Increasing turn speed
 

In NGC2 turn times where generally fast. In NGC3 they where fast in the beginning. (Both games 20 players).

Now at turn 35+ the speed is far from impressing, not that the empires are big and hard to handle. I guess RL issues play a part.

The turn deadlines are 72 hours, this is to allow for shorter leaves without missing a turn.
The problem is that once the turntimes started to increase more and more players have started to delay sending in turns, it's a downwinding spiral....

I wish to retain 72 hours turntime but to increase motivation to speed up the turntimes, but how?

I'm starting a "Turn submission league" in the game where the first three players to send in the turns get +1 points, the Last but one gets -1 and the Last player gets -2 points (Not submitted turn = -2 pts).

I'm not sure this will have any effect but it's worth trying.

Does anyone have any other suggestions to motivate people, preferabbly "nice" motivators and not threats or punishments?

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

There really is no nice motivator that will actually work.

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

Every turn, send large sums of money via paypal to all players that upload on time. I reckon this would work very well, although this idea does suffer from one obvious drawback. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Maybe PBW could track how good ppl are/ aren't at uploading and compile some sort of rating which would be publicly viewable. Everyone would want to maintain a "good" rating and (theoretically) everyone would get more punctual because ppl with bad Ratings would have a hard time being accepted into games. But then again, maybe this idea sucks as well.

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

I thought about having a cutthroat game where I would tell the players upfront that occasionally I would be looking at the site and if there was only one player left to upload I would force the turn even if the time limit had not been reached. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Geoschmo

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

HEY! I like the "poo on a stick" idea http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif

Isn't that what Teddy said, "Walk quietly and carry a BIG STICK of POO"? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[ June 02, 2003, 23:23: Message edited by: Narrew ]

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Best idea so far (Altough the only one if you don't count "poo on a stick" that was proposed on the PBW NGC3 game forum page http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif )

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">There is an "in-game" function that tracks this for each of the players. I don't know how this sort of data could be made "public", but that might be a start. But there is at least one serious drawback - going on vacation where you can't access a computer for turns could ashcan your rating. That's what would have happened to me Last week... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

Yah, maybe Teddy Ruxpin...

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

In any future game I might host I'll add a penalty to the "turn submission league" I think.
The rules are as follows:
The first three players to send in the turns get +1 points, the Last but one gets -1 and the Last player gets -2 points (Not submitted turn = -2 pts).

Then if some player/s gets to much negative score they will be kicked, this can be done in three ways:


1. I initially say that I might kick any player that gets to much negative points. (I don't like this alternative as I think the rules should be celar and avilible prior to anyone joining the game).

2. Anyone reaching a fixed limit, say -100 pts get's kicked. (If there are three players who constantly makes the first three submissions each turn then everyone else will be kicked eventually, not good).

3. A relative limit. Anyone who has 50 pts less than the one who is one step above on the pts list is kicked, positive score counts as zero.
(This is my favorite)
ex:
1..17 Others...
18. Olle +8 pts
19. Kalle -47 pts
20. Johan -97 pts.
Means Johan will be kicked as he has -50 pts less than kalle, but Kalle won't be kicked as he has -47 points less than zero (Olle has a positive score, that counts as zero).

Any reflections, ideas, suggestions??

[ June 05, 2003, 10:57: Message edited by: Ruatha ]

Re: Increasing turn speed
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I must say I'm not too keen on this idea. I don't like the possibility of someone getting kicked even if he Posts within the game's set time limit. I would much prefer a public-access record of how consistent a person is in posting within the timelimits.