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5 Feb 2007, 17:39
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#1
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Don't make me declare war
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Portsmouth
Posts: 2,913
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Timezones
OK, this may be the worst suggestion in the history of PA. But bare with me.
What if, you split the game into 3 time zones, of (enter random times) 0800-1600, 1600-2400, 2400-0800.
When you sign up, you designate which time you would like.
Now, say I choose 1600-2400 as the times I can be most active.
This would be the only time I could face incoming. However, ticks would be speeded up for me at this time to say 30 mins, or 45 mins. The rest of the time they could be slowed to 2 hours, or 90 mins.
Or you could just slow down/speed up ticks in the same way but allow attacks at any time.
You could also have 2 instead of 3 timezones etc.
This would also need to be couple with attacking stats.
The reasoning behind this is, PA doesnt take off for new players as a rule. One of these reasons is because they go to bed and when they wake up they are dead. PA is very user unfriendly. Having ticks speed up during certain periods would encourage attacks during the period when people are awake. It would make it more friendly to people who work, or who ahve families. How many times do people not play seriously due to work commitments, or family, or uni. It may just encourage those people back.
It would need attacking stats so the game doesnt bore down into a stalemate. But it may just make the game more European friendly.
As it stands a large percentage of the game is european, but the game is set up in such a way as to put europeans at a disadvantage. It would also force alliances into changing tactics to ensure members are covered for certain timezones.
It would I guess require an overhaul of the ticker.
Like I said at the start, it could be a terrible idea, but, if posters could add to this now to make it workable, it may just make for more players.
Of course, it may not be workable at all, but with small gals, small alliances and faster/slower ticks, maybe it could encourage players to stay.
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5 Feb 2007, 17:41
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#2
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For Crowly <3
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Luton, England
Posts: 1,391
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Re: Timezones
Cutting off attack times is VERY risky business.
Also means that its one thing us Brits can still beat Aussies at gets withdrawn
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5 Feb 2007, 17:44
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 78
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Re: Timezones
Dont think this is possible forest as the pa commuinty is getting smaller each rond, and i cant see this idea attracting more people. There would be too few people in each zone to attack and get def from so would turn into whoever is the most active.
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KoKs Stamp of approval
CT HR BIG xVx Internecio Denial
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5 Feb 2007, 17:44
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#4
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Don't make me declare war
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Portsmouth
Posts: 2,913
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Re: Timezones
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smudge
Cutting off attack times is VERY risky business.
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By speeding up ticks at certain times you would be directing when attacks are, rather than cut them off completey.
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5 Feb 2007, 19:48
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#5
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Hamster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Crewe, England
Posts: 3,606
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Re: Timezones
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forest
By speeding up ticks at certain times you would be directing when attacks are, rather than cut them off completely.
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No your cutting them off. For example you have your galaxy and its made up of
A Euro
A American
A Aussie
Now with your windows off 0800-1600, 1600-2400, 2400-0800 your going to find an average person with a day job their most active time will be the the one where their evening falls into. In the case of the above galaxy thats
Euro - 1600-2400
American 2400-0800
Aussie - 0800-1600
That means at anyone time only ONE of the galaxy could be attacked. This means in theory your dividing everyones targets by 3 so your choices are 66% less which currently would be like 990 planets being put into vacation mode. And when you factor in the fact that alot of targets are under bash limits, or aren't good targets your increasing a problem the game has atm and thats the lack of targets.
I cant see it solving anything.
Also you say "One of these reasons is because they go to bed and when they wake up they are dead" which isn't really true. Prelaunch is a savior here for casual players, not only can they set up a fleet on a prelaunch attack to go after roids while they are afk but anything left at base can be set to a +11 prelaunch fake defence fleet meaning you can go away for 11 hours with only really your roids at risk. Yes roids are annoying to lose but if your fleets safe you can go out and attack and gain them back and grab a second slice of XP.
And this is something they should know if they have joined an alliance thats remotely decent
__________________
Wakey
PD and Suggestions Moderator
Co-founder of [F-Crew]
The Farnborough Crew
Cos anything else is just an alliance
Join our public channel at #f-crew
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6 Feb 2007, 03:48
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#6
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Don't make me declare war
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Portsmouth
Posts: 2,913
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Re: Timezones
I have to say (and im not usually one to complain, honest!), but what really is the fking point in leaving me a (quite abusive really) neg rep for this post.
But it was still a suggestion for the good of the game.
I started off saying it may be a bad idea but that I wanted feedback, no wonder people are quitting. I really would expect that from GD but here?
Whoever it was, show some balls, sign your post, and lets get it on on the battlefield.
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6 Feb 2007, 04:14
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#7
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Planetarion Forum Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,289
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Re: Timezones
I don't think splitting the game into three different games is really a good idea, which is what you would be doing with this suggestion. I don't think the game has enough players as it is. Maybe back in the hey day when we had 100k players 3 different time zone groups might have worked, but not anymore.
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Romans 10:9-10
#strategy
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7 Feb 2007, 20:10
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 327
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Re: Timezones
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forest
I have to say (and im not usually one to complain, honest!), but what really is the fking point in leaving me a (quite abusive really) neg rep for this post.
But it was still a suggestion for the good of the game.
I started off saying it may be a bad idea but that I wanted feedback, no wonder people are quitting. I really would expect that from GD but here?
Whoever it was, show some balls, sign your post, and lets get it on on the battlefield.
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your not alone on the, getting abused for trying to help, side,..
however, your idea makes my brain hurt
while my attacks landing, i could be waiting for, longer then it takes to land on another planet,...
infact, it could have landed and returned b4 i know how it turned out,..
i think
argh, im out of this one,..
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Rocko
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7 Feb 2007, 20:55
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#9
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Don't make me declare war
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Portsmouth
Posts: 2,913
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Re: Timezones
lol
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8 Feb 2007, 18:49
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#10
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SiNíng is a lifestyle
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Woodenshoeland
Posts: 241
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Re: Timezones
Well I think timezones should be taken into the equation. How many new starting planets go inactive after their first nightraid since they only log in once a day. If you want to expand your playerbase, those low logins a day group is the group you should target.
This timezone idea of Forest is one of the first ideas that could really work. Eventhough Wakey has a point with that it cuts of some attacks, but that is in the old situation. To expand this game a complete overhaul is needed, so it will lead to a new sitaution which nullifies your objections.
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Cloggystyle should be one of the SiNs
Now serving the DarkLords
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9 Feb 2007, 15:32
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#11
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King of The Fat Boys
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 3,332
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Re: Timezones
I don't particularly like the original idea but one thing I've thought of as a result of it is maybe factor time zones into the shuffle.
What I mean is when you sign up a planet you are asked what time you are likely to be most active. Say a 6 hour period. Then at tick 36 when the shuffle occurs it calculates who will be active when and creates galaxies where the activity is spread out as much as possible. Of course buddy packs would stick together, this would mainly be for deciding where the randoms go.
It could even be taken a step further so that when a planet self exiles (or is exiled) it goes into a galaxy that has very few people who chose that time zone.
What this will do is make it more likely that a galaxy will have somebody online at any time who can report incomings and such.
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They mostly come at night. Mostly.
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12 Feb 2007, 07:45
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#12
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The Original Carebear
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Posts: 1,048
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Re: Timezones
What this would achieve is simply to split the universe into 3 parts that don't really interact with each other. You do see how this is bad, right?
__________________
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.
Oh crap, I might be back. I should take my own advice.
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12 Feb 2007, 08:41
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#13
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Don't make me declare war
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Portsmouth
Posts: 2,913
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Re: Timezones
Of course I see how it is bad.
However, it is aimed at making the game need less activity.
Not even football, a game enjoyed by millions, would last long if people were told they cound only play it with some degree of success if they play it between the hours of 3-6 am, which is basically how it is now.
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12 Feb 2007, 08:52
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#14
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The Original Carebear
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Trondheim, Norway
Posts: 1,048
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Re: Timezones
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forest
Of course I see how it is bad.
However, it is aimed at making the game need less activity.
Not even football, a game enjoyed by millions, would last long if people were told they cound only play it with some degree of success if they play it between the hours of 3-6 am, which is basically how it is now.
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You should talk to Rember about his activity and his success. I assure you, that's not how it is.
__________________
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.
Oh crap, I might be back. I should take my own advice.
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12 Feb 2007, 13:12
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#15
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[TGV] Wots It
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 135
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Re: Timezones
Just another point -- what if your onlne times change from day to day -- I know mine do depending if I'm working that day or the next, and if I am if I'm working morning or afternoon.
Being locked into a timezone (even if only for fast ticks) would mean I could get attacked and not be here (fast ticks would possibly make prelaunch pointless depending on how fast the ticks were for how long -- or may miss the fast tick period and be stuck with less ticks that I can be active for.
Just thought of something else -- say I'm in timezone 1 & I choose to hit a target in timezone 2 (during thier attackable window) -- if their ticks are running faster than mine - does my attack take longer for them or shorter -- and how would this affect their ability to get defence from people in the same/different timezone period?
I'm not saying it's a bad idea in theory -- just that if something like that is going to work -- these are the kind of things that need to be figured out.
If you choose to completely exclude the timezones interacting, then that would only result in an even smaller universe (at least smaller in terms of who you can interact with) - which is not your goal.
notsure
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TGV Wots It
Last edited by notsure; 12 Feb 2007 at 13:26.
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13 Feb 2007, 11:49
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#16
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I am an idiot
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,145
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Re: Timezones
I dont dislike the concept, for me timezones have been an overlooked consideration that would help benefit the game if it could be overcome to good effect.
But Im not sure the original idea is workeable purely on the fact of how it works when a person with slow ticker is attacking someone during a period of fast ticks.
What perhaps would work better is that each timezone has an automatic ETA modifier that you can configure at start up. For example If I were more active during the evening I could choose my config as;
0800-1600 +2 hour ETA
1600-2400 -1 hour ETA
2400-0800 +4 Hours ETA
All launched made against me would have the ETA modifier applied and all launches I make would have the targets modifier applied.
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