Why show an option when it isn't available?

[SkyDog]

I have had connection problems that have caused me issues recently with several games here on BGA.

I'm not sure if this is specific to Spades or if it is sitewide, but I have run across what I believe is the absolutely stupidest, most contradictory thing I have seen on the site.

After reconnecting, I am brought to a page that says "Your thinking time has expired and all your turns will be skipped." with a button just below that says "Get back in the game".

I click on the "Get back in the game" button, and what happens?

I get an error that says "You cannot get back into the game while your thinking time is below 0."

If my time has expired, and I cannot get back in the game because of it, then why on Earth is that button there telling me that I can?

I have seen this button before, and I cannot recall a single instance where that error doesn't show up.

Why does this button even show up when you can't ever use it?

[cigma]

If you want to report an error or suggestion for programming, please use this section: https://boardgamearena.com/bugs

[FrankJones]

I agree with the OP; this is really silly. The pop-up should say, "An opponent decided to skip your turn while you were disconnected, so you immediately lose and cannot get back into the game. The game is over."

[Tuut Tuut tis Luut]

The button is working as intended. It's just rarely useful.

Some games allow the other players to continue playing, with the expelled players turns simply being skipped.

Your clock will still go up, however. So it's possible for your thinking time to become positive again. And you can jump back in.

It's also possible you chose to quit the game yourself, with a positive clock. In which case you could continue playing as well.

[FrankJones]

The button is working as intended. It's just rarely useful.

Some games allow the other players to continue playing, with the expelled players turns simply being skipped.

Your clock will still go up, however. So it's possible for your thinking time to become positive again. And you can jump back in.

It's also possible you chose to quit the game yourself, with a positive clock. In which case you could continue playing as well.

This did happen to me, and what you're saying is not how it went.

It was rather bizarre; the game was Terraforming Mars, and my opponent played until Generation 27 (Truly absurd for that game), and every few generations, my clock inexplicably had some time added until I was in the positive, at which point allowed me to "rejoin" the game.

But, I ended up losing anyway, because apparently once your turns get skipped, you lose automatically, as others in this thread have noted.

[Tuut Tuut tis Luut]

Right, that's how it works, you still get the penalty, and the results are set, but you can in theory finish the game. So the button isn't there for no reason.