Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

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DerTodgeweihte
Posts: 4
Joined: 10 July 2025, 01:24

Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by DerTodgeweihte »

Title says it all, but i will elaborate down below.

You always get time at the start of your move, but you sometimes get control over the game without starting your next move (getting pilfered, discarding an endgame card because an opponent reached 10 CP, breaks) most of the time, the action you need to take can be done in a second or less, so its not that important to get time for it. But when you go quite low on your time in your previous move because you needed your time or you wanted to think something through correctly and then an opponent triggers a break late in the game, there can be quite some actions you need to do (project rewards, sponsors triggering, maybe placing a 2 size over a reward and resolving that). Not getting additional time for all these moves can easily get you over your time limit and sometimes even over the 20 second delay to maybe get kicked if an opponent so desires (best examples would be triggering a play a sponsor for money bonus after placing a 2 size, and then having to place a sponsor building and then that sponsor building triggering another placement bonus and maybe even hunting or drawing a card). Its obviously fair to get kicked if you play slow and go over your time limit, but when you end your move in time and think everything is good and then because your opponent decided to trigger the break you have to take sometimes over 20 seconds of additional actions even playing as fast as you can, it can feel quite bad.

So in short
There is skill in time management and playing fast, but since Ark Nova has no flat 20 minute clock but gives time per move you therefore come to expect to get given enough time to make your moves when ever you get control over the game, if you play fast enough. You don't get enough time when an opponent triggers a break, so i think that should be changed.

I am interested to hear your thoughts on this,
have a nice day and good luck in your next games
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yetiks
Posts: 6
Joined: 19 February 2026, 01:17

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by yetiks »

I agree with this request
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Choirmou59
Posts: 1
Joined: 17 June 2020, 10:50

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by Choirmou59 »

My opponent just clicked on finish the game to win it while i was thinking how to finish. I really agree with you. I have a penality but I never stoped playing.
I just red flaged him, really ANNOYING. 1 hour of game and unfair behaviour.
Action should had second like in chess in expert games.
Nathan997
Posts: 2
Joined: 02 June 2026, 10:32

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by Nathan997 »

If you're having trouble with the time limit you can change the game speed to "slow" (just under the number of players option) and you'll have a few more minutes to think
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BlueSwan
Posts: 10
Joined: 26 December 2016, 12:58

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by BlueSwan »

I never thought about this, but the request sounds reasonable to me.
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yetiks
Posts: 6
Joined: 19 February 2026, 01:17

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by yetiks »

Nathan997 wrote: ↑10 October 2026, 14:28 If you're having trouble with the time limit you can change the game speed to "slow" (just under the number of players option) and you'll have a few more minutes to think
I think you're missing the point, you get extra time for new turns, but not when a break occurs, this means things like you finish your last turn and the opponent causes a break can cause you to time out at no fault of your own etc. The request is for extra time to be added here, like when a new turn happens.
FrankJones
Posts: 2857
Joined: 30 June 2024, 00:24

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by FrankJones »

The increment is added at the start of a player's next turn, right?

So, if a player finishes a turn with low clock - which can happen in Ark Nova - and the opponent then triggers break, no time is added back, but the clock start ticking down again?

If that's how works at present, that seems problematic.
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Jellby
Posts: 3749
Joined: 31 December 2013, 12:22

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by Jellby »

So time management is not just "finish your turn before your time runs out", it's also "make sure you will have enough time next turn", and you have to consider "extras" like possible additional actions next turn, or being pilfered before your next turn... or having a break before your next turn. If you let your timer run down to 0:00 and then something happens... well, that's on you.

I'm not saying it shouldn't be changed, I'm just saying that's the way it works now, and it's the same for everyone.
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Tisaac
Posts: 2763
Joined: 26 August 2014, 21:28

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by Tisaac »

Sounds like a bug to me, please report it
FrankJones
Posts: 2857
Joined: 30 June 2024, 00:24

Re: Could we get some additional time when an opponent triggers the break

Post by FrankJones »

Jellby wrote: ↑11 October 2026, 07:49

I'm not saying it shouldn't be changed, I'm just saying that's the way it works now, and it's the same for everyone.
At fast-real time, it's not always feasible to expect a player to finish a convoluted turn AND then resolve a convoluted break sequence without incremental time added. That's not a question of time management, it's likely an accidental oversight.

And, Tisaac seems to agree, so it will probably be fixed.

Yes, it's the same for everyone, but that's doesn't mean it's not a problem.
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