Board Game Arena

I would prefer to participate in faster turn-based games (e.g. 6 moves a day) but work/sleep times would obviously prevent my keeping pace. Even 8-hours per move could cut it close at times. But these few long stretches for sleep and work don't mean I wouldn't be exceptionally responsive at other times. It would be nice if the turn-clock algorithm factored in your swifter moves to allow some latitude for a few longer moves.

Unfortunately, when you don't know for sure how the clock works, it prevents you from choosing the faster pace you'd prefer except for sleep/work exceptions. I'm sure I'd be able to appease the 4-hours-per-move if it averaged.

This is already implemented.

In fast turn-based games, an option is given to restrict playing hours. The clock will not count down during non-playing hours, although moves can still be made.

I feel like you may be misunderstanding how turn-based games work, and I don't blame you because I was confused at first too. x turns a day isn't a maximum limit of turns you can take, rather it's a minimum. You can choose any low number of turns, and as long as both players are active, you can keep playing until you finish.

I thought I saw a playing hours on a table, but later when I tried to set up a table I didn't see how to set the playing hours. I looked at the FAQ too. And I read the FAQ before posting here so somehow I still didn't find understanding. Be patient with me. I'll get there. Thank you for the feedback.

I see how to set playing hours, but what is the time zone used for this setting? GMT?

stonebridge wrote: ↑12 May 2022, 07:01 I see how to set playing hours, but what is the time zone used for this setting? GMT?

GMT+1 I think. The timezone of Paris and Brussels.

T72on1 wrote: ↑12 May 2022, 07:55

stonebridge wrote: ↑12 May 2022, 07:01 I see how to set playing hours, but what is the time zone used for this setting? GMT?

GMT+1 I think. The timezone of Paris and Brussels.

No. I don't think so. It's whatever your time zone is.

Ah ok sorry, I keep forgetting that. That's even better.

OK, I've read the clock FAQ a bunch of times and I still don't get it.

I join a game that is 4 moves per day. That means the turn clock is 6 hrs per move. The countdown on me begins when? When the player before me finishes, right?

Let's say I take a move first thing in the morning just before leaving for work, in a 4-player game. The other players, thinking similarly, do the same and finish their moves within minutes of me. I've left for work and won't return for 8-ish hours. I'm penalized, right? Because there's an 8-hour window of inactivity. Sleep is the same. Everything is fine if the shot clock starts 3 hours into my work day or sleep cycle. Everything is NOT fine if it starts shortly after either of those begins.

Or am I given some latitude because I am completing 4 moves within 24 hours of my clock time even if one move takes more than 6 hours?

capnemo-1734 wrote: ↑19 May 2022, 22:14 I join a game that is 4 moves per day. That means the turn clock is 6 hrs per move. The countdown on me begins when? When the player before me finishes, right?

Correct. Your time begins to count down when the game is waiting for you to do an action. This includes when it is waiting for more than one person in simultaneous move games, such as 7 Wonders and 6 Nimmt.

capnemo-1734 wrote: ↑19 May 2022, 22:14 Let's say I take a move first thing in the morning just before leaving for work, in a 4-player game. The other players, thinking similarly, do the same and finish their moves within minutes of me. I've left for work and won't return for 8-ish hours. I'm penalized, right? Because there's an 8-hour window of inactivity.

Not exactly.

There are three important values for the clock: Initial time, Thinking time, and Total time.
Initial time is what everyone's clock starts at. It is used in real-time games to give everyone a chance to say pleasantries and to study the initial board game layout, without making the first player feel rushed.

Thinking time is the amount of time that is added to the clock after a player makes a move. So, in a 4 move per day game, after you make a move 6 hours are added to your clock. But, this does not mean that if you don't make a move for 8 hours, you are penalized. It just means you have lost 2 more hours from your clock. As long as your clock stays positive, you are fine. And this leads in to...

Total time. This is the maximum value your clock will ever achieve. So, in a 4 moves/day game, you can't camp out in front of your computer on the weekend, and make 10 moves as soon as it is your turn, and build up 2 and a half days (60 hours) of non-playing.

So, going back to your example. You and 3 other players, who happen to all work at the same time, play a 4 moves per day game. Let's say this has an initial time of 12 hours and a total time of 24 hours. I'm not familiar with this game time, so these may be wrong, but they'll do for the example.

The game starts at midnight, and you are first player. Uh-oh, not good for you. You make your first move at 7:30 as you head to work. Your clock is now (12 - 7.5) at 4.5 hours. But, you made a move, so 6 hours are added, and it is now 10.5 hours.
The other 3 players each do the same, but conveniently 1,2, and 3 minutes behind you. So at 7:33, it is your turn again. But you don't know this, you've headed off to work. You don't notice until 5:30 pm, when you get home. Not to worry, your clock is still reading 0.5 hours, so it is still positive. You make your move, and increase it to 6.5 hours. The other three players immediately move, but you've logged off. An hour later (6:30 pm) you check, and see your clock at 5.5 hours, make your move, and increase it to 11.5 hours. The same cycle happens again; you make your move, log off, and everyone else plays. At 7:30pm you check again, and increase your clock from 10.5 to 16.5 hours. Hey, you've made 4 moves today, so you don't check again until the next morning at 7:30. By this time your clock has dwindled to 4.5 hours. But, since it was at 4.5 hours yesterday, you can see that if the day repeats itself you will keep your clock positive and not run out of time. Of course, everyone else's clock will be reading 24 hours at this time, because they've made their moves within minutes of it being their turn and maxxed out their clock.


A couple of other notes to address common confusion on the clock:
X moves per day is not a maximum. You can play a 1 move per day game realtime if you want. It just means that if you make at least X number of moves per day, your clock will not run out of time.

Playing hours are listed in your time zone. About the only places where the server's time zone is displayed is on the front page of the forums and the server status page.

Outside of playing hours doesn't mean you can't play. It just means the clock will not count down during that time. So if your playing hours are 7 am to 11 pm, and you wake up in the middle of the night, you can still log in and make a move.