Turn-based experiences

[ShaneOMac]

Hi there,

I was really looking forward to the turn-based mode on BGA because I never feld comfortable joining games (especially ones I had never played here before) in real-time mode due to time-restrictions and thumb-rating-system.

Unfortunately, while the turn-based mode is technically well implemented (besides the limit of 10 games), so far the result has been disappointing for me. I have started/joined roughly 25 turn based games of which many have had players never taking any turn or even leaving right after the start, when they realized I would not play live.
I understand that it's not BGA's fault but it still has been a frustrating experience, which is a shame with all those cool games playable here.

[Liallan]

Interesting. The majority of mine have gotten cancelled, but not because someone found out I wasn't playing live. They just never took a turn at all, and many times were first on turn. I have noticed, though, that these are usually newer members. And it's very typical for new members to do something and then just never come back. With the new turn-based, it may have attracted an influx of new people, and a lot of them just never coming back. Personally, I'm hoping that's the case and that once the influx of new people slows down, there will be less of this going on. When I came here, I didn't really have in mind that the majority of my games would just go unplayed.

[ShaneOMac]

There is both for me. Games with people never coming back (mostly new players, indeed) and games with players leaving (or never coming back), when they notice that "turn based, 1/2 turn(s) per day" means, that the game is... well, turn based.
I agree, that maybe in a few weeks, this problem might not occur that often anymore, but with the current limit of 10 turn based games it's still really annoying.

[Locu]

I only started this weekend and I'm pretty sure that the one game of Puerto Rico I play will be the last. The game is asking for input way too often (which is great in Real Time) but just will take the game to take ages in a turn based mode. There should be ratings which game is suited for turn based playing and which are not like it is at RTFG.

[Liallan]

I only started this weekend and I'm pretty sure that the one game of Puerto Rico I play will be the last. The game is asking for input way too often (which is great in Real Time) but just will take the game to take ages in a turn based mode. There should be ratings which game is suited for turn based playing and which are not like it is at RTFG.

Any game with a lot of interaction is going to be like that. I'm not familiar with Puerto Rico and fortunately my experience with this has not been bad. There's games that will work just fine turn-based. You might have to just think through to how often interaction happens and then consider that might not go well for you.

[Locu]

I know, I just didn't think about that before joining the PR game.

[Slimbo]

In puerto Rico every round every player takes a turn, and on every turn every player participates in the action. Some actions require multiple choices from each player. The game can last 20-40 rounds. It could take a year to play at one move a day....

[Liallan]

In puerto Rico every round every player takes a turn, and on every turn every player participates in the action. Some actions require multiple choices from each player. The game can last 20-40 rounds. It could take a year to play at one move a day....

Wow!

[Jest Phulin]

I also have had several experiences with people joining a game, then chatting "Hey, are you there?" (or something similar), and then leaving. I don't know if there needs to be a larger difference between the agree-to-play screens for turn-based and real-time, or if accounts that haven't played turn-based get redirected to the FAQ and must click on an "I have read this" button at the bottom, or what can be done to have people realize the difference between turn-based and real-time.

I have also had problems launching a game with less than the original number. I've tried to form some Quaridor games, allowing 2-4 players. When there were 3 players, I tried to launch it, and was given the "not enough players" error. Unfortunately, I don't remember how long after I created it that I tried this. The game did launch when a 4th player joined.

[Liallan]

I also have had several experiences with people joining a game, then chatting "Hey, are you there?" (or something similar), and then leaving. I don't know if there needs to be a larger difference between the agree-to-play screens for turn-based and real-time, or if accounts that haven't played turn-based get redirected to the FAQ and must click on an "I have read this" button at the bottom, or what can be done to have people realize the difference between turn-based and real-time.

It just occurred to me that I haven't seen this happen because I'm taking games, not making them. I did make one and we were both on, so we played somewhat real-time anyway, just not fast, but there were no problems.

The green and yellow invites look pretty different to me. I don't know if it would help if those two buttons at the top where you can "turn off" showing one or the other were green and yellow to match? (They're both green now.) Might draw attention to one being yellow and says turn-based.

I'm not sure that redirecting to the FAQs would help a whole lot, but I don't see that it would hurt. Most people don't read stuff, even if you redirect them there. But some people, even if a small percentage, will and want to do things right, so it wouldn't hurt either. Overall, sometimes there just isn't a good solution to something like that.