Bring back Turn Based "No Time Limit + Friends Only"

[Caeruleum]

I don't really care about the ELO system but they do need to provide a working system without time limits. I keep starting games with my family that keep getting "abandoned" after a few hours even though they are set to not have a time limit. I have a bug report in for this https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=79385 and posted a topic a few weeks ago but nothing seems to even been looked at about this https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewto ... 91#p129291.

screenshot example : https://imgur.com/a/K9u7YOU

[Tan Coul]

I think it's because it was set up as a Real-time game, so even with no time limit set there is an automatic cut-off after a relatively short period of time. You need to change the settings to be Turn-based and no limit. I know that's crazy, but that's how it's programmed (and part of why there is such clamour for NTL to be restored as an automatic Turn-based mode).

[Windrisen]

I think it's because it was set up as a Real-time game, so even with no time limit set there is an automatic cut-off after a relatively short period of time. You need to change the settings to be Turn-based and no limit. I know that's crazy, but that's how it's programmed (and part of why there is such clamour for NTL to be restored as an automatic Turn-based mode).

That is precisely the problem. You can't change the settings to Turn-Based and no time limit. That's why we are 17 pages of complaints in the locked thread, and now clocking 17 pages in this (probably soon to be locked) thread.

34 pages of comments, and this could all have been resolved easily a long long time ago.

[dschingis27]

I think it's because it was set up as a Real-time game, so even with no time limit set there is an automatic cut-off after a relatively short period of time. You need to change the settings to be Turn-based and no limit. I know that's crazy, but that's how it's programmed (and part of why there is such clamour for NTL to be restored as an automatic Turn-based mode).

That is precisely the problem. You can't change the settings to Turn-Based and no time limit.

Yes, you can! And it was at length discussed in the current thread a few pages ago (see pages 14-15). In the old lobby, there is a display bug. https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=79441 However, the functionality is there.

The UI though leaves much room for improvement. And calling something "No time limit" that automatically aborts after 4 hours without any hint or warning is bound to make people disappointed and angry. If they would at least tell you...

[Windrisen]

That is precisely the problem. You can't change the settings to Turn-Based and no time limit.

Yes, you can! And it was at length discussed in the current thread a few pages ago (see pages 14-15). In the old lobby, there is a display bug. https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=79441 However, the functionality is there.

So, you are saying I can start a Normal Game (not training mode), Set it to No Time Limit, and it will work?

Every time I've tried that - twice today, in fact - it tells me I can not start a Turn Based Game and Set it to No Time Limit - I have to set it to training mode if I want no time limit.

But you are saying that this isn't true? I can set up a Turn Based, No Time Limit game, in Normal Mode, without it being Training Mode.

If that's true, if you are correct, we've wasted 17 pages of comments in two separate threads asking for Friends Only, Turn Based, Normal Mode, No Time Limit.

[euklid314]

@Windrisen: Please note that Caeruleum asked for unlimited training games! He started one and this training game was automatically cancelled after only a few hours although it stated "unlimited".

Since the problem lies in the fact that he started a real-time training game he can fix it by starting turn-based training games from now on. That was what dschingis27 wrote in response.

You have a different request, namely unlimited rated games. These are not possible anymore and that led to these 17 pages.

[Windrisen]

You have a different request, namely unlimited rated games. These are not possible anymore and that led to these 17 pages.

Thanks for that clarification - I can see that was what was meant now.

I have a request - and I think my request is shared by most who have asked for that here and the other locked thread - that they simply return to the way that the site was run before they changed it.

As I'm sure you know, many people, including myself, find the explanations lacking, and that's why we've kept asking.

I assume that when you say "not possible anymore" that you understand that this could just be returned, like we've been asking.

Of course it is possible. Of course we could return to the way so many of us preferred to play games here.

It is, in fact, possible.

[Caeruleum]

Thanks for the responses, I will go back to using the old UI for setting up games. Not sure if this is a going to fix all the scenarios I have ran into, I lost a My City campaign game that we were playing for around 3 weeks all the sudden because it aborted on time one night even though we had gaps of days between moved previous to that.

With the new UI you can't choose turn based vs real time so the infinity symbol that says no time limit has a time limit. Seems like a pretty blatant broken aspect of the new game creation screen.

I would still prefer for it to go back to the state where it was working fine with unlimited elo setting but honestly anymore I just want to be able to play a game on the site and not have it disappear. I have been looking at using yucata and some other sites like this now that BGA seems to have all these new issues.

[dschingis27]

With the new UI you can't choose turn based vs real time

Yes, you can! You have 3 big dropdown buttons in the middle of the screen and they look very similar to how they look in the old lobby. Usually you have **Play** **Real-time** **Start**. When you click on **Real-time**, you can change it to **Turn-based**. When you now change to training mode, you'll have a training game that lasts 40 days without move rather than 4 hours.

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I never played "ranked no time limit" in the past. Is it the case that these ranked no time limit games startet from the real-time lobby were NOT aborted after 4 hours while the training games are? I always thought that all no time limit games including ranked games from the real-time lobby would abort after 4 hours without move. OMG I now understand all the complaints much better. It blows my mind that admins have not addressed that point specifically but rather just wrote, "Change to training mode." Of course people are getting confused.

[nik592]

I always thought that all no time limit games including ranked games from the real-time lobby would abort after 4 hours without move.

Apparently not. And yes, surely that would have been a better solution to people getting stuck in NTL real-time games than killing NTL for turn-based games as well (or you know, just ditching the idea of a NTL real-time game at all, and leaving NTL turn-based as it was). But here we are.

But yes, it's been confusing for many that training mode apparently has two versions as well - real-time and turn-based. Real-time ends after 4 hours with no moves (in spite of "no time limit"). Turn-based ends after 40 days with no moves I believe, though I don't think many have tested that one. If your training mode games are ending in 4 hours, you've likely selected "real-time" training mode, which they should also just kill off, and stick to "turn-based" training mode, since I doubt anyone is going to complain that their game DIDN'T die after 4 hours of no moves.