Alphas, Timers and Sore Losers

[radhruin]

I’ve been trying to play Terraforming Mars with people and I strongly prefer using Prelude, but it’s been an alpha for a long time now. The issue is I cannot figure out how to play with a timer on the players (I’ve seen other people start prelude games with timers somehow, but it’s very insistent I play on ‘friendly mode’ with no timer when I create the game).

The issue is about 30% of losing players just stop playing when they are losing. No concession, no quitting, no talking, just stop playing until I quit so they get the ‘win’. (Given that it’s never once happened when the other player was winning, and more than 20 times when they were losing, it’s clearly intentional) This is just stupid and should not be a legitimate tactic in a game.

How do you add timers to an alpha game, or can something else be done about these people? It’s just frustrating wasting all that time waiting for them to never come back. Also please at least get prelude into beta.

[GTSchemer]

Alpha games in friendly mode allow players to leave at any time with no penalty, and no rewards for the winners. Thus they are not getting points or anything.

If a specific player seems to repeatedly be abusing an alpha test game, they can be reported using the normal system so that a moderator can review it. Otherwise, it is best not to play alpha games if one is concerned about players leaving.

[radhruin]

I don’t care about players leaving the game.
It’s the players who are NOT leaving. The ones that refuse to take a turn until their opponent quits so they can win when they have no chance. It’s such bad form and just wastes so much of my time.

[GTSchemer]

That's the thing though. You can leave with no penalty, and report if a player is doing this consistently so that a moderator can take action. The other player doesn't get points or anything from it, so they would literally be risking moderation for no benefit.

If the lack of a timer is a concern to you, then you will need to wait until beta / release, the same as any BGA game. Alpha games are intended for test purposes, not for normal gameplay.

[Meeplelowda]

If the lack of a timer is a concern to you, then you will need to wait until beta / release, the same as any BGA game. Alpha games are intended for test purposes, not for normal gameplay.

The OP claims that "I’ve seen other people start prelude games with timers somehow."

[nik592]

Prelude is an expansion for TM and it's definitely still alpha. I also prefer it and have been playing only friendly games (it does switch you to alpha when Prelude is selected as the OP says).