Board Game Arena

RazorOz wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 17:30

FrankJones wrote: ↑21 November 2025, 13:54 This is a problem with any multiplayer game. The problem is, there is no way to write code to evaluate who is "going to win" when a player quits. SO, even though it might be obvious that one player is going to win against the other two players, the game code does not know that, and so it gives a dual win to both players who did not quit.

It's a problem without a solution. This issue has been discussed countless times in the forums.

Heat solved this issue over a year ago that all games play to conclusion regardless. Wingspan could easily implement the same thing, though I don't know who you have to lobby for the change, but the point is the solution and code for this already exists on the site, it's not written in stone that someone quitting the game voids the result.

Why is it assumed that the code for a game that already has autonomous players (Legends) is at all applicable to Wingspan with completely different mechanics?

Meeplelowda wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 18:01

RazorOz wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 17:30 Heat solved this issue over a year ago that all games play to conclusion regardless. Wingspan could easily implement the same thing, though I don't know who you have to lobby for the change, but the point is the solution and code for this already exists on the site, it's not written in stone that someone quitting the game voids the result.

Why is it assumed that the code for a game that already has autonomous players (Legends) is at all applicable to Wingspan with completely different mechanics?

Because Legends has nothing to do with the solution implemented, they don't replace the player who left with a Legend. It's a framework coding thing, ie. before and in most games if someone leaves the game the result of the game is void, all that Heat has coded is this isn't the case, the game is still live and plays to conclusion, just that player is eliminated. That framework could be applied to any game, there are some games it probably wouldn't work for, but it would be fine at Wingspan, there are some minor impacts to losing a player mid-game (which is same as Heat), but those impacts are far outweighed by not constantly losing time to void games.

Exactly. It would be a case-by-case basis. Some games can continue with a "zombie" player, and some cannot.

Each individual game developer would need to decide whether it's worth implementing this sort of feature. And the developer for any game might even be knowledgeable enough about the strategy and mechanics of the game to know whether a particular game would be suitable to have this done.

FrankJones wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 21:24 Exactly. It would be a case-by-case basis. Some games can continue with a "zombie" player, and some cannot.

Each individual game developer would need to decide whether it's worth implementing this sort of feature. And the developer for any game might even be knowledgeable enough about the strategy and mechanics of the game to know whether a particular game would be suitable to have this done.

To be clear there is no zombie player, and neither would there be at Wingspan, the 3 player game would just play out as 2 player game. I don't believe any game specific coding is required here, all it requires is applying the framework code that the result still counts if someone leaves the game. How the game handles a player leaving the game in terms of gameplay is already coded, ie. if someone leaves a game of Wingspan, the game doesn't crash, you can still play the game to conclusion, it's just the results are neutralised, if you apply this framework the result would no longer be neutralised.

RazorOz wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 22:24

FrankJones wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 21:24 Exactly. It would be a case-by-case basis. Some games can continue with a "zombie" player, and some cannot.

Each individual game developer would need to decide whether it's worth implementing this sort of feature. And the developer for any game might even be knowledgeable enough about the strategy and mechanics of the game to know whether a particular game would be suitable to have this done.

To be clear there is no zombie player, and neither would there be at Wingspan, the 3 player game would just play out as 2 player game. I don't believe any game specific coding is required here, all it requires is applying the framework code that the result still counts if someone leaves the game. How the game handles a player leaving the game in terms of gameplay is already coded, ie. if someone leaves a game of Wingspan, the game doesn't crash, you can still play the game to conclusion, it's just the results are neutralised, if you apply this framework the result would no longer be neutralised.

For Wingspan, yes.

For other games, the game becomes non-functional if a player leaves.

FrankJones wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 22:29

RazorOz wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 22:24 To be clear there is no zombie player, and neither would there be at Wingspan, the 3 player game would just play out as 2 player game. I don't believe any game specific coding is required here, all it requires is applying the framework code that the result still counts if someone leaves the game. How the game handles a player leaving the game in terms of gameplay is already coded, ie. if someone leaves a game of Wingspan, the game doesn't crash, you can still play the game to conclusion, it's just the results are neutralised, if you apply this framework the result would no longer be neutralised.

For Wingspan, yes.

For other games, the game becomes non-functional if a player leaves.

So they wouldn't apply the framework being used for Heat. We're talking about Wingspan here right, and it's common around the forums for a lot of games that people seem to think there is no solution to this, but like I say, it was solved over a year ago, just the solution is only applied to Heat, and as a result I'm pretty sure the majority of players aren't even aware there is an existing solution on BGA.

Imo the majority of games would benefit from this change, the number of games that straight break if a player leaves are in a minority, and for those games you just leave the framework how it is now, but most games would benefit from this change, because it's better than the annoyance of losing certain wins. There's also another element, it's a much, much better rule for tournaments, it's infuriating to go out of a tournament because someone else quit the game and you went out on whatever random qualification method was applied, this fixes that.

The main point I'm trying to get across overall is there is another way, I don't play that much Wingspan, but this is a common topic on the forum for many games, and often the player bases are almost misled being told there is no alternative, there's no solution etc., when there is, just they don't know about it. I think if more of the player bases knew there was a solution that already exists, a number of them would think it's better than the current framework, and would be interested in it being applied to their game of choice.

oh, I definitely agree that any game that is not broken by having a player quit can and should be coded to allow the game to continue.

RazorOz wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 22:24

FrankJones wrote: ↑19 December 2025, 21:24 Exactly. It would be a case-by-case basis. Some games can continue with a "zombie" player, and some cannot.

Each individual game developer would need to decide whether it's worth implementing this sort of feature. And the developer for any game might even be knowledgeable enough about the strategy and mechanics of the game to know whether a particular game would be suitable to have this done.

To be clear there is no zombie player, and neither would there be at Wingspan, the 3 player game would just play out as 2 player game. I don't believe any game specific coding is required here, all it requires is applying the framework code that the result still counts if someone leaves the game. How the game handles a player leaving the game in terms of gameplay is already coded, ie. if someone leaves a game of Wingspan, the game doesn't crash, you can still play the game to conclusion, it's just the results are neutralised, if you apply this framework the result would no longer be neutralised.

I would say that removing one player can significantly affect the game and it's not always better than just canceling it. I would not introduce this into wingspan unless I ask for the consent of all the players.