veqryn - many of us feel your pain. the best way to avoid CDs is to organize games with players you've met who are reliable, or over the forum. even then, it happens. there has been some talk of instituting a punishment for people who go CD, but nothing has been decided. you can also look at people's profiles to see if they have gone CD (can't remember what it's called under stats, "left" i think?) and play with people who have completed games. once you get some more points, you're also likely to join games with more consistent players, since they'll have more points on the line. but even in high point games, people go CD, just must more rarely.

anyway, stick it out and you'll move beyond the CD-ridden games some day...

I've seen this thread idea multiple times and seems like everyone always likes that idea. I'm pretty sure I started one once. Not sure what happened with those, but if it's possible, I'm all for it.

A week ago I had 12 games and a CD in every single one. I will reach that point curve eventually lol.

I'd like to see where players were ranked based on the number of games they've completed. Going CD would subtract 1 from that total. These numbers are already in the system now of course.

But then allow games to be created where there is a limit to who can join based on that number. The beginner level would have no limit. The intermediate level would require a player to have finished at least 5 games (or 6 games with 1 CD, or 7 games with 2 CDs and so on). Journeyman would be at 10 or 15 or so and Master at 25 or so.

So those that complete games without going CD can start playing against a better and better crowd. Not necessarily better players but better about not going CD. Someone that has completed a lot of games and then goes CD once wouldn't be too impacted, but those that habitually CD would be avoidable.

This CD punishment thing is insane. People go into CD for many different reasons. many times those reasons are out of their control or they have no choice. Am I saying that going into CD because you're losing is not punishable? No. But you should not have a rigid punishment system where all offenders are punished even when they have a valid reason.

Well, with what I suggested above, someone that only occasionally goes CD wouldn't be terribly impacted, but still would be encouraged to not CD. Those that habitually CD would be kept where they could be avoided.

Its my first game...
What happens durring CD?

If a player doesn't enter orders for two consecutive turns in which they had orders to turn in, their country goes into civil disorder. So it could be just the retreat and build/disband phases for example, or it could be the autumn moves and spring moves if they didn't have to retreat or build/disband.

When in CD, all units for that country automatically hold. If all the other players finalize the game moves on without waiting for that player. Also, other players not in the game can take over that country at a cost in diplomacy points equal to the value of the supply centers. If it is a password protected game then the only way someone could take over the CD country would be if they had the password.

If no one else picks up the country, the original player can pick it back up if they come back. I'm pretty sure there is no cost in that situation but have never had to do it myself so am not positive. But there is a good chance they won't anyways because by the time a country goes CD, the neighboring countries have started consuming the centers.

Going CD is bad form. Consider a face to face game with you and 6 friends. If you were having a rough time but still had centers and units, would you just stand up and walk out? Or would you play it out. Also, if it is a game where people are usually finalizing their moves so that it goes faster, those two turns where orders are not being turned in will seem to drag on forever and really piss off the other players.

I think that about covers it.

Thanks for the insight.
I am in a game where there is CD & admittedly it is extremely aggrivating, especially since I can only lose tacticly and diplomaticly because of positioning...

We should punish them by making all their units hold and forcing a disband whenever they are dislodged.

we should punish the players. I think this would work:
if you go cd and for every time you do, the game engine takes away 20 plus 20% of your remaining points, and only gives it back after 4 months.

example: you have 100 and you go cd:
you would lose 36 (but you get them back after 4 months)(and no, you would not be immediately replenished by dipping under 100, you would have to wait those 4 months to get the 36 back).

(if you had say, 300 , you would lose 76 for 4 months)

this would be good because it is not a permanent punishment, only temporary.

I don't think messing with people's points is a good idea.

I think the system should just keep a tally on your profile of the number of times you have gone CD. We should also allow number of CDs to be an option for new game creation. That way people can create a game where you have to have a CD tally of less than 2 or 3 or whatever you choose. I think that would take care of the problem completely. If a person has too many CDs then they will have to create their own game with a high CD limit and will have some explaining to do.

Lastly, 1 CD should fall off the profile for every X number of days or X number of games that the player goes without a CD.

That's my idea...