Scheduled "half time"

[A2]

As we all know, currently PA is pretty well a 24 hours a day game, 7 days a week with few breaks unless something fails. Something that has been suggested in various forms is that we have some regular scheduled downtimes to allow everyone to get some sleep / avoid getting fired / do school work / please the girl(or boy)friend.

Possible options would be:

• A week / 5 days break half way through the round
• No ticks every Wednesday (or similar) every week / every alternate week
• Alternate weekends off

With either the 1st or 3rd options on that list there would be a possibility to run things like speedgames in the intervening times.

Thoughts?

[hook]

Sounds good to be honest.

Should make the game a lot more playable for quite some people coping with the well known rl vs Planetarion issue.

[Kal]

i loved round 9 - why - becuase nar went into vacation mode - thoose few days were wonderful - it was a breath of fresh air and a chance to rest.

I'd defintly vote for a 5 day break half way through the round.

[Wandows]

it might be political interesting aswelll seeing as 5 days midround of free time could give you time to change a few things here and there, sort some opposition where needed. Could be very helpful for a round!

Good idea i'd say

[A2]

One of the comments I've had on IRC against this is the risk that some people might go idle for the week and not come back. - thoughts?

[I am Idler]

I fear that I might loose my passion for this game if there will be frequent breaks throughout the round.. the charm lies in the constant planetary movements and hence will be limited by downtimes

[Ultramar]

The downtime is bound to benefit more players than others... Weekends some ppl are more active cos theyre home, therefore they would lose out with the weekend option. (Just an example)

As for people leaving the game... yeah, we may end up with a lot of inactive accounts after a longer break because ppl on the losing team are less likely to carry on after a break... unless they have a complete turnaround and come back to win!

/me is bored, lets get ticks back on pls

[Wandows]

Originally Posted by I am Idler

I fear that I might loose my passion for this game if there will be frequent breaks throughout the round.. the charm lies in the constant planetary movements and hence will be limited by downtimes

that is true..... but say a 2 days pa off time (in a weekend midround?) shouldn't hurt.... Even gives the die-hards a chance to go see something of the world around them. And might give alliances the small break they need to sort their problems in the round which could mean a more interesting last half of the round

[Rc mayhem]

I would prefer to have all saturdays off so that i can do some work, for very few ppl attack or do anything on saturdays as there is an increased chance of the person been able to get defence. would be nice to also have 30 min ticks on the sunday though to make up and give us speed lovers a little bit more fun.

Cm - prepared to argue

[Jonas]

Well, Itd have to be either 1 day a week(Monday maybe) or a half round break for me to like it. Weekends off would imo be very very bad. nice post A2

-Jonas-

[Nitros]

Originally Posted by A2

A week / 5 days break half way through the round

Best option

The others arent very good (in my oppinion) because some players need to work in weekends (so no time for PA), and some need to work during the week (so no time for PA)
Which would be unfair..

[A2]

Originally Posted by Jonas

nice post A2

Not my idea, but the result of a fair few conversations that I've had recently especially with it being between rounds atm. The odd bit of free time can't do any harm, and the time would be announced well in advance, so you could plan to avoid having a fleet 5 ticks away from landing or whatever.

[Gerbie]

Doesn't really matter which you take it all sucks. I did not pay to be bored a few days with denial of service. Makes rounds shorter in stead of planning mid round breaks. This game needs to raise it's income. A way to do that is have more games in a period of time - not less.

[Ultimate Newbie]

I actually think that having one day off per week (or every second week) would be the best option actually. It gives a chance to actually do a bit of work during the week - wit hthe added bonus of the break being too short for people to become overly bored.

Gerbie: if you slept through the break you wouldnt be anywhere near as bored... (and/or had a girlfriend ).

As a complete aside, Gerbie's post count at my time of posting is 911 - kinda ironic dontcha think?

[Leshy]

I reckon scheduled breaks each week would take away too much of the game's non-stop charm.

However, a midround break would be well appreciated, especially as it allows for some political manoeuvering in the meantime

[Appocomaster]

I'm very willing to see some sort of break - any sort - so that I have time to occasionally get things done IRL, like seeing my gf etc.

[A2]

It seems to me that the 5-days break mid-way through the round is the most popular of the options so far. It would be interesting to see if it would be a good idea or not. As has been mentioned there is the risk that some people may dissapear, never to be seen again...
Anyone want to comment on the risk of that, or indeed the idea of a 5 day break (which would probably be along the lines of stop ticks 18:00 Sunday evening, and restart them at 18:00 on Friday evening or similar)?

[Cayl]

When I was in school (and playing PA coincidently), we'd get a week off for Spring Break. Without fail, 3 years in a row, I'd show up back in town for school, but I didn't quite make it back to classes for a few extra days (or weeks once).

Morale of the story is that you will lose a lot of the people who tend to be less active... they'll wander off, get trapped by RL, look back, find their planet roided and demolished, etc and not want to come back in.

However it may make life a little easier...

[thaeter]

the game runs 24/7 so let it continue that way. If you want a break put your planet in vaction mode.

[Stifler]

If this is brought in I think the short, 3-5 day break mid round would be the best option. Gives the losing side time to organise without worrying about defence and the winning side gets a chance for a rest and experiance some rl

The one day off a week option I feel goes against what PA is about, which is a 24/7 game.

[thaeter]

I think a lul in play will let people see what RL is like and then omg. we'll loose players.

[Makhil]

Why not give everyone a '5 day vacation' credit. Each player would choose when and how to use it (1 day here, 12 hours there, make it so that res continue to pour in during that vac mode). After all the world doesn't stop when one goes to sleep.

[Nadar]

Well, I don't care actally since I have summer holiday the day next round starts But, a 5 day break would be good anyways

[furssie]

Originally Posted by Makhil

Why not give everyone a '5 day vacation' credit. Each player would choose when and how to use it (1 day here, 12 hours there, make it so that res continue to pour in during that vac mode). After all the world doesn't stop when one goes to sleep.

This is brilliant. not.

[Dark-Strider]

i don't have a problem with the round being constant as I have no life

[Dark-Strider]

Originally Posted by Makhil

Why not give everyone a '5 day vacation' credit. Each player would choose when and how to use it (1 day here, 12 hours there, make it so that res continue to pour in during that vac mode). After all the world doesn't stop when one goes to sleep.

Totally Agree with that suggestion!
It p0wns

[Jonas]

Originally Posted by Makhil

Why not give everyone a '5 day vacation' credit. Each player would choose when and how to use it (1 day here, 12 hours there, make it so that res continue to pour in during that vac mode). After all the world doesn't stop when one goes to sleep.

Would be abused by very active players/alliances in the start. Imagine FAnG plans this huge raid on 1up, and they find out about it, going into this vacation things for 5 hours or so. Also people could abuse this in the early stages, when the wars starts, going into vacation for 3 hours each night or so...well imo a bad suggestion anyway

I also think I changed my mind into having no breaks

-Jonas-

[pablissimo]

If you're going to have a break of any kind you will want to organise interim activities for people who aren't overly keen on the idea. IRC quizzes, a couple of one-day speedgames with full tech tree and 100 or so roids init'd, something to tide people over.

[Dark-Strider]

mmmm agree with pab there, need sumthing to entertain the masses. Maybe w00fage again

[Jackal2112]

no comment

not for nor against it.. i must be dutch :/

[Elevator]

I like the idea, but I dubt it is duable.

If there was such a possibility I would like to have the breaks during the morning hours California time as that is when I meet with most of my clients.

The general idea will give most people an advantage, like some said, while it is not fair to those who are devoting their lifes to planetarion. The competition factor of the game will go drastically down if an "down-time" is scheduled.

[Quanticles]

I like the idea of saturdays off, no one attacks on saturdays anyway - it's like a day of rest anyway.

[furssie]

In case one of these options will be pursued by the admins.

My choice is: Alternate weekends off

Give people time for thier families and G/F atleast only every other weekends.

[Quanticles]

If you really want us to be able to have lives, then let us be able to Queue constructions and research. You can let your gal mates defend you for a night, but they cant get on and start a construction for you. For part of the round I was waking myself up in the middle of the night every night to be able to get research and constructions in.