Game 100

[Ry Vor]

Ok, I'm at work and procrastinating. I have taken the time to fill in my map and re-review my turns. I am chomping at the bit a little. I can't wait for results for the next turn to arrive. I am trying not to sign up for another game. I know I won't have time in a month (first child due then), but right now it is realy tough. Alamaze addiction is back with a vengence.

I sympathize. I am personally impatient for an Alamaze website. Then we can attract more players and get more games going. And hopefully, order input revisions with the website won't be the drag they are now on the humble staff. As with the previous turn in 100 and 101, we have 1 or 2 players in each game that don't submit until the deadline, so we should just plan in our minds on the scheduled four day turnaround. In retrospect, I shouldn't have built an expectation they might run faster given we can't control what 15 players will do in that regard.

Meanwhile, I will say again to clarify, order input is still a fairly manual process, unlike FoR. So your game master inputs orders as received and as his time allows, in order to have much of the work done ahead of the deadline. When order revisions are requested, it is duplicating the effort and is a little....

[paway]

Since I am unable to post in the Active Game News threads, I'll post my question here.

What is the process if a player misses his deadline? Are emails sent out to remind the player to submit his or her turn or is the turn just run without the player?

I suspect that having either a) emailed confirmation that orders had been received or b) emailed reminder X hours prior to the deadline for those who haven't submitted (or publicizing this fact, if it already exists) would put some players' minds at ease and reduce the amount of order submissions.

[Ry Vor]

Since I am unable to post in the Active Games threads, I'll post my question here.

What is the process if a player misses his deadline? Are emails sent out to remind the player to submit his or her turn or is the turn just run without the player?

I suspect that having either a) emailed confirmation that orders had been received or b) emailed reminder X hours prior to the deadline for those who haven't submitted (or publicizing this fact, if it already exists) would put some players' minds at ease and reduce the amount of order submissions.

Paway, good questions and observations. BTW, you are not being singled out on the moderator thread Active Games, a poster or two got in before the setting restricted posting there. The purpose of that again was to not get that particular thread cluttered up so players can find the official news.

In FoR, we have a program that reminds players they have not submitted commands for any given game 12 hours before the deadline. In Alamaze, a game master would have to do that manually. Our game master is overrun right now with things I didn't anticipate on setting our pricing at about 1/3 of other PBEM games. I had grown accustomed to FoR where for example, we don't sweat what email address players send turns or questions to, how they label them, if they send in duplicate/revised orders. The game-mastering time has more than tripled over what we anticipated. Again, we are hopeful that comes under control in the near future with a web-based order entry system.

I'll just add that we are now addressing the code and process changes needed to accommodate all four variations of Alamaze Classic, so that there will not be delays when the other game styles are offered and filled.

[Lord Thanatos]

I suspect that the one or two players that routinely do not submit orders until just prior to the turn deadline would do so whatever the deadline was. If one always waits until the last minute it no longer becomes a question of actually needing the entire time, but rather a question of either habit or preference. In either case a shorter deadline will not hinder someone who simply desires to make everyone wait until the final possible moment.

[Lord Diamond]

Considering all the trouble submitting revised turns causes, I will ot plan on submitting my orders before the 72 hour mark until we get an order submission program. I do not want to cause Cypher to do more work than he must, but the fact is that plans change as we communicate with one another.

[Wulfgar]

Considering all the trouble submitting revised turns causes, I will ot plan on submitting my orders before the 72 hour mark until we get an order submission program. I do not want to cause Cypher to do more work than he must, but the fact is that plans change as we communicate with one another.

I agree. I got a PM literally seconds after I sent my orders in that caused me to have to revise my orders.
Then I had to revise that revision when I realized I had put the wrong region number in.
Different timezones, work hours, etc. contribute to delays in communication between players Can't be avoided.
Either I send my orders in early and revise them as messages are received and strategies are changed or I wait until the last minute to send my orders.
Like LD said in another thread, I would not like to have to pay a fee for revisions.

[syphax]

Really guys!
I send in my turn way within time.
Still, real life is busy.. Please do not discuss that!

If some players need their time "I" can respect that... There is a deadline, then you get your results. If it is quicker, were just Lucky!

Relax!

[Lord Diamond]

Really guys!
I send in my turn way within time.
Still, real life is busy.. Please do not discuss that!

If some players need their time "I" can respect that... There is a deadline, then you get your results. If it is quicker, were just Lucky!

Relax!

I agree 100%. It's a 4-day game. Accept it and move on. Now that I am in 2 games I get enough of a 'fix' to allow me to survive a few days...

[Lord Diamond]

I sent most of you an in-game message advocating getting the tuns in on time. That was supposed to go out two tuns ago. Please disregard. Wait until you are certain of your orders before submitting. If it's early, great. If it's not, please don't feel any pressure to rush.

[Kalrex]

Got my turn in!
I'm surprised no High Council issue was brought up. The 3 members all missed a golden opportunity... I always find it odd that people spend $$$$ to get a seat and then frequently no "issue" is brought about.