All games staring as SIM

[piranha]

We are trying a new feature which is all games start in sim mode but will turn into normal game mode after 4 turns if it was started as a normal game. This is to speed up the game a bit in the beginning when you normally don't get into too many battles.

[Chazar]

A good feature, but it is quite confusing that the die-icon is now shown for all open games in the multiplayer games list.

[piranha]

good point. Fixed that.

[Chazar]

I am not sure that this is a good feature: We started some team-internal 1vs1 and 2vs2 games, and usually we arrange for a fast kick-off with everyone being online. Before, we could easily play half a dozen turns and more before someone required more time to think about their turn. Now, we have to wait 6 hours for each turn because of that stupid freeze time!

So for us, this feature slowed us down significantly. Please offer an option to avoid this:

• Maybe a slider for the number of simultaneous turns, which goes all the way down to zero, and which can be set to a larger number than 4 for larger maps?
• An option dialog this pops up when a player hits the end turn button, which offers to waive other player's freeze time. Only if all players agree at ending their turn, all remaining freeze time is then reduced to 30s.
• No freeze time at all, up until some hostile unit enters any other player's view. (i.e. a single boolean that is only changed once and affects freeze time for everyone)
• Time range for freeze time being dependent on the turn number (higher turn number generating longer freeze times)
• ???

[AtomicDustmen]

This feature has slowed some games down for me as well in 1 vs 1 when we both have been online and are ready to play. Good to know it will return to normal after 4 turns, but I do see the argument for both sides though...

[piranha]

If we skip freezetime the first 4 turns would that be a good solution?

[Chazar]

That would work for me, ☺ although it does increase the risk of an early crow attack on maps with short distances through a double move.

I am not sure the 4 simultaneous turns make enough of a difference to justify the confusion caused anyway. There should be more simultaneous turns, as long as nothing serious has happened yet.

How about simultaneous turns with no freeze time until the first turn when a player vs player/ai battle has occurred?
This could also be used in true simultaneous turns, where freeze time only occurs after such an event.

(However instead of a player vs player/ai battle being the trigger, I would prefer the first sighting of an enemy unit by any player.)

PS: Another simple solution would be a button that serves as the trigger: simultaneous turns without freeze time until someone chickens out and pulls the trigger. As an incentive for not pressing the button, the player pressing it will be sorted to the end of the turn sequence. (Similarly for true simultaneous games, where freeze time only applies once someone has pushed the trigger button.)

[Igor]

Playing 2v2 game vs HN team, very comfortable to start a new turn in 4-5 hours after previous one. Was sorry that this was finished after 4 turns, would be glad to continue this till 8-10th turn for such map like Battle Field.

[smursh]

Removing freeze time for first 4 turns would be ok as long as wizard is not available as a starting unit. Otherwise possibility of wizard using double moves combined with enough speed to reach enemy area in small maps could be a problem I think.

Still if all players have arranged to be online at game start could the game be done as a speedgame and bypass the freeze time? I assume players wanting to run speedgames won't want freeze time even if playing simul.