i think either way, its better when someone join the site that they see a bunch of options in play and hopefully that prompts them to find the right option for them. rather then having what happened to Alpha happen to more people.

Definitely agree with what Krock said. Despite many of us not wanting to normally play the 7 day games, maybe we should have some of them open for the new players that do?

This is a little off-topic, but I think keeping some games open on the standard boards for the new players that join at some different boot intervals would be beneficial.

BT brings up a good point, how about having a 4-8 player standard world map game always open? I mean programmed to self replicate once it fills so that new players can always join into it.
OR
After creating an account, have a pop-up window that asked if you would like to be entered into a standard world map game. If yes is clicked, then they are added into one or a new game is created on their behave.

I know we have discussed this elsewhere, but maybe we can come up with a few different ideas.

I think either or both of those are good ideas.

Also have the pop-up contain a link to a page that runs down all the options on the 'standard' game they have now joined, describing what the case is in their game and mentioning in some cases what some of the alternatives are for future games.

What do people think about having them being non-stats games? They could show up in the normal queue so that regulars can join, perhaps with a NS icon.

Ah, I just spent 5 minutes making an example of what I'm talking about in pdn and then realized I have to get an image onto the internet in order to post it here, and that is more work than I am willing to do.

Anyway the point is, make a page that mirrors the appearance of the View page of a game (or Join page I guess), that has explanations of each of the settings listed in the box to the left of the gameboard. I'd be happy to write these blurbs. They could either pop up when you roll over, or appear as infoboxes arranged on top of the (hypothetical) map image that pointed with arrows to the settings in the box, or whatever.

So the first one would say 'Status. This is the basic state of the game. This can be Join (a game that has not filled all its seats), Live (for a game in progress), or Finished (for a game that has been won by one player or team).' Annnnnnd et cetera.

M57 wrote: What do people think about having them being non-stats games? They could show up in the normal queue so that regulars can join, perhaps with a NS icon.

You could make them private games, where a list of people have volunteered as the welcoming committee and get invites to them.

Say 3 or 4 new people and 2 welcomers per game - would that overwhelm the welcomers?

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IRoll11s wrote: A+++ .......... zombies Fived your thread.

lolwut?

tom wrote:
How about we try 2 / 3 / 7 day boot intervals (with 3 days being the default)?

many people wrote:
Will there be a new icon for the two day option or will 2 and 3 options be devoid of an icon?

i'd say the icons for boot be a "2", "3", and hourglass

weathertop wrote:

tom wrote:
How about we try 2 / 3 / 7 day boot intervals (with 3 days being the default)?

 

many people wrote:
Will there be a new icon for the two day option or will 2 and 3 options be devoid of an icon?

i'd say the icons for boot be a "2", "3", and hourglass

Henceforth, I shall be referred to as "many people".

I will join 2 or 3 day games.

Mongrel wrote: I will join 2 or 3 day games.

Same here, It'll be mostly about who's playing but otherwise I'll have a preference for 2.

Are you going to do the same for tournaments?  This is where the fracturing could really slow things down.

I know that a decision has already been made on this but I seem to remember someone mentioning an idea like this, and I can't recall why it was knocked down - possibly because it's too hard to program? ..but it's fair to all players because everyone might use it.

Use the 2-day timer, but under "Preferences", players (or maybe only premium players) can specify a 24 hour period any time during the week during which they can't be booted (based on their own clock).

So for instance, a player who makes those Friday night moves simply makes late Sunday night through Monday their "day-off".

Of course it wouldn't apply to Lightning games, and some kind of mechanism would be necessary to prevent players from floating it too much..

I like the idea of each player being able to define a specific 24 hour period, I think that is a new idea that has not been suggested before actually.

The only downside I can see is that players lose clarity around when someone is going to be booted, it means checking not only if they are on vacation but also which 24 hour no-boot period they have defined.

I'd say it would definitely be a premium only feature also.

I think it's been discussed before (or at least a day defined as "free"), the potential problem being how often can players set it.

tom wrote:

The only downside I can see is that players lose clarity around when someone is going to be booted, it means checking not only if they are on vacation but also which 24 hour no-boot period they have defined.

This would be an annoyance as well since threads pop up every now and then already asking why the boot timer isn't working and the reasoning being the player is on Vacation, that just adds to that problem.

Would have to ignore Lightning games as well.

Yertle wrote:

I think it's been discussed before (or at least a day defined as "free"), the potential problem being how often can players set it.

 

tom wrote:

The only downside I can see is that players lose clarity around when someone is going to be booted, it means checking not only if they are on vacation but also which 24 hour no-boot period they have defined.

This would be an annoyance as well since threads pop up every now and then already asking why the boot timer isn't working and the reasoning being the player is on Vacation, that just adds to that problem.

Would have to ignore Lightning games as well.

As I mentioned -- Lightning games wouldn't apply.  The "vacation" issue is a related but separate issue.. I'm pretty sure that "On Vacation" shows up in the turn timer in the player stats box below the game, but I think this is a premium membership feature.  The turn timer and player timer status should be available to all members.  In other words, at least part of that box should be available to all members, perhaps with a little "advertisement" mentioning that premium membership includes some other stats.   This really doesn't have to be an issue IMO.

M57 wrote: The "vacation" issue is a related but separate issue.. I'm pretty sure that "On Vacation" shows up in the turn timer in the player stats box below the game, but I think this is a premium membership feature.  The turn timer and player timer status should be available to all members.  In other words, at least part of that box should be available to all members, perhaps with a little "advertisement" mentioning that premium membership includes some other stats.   This really doesn't have to be an issue IMO.

It is available to all members.  People still miss it, very much easier to miss when the player is a White color.

Yertle wrote:

I think it's been discussed before (or at least a day defined as "free"), the potential problem being how often can players set it.

Never. Well, you know, once. Set your 'free' day in your settings and it's that. Maybe once a month you could update it I guess, often enough that people won't complain about getting stuck with an initial bad decision but not nearly often enough that it becomes worthwhile to game the system to delay one of your games for a day or so.

This would be an annoyance as well since threads pop up every now and then already asking why the boot timer isn't working and the reasoning being the player is on Vacation, that just adds to that problem.

As I think you pointed out (I don't understand what you guys are talking about in the last 2 posts), people already come to the forums claiming that the timer is broken due to being incapable (or unaware) of checking to see if the player in question is on vacation, and that's a simple and obvious step. Doesn't seem like adding an additional step would make much of an impact since people that can figure it out now, will, and those who cannot, won't regardless.

IRoll11s wrote: A+++ WOULD FIVE AGAIN. Aces! another gold thread!! IRoll11s! approves this thread. All your thread are fived by us. Am i rite? talk about Aspergers Syndrome! I'm Atheist, but you're thread is Intelligently Designed! I'm Dealing with it. no one Back Seat Moderate this thread!! or they get teh banhammer! why? Because you touch yourself at night. BEST. THREAD. EVAR. RICHARD CRANIUMS Leave... this thread! getting no Blue Balls from this thread!! But did you get head? from taht buttertroll??? whoa!!! a camel spider!! Ceci n'est pas une five. Clownballoon this poopthread already. it is comedy gold. Needs more cowbell, followed by cutting thread here. Dear Richard, please five!! did i do this rite? my dilznick; did i do it rite. DO YOU HAVE STAIRS IN YOUR HOUSE? 'course ya do. Does. Not. Compute. Doesn't know WHAT teh poopz. dont tase my fives bro!! ebaum's world will steal this thread!! my eyes... the goggles do NAHTING??? Fake edit: is there fakepostery afoot? fffffffiesta cat out of FORNCATING nowhere!!!! fornax easily claims first post!! Five. FIVE. FIIIIIIIIVE JUST FIVED FIVE FIVE FIVE FIIIIIIIIIVE 5555555. Fived For Great Justice, and For Science! [OVERHEAT] the ocean of fives. CRAP; condolences. freakin' A, this thread. It's full of Win. fyad is leaking gb2FIVESVILLE. Gbs!!! this thread is WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!!! WHAO uh oh gbs morality crew coming. george lucas owned my childhood but this thread unraped it. Go see a doctor, Hitler, your fives level is too high! godwin's law much, Good Sir? goondolences for your show of goonerocity. help! a Gorilla! It just came out of absolutely nowhere!! ground floor of this. Ha! Ha! I'm fiving this thread!!!1 No Hambeasts allowed; happycat doesn't like them!! hay guys! hay! hayyyyy guys! what's going on? he;lp. he;lp _____ buddy! hope you got ten bux? egads! a homegrown honeypot!! hope this helps. how did this thread get here i am not good with copmuters!!! how do i shot fives at this thread. hurfdurfhurrrrrrr. I am... protected. I, for one, welcome our new overlords. i got nothin; except the barf because I just threw up in my mouf a little. I'm RICK JAMES!!! SUCKERS!! I see what you did here!! I'm the goku in the op. idgi. img-timeline. in soviet russia, timeline images you! maybe if you install linux, your problem will be solved? you freaking internet male. you internet tough guy. jesus wept! john stewart just said comedy gold. kill him, then yourself. in fact, Kill him with fire. laffo, better lawyer the poops out of them. lisa needs braces, ****. lurk more? my god... manbabies. manbabies everywhere. meh. ms paint MY GIRLFRIEND. she needs more love. she needs more _____. nintendo is screwing ******s again. NO DON'T! I'm not gay. Not racist either. nuke racists from orbit!!!! its the only way. o rly? o snap! o wai... oh snap! omg. wtf. bbq. one does not simply Five into mordor. party hard, you passive aggressive tit. post != rerply but it = postcount ++. pres butan to five. profile checked! for fives. psyduck :psy: whoa. have you tried putting in her Butt? pwned. quote != edit. quoted for truth. own is sometimes justified. r>c>p tho pls. but relax; im a goon too. rolleyes and roofle at this scrub. series pls? series is SEERIOUS BUSINESS. sever. SEVER. SEEEEEVE. ER SEVER SEVER SEERVER. so, that's where my ten bux went; it went to sever. stick my tenbux in her pooper. you stupid newbie, prepared to get surprise sexed. did you try Tasting your Pee? teh teh teh teeeeeeeeeeehn bucks. there's a front page? THIS. IS. SPARTAAAAAA. thread delivers. thread over. thread's done. tia for the tl;dr. trapped in 5 factory, send he;lp. voted five. voted one. we never expected the Fives. welcome to page Five Five Five! welp. what. what the christ. whoever wins we lose. WHY YOU THROW CHIP AT MY DEAD GAY CAT? woot. WOOT. WOOTLE. WOOTLEZ. WOOTABEGA. wow just... wow. WOW. just. WOW. wow just wow Fived. Yeah...no. you have my axe! youhaave no freaking idea, you have no freaking idea, you have no freaking idea. you owe me a new keyboard! zing! zombies. zombies Fived your thread.

This. Over 9000.