Email Kestas and ask him to implement Reliability Ratings.

Just a few ideas to start with:
-Higher penalties for resigning
-Greater advertising (e.g. Notices on main page) and rewards for taking over empires in disorder (especcially live games)
-Live games being unable to begin if not all of the participants are logged in.
-

@Chaqa, I tried that earlier, but not many people are willing to risk higher stakes games.

@jmo, could you briefly describe what reliability ratings are?

It's a rating system that vdiplomacy implemented successfully to reduce their high numbers of CD's and nmr's.

http://vdiplomacy.com/reliability.php

In the meantime I recommend organizing games on the forum with people you can check out beforehand to ensure reliable players.

One of the best things that can be done here is to implement a contingency takeover system. As preconditions, we would need to have the ability to "join" a game as a spectator. This would allow the game to be displayed under "my games" and would deliver notices of phase changes. It would also allow viewing (but not posting) in 'global' press. Any time a player NMR's, anyone who is a "spectator" can submit "contingent orders" for that power (first come, first served). In terms of points, this would be charged (on a contingent basis) as a takeover. If the original player submits orders, they would take precedence (and the contingent takeover points are refunded), but if not, the "spectator" automatically assumes control of the power in question and his submitted moves are processed.

This would not prevent CD's, but it would certainly help. The power in question will certainly be a more attractive takeover after only a single NMR, so that should give people more incentive to jump in.