Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

It seems when you click on open games the number of neon slots is very very low lately (not too low and some great entries as well) and the number of gray entries is horribly high. Why is it that people arn't playing replacement players and why are people leaving? I have some ideas, but i'd love to hear yours.

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

Q. 1 We don't have a replacement problem, we have a withdrawal problem! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

Q. 2 Too many holes to fill! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Q. 3 "Commitment" is just another word in the dictionary to too many people. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

Kim (in "snarl" mode)

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

Personally I see nothing wring with withdrawing from a game if you have given it a good shot and are being thoroughly beaten since many games will not allow surrender. I suspect most of the games with open slots that are late in the game and the open slot is pretty much beaten. A quick scan of the open games reveals 23 Open - not started, 17 needing replacements that are less than turn 75, and only 9 that need replacements and are less than 50 turn old.

(of course the key phrase here is 'giving it a good shot' No doubt there are some players who will quit pretty early given a poor start)

[ September 15, 2002, 15:32: Message edited by: DavidG ]

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

Much of the problem is people withdrawing from a game when they are actually dead and should be marked finished. I spent a couple hours this morning going through the open games and cleaning out these dead open spots. Took out around 30.

Geoschmo

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">On behalf of the players in "Conquista", I thank you! George, maybe you should be getting a paycheque! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Just a reminder to PBW players. When your empire is dead or near dead, DON'T withdraw. Ask the host to finish your empire so George doesn't have to go to all this trouble. Since your empire is dead anyway, it cost you almost nothing to leave your empire under your control till the host does this.

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

"Q. 3 "Commitment" is just another word in the dictionary to too many people."

Yes, but some just don't realize the commitment they will have to make. I've had games Last upwards of 4-6 months. If you take a 24hr turnover game that has 1 turn a day and only one turn is played you could technecly have a game that Lasts years (nevermind the games that have one turn every 3 days, they tend to have people {like me http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...s/rolleyes.gif } who wait till the Last second to do the turn for upload. Its human nature to procrastinate).

Then you have to factor in real life things like families, jobs, sickness, vacation (which is hard enough to arrange in real life never mind taking into account 20 Online peoples schedueles), boredom (attention span) and the best one of all: Hardware/Software/Internet failure. (I've been through all three! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon8.gif ).

Then there is the frusturation factor. Imagine after 50-60 odd turns you miss one. AI has a field day (which annoys all your human allies) and the daunting task of spending a few hours doing a turn to set your empire right.

It would be nice if there was a 'quit game' option where the player who left has his empire disappear from the game entirely (ie planets empty, no ships etc).

It's kinda like MTGO (Magic the Gathering Online). Their multiplayer games/tournaments can Last 6+ hours Online and sometimes RL tends to inturrupt.

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

I think that the biggest problem is that people don't know where replacement players are needed. If anyone doesn't advertise the empty spots, nobody is going to fill them. Advertising an open spot can be a lot of trouble. PBW needs to list all open spots the same way it lists open games.

Let me explain a little bit. First we have a game that has started. Then a player drops out. After that the game owner has to decide if the spot should be filled again. If the game owner wants it filled, he/she just clicks a button and the open spot is added to the list. That way any potential replacement players can see open spots and their game information easily. When someone fills the spot, it vanishes from the list and everything is fine again.

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Zarix, We already have that. Games with open spots show up in the open games list. And they are color coded differently than games that are taking players that haven't started yet. What in addition to this are you asking for?

Geoschmo

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

I think he's trying to get a way for people to advertise spots they really really want filled, but it seems kinda redundant as, in the game where i'm an admin, i'd really love to have someone fill up the empty spot, and i bet most admins would too. If people properly mark dead empires (and make less work for you incidently) then the replacement player game list is truly a listing of games needing replacements.

Also, something for anyone who is admining games out there, i've seen/been in several games where the admin marks empires dead even though they are still technically alive, they are just so wasted that there is no point in offering them up for grabs, also, it can help alleviate concerns about crossing over between players.

Re: Are Replacements becoming a problem?
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, we also have the open games forum on PBW, and people often post for replacments here. Typically the Game owners that post more requests tend to get their games filled up more quickly.