Timing

[Necromancer]

According to the rules if there are any delays during the battle the time will be refunded at the end.

I think the rule needs to be changed that time lost will be refunded to the same server (EU -> before the break, NA -> at the end) to reflect that EU and NA players get the same game time.

Currently we might play 2 hours on the EU server and 4 hours on the NA server because 1 hour was "lost" on the EU and refunded to the NA server at the end.
Only if the accumulated delay on the EU server isn't enough to justify add time (to play another round), but with the delay on NA server it is, then it is to be refunded to the NA server at the end.

That said, last battle we had 30 min delay on the EU server at the beginning, and 20 min delay on the NA server after break.
I really hope this will be resolved for next battle.

[Gonzo]

I'm not even gonna try to find an excuse for last battleday. Those delays were appalling and if they continue like this, they're gonna be detrimental to the whole campaign. Us officers will do our best to not let something like this happen again and we're working on a protocol to ensure that.

That said, we've also asked for a meeting with the other HC and the TAs to come up with exact rules to figure out how to handle the delays we do have and if and when they're gonna be added to the battletime. I personally agree with necro on this point, but details are tbd. I'll keep you posted as to how we'll resolve this.

[Necromancer]

I don't know what happened so I didn't say anything about it, but since you brought it up, as I see it the major diffrence is that unlike the RISK system this time no one sets the tempo, and thus any side can delay and without a real stimulant to fix it for next week.

Rules state

5 minutes of prep time per map

And IMO the TAs should enforce it.
I'm sure that after a week or two of the TAs going "live in 2 minutes whether you are ready or not" the teams will find a way to sort things out in less then 5 minutes or a way to sort it during the round.
The defending side (RISK) was able to do it up until now, im sure the current teams will be able to do it as well. All is needed is some motivation.

[Gwynzer]

I think another solution for that the team who has the "initiative" (which was EVIL last week) sets the tempo.

[Necromancer]

It doesn't have the same incentive for the army with the "initiative" to play as many rounds (to attack as many territories) as in the RISK system. The attacker in RISK could not loose points/territories where now its different.
The "Attacking" army might need more time to prep on battle day for a map, and ... can they take as long as they need?
I mean with all due respect to the officers of both armies, there are 40+ players waiting to play. They shouldn't be waiting.
There needs to be a real incentive to spend as much time as possible playing live rounds.

In the RISK system there was a big incentive for the attacking army to play as much as possible
1. To attack as many territories as possible.
2. To give the opponent minimum prep time (maps where not known to the defender, so he needed prep time).

Not going live on time meant better organized defense and less territories to attack, thats why attacker came to the battle prepared, and asked to go live as soon as possible.
And for the defender... well, there weren't any options but to be ready on time.

So thats why it worked. But now its different, it seems armies can take as long as they need to prepare and they don't loose anything doing so.
i don't think 40+ players should wait.

[Necromancer]

Its a disgrace that 7 weeks into the campaign and it still takes 20 minutes to call live for the first map and another 20 minutes after break.

I remember when I joined the armies were loaded and TAs restarting the server at SBT-2 minutes, calling "live live live" at SBT sharp.

How did we deteriorate to this level of administration incopetence?
I feel ashamed, as should you.

[Gonzo]

Necro, I'll happily take your criticism, but I won't take insults.

If you want to help out corral the herd of cats that is a GC army, you're welcome. I can't do any more than ask people nicely to show up on time, but if they don't, then I for one will rather start the battle late with 20 ppl per side, instead of on time with only 12 to 15. And don't tell me we could do it back in C2, so it should be doable now. Back then we had twice the amount of active players, meaning even if the same percentage of people were running late, we could start on time with a full server. That is simply not the case anymore.

The bottom line is, yes, we could use some tightening of our ship, but I won't tolerate namecalling.

Btw, have you thought about the possibility that maybe it's not our team that's causing the delays and that there might be nothing we can do about it in the first place? Food for thought.

[SeraphiM0352]

#Necroforgeneral

[Necromancer]

You? Your team? Where did I say that?
If I tought it was our team problem/resposibility I'd post in the army forums.

We never gonna start on time this way becsuse I, like half of the players here, tired of waiting. I showed up 15 minutes before SBT last time, joined at SBT this time and going to be late 10 minutes next time. And going to contiue this way til I find the time we actually start playing.

People will come on time when we start on time.

Were you waiting for people to come back after break too?

[Jokerle]

kids just dont show up on time these days

[dan1mall]

Just as an aside: it is possible that people showed up late yesterday because the timer on the frontpage was off by an hour.

[Gonzo]

You? Your team? Where did I say that?
If I tought it was our team problem/resposibility I'd post in the army forums.

Apologies. I thought this was our forum

The rest stands though. I mean, what are we supposed to do in your oppinion, beyond telling people they're supposed to show up on time? If we simply lock down the round and start strictly at sbt, we're gonna end up in 14 v 13 battles.

I not actually sure what happened after the break, tbh. I remember it felt like the break was quite long, but I wasn't 100% sure when it started exactly and in a discussion with Gwyn, so I waited for TAs to announce the end of break. The first time I heard from them was when Sloth announced we would go live in 2 minutes (by this time we were ready for some time). I might've overheard a TA announcement, or maybe it didn't come through (which happened at least twice on the BD before this one).

[A Docile Sloth]

Firstly, I do not know where this 20 mins has come from. Under agreement with the generals, the TAs will force live after 10 mins unless both armies are ready before this. Consequently, at SBT +0.10 the restarts began and 10 mins after the break, restarts began. Keep in mind that the break began at SBT +2.52, ended at SBT +3.22 and restarts began at SBT +3.32.

Of the end of break announcement; Forgotten to be given by the TAs, hence the 2 min warning. For that we apologise.

How did we deteriorate to this level of administration incopetence?
I feel ashamed, as should you.

As part of the administration who was doing exactly what was requested, I feel no shame nor feel being called "incompetent" justified. I'm sorry that you do feel ashamed.

[Necromancer]

You only start restarting after 10 min, which sometimes means live after SBT+15.
Same happens after break.

2 scrims and 7 battles after and we can't start on time.
You never even considered refunding that time either.

[CaptJagermeister]

Just as an aside: it is possible that people showed up late yesterday because the timer on the frontpage was off by an hour.

This Happened to me. I was aware of the daylight saving time changes and I was sure that sbt would be an hour later for me and the timer confirmed that. I was pretty confused because I thought I Joined TS at SBT -20min and we were already live.