Optional extension to protection time

[ComradeRob]

Based on this thread, I'd like to suggest that Protection should be extended to 168 ticks (one week), with an option for players to leave Protection after 72 ticks if they choose to do so.

Complete newbies will probably use the full 7 days to learn about the game, initiate some roids, built a fleet and do some research. If they feel ready to leave protection sooner, they can do so. Experienced players would, in almost all circumstances, leave protection after 72 ticks.

This may require some tweaking to the roid initiation formula, to compensate for the reduction in early attacks. I'm relying on the good people of this forum to make some suggestions about that

[Banned]

I don't think this would help the game much. PA in protection isn't much of a game (in fact, it's pretty dull) and you don't learn much. In addition, late starters get comped roids, research and resources (effectively giving them an implied extended protection).

[jerome]

i'd rather they have it for a week maximum but they're allowed to attack at any point after tick 72 which would also break them from the protection period.

[Ultimate Newbie]

Originally Posted by ComradeRob

Experienced players would, in almost all circumstances, leave protection after 72 ticks.

Why would they do that? Personally, i wouldnt leave protection untill i had either a viable attacking fleet ready to go (with Xan research this tends to be around tick 80ish), or init above the 200 roid standard and then build a fleet an attack later, as i am quite (or very) defensive player. At a stretch, i would leave protection early to defend a buddy-mate at ETA 5 (though probably not an alliancemate as attacking is far more efficient initially anyway).

Further, players who "come out" right at tick 72 would merely receive more incoming as they are available to attack - unlike many other players who (perhaps like me) are waiting a dozen more ticks in order to build a fleet with a better chance of success.

Thus, i would imagine that experienced players would only drop out of protection once it was in their best interests to do so - after ETA or additional Ship research perhaps - and not at tick 72 because to do so would potentially bring more incoming down upon them.

To be honest, i would actually approve of increasing the protection time by a bit to 96 (or 100) hours, as four days would permit more critical research to be done in the initial stages of the round, potentially resulting in more roids in the universe to capture in addition to the more time available for new players to discover either how to play and/or how(where) to get help.

I wonder if a week is a little too long though - for the reason that Banned mentioned.

[Benneh]

Woohoo!

Coming outta prot with 200 roids and terran bs FTW!

i dont like the idea :S

[Vas]

Hmm interesting idea, but I find it will not help the game much plus everyone makes a dash for roids early on after protection has finished, it wouldn't be helpful when you most receive inc and some planets in the universe still in protection mode :/

[Makhil]

I'd rather give every player a 72 tick protection credit and let them use it as they wish, in and out, ofc couldn't go in if under attack.

[Squidly]

Originally Posted by Makhil

I'd rather give every player a 72 tick protection credit and let them use it as they wish, in and out, ofc couldn't go in if under attack.

That comes with a problem doesn't it? I mean, in theory a strong player could use it right at the end to ensure a victory/lack of bashing//fleet catch//etc... a credit such as that would need a fairly heavy set of restrictions on it...

[Makhil]

restriction such as : credits not used before the last 2 weeks of a round are lost.

[Synthetic_Sid]

Who would want to be the first planet out of protection - with noone to attack?

[ComradeRob]

Perhaps certain research could be blocked to planets still in protection?

The principle behind the suggestion is to give new players a better understanding of the game before they get attacked, to counter the "get bashed, give up" problem.

It's probably not the only way to do it, and there may well be better options, but it is a problem that needs to be addressed.

[noah02]

Sooner you attack the sooner you get free roids the quicker you get bigger the quicker you are number 1 but then again all the Xans will be waiting on the terrans coming out of protection:/

[gzambo]

a week seems too long
but giving the option of entending the protection period by 48hrs for new players maybe something to consider
however it may be subject to abuse and would have to be carefully considered