No Time Limit shouldn't mean Training Mode

[Silene]

Then it would be better to add slower mode like "1 move a week" or maybe "1 move for 2 weeks" (I guess that "1 move for 1 month" is really too slow but maybe there are some people interested in).

I see many cases where 1 move per 2 days is too fast when playing with friends (mainly when we are away for a full week-end).

When you play 1 move per 2 days, then your maximum of time on the clock is 6 days. No problem to get through a full weekend (or even little holiday) with that. As long as you played at the pace of 1 move per 2 days before that holiday and afterwards of course. And if that's not enough, there's even the holiday time jokers to get through a bit longer absence.

But even if you go into negative time - your friends won't kick you for that and there's absolutely no penalty for going overtime if you aren't kicked.

[cigma]

Ah bummer. I like to play with my friends with the no time setting, but also with ELO enabled. That gives the game a bit more edge to it. I wouldn't be surprised if many other people think the same way.

'If you play a game without time limit, you cannot expel players. It also mean that you are "trapped" in the game if the others players cannot play. This is why "no time limit" should be only played in game with "no penalties" and "no ELO": this way, you can leave the game anytime without any damage to your reputation or rankings. And this is exactly what "training mode" provides: a safe way to play with "no time limit".'

Isn't this why exactly this is actually possible when playing with friends? Because after all, you won't get 'trapped in a game' when playing with friends.

I fully agree with this.

I never felt trapped in a game without time limit. But I actually WAS trapped in games in training mode! If a game in training mode can't be continued at the moment, you can't open new tables. So it's the training mode where the trap is!

And you can only have 1 game in training mode at a time. So this is no alternative for me.

The turn-based mode as it is, isn't an equal substitute. Like others mentioned it here, the possibility to pause for only 2 days is much too short (referring to vacation, personal problems or sometimes technical problems). All in all I'd plead to keep gameplay without time limit, or else establish turn-based with a min. of 1 turn per month.

[Bourjn]

there's absolutely no penalty for going overtime if you aren't kicked.

That's great because I was not sure about this point.

I am not sure that when you start a "1 move per 2 days" you start with 6 days. I remember that the game started a friday and I won't had enough time if I had waited for Monday, so I had to play quickly my first move before leaving (but maybe it was only "1move per 1 day").

I know some people who are really scared about the time left (even if they know that you won't kick them) and some can only play some moves a week (and so they will be always out of time when playing).
Maybe in such case we should not care about Elo, but then it is always sad to see that when a player which rarely wins do not gain anything for their performance.

Certain players abuse this system, only open tables with 'no time limit' and purposefully didn't finish their games that they were losing, usually on their last turn of the game. Doesn't sound much like fun anymore. So that's why the 'friends only' restriction was applied. So if you're stuck in a game, it's not because someone duped you into playing. And no I don't know why they weren't banned for this behaviour.

This should not be possible if the "no-time" games are open only to "friends" (which is the current system) or you should exclude them from your friends

[dschingis27]

I never felt trapped in a game without time limit. But I actually WAS trapped in games in training mode! If a game in training mode can't be continued at the moment, you can't open new tables. So it's the training mode where the trap is!

What a bad argument! You can get trapped in such way both in training mode or in normal mode, the fact that it only happened to you in training mode games doesn't change that it can happen in normal mode as well. If it happens in training mode, you can at least leave the game without any consequence, that is the whole point.

On another note, I think you can play several training games at the same time if you start them from the turn-based lobby.

[cigma]

I never felt trapped in a game without time limit. But I actually WAS trapped in games in training mode! If a game in training mode can't be continued at the moment, you can't open new tables. So it's the training mode where the trap is!

What a bad argument! You can get trapped in such way both in training mode or in normal mode, the fact that it only happened to you in training mode games doesn't change that it can happen in normal mode as well. If it happens in training mode, you can at least leave the game without any consequence, that is the whole point.

On another note, I think you can play several training games at the same time if you start them from the turn-based lobby.

I had difficulties to leave a game in training mode after one player was disconnected. But I don't remember the details, so maybe you are right, or it was just a bug.

What do you mean by "the turn-based lobby"? When you use the old lobby to start a game and click "training mode", the menu for choosing the time (real time or turn-based) vanishes. So I don't understand what "the turn-based lobby" should be.

My eperience is that you can't have any other game (training or normal mode) as long as you are in a training game. I am used to play several games without time limit with my friends at a time, so training mode is not a substitute for that.

[nik592]

I also have played a lot of this mode with (RL) friends - we all want to be able to earn ELO and gift points because it is the same as if we were playing around a physical table, only that online is easier for us since we all seem to have young kids right now. It's a real game, not training, and should count as such (ok, yes, I know physical games don't earn ELO IRL, but if I'm using BGA then I want my games to count for my ELO).

1 move per 2 days sometimes isn't enough for us in our busy lives. Some people go 3-4 or more days without a turn (and yes, I realise the time is added, but as someone else said, you don't start the game with more than 2 days, and you don't build up more time immediately if you use it). Either make some slower settings, or leave the no time limit with friends setting. If games fall off on their own after 90 days, why can't someone who is "trapped" in a no time limit game be told this (I'm assuming they are complaining to BGA admins or something)? It's not like the game would be nagging them to take their turn. Why punish those who use the setting as intended because those who don't are having an issue with it?

[SwHawk]

If games fall off on their own after 90 days, why can't someone who is "trapped" in a no time limit game be told this (I'm assuming they are complaining to BGA admins or something)? It's not like the game would be nagging them to take their turn. Why punish those who use the setting as intended because those who don't are having an issue with it?

For a turn-based game, it doesn't matter, but do you want ot be stuck in a real-time game for 90 days, without the possibility to create a new one ?

[nik592]

For a turn-based game, it doesn't matter, but do you want ot be stuck in a real-time game for 90 days, without the possibility to create a new one ?

No time limit is turn-based mode only (at least in my experience, please correct if I am wrong). There is no way to have a real-time game with no time limit.

[Jellby]

Of course, nothing prevents you from playing in real time anyway.

The question is whether while playing a no-time-limit game you can:
1. Browse away of the table, visit the forum, visit the lobby, create a new game, etc. without quitting the game
or
2. Use the "hamburger" menu and switch to turn-based mode... then go to 1.

[Tulivuori]

I also have played a lot of this mode with (RL) friends - we all want to be able to earn ELO and gift points because it is the same as if we were playing around a physical table, only that online is easier for us since we all seem to have young kids right now. It's a real game, not training, and should count as such (ok, yes, I know physical games don't earn ELO IRL, but if I'm using BGA then I want my games to count for my ELO).

1 move per 2 days sometimes isn't enough for us in our busy lives. Some people go 3-4 or more days without a turn (and yes, I realise the time is added, but as someone else said, you don't start the game with more than 2 days, and you don't build up more time immediately if you use it). Either make some slower settings, or leave the no time limit with friends setting. If games fall off on their own after 90 days, why can't someone who is "trapped" in a no time limit game be told this (I'm assuming they are complaining to BGA admins or something)? It's not like the game would be nagging them to take their turn. Why punish those who use the setting as intended because those who don't are having an issue with it?

You start with 6 days...