PBEM4 - Email and Technical Issues

[Jowy]

Alright, so it's not looking like we'll hit Malakai's goals atleast this turn. Maybe it's time to start talking of what to do next. My suggestion is that Cull and Strike both get a teammate to help them out. It could even be a spoiled lurker if he'd just play the turns out following Cull's or Strike's plans in their thread.

Even though I'm the dead last in this game, I'd really love to play it out. But replacing the two leaving, Seifer and Malakai, or the two slow players Cull and Strike, would be pretty much impossible and we'd have to end the game instead. I hope it doesn't have to come to that!

[Cull]

I might be flamed for this, but I have no qualms about dropping this ATM. May sound like I'm a total jerk, but, frankly, at this point, I'm perfectly content with spending an extra 3 hours on other more pressing things than play a quick turn. If you guys don't want this snail pace, go to CFC.

[scooter]

For what it's worth, if you aren't consistently getting a turn a day, somethings wrong. If you are averaging less than 6-7 turns/week, what's the point?

If you can't consistently (by that I mean 90%+ of the time) play during a time window every day, you shouldn't be signing up for a PBEM.

[sunrise089]

For what it's worth, if you aren't consistently getting a turn a day, somethings wrong. If you are averaging less than 6-7 turns/week, what's the point?

If you can't consistently (by that I mean 90%+ of the time) play during a time window every day, you shouldn't be signing up for a PBEM.

Let me play devil's advocate, and only because I've wanted to post similar things to what you just wrote, and I'm trying to be fair:

Sunrise, before RB PBEM4 Vets started: "Guys, I'd love to play this, but I just don't have the flexibility to guarantee I can play the same time each day."

Other players: That's ok, you should still sign up as long as you can play a turn pretty often."

Now in our game, barring pauses, we have a turn per day or per two days at most. I also know I usually get my turn at night, and play it at night 75-80% of the time, but 20-25% of the time I don't get to it until the next day. (and yes, once Kylearan yelled at me for not playing for a few days and not saying anything in advance). I feel this is a pretty honorable playing speed, and consistent with what I promised before the same started.

So, the devil's advocate part is this: what if all six players did the same thing? If no one played the turn immediately, but everyone made a good faith effort to play as soon as some unavoidable obligation passes (like work, school, or sleep). That could still be about one turn per sixty hours, or a little over two turns per week.

Which leads me to my conclusion...a successful PBEM needs:

1) a) all of the players to commit to playing in a window, resulting in a turn or better per day

OR

b) all but one players doing the same, and the last player playing the turn as soon as they're able. "As soon as able" means the first time they have free at a computer, which should never be more than ten hours since receiving the save. This still works out to one turn per day.

AND

2) Playing who do not consistently have multiple periods without civ access.

[Malakai]

I think i must have missed a post somewhere I don't think i have seen seifer say he has any intention of leaving?

Either way I didn't get the turn in time so if you want me to continue playing I expect Strike to get a team mate to show he is making some concessions to help the game speed, however as he has not even bothered replying to this post I guess that pretty much winds this conversation up.

Sorry guys I am out, I have better things to do then to spend a week watching my emails and the tracker each turn.

I would have been more than happy if we could get the game to 1 turn every 2 days on a regular basis but it just does not look possible.

I will continue to minitor my emails so email me if anyone wants to volunteer as replacement and i will switch the password on the tracker for them etc.

[Kylearan]

Hi,

I wanted to post something similar to what Sunrise has posted (minus the "Kylearan yelled at me" part ), but couldn't find the original planning thread. I remember being assured it's okay if I cannot guarantee to play one turn per day, and that the game would be kind of relaxed. So the only thing that makes me mad is if people hold the turn for longer than two days and don't post a status update. (I enjoy the quicker pace we have at the moment, though!)

However, if more than 2 people take two days per turn, it really does get slow...

-Kylearan

[Kylearan]

[...] however as he has not even bothered replying to this post I guess that pretty much winds this conversation up.

Have you tried sending him an email or pm? That might be safer than relying solely on this thread.

[Kyan]

I think i must have missed a post somewhere I don't think i have seen seifer say he has any intention of leaving?

Either way I didn't get the turn in time so if you want me to continue playing I expect Strike to get a team mate to show he is making some concessions to help the game speed, however as he has not even bothered replying to this post I guess that pretty much winds this conversation up.

Sorry guys I am out, I have better things to do then to spend a week watching my emails and the tracker each turn.

I would have been more than happy if we could get the game to 1 turn every 2 days on a regular basis but it just does not look possible.

I will continue to minitor my emails so email me if anyone wants to volunteer as replacement and i will switch the password on the tracker for them etc.

does this mean I win? Ha

[Twinkletoes89]

Its a real shame seeing a game come to such an early end with players giving up.

For what its worth - I'll be a replacement if you want one - I would still be classed as 'spoiled' but not 'recently spoiled' (haven't read much in a few weeks). But to be honest, it looks like the majority of the players have given up on this game.

[Jowy]

Well, as far as I know, alliance structures haven't really been essential to this game so far. What that means is that replacing players doesn't necessary fuck the whole game up for some people, like it could have done in some other RB PBEM's and PB's. That's the biggest reason why I'm actually OK with replacing those who don't have the motivation to play on. Also, everyone can still win, so the replacements won't have an impossible task in their hands from the beginning.

We need to know how many of us still want to play on? Considering that we would aim for one turn in one or two days. Also we might need more replacements than one, so anyone who wants to be one please post! And TT, you're welcome aboard if we manage to get this thing restarted