on with it.
I actually think that 24 hours is a looooong time for a game turn, and that somebody who isn't able to address correspondence and place orders in that time probably shouldn't be playing here. Sorry....
@dangermouse - I think the original rules state specifically that a country that fails to submit orders will automatically lead to a hold only order.
I know it's unfortunate, and occasionally we all miss turns. I would be interested in the automatic extension however. It seems that if you were allowed this once, and once only per game, then it wouldn't hold up play too much, and would allow you that extra time to find a PC.
Figle/Kestas et al - would this be difficult to code? I know we are relying incredibly on a few stalwart coders for this site, for which we should be incredibly grateful. Their time is short, and the fact that the site has so few bugs, and runs so well, is a tribute to the time and effort that they put in. *round of applause* Yes it's overdoing the praise somewhat, but what the hell - they deserve it!
Guess which lucky soul had...
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