NEW PROCESSING SCHEDULE

[Cipher]

We will be processing all ALAMAZE Classic turns on an updated schedule.

1. There will be 2 processing rates: 4 day turn cycles and 7 day turn cycles
2. No turns will be scheduled to process on Saturdays/Sundays (due dates that fall on Sat/Sun will be pushed to the following Monday)
3. ALL orders will be due by 12pm/NOON (Eastern US) on any/every due date

So, with a 7 day turn cycle, games will process on the same day of the week for each turn processed.

With a 4 day turn cycle (w/no Sat/Sun processing), there will be a regular pattern of due dates: M->F->Tu->M->F->Tu
In fact, no matter what day of the week a given turn may run on, eventually that game's processing will fall into this pattern.

This provides for 7 results sets over a 30 day cycle for the 4 day turn around and slightly more than 4 results sets over a 30 day cycle for the 7 day turn around.

We are going to stagger the 4 day cycle games so that some fall on the M & F processing during a given week, and the balance fall on the Tu processing of that week.

Games for the 7 day cycle will be scheduled for Wednesdays and Thursdays.

For example, if games 104, 105 & 106 will be due on Monday (with the following turn's orders due that Friday), we will have games 108, 109 & 110 due on that Tuesday.
The following week, games 104, 105 & 106 will have their orders due on Tuesday, while games 108, 109 & 110 will have orders due on Monday (and Friday).

This will likely provide game results to spread across different days, as not all games will process on the same days - something the poll results showed as a desired by the players.

This will also allow slightly more time for any issue resolution to be completed before the next turn due date. We have had a couple of issues recently that left little time for the player to work in their trouble resolution before the next set of orders were due.

We will continue to schedule Warlord and Titan games on 7 day cycles, HOWEVER, as with any game, if all orders are in, the game may well run earlier than scheduled. This 7 day cycle does guarantee Warlord players more than 12 result sets/month and Titan players over 24 result sets/month per game.

-This schedule change will implement after tonight's game processing.

[HeadHoncho]

It's probably fairer (and more accurate) to say there will be 1 turn/week games, and 1.5 turn/week games, no?

Thanks for everything you do, Cipher. On a related note, do you know how the automated input and additional gamemaster projects are coming along?

[Cipher]

It's probably fairer (and more accurate) to say there will be 1 turn/week games, and 1.5 turn/week games, no?

Thanks for everything you do, Cipher. On a related note, do you know how the automated input and additional gamemaster projects are coming along?

I suppose so, especially if that same accuracy identifies the additional days in a month beyond 4 weeks.

And "Yes" on the related notes, but we are awaiting additional developments before making any announcements.

[kevindusi]

Quick question regarding how this impacts Titan matches... same 2 turns, 1 turn alternating or is that sticking with the 2/wk (and likely tuesday/friday) gig? Thanks!

[DuPont]

Well, I'm happy enough with that schedule. Especially with the games on different schedules. I'm just so thrilled with the value for money that we get.

[Cipher]

Quick question regarding how this impacts Titan matches... same 2 turns, 1 turn alternating or is that sticking with the 2/wk (and likely tuesday/friday) gig? Thanks!

Titan (and Warlord) games will continue to default to 7 day due dates, regardless of what day they are processed on. Since there are dramatically fewer players required to get turns in early, there are dramatically more times games will process ahead of schedule.

[HeadHoncho]

Well, I'm happy enough with that schedule. Especially with the games on different schedules. I'm just so thrilled with the value for money that we get.

I suppose so, especially if that same accuracy identifies the additional days in a month beyond 4 weeks.

To be clear, I'm not being critical of the schedule at all... I just really like clarity, accuracy, and simplicity.

And "Yes" on the related notes, but we are awaiting additional developments before making any announcements.

Exciting, can't wait to hear the news when y'all are ready to announce it!

[Lord Thanatos]

We will be processing all ALAMAZE Classic turns on an updated schedule.

1. There will be 2 processing rates: 4 day turn cycles and 7 day turn cycles
2. No turns will be scheduled to process on Saturdays/Sundays (due dates that fall on Sat/Sun will be pushed to the following Monday)
3. ALL orders will be due by 12pm/NOON (Eastern US) on any/every due date

So, with a 7 day turn cycle, games will process on the same day of the week for each turn processed.

With a 4 day turn cycle (w/no Sat/Sun processing), there will be a regular pattern of due dates: M->F->Tu->M->F->Tu
In fact, no matter what day of the week a given turn may run on, eventually that game's processing will fall into this pattern.

I have contemplated for over a week whether to post my thoughts. For better or worse....

I HATE the new processing schedule. To say some games have 4-day turn cycles is simply NOT TRUE. Games now only have 4-day turn cycles on alternate weeks.

I believe I could easily debate the given reasons for the processing changes, but at the end of the day the owner of the company gets to make the final call. I understand that and support that right fully.

In this age of instantaneous world-wide communications it is a competitive disadvantage, imho, to delay player gratification (processing turns) to once a week.

Potential solution:
Some games process Mon and Thurs every week.
Some games process Tues and Fri every week.
Once a week games process on Wednesday.

[4-days between turns followed by 3-days between turns fairly provides a 4-day turnaround option for the players. 4-days between turns followed by 6-days between turns does NOT fairly provide a 4-day turnaround option for the players.] If 4-day turn cycles are going to be made available to players, it is fair for players to expect a true 4-day (or less) turnaround.

The above potential solution still avoids weekend processing, still spreads out game results across multiple days, still provides a reasonable pace, still provides a full 72 hours between turns to address concerns, and (most importantly) still "accurately" provides twice a week processing.

[Ry Vor]

We did have a poll on this in this forum with multiple choices. 75% of players wanted 4 or longer days between turns, and most people that post here and play voted in the poll. There was no consensus, but that was the conclusion.

The other major request we had was that game runs on different days, rather than all be due on Mon and TH. And we don't want "staff" obligated to work starting at 10pm and making the other accomodations. With turns then due at noon, on any weekday depending on the game day, there are only a couple people that want shorter turn around as in the 72 hour Mon - Th, Tue - Fri.

Of the handful of players we have lost, most left giving us the reason that the 3.5 day turn around was too fast. Also, this isn't Fall of Rome, where everything is automated and so we have had some games in FoR with multiple turns in a single day - Alamaze takes skilled human GM interaction, and it is tricky when orders submitted can be mislabeled, submitted multiple times with revisions, be 10 minutes late (maybe). Lots of baby sitting by the game master, and of course we have 100% of inquiries on results answered, and 95% of them are player errors, but they all have to be researched. This is actually taking as much or more time as inputting orders and processing turns and emailing them.

This wasn't some arbitrary decision by the company owner. This is what the players wanted, and what the staff can accommodate.

[Lord Thanatos]

We did have a poll on this in this forum with multiple choices. 75% of players wanted 4 or longer days between turns, and most people that post here and play voted in the poll. There was no consensus, but that was the conclusion.

The other major request we had was that game runs on different days, rather than all be due on Mon and TH. And we don't want "staff" obligated to work starting at 10pm and making the other accomodations. With turns then due at noon, on any weekday depending on the game day, there are only a couple people that want shorter turn around as in the 72 hour Mon - Th, Tue - Fri.

Of the handful of players we have lost, most left giving us the reason that the 3.5 day turn around was too fast. Also, this isn't Fall of Rome, where everything is automated and so we have had some games in FoR with multiple turns in a single day - Alamaze takes skilled human GM interaction, and it is tricky when orders submitted can be mislabeled, submitted multiple times with revisions, be 10 minutes late (maybe). Lots of baby sitting by the game master, and of course we have 100% of inquiries on results answered, and 95% of them are player errors, but they all have to be researched. This is actually taking as much or more time as inputting orders and processing turns and emailing them.

This wasn't some arbitrary decision by the company owner. This is what the players wanted, and what the staff can accommodate.

Then just make all games one week turn around.

Or something else...

But stop calling the games a 4-day cycle -- because it isn't, not anymore.