Time zones in turn taking games makes the playing hours useless

[Natlovesboardgames]

I want to create a game of terraforming mars that I can play through in a day or two, but whenever I create a game where the playing hours are (for example) 7 am to 7 pm each player’s playing hours are based on their time zone so we are all playing at different times. Why is it not possible to create a game with set hours regardless of time zone? Or, why can’t I create a game and only allow people on the same continent as me to join? A game that takes 90 minutes to play shouldn’t have to take a week to complete on turn taking mode.

[Meeplelowda]

whenever I create a game where the playing hours are (for example) 7 am to 7 pm each player’s playing hours are based on their time zone

You didn't explain what you mean by "based on their time zone," or give a concrete example, so I can't tell if you are correctly understanding how playing hours work. If I am in England and create a game with playing hours 7 am to 7 pm, that does not mean someone in Australia also has playing hours of 7 am to 7 pm in Australia. The playing hours in Australia will be 5pm to 5 am, and they will see this when they are deciding to join the table (if they look carefully, which many people don't). But just because their playing hours are 5pm to 5 am does not mean they are prohibited from making moves outside that window.

Why is it not possible to create a game with set hours regardless of time zone?

See above.

Or, why can’t I create a game and only allow people on the same continent as me to join?

This idea of restricting people joining games by geography has been discussed MANY times in the forum and every time it's based on an assumption of what "normal" playing hours are. It is naive, at best, and presumptuous, at worst, to assume that everyone in the same time zone plays at the same "normal" hours. Some people work a graveyard shift, so them being on a different continent doesn't automatically make their playing hours incompatible with yours.

A game that takes 90 minutes to play shouldn’t have to take a week to complete on turn taking mode.

If it takes a week without someone running out of time, then set it to a faster time setting. If you already have it set at 24 moves per day and it takes a week without people running out of time, then that's how long it it takes. It's not a time zone issue. People are allowed to use all of their clock.

The problem is with the individual who is signing up for games where they can't keep up with the clock, regardless of where they are located.

[Natlovesboardgames]

Are you saying the hours do not work like I think they do? Because I can set the game to 7 am to 7 pm and the other players who are from Europe will have a moon next to their name when it is 10 am my time, which I had assumed meant for them this was not playing hours?

[tbhp]

A game that takes 90 minutes to play shouldn’t have to take a week to complete on turn taking mode.

If it takes a week without someone running out of time, then set it to a faster time setting. If you already have it set at 24 moves per day and it takes a week without people running out of time, then that's how long it it takes. It's not a time zone issue. People are allowed to use all of their clock.

Considering their quote above it seems that OP is looking for a middle ground that doesn't exist on the site. Something longer than real time, where players have appropriate time to think of their moves, but also where everyone agrees to get the game finished within a few hours, without the intermittent play that we see in turn based. Think like how real life Chess tournaments usually work.

The problem is that the way those modes are set up doesn't lead players to play that way. People are going to see the turn based mode as an invitation to go do other things or take a sleep, since the time they are offered allows the game to drag on for days.

Like OP I think it would be nice to have a middle ground of sorts, which would allow us to have tournaments where you know things will be over within the day. It would give the feeling of like playing a Chess tournament at home, which the current modes fail to do. They are either too long or too fast.

[FrankJones]

Are you saying the hours do not work like I think they do? Because I can set the game to 7 am to 7 pm and the other players who are from Europe will have a moon next to their name when it is 10 am my time, which I had assumed meant for them this was not playing hours?

When there is a 12-hour playing window, everyone anywhere in the world will see the moon disappear simultaneously and reappear simultaneously. So, if you set the window for 7 AM to 7 PM your time, everyone else in the game will have their clock running (if it's their turn) from 7 AM to 7 PM your time.

Someone whose tun it is at 10 AM your time should not have the moon. If you see a moon, perhaps it means (in a 3+ player game) you are both waiting on a 3rd player, and so the moon on the 2nd player is still there because it has not become that 2nd player's turn since the 7 AM window started.

[Meeplelowda]

Are you saying the hours do not work like I think they do? Because I can set the game to 7 am to 7 pm and the other players who are from Europe will have a moon next to their name when it is 10 am my time, which I had assumed meant for them this was not playing hours?

If it is between 7 am and 7 pm your time, there should not be a moon next to anyone's name at 10 am your time when it is their turn. If there is it's an error and you should fill out a bug report. If the moon is on someone and it's not their turn, it could be a glitch like Frank suggested, but it's not critical because their clock wouldn't be running anyway so no harm no foul. But because of the confusion it can cause, I'd still fill out a bug report for that, too.

[Jellby]

For what it's worth, I refer to https://boardgamearena.com/14/terraform ... =868084259

I see that game as:
Game speed: Fast Turn-based • 24 moves per day (+30:00 per turn (maximum 12h00))
Playing hours: 18:00 → 6:00

These are the times in MY timezone (CEST). It would 7pm to 7am for someone in Finland or Greece, and 7am to 7pm in... Adak?

[Meeplelowda]

For what it's worth, I refer to https://boardgamearena.com/14/terraform ... =868084259

I see that game as:
Game speed: Fast Turn-based • 24 moves per day (+30:00 per turn (maximum 12h00))
Playing hours: 18:00 → 6:00

These are the times in MY timezone (CEST). It would 7pm to 7am for someone in Finland or Greece, and 7am to 7pm in... Adak?

And for me it's:
Playing hours: 9:00 → 21:00 (PDT)

And FYI: even though you'll probably check the game before you check the forums, your clock is currently in the negative, Natlovesboardgames.

[BarnardsStar]

And FYI: even though you'll probably check the game before you check the forums, your clock is currently in the negative, Natlovesboardgames.

But so is everyone else’s…

[FrankJones]

I want to create a game of terraforming mars that I can play through in a day or two, but whenever I create a game where the playing hours are (for example) 7 am to 7 pm each player’s playing hours are based on their time zone so we are all playing at different times. Why is it not possible to create a game with set hours regardless of time zone? Or, why can’t I create a game and only allow people on the same continent as me to join? A game that takes 90 minutes to play shouldn’t have to take a week to complete on turn taking mode.

Considering you have 12 forfeits and 87 clock violations in your recent history, maybe you are the reason your games are taking so long?

Why have you still not taken your turn in your 4-player TFM game? You were active 1 hour ago, and are well into the negative.