NOTE: This is _related_ to but _not_ a duplicate of the thread "No Time Limit shouldn't mean Training Mode" (https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28186). This post detangles the concerns of the Turn Based games, which was unfortunately also impacted by the "No Time Limit" change, from the real-time game which the original post in that other thread is concerned with.
BGA recently made an update, where the intent was to solve a perceived issue of some players "getting stuck" in No Time Limit games.
Although the only real issue of getting stuck relates to players playing a No Time Limit game configured as a real time game (where while "stuck", BGAs UI does not easily allow the player to access the active games list), the developers unfortunately also removed the option to setup Turn Based "No Time Limit" games, where this is not really a problem. Players are perfectly able to access their active games list, and the table will automatically shut down after 40 days. Thus, a table/player never gets stuck, and any unused table will resolve itself without requiring intervention from BGA.
Given the amount of feedback & requests for BGA to bring back the No Time Limit configuration in this other thread "No Time Limit shouldn't mean Training Mode" (https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28186), it's pretty clear that a large number of players on BGA have been negatively impacted by this change. Having gone through ALL of the (at the time of writing this) 14 pages of comments in that thread, it's pretty clear that what many players are _actually_ concerned/upset about, is not the real-time "No Time Limit" tables, but the Turn Based games.
Bringing back Turn Based "No Time Limit + Friends" as a table option, would basically address _all_ the concerns raised in that other thread, while still solving the original problem BGA intended to solve. Given the amount of feedback, such a change would make a significant number of BGA users a lot happier again.
The Turn Based "No Time Limit + Friends" option would also be an acceptable work-around for players who do play in real-time, as you can play a turn based game with all players present.
BGA, please reconsider the removal of "No Time Limit + Friends" option for Turn Based games, and bring back this feature that the community clearly use and like.
==== EDIT ====
If you support this request, show your support by upvoting this bug/feature request:
1.
"Why not just play Turn Based on 1 move per 2 days instead? Your friends can just NOT kick you!"
There is a very real side effect of a player running over time. They get a time penalty marker showing in the stats of their profile.
This can negatively impact their ability to get people to join their public table they set up at a later time. Some players check player profiles before joining long games (especially when low or no Karma restriction set), and avoid joining games with players who have a lot of time penalties, as it can be _very_ frustrating to play a game with someone who constantly runs over time. Because even with the option to expel a player, the game is ruined.
Furthermore, WHEN a player runs out of time on a table, I (and others with me) will look at that player's profile before making the call to expel them from the game. If it's a player who has a very low ratio of time penalties compared to number of games played, those players tend to get a second (and sometimes third) chance. However, if this is happening mid game, and the player clearly have a high ratio of time penalties, this is an indication that this player does this on a regular basis, and finishing the game will be a paaaaaaaiiiin. Thus, many players will opt to expel the player from the game, and the game is ruined/over.
If people who normally _always_ make their moves on time when playing timed games, are now forced to accumulate time penalties to play a slow paced game with friends, there will be no reliable way to differentiate between a player who will be a total pain to play with and a player who will be making all their moves on time.
2.
This change is great, it stops players from abusing the ELO system!
This change does not in any way prevent players from abusing the ELO system. Players who for some reason want to bump their ELO by cheating can still play any other form of ranked game with friends/other accounts that intentionally lose to them. The only way to prevent ELO abuse is to ONLY allow ranked matches where players are not allowed to choose their opponents.
The No Time Limit setting was not in any way "the key to ELO abuse", and removing it does not in any way prevent ELO abuse. So let's leave ELO abuse out of this conversation.
BGA recently made an update, where the intent was to solve a perceived issue of some players "getting stuck" in No Time Limit games.
Although the only real issue of getting stuck relates to players playing a No Time Limit game configured as a real time game (where while "stuck", BGAs UI does not easily allow the player to access the active games list), the developers unfortunately also removed the option to setup Turn Based "No Time Limit" games, where this is not really a problem. Players are perfectly able to access their active games list, and the table will automatically shut down after 40 days. Thus, a table/player never gets stuck, and any unused table will resolve itself without requiring intervention from BGA.
Given the amount of feedback & requests for BGA to bring back the No Time Limit configuration in this other thread "No Time Limit shouldn't mean Training Mode" (https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28186), it's pretty clear that a large number of players on BGA have been negatively impacted by this change. Having gone through ALL of the (at the time of writing this) 14 pages of comments in that thread, it's pretty clear that what many players are _actually_ concerned/upset about, is not the real-time "No Time Limit" tables, but the Turn Based games.
Bringing back Turn Based "No Time Limit + Friends" as a table option, would basically address _all_ the concerns raised in that other thread, while still solving the original problem BGA intended to solve. Given the amount of feedback, such a change would make a significant number of BGA users a lot happier again.
The Turn Based "No Time Limit + Friends" option would also be an acceptable work-around for players who do play in real-time, as you can play a turn based game with all players present.
BGA, please reconsider the removal of "No Time Limit + Friends" option for Turn Based games, and bring back this feature that the community clearly use and like.
==== EDIT ====
If you support this request, show your support by upvoting this bug/feature request:
A couple of responses to frequently raised arguments/questions:cigma wrote: ↑25 December 2022, 10:00 I have created a bug report with a final statement of this discussion: https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=78071 Please vote for it!
1.
"Why not just play Turn Based on 1 move per 2 days instead? Your friends can just NOT kick you!"
There is a very real side effect of a player running over time. They get a time penalty marker showing in the stats of their profile.
This can negatively impact their ability to get people to join their public table they set up at a later time. Some players check player profiles before joining long games (especially when low or no Karma restriction set), and avoid joining games with players who have a lot of time penalties, as it can be _very_ frustrating to play a game with someone who constantly runs over time. Because even with the option to expel a player, the game is ruined.
Furthermore, WHEN a player runs out of time on a table, I (and others with me) will look at that player's profile before making the call to expel them from the game. If it's a player who has a very low ratio of time penalties compared to number of games played, those players tend to get a second (and sometimes third) chance. However, if this is happening mid game, and the player clearly have a high ratio of time penalties, this is an indication that this player does this on a regular basis, and finishing the game will be a paaaaaaaiiiin. Thus, many players will opt to expel the player from the game, and the game is ruined/over.
If people who normally _always_ make their moves on time when playing timed games, are now forced to accumulate time penalties to play a slow paced game with friends, there will be no reliable way to differentiate between a player who will be a total pain to play with and a player who will be making all their moves on time.
2.
This change is great, it stops players from abusing the ELO system!
This change does not in any way prevent players from abusing the ELO system. Players who for some reason want to bump their ELO by cheating can still play any other form of ranked game with friends/other accounts that intentionally lose to them. The only way to prevent ELO abuse is to ONLY allow ranked matches where players are not allowed to choose their opponents.
The No Time Limit setting was not in any way "the key to ELO abuse", and removing it does not in any way prevent ELO abuse. So let's leave ELO abuse out of this conversation.
