Time zone filters?

[Matteo L]

I like very much the possibility to play with people all over the world given by BGA, but I think that turn-based games (especially when involving many players, but also with just two players) play better/smoother when time zones differences between players are not big, otherwise sometimes they become too slow.
Could we have an optional filter related to time zones, when creating a turn-based game?
E.g.:
- no filter (default)
- time zones +/- 6 with respect to game creator
- time zones +/- 3 with respect to game creator

[Jellby]

There are playing hours in fast turn-based modes. Then it's up to other players to decide whether or not they can play during those hours.

Time zone restrictions would be, in my opinion, pretty useless. Some people play during the morning, some during the evening, some during the night, a time zone doesn't tell you when other players are going to play.

[stefko007]

Time zone restrictions would be, in my opinion, pretty useless. Some people play during the morning, some during the evening, some during the night, a time zone doesn't tell you when other players are going to play.

I deeply disagree. Timezone filters are useless in real time games, but any turn based game would benefit greatly to have them in place. The reason is that most players just want to play, they don't study the game setup, there is no such habit .. especially by the kind of players you want to avoid most: the detached type that threats BGA opponents like some AI you can turn on/off. Certainly more filters would help .. ideally some that the players can not cheat easily, like changing their timezone. I would prefer a rework of the karma system - two different karmas, one for real time and the other for turn based games .. etc.

[Jest Phulin]

Time zone filters are, and always will be, a Bad Idea (TM), for the reason that jellby stated: there is not a direct correlation between time zone and active playing hours.
Yes, most people play in the evening when they get off work, and most jobs have work hours of about 8 to 5. But not all. I personally work a service job, and am at work from 5p to about 11p, the prime gaming time for most in my time zone.

The tools already exist to accomplish speedy turn based games.

[stefko007]

Yes, most people play in the evening when they get off work, and most jobs have work hours of about 8 to 5. But not all. I personally work a service job, and am at work from 5p to about 11p, the prime gaming time for most in my time zone.

Well ... I have a PC job, I play the whole day. Anyway, this argument is incorrect. Because even tough users might prefer playing after job, it's absolutely sure, that nobody prefers playing during sleep. So, for me in Europe, if my Australian counterpart starts playing at 1am, there is no game. It's gonna end with timeout and abandon.

Setting playing hours doesn't help, because people don't read game setups. They just want to play and join any kind of game and any kind of tournament.

Therefore timezone filters are a good idea.

[Jellby]

A timezone doesn't determine when people sleep either.

[stefko007]

For most cases it does .. there are exceptions but usually between 1am and 5am 90% of people sleep in any time zone ...

[Jellby]

What could be useful is a per-player setting to specify which are your "active" hours during the day. Then you could restrict a game to specific active (timezone-adjusted) hours. That would be similar to the language setting, at least it would be something each player can change, and not something that's imposed on you because it's the "norm" (like setting your country doesn't determine which language(s) you understand). But I'm not sure that would be any different from the current playing hours setting.

[Jest Phulin]

For most cases it does .. there are exceptions but usually between 1am and 5am 90% of people sleep in any time zone ...

So, by you own argument, you are cutting out 10% of the population from gaming, correct? 880 000 current users can't play?

[stefko007]

What could be useful is a per-player setting to specify which are your "active" hours during the day. Then you could restrict a game to specific active (timezone-adjusted) hours. That would be similar to the language setting, at least it would be something each player can change, and not something that's imposed on you because it's the "norm" (like setting your country doesn't determine which language(s) you understand). But I'm not sure that would be any different from the current playing hours setting.

Most people would set it once and then forget it exist. They would just play whenever, it would be meaningless ..