New MP Game - Random, Anonymous, No Diplomacy - Page 39

Cainehill · #**381** August 22nd, 2005, 12:31 PM

But it should really be forced hosting - with 17 players, I doubt a week would go by without someone asking for a delay. The _bad_ thing about pbem is that people send the wrong files - though if people used good email programs like Pegasus that wouldn't be such an issue, since it keeps track of recent directories / files used for attachments. Hard to send the wrong file when the program shows the right file to send.

Shame the latest versions of Thunderbird still don't have something like it - really makes PBEM games so much simpler.

PashaDawg · #**382** August 24th, 2005, 11:31 PM

Hello! I am back. The Teton Mountains are impressive as ever. They were so craggy, I expected to run into Frodo, Gandalf, and the other members of the Fellowship during one of my hikes.

I am waiting for files from two players. One player might not have gotten his game file (I got a funky email message that said my email was rejected to four players, but the other three apparently got their files because they responded with .2h files???!!??)

The other player's file indicates that he had not "played" the turn. That happens every once in a while. Any ideas why? (It was a .2h file.) I have asked the player to send me the file as a zip. It only happens to his files. Hmmm.

Anyway, I have sent emails to the two players. I will host tomorrow night.

I now have no plans to travel for a while. So, 48h hosting schedule is fine with me. If the players want it to be strict, then I can make it strict. <Whip crack!!>

Pasha

PashaDawg · #**383** August 25th, 2005, 10:16 AM

Ok. We are just waiting on Arkas.

I sent him an email yesterday. He is the player who might not have received my email sent out with turn files for Turn 9 on Aug. 19.

I just sent him a PM this morning.

If he does not respond by 10pm tonight (eastern time), I will host nonetheless.

I will also put the game onto a strict 48 hour hosting schedule (except that I would like the hosting to fall on a Sunday night and not a Saturday... we will tweek that later), but reserving the power to grant rare extensions of time according to the host's infalible discretion. I encourage players to find substitutes when necessary.

Thanks.

Pasha

Jurri · #**384** August 25th, 2005, 11:37 AM

Yay, Pasha, you're the best! Thank you for the hard work! [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon44.gif[/img]

Huntsman · #**385** August 25th, 2005, 12:50 PM

Sunday night hosting would be good, especially for the late summer trippers in the US like me (3-day kayak trip coming up in September...!!).

PashaDawg · #**386** August 25th, 2005, 01:57 PM

I am happy with a shorter than 48-hour hosting schedule, if players get their turns to me quicker, but that I would not FORCE a host in shorter than 48 hours.

Also, on weekends, I will shoot to allow folks until Sunday night to get their turns to me, in case someone has a weekend trip.

Pasha

The Panther · #**387** August 25th, 2005, 04:59 PM

What I would suggest is a fixed 3 times per week hosting schedule. That way, the players know exactly when to have their turns done and sent in. This was done in my massive Faerun TCP/IP game and it worked great AFTER they removed the QH option!

At least the players would then know when they must get a sub if they are gone too long. Or they could give our splendid and esteemed host (mumble, grumble, crumble, it is SO hard to say something nice about a lawyer) some rudimentary instructions, like perhaps recruit a mage, a few troops, attack province XYZ, build a library, etc.

I propose host times of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at a late hour on the US East Coast (such as 9 PM). The biggest problem for active players in a huge MP game is not knowing exactly when the game will host, imho.

Obviously, we can skip a hosting or two anytime the host leaves town because his Maine clients are coming after him with a big stick.

PashaDawg · #**388** August 25th, 2005, 07:47 PM

How about this:

Turns will be hosted on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, with player turns due to the host by 9:00 pm eastern standard time (USA), which is Boston time (and Portland, Maine time).

Oh... and I doubt that Panther the engineer had any real choice in praising the lawyer. He probably performed some calculus and the math just worked it's magic and proved that lawyers rock.

Pasha

PashaDawg · #**389** August 26th, 2005, 08:48 AM

Turn 10 is out.

Deadline is Sunday, 9pm EST.

RonD · #**390** August 26th, 2005, 09:53 AM

I agree with the fixed hosting schedule. To speed things up, I suggest we establish firm hosting deadlines as follow:

May
September
January