Scheduled real-time games

[Proclivitas]

Someone suggested this 3 years ago: https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewto ... =9&t=12734

Why is this not being prioritized? With such a long, long list of games, and more being added, trying to scroll down and up to find real-time games is just not happening for games which are "less popular" for whatever reason (mostly complex rules and lengthy playtime).

Some games on BGA are dead. They are not being played. At all. Penny Press for example - I've seen 1 lobby in the last six months. Expedition: Northwest Passage? Never. Ever. Even Dungeon Petz which is an incredibly solid and acclaimed game is very very "lonely" as far as lobbies go.

These are not bad games, they are not popular, because they are not visible, and they are not visible, because they're not popular. So noone looks at them because there are never lobbies for them, and there are never lobbies for them because noone looks at them.

Scheduling a game (with rep penalties for no-shows) would help WAY more of the longer and less popular games to be played real-time.

Now, it's basically play by mail (which I don't like) or never.

Please consider adding a scheduling system for real-time.

[voriki]

Some games on BGA are dead. They are not being played. At all. Penny Press for example - I've seen 1 lobby in the last six months.

https://boardgamearena.com/gameinprogress?game=1136&all
There are currently 16 games of Penny Press ongoing. Could you define what you mean with "I've seen 1 lobby".

Only when you checked? Only real time tables? Only turn based?(ignore)
Did you open any tables yourself to encourage others to join?

[Tulivuori]

Title says real time.Sigh.

[voriki]

Title says real time.Sigh.

Right, sorry.
My other question is still valid, how many tables did they open themselves?

[MystWalker]

I think scheduled real-time is a great idea! There are a lot of games that I would like to play with 3 or 4 players, but turn-based with more than one opponent takes FOREVER. I think this would help lots of games be more accessible and have a bit more life to them!
What downsides am I missing?

[MystWalker]

Only when you checked?
Did you open any tables yourself to encourage others to join?

1) This question confuses me. When else are we supposed to find real-time games we can play? The issue trying to be solved by the suggestion is being able to ask people to play at an agreed to time, and to do so before we are able to play. The whole point is to be able to check when we aren't online.
2) I've tried opening plenty of real-time tables for less popular games. I can wait for hours and not get a match, especially if I want to have a game with more than 1 opponent.

I've considered scheduling a real-time tournament for less popular games, but I think this idea would be a much better solution! Especially if scheduled real-time was displayed along regular real-time games.

[MystWalker]

I still think this is a good idea. How can I help it gain traction?
Is there a better way for me to give it support?
I don't really know how changes are made on this site.

[Trociu]

Splendid idea! I'm back after 7 years and I'm really sad that I can't play Northwest Passage in real time. I bought this game thanks to BGA but nowadays finding more than 1 player for real time game is problematic. I don't have time to spend for waiting at empty table for an hour. Scheduling real time game sounds like ideal solution.

[Proclivitas]

Some games on BGA are dead. They are not being played. At all. Penny Press for example - I've seen 1 lobby in the last six months.

https://boardgamearena.com/gameinprogress?game=1136&all
There are currently 16 games of Penny Press ongoing. Could you define what you mean with "I've seen 1 lobby".

Only when you checked? Only real time tables? Only turn based?(ignore)
Did you open any tables yourself to encourage others to join?

I mean realtime.

I don't play "play by mail" and don't understand people who do. I don't enjoy playing 20 games at the same time over several weeks or even months. I like to play a game through, one at a time, and move on.

So, I haven't seen a real-time lobby of Penny Press (and many many other games) for months.

It's not about opening lobbies myself either. I've seen sad people sit in a lobby for hours (lewis & clark, amyitis, etc.) trying to get even a 2nd player. And those are actually good games. Good luck trying to get something going which is more esoteric like Hack Trick or those old abstract/euros from before 2010 that you have on the site. Another one that I've seen a lobby of like twice in the last year that I'm interested in playing (not 2p), is Expedition: Northwest Passage.

Additionally, a LOT of games on the site, I don't want to play 2p. I want at least 3, ideally 4 player game for a lot of those games, and that's just not happening.

[voriki]

I don't play "play by mail" and don't understand people who do.

Sometimes people can't sit a whole game through at once. I have about 60-80 turnbased tables open which I can play during the day, inbetween office hours.

Do some work, take 5 minute break to clear my open tables where I have to make a move, make a quick note each time if needed. For some games the overall game goes faster when you do a quick scan of the past actions, than to wait in realtime for every player taking 2 minutes to make all their moves. On a 6-7 player table it can sometimes take up to 10mins for your next turn.