Re: hosting issues
Actually, Zooko, you have been a good host. The limitations lie in the TCP/IP method. As I see it, there are but 2 options:
1. Forced hosting. No matter the host schedule, there will always be stales. This is true of every single TCP/IP game I have ever played.
2. No QH option. The problem with this method is that the game can easily die when people drop out or leave on vacation or their computer dies or just plain whatever. Eventually, such games must move to QH option if they ever intend to finish.
On the ther hand, PBEM gives the host complete control over the schedule. If somebody is gone for the weekend, the host knows this and can delay a day or so. If somebody is out for a week or more, a sub can be arranged instead of automatically forcing stales. The host always has the option to force stales for non-responsive players, so the game never has to completely die.
If I had unlimited time (retired) and I was waiting every day just to play Dominions, I would prefer TCP/IP. But few people have this kind of time in RL (I don't). It seems that something always is happenning in RL, and often unexpectedly to boot.
I have not staled as yet in any of my PBEM games, even when I went on vacation to France in June and then my computer died in early August. These kind of things will happen.
The Song of the Blade game went into haitus for weeks while Alneyan was fixing his system. We had many a message to determine how the remaining players wanted to handle this before deciding to wait. PBEM allows for this. TCP/IP does also, but the impersonal nature of that hosting method makes it far harder to actually make things like this happen.
As for our 2v2v2v2v2 game, my spy has left the TC homeland and perhaps that nation has since recovered. If TC is not near death, then there is still more game to play. If TC dies, then Ulm will have big trouble (actually I really mean no hope) in the eventual 2 on 1. My comments were based on the assumption that TC cannot recover from the extensive invasion of his homeland.
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