Reducing Time Limit for Turns

[spacechef]

There are some games I've played that allow variable time limits for friendly games. Unlimited time limits even. Perhaps this could solve some issues. Keep league at a standard, but have the option to choose various time limits for friendly games.

[Thrutchy]

(01-07-2014 01:10 PM)TheGoldenGriffin Wrote:  Thats why he said a cap would be placed on the carryover, maybe the time cannot exceed 5 days or something

Exactly. We could have a 2 day limit per turn with up to maybe a 2 or 3 day carryover so that occasionally you could take 4-5 days. Maybe even a 1-day average could work if a timezone delta is added.

If anything like this is done, it would be almost necessary to have a countdown timer instead of a countup timer. With a shorter limit, I would assume most would prefer a countdown timer anyway.

[red0rca]

(01-06-2014 02:03 AM)BK VII Wrote:  One question, is it possible to make it so that if your random 2v2 partner times out you don't take a hit on your rank? This is a question I've had for a long time. Would it be difficult to program something like that?

This is something I've taken issue with for ages. I find it extremely unfair. Being penalised when you did nothing wrong.

If the timeout was reduced to 2 days, this would HAVE to be addressed as timeouts would undoubtedly become more frequent.

I remember a few seasons ago this happened to me during a grading match...soo much anger!!

I voted for 3 days. I will usually get moves made inside 48 hours, but when real life sometimes interrupts, I've taken 3 - 4 days. I find the game more engaging when not waiting 4 days x3 in a 2v2 game. ( I play 2v2 games predominantly)

[Plasmaexe]

Pretty new to this game, but I'm enjoying it quite a lot. I voted 2 days. 3 days I'm ok with too, though I still lean towards 2 days out of personal preference. One of these 2 options would be pretty ideal as I think 4 days does kind of push it (if you're aiming to cater casual players though, I guess 3 days would be fine). Like what a lot of other people have said, the game is a lot more engaging this way (I'm fairly new to this game, but the average match for me is around 20 turns. Technically, you could spend around 80+ days trying to get a match to complete if your opponent chose to delay their turn every time). Considering how many moves happen on each turn and the length of games, it's easy to lose interest with a game taking 2 months. Cutting that time in half would be pretty nice. I think this should mainly apply to ranked matches though.

It would be nice to have more options for friendly matches though so that anyone can go at whatever pace they want and this may please those that do want a much slower paced game. But having everything at 2-3 days is a good start. You have my thanks for considering this : )!

[LeGros01]

I am a bit concerned about the turn the discussion is taking. It seems many people wish games would be quicker, have the feeling two days for a turn is too long, etc. Now, I check the game a dozen times a day or more and I love games with some back-and-forth, when my opponent takes 15 min to respond and the game unfolds in a day or two so I can definitely relate to that feeling but that's not what the limit is about!

Maybe onemanleft has some stats on this but I play one-player league games (Gifted league) and I am yet to meet a single opponent who would regularly take more than two days to play his or her turns. I have played a grand total of one (1) game (still ongoing) in which my opponent took two days more than once.

In more than a few cases, I came across people who play one turn a day, which is a slow pace, but it ought to be OK, not everybody is able to check a game every few minutes. Plus, once a game lasted for a week and each opponent takes a turn per day, it doesn't really matter if lasts for a month or two, it just feels slow anyway.

In any case, it could still happen with a two-day timeout. On the other hand, 50-turn games lasting a year because of the limit is not a real problem; if it's happening at all, it must be exceedingly rare as I have not seen it even once in 100+ games.

The only scenario in which the limit frequently comes up is when people “give up” without actually clicking on the “give up” button (often but not always those are new players who presumably left the game entirely) but in that case the four-day delay is perfectly fine and would only run once. It's a bit annoying if you used up all your slots and are waiting to start a new game but this has nothing to do with the game feeling quick or not. Of course, the slots problem can easily be solved by spending a little, not an entirely unfair requirement for such a great game with none of the usual freemium nonsense.

Because of this, I suspect that lowering the limit would just risk frustrating people who need a few days once in a while while doing precisely nothing to satisfy all those who want a quicker game. Why add a constraint if it's unlikely to change much in practice? Besides, a personal preference or a feeling that I, personally, don't need more time is not a very good reason to force a hard limit on everybody else. People just live different lives, I think we should try to accommodate as many players as possible.

[HuskyPete]

I voted 3 days but I am curious if fixing the 4-7 day bug will solve this issue in its own. I have seen one correct timeout now. 2 days earlier makes a big difference already. I play fast anyway. But I am curious if people will be less annoyed now that the big is fixed and it's not a week anymore.

[bluharbour]

I vote for 3 days as well, 4 always seemed a little long but 2 maybe a little short especially with time zone differences, I'm playing in Australia and often only play 1 turn a day because I'm playing against overseas players so on a 2 day turn limit I would only have to miss 1 day to have a game timeout on me.

A count down timer seems like a really good idea if it can be done and also the idea of a blitz game option would be a good addition with a really short timeout like speed chess.

[Juslas]

I know that four of my 2v2 partners need significant amount of time to take a turn, since they do not play daily (any games). Now that time limit is fixed to actually being 4 days, I have lost twice because partner (two different partners) did not have time to do the move. But I got also two victories, because of time outs (during yesterday and today). So I am even, one could argue.

My argument is that players that do not play computer games (or mobile) and have been tricked to play this "correspondence chess" really do not like to be bother with tight turn schedule.

I have installed over thousand games to my iOS devices (since iPhone 3G).Those of us who play plenty have plenty of games to choose from. I agree that Outwitters is our number one choice and we like to play more and faster, but there are vast number of entertaining alternatives to choose from, to play with iOS device, while waiting opponents Outwitters turn.
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Fixed 4 day time limit has started to rewarded me with wins that I do not deserve, here is the third win:
outwitters://viewgame?id=ahRzfm91dHdpdHRlcnNnYW1lLWhyZHIVCxIIR2FtZVJvb20YgICAmMHH4AgM

[greenland]

I think it will be good if we can choose before we start any game for the time limit.
For me, I want 2 days it's enough because I have a lot of games that I'm waiting for their turn to play(last turn and I'm going to win)..... and most of people just make me wait until the system set them lose(about 5 days that I can not start a new game) I don't understand why.. maybe they need some times before they can accept that they're going to lose? even at the beginning of the game they respond very fast and frequently.

[Modvenger]

Why is it not possible to have a game choice on time. When I pick a game I must choose 2 or 4 day timer, than I'm matched up accordingly.

The other better alternative is let me have an option that let's me pick a friendly 1v1 or a rated one.