One thing I've noticed with the new Battle Sheep game is that it's possible to lose the game really early. If you screw up, you can even lose it right after placing your initial stack of sheep. For example, you put the stack on a choke point and your opponent(s) place their stacks next to yours, limiting your 16 sheep to a maximum possible area of like 10 hexes. In a 2 player game, the game is essentially over. However, the BGA system does not allow you to concede until the game progression goes beyond 50%. That just means both players are wasting their time making 8 meaningless moves when the outcome is already decided. (Granted, this should only take 5-10 minutes, but it's still silly).
A couple possible ways to address this:
1) If the system can keep track of a player's maximum possible score, then if it dips below 16 a player could have the option to concede. The problem is this only really works for 2 player. In multiplayer, it's possible a player can be fenced in but still competing against other players for pasture within the fenced in area.
2) If the system can keep track of the possible hexes that each player can still reach, then once a player can no longer compete against anyone else for any of his remaining available hexes (i.e., he's been closed off), then the player has the option to concede. This allows a player to drop out of a multiplayer game only when all his possible moves cannot affect the competition between the remaining players.
3) This one probably requires the least amount of programming. Allow a player to concede before the 50% mark, but the other players must accept the concession offer. This leaves it up to the opponent's discretion whether the game is being conceded because the outcome really is decided, or if the other player is being a poor competitor.
A couple possible ways to address this:
1) If the system can keep track of a player's maximum possible score, then if it dips below 16 a player could have the option to concede. The problem is this only really works for 2 player. In multiplayer, it's possible a player can be fenced in but still competing against other players for pasture within the fenced in area.
2) If the system can keep track of the possible hexes that each player can still reach, then once a player can no longer compete against anyone else for any of his remaining available hexes (i.e., he's been closed off), then the player has the option to concede. This allows a player to drop out of a multiplayer game only when all his possible moves cannot affect the competition between the remaining players.
3) This one probably requires the least amount of programming. Allow a player to concede before the 50% mark, but the other players must accept the concession offer. This leaves it up to the opponent's discretion whether the game is being conceded because the outcome really is decided, or if the other player is being a poor competitor.
