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**bananas** · 06-10-2015, 04:42 AM

Actually, Kronin voiced what I've been thinking for a while. I cannot find a politically correct way to say it, so I'll repeat what the voices in my head start whispering whenever I read a thread that seems to be pushing RyVor pretty hard.

"Dude! Why are you kicking the gift horse in the mouth? This game lives and dies with one man. If he decides to rage quit, we're all hozed! He's already mentioned job offers for 3x what Alamaze brings in. If we ever push him to the point where frustration exceeds pleasure, he's gonna pack up his game and go home!"

The voices tend to be a bit overly dramatic and paranoid. Smile

**HeadHoncho** · 06-10-2015, 04:57 AM

Rick gives as good as he gets, and I have too much respect for him and the great game he has created to tiptoe around issues or walk on eggshells when I believe things could be improved.

I've gladly spent a lot of time praising and encouraging the team, helping new players, writing reviews and guides, helping to identify and squash bugs, analyzing game velocity and other stats, and both offering and receiving feedback.

While none of that gives me either any more or any less "right" to speak than others, it does at least show where my heart and loyalty are, I hope.

**unclemike** · 06-10-2015, 12:01 PM

Sometimes tempers flare on the forum but we're all friends here.

I guess the fault for having a non-flexible turn schedule is really on me. I have plans to automate the handling of player accounts and their billing but I won't get to it until well past 3rd Cycle is done (so maybe 4-5 months from now?). The code changes to allow for an additional turn schedule is minimal (just a few hours) but whenever there's a change like this to the system, Ry Vor has to manually perform the steps himself and all of this should be automated for him like Fall of Rome. Eventually we'll get there but right now, things aren't in place yet to make the system run smoothly.

That being said, I personally would like to see a new option become available to run a game daily, 7 times a week. I wouldn't sign up for a bi-weekly game since that's not much different than our current 4-4-6 but getting a turn every day of the week would be pretty cool. The game would probably have to be anonymous since communicating with others takes too much time but I would definitely sign up for a daily, 7-turn/week game for sure!

HH, about not being able to create a poll on the forum, just do what I did a while ago and ask people to specify a number for a given choice like:

Choose which new turn schedule you prefer:
1 - Keep the current game schedule (4-4-6 or weekly) so players have consistency among their games
2 - Add bi-weekly turn schedule, say Tuesday and Friday
3 - Add daily turn schedule, 7 times a week, uber-players only

Put me down for #3 Smile

**HeadHoncho** · 06-10-2015, 03:08 PM

Well said, UM. And I will work on a poll as you describe. Many thanks again for everything you do!

**Ry Vor** · 06-10-2015, 04:29 PM

The polling feature has been unavailable from the last forum software update.

**Drogo** · 06-10-2015, 08:29 PM

A) I remain very intrigued by the idea of a faster game.

B) I would be willing to pay a premium for this to help allay the costs

C) I am ok with waiting for this until time allows for it's implementation.

D) If it doesn't happen for whatever reason, I'll live.

Just think it would be cool in terms on continuity. I am in a number of games and so I sort of have reset every time a weekly turn is due. I'm curious to see what a faster game might bring, including the possibility of having it completed in only a few weeks start to finish.

**HeadHoncho** · (This post was last modified: 06-10-2015, 08:39 PM by HeadHoncho.)

I think that's the most common theme I've heard from people, Drogo, in addition to the just plain fun of having it happen faster. Smile

Alamaze has PBM roots, and that's really neat. But it has also adapted to PBEM play, and I think one of the huge advantages of this type of format is faster potential speed.

**Drogo** · (This post was last modified: 06-10-2015, 08:40 PM by Drogo.)

I'll also add that even though this is a labor of love for Rick and the team I agree with Bananas that this needs to be worth it (i.e. economically viable) for them to continue. I don't know the economics of the operation but long term viability must be greatly influenced by the need to attract new players. I don't know what marketing has been undertaken but now that 2nd cycle is sealed it seems to be a great time to make a strong push in this department. I think there are ways to do this without a great cost outlay. I have told all my friends about Alamaze and no one has taken me up on it. I'm sure the biggest deterrent is the time commitment with the second concern being a steep-ish learning curve. This make me wonder if in the long term there may be some benefit to having a watered-down version of the game as an introduction, similar to Primeval but even simpler (fewer orders, less complexity) to allow customers to get a taste of what the game can be. Anyone might start with that version but go in knowing there is a much more complex and delicious option when they have mastered the basics. Kind of: Alamaze with training wheels as a gateway drug.

And the marketing.

**Ry Vor** · 06-11-2015, 01:08 AM

(06-10-2015, 08:39 PM)Drogo Wrote: I'll also add that even though this is a labor of love for Rick and the team I agree with Bananas that this needs to be worth it (i.e. economically viable) for them to continue. I don't know the economics of the operation but long term viability must be greatly influenced by the need to attract new players. I don't know what marketing has been undertaken but now that 2nd cycle is sealed it seems to be a great time to make a strong push in this department. I think there are ways to do this without a great cost outlay. I have told all my friends about Alamaze and no one has taken me up on it. I'm sure the biggest deterrent is the time commitment with the second concern being a steep-ish learning curve. This make me wonder if in the long term there may be some benefit to having a watered-down version of the game as an introduction, similar to Primeval but even simpler (fewer orders, less complexity) to allow customers to get a taste of what the game can be. Anyone might start with that version but go in knowing there is a much more complex and delicious option when they have mastered the basics. Kind of: Alamaze with training wheels as a gateway drug.

And the marketing.

Prescient, Drogo. I have been discussing recently with Mike a 1 player or 2 player game on a smaller map with very limited orders. Again, this is Two Guys Pizza, so its The Choosing, the introductory game, the marketing, or things coming out of left field like change all the service levels. Not all of them. I got Alamaze back in order to spend my time doing design stuff but rarely get a chance to do that, although with java now its much easier, but it seems like somehow I still rarely get to choose what I will do on a given day, despite supposedly in-charge.

**Madmardigan** · 06-14-2015, 01:28 AM

(06-09-2015, 11:42 PM)Kronin Wrote: I have played several PBEM games. I have never experienced a better run operation than here. I too am really stunned sometimes by some of the comments that get posted. The fact that it is only TWO people doing everything is amazing to me.

Bump!