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Home » Old Game Forums » Cute Lil Fluffy Kittens in a Box » Replace player or just move on?
Replace player or just move on? Thu, 27 November 2003 12:26 Go to next message
Raindancer is currently offline Raindancer

 
Officer Cadet 3rd Year

Messages: 261
Registered: February 2003
Location: Finger Lakes NY, USA

We have a player that had dropped out. It is still early in the game. The host has mentioned that the Mitsubishi have a decent rank. Others have mentioned that the Mitsubishi have very few planets.

My opinions: even if the Mitsubishi were low ranked, that would not matter. An active player, even if a beginnger, is most often a lot more interesting than an AI, A real player will be involved in politics, and even if small, may have enough forces to throw an alliance battle or two. And a real player will defend their space better than an AI.

With respect to alliances: if we were to get a replacement player that player would have the choice to follow previous Mitsubishi agreements of not. Or make new agreements. Or whatever. A new leader can mean new directions. This can be an argument for or against a replacement player.

Host should NOT submit turns for the missing player.

All that said, I suggest this plan of action:

1) Try to find a replacement player. Give a time limit, say a week (from the time the game went on hold...)
2) If no player is found in that time, then the game will restart with the race set to AI.
3) The host can continue to try to find a replacement player after the race is set to AI. A replacement player can come in at any time.

Simple. Known delay time (which happens to be over the holiday and when I am starting a new job, so the timing is excellent for me...). Known restart date.

Eric/Animals

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Re: Replace player or just move on? Thu, 27 November 2003 14:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
multilis is currently offline multilis

 
Lt. Commander

Messages: 789
Registered: October 2003
Location: Edmonton, Canada
This is David of the Quacks...

I have an interesting position where a short break to think doesn't hurt. Same is probably true for Budgies.

But for the rest, we risk losing others out of frustration over delays if this takes a week, we already had one several day delay. I expect we would lose Trog first. We may also lose some lower ranked players.

My feeling on the Mits situation is a replacement player would have a choice of either being very helpful to his nearest neighbours or being ganged up on and squashed quickly. If he is very helpful, he may end up being better for them than an AI. Otherwise, he will hurt them a little compared to an AI, but quickly disappear and have a frustrating experiance as a fill-in.

In the end, I don't think it will make much difference, but a delays due to lost players over delays will make much more. So I recommend resuming by Monday at the latest, which gives 4 days.

David

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Re: Replace player or just move on? Thu, 27 November 2003 20:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dogthinkers is currently offline Dogthinkers

 
Commander

Messages: 1316
Registered: August 2003
Location: Hiding from Meklar
I will resume the game with Wednesday's gen at the latest, which will give us a minimum of 3 gens next week. Razz

Monday is too soon to expect a decent response from potential replacement players, I want to give them a couple of working days to check out the forums etc. Sad

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Re: Replace player or just move on? Fri, 28 November 2003 06:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
multilis is currently offline multilis

 
Lt. Commander

Messages: 789
Registered: October 2003
Location: Edmonton, Canada
According to the CLFKIAB page on autohost, the game has been running for a month and 'Strict schedule followed'.

So far we have had a delay starting the game, and this will be the second delay once it was running. We are looking at a current average of about 1/3 of the time waiting due to unexpected delays.

I am not sure what is normal for these sorts of games, as I am a newbie here. But we have a long way to go and 10 players who may have potential problems causing future delays, and/or who may get frustrated if they feel the pace is too slow.

David

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icon9.gif  Re: Replace player or just move on? Fri, 28 November 2003 19:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dogthinkers is currently offline Dogthinkers

 
Commander

Messages: 1316
Registered: August 2003
Location: Hiding from Meklar
We've had 19 completed generations, and 4 cancelled so far, expecting 1 more delay next week, but then we should be back on track.

So so far that is 4 out of 23 scheduled cancelled. = 17.3% (approx 1 in 6)

That is still really crap, I know. Sorry guys. First 2 cancellations were entirely my fault. These second 2 (probably to become 3) are out of my hands. There is no way I could've left Mitsubishi without a player to control them (I'm not joking, they really are the 3rd place race!)

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icon7.gif  Re: Replace player or just move on? Fri, 28 November 2003 19:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Dogthinkers is currently offline Dogthinkers

 
Commander

Messages: 1316
Registered: August 2003
Location: Hiding from Meklar
Three people have so far expressed interest in taking over the Mitsubishi. So we will definately be starting up early next week, possibly Monday, but more likely Tuesday.

As far as diplomacy goes, the way I see it the new player can do whatever they like. If they break existing treaties then the offeded party is welcome to react in any way they like. This is just like an RW overthrow of an existing government. the new government may have radically different policies to the previous government, but of course the rest of the world will probably still try to hold them to existing debts and treaties etc, if they are *able* to do so!

Of course this is entirely an acedemic interest - as host I will, of course, do absolutely nothing to enforce treaties etc. Diplomacy is up to the individual players (and their reputations!)

Dogthinker.

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Re: Replace player or just move on? Mon, 01 December 2003 00:13 Go to previous message
ASword is currently offline ASword

 
Petty Officer 2nd Class

Messages: 57
Registered: May 2003
Location: Canada, Earth, Sol, minor...

Mitsubishi is once again open for business. Please forward business proposals to the planning department. Past issues have been filed.





The game's afoot! Let loose the dogs of war! (as long as they aren't headed our way, that is).





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