How Do You People Time Your 1x Play?

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    • How Do You People Time Your 1x Play?

      Hi folks,

      I've asked this question before, but either I didn't get a satisfactory answer or I am hard of learning or both:

      How are you guys managing your play/login times for 1x games?

      Seriously, I cannot figure it out. (It IS starting to look like I am hard of learning.) Here's what happens when I start a 1x game:

      - I start the game
      - I set up all my initial construction/research/troop movement
      - I watch things progress really slowly until I get bored and log out
      - I log back in later but too quickly and nothing has really happened yet, so I log back out.
      - I put the game in the back of my mind and forget to log in until a really long time later, and every single asset has been sitting for a long time wasting time and doing nothing
      - I get all caught up again and log out
      - I log back in after what I think is a reasonable amount of time later, and almost nothing has transpired in the meantime, so I log back out
      - I forget to log in for a really long time and the game passses me by so thoroughly that I might as well not even be playing at all

      Now, the obvious answer, I suppose, is to be aware of upcoming times (units will arrive at x:xx time, etc.), but for me that means setting real life alarms or something. That's how 4x differs for me. I can remain aware that something is going to happen 60 minutes from now. If it's not going to happen until 4 hours from now with nothing much happening in between, though, there's a good chance it's not going to be on my mind when that four hours is up.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by PerigeeNil ().

    • I used to keep a paper log book. That way I knew what I was going to mobilize and when the resources would be available. That was when I was playing more than one game at a time. I stopped that mess when the game got too all consuming. Now I just try to remember what I need to do when and I don't sweat the game too much. It is easier now that so many games have so few players after day 4 or 5 . That is public games, I could never play competitively , I would just be a professional target. :D
      "Retreat hell! We're not retreating ..we're just advancing in a different direction." General Oliver Smith USMC
    • Yeah, I think that's part of the problem too. What keeps me going in a game (at any speed) is the competition. In a good 4x WW3 game now, maybe 20 to 24 teams actively play throughout the first 10 days. Not all of the others go completely inactive, but between the active and the inactive are also the semi-active who don't log in often enough, and they're not really competitive, either.

      The only fun remaining, then, is when I'm either fighting or plotting against the one of the few truly active, and that doesn't even fill up the entire game. So, I find myself with periods of time where there's not much to keep me engaged.

      I started a 1x game the other day, and today, on Day 4, there are 11 player-controlled countries out of 32 possible. I'm sure not all of those are being completely actively managed. That does make it harder for me to feel like, "Oh, man! I better remember to log in six hours from now!"

      bobqz wrote:

      It is easier now that so many games have so few players after day 4 or 5 .
    • I am playing a Battleground USA (?) Day 20 with 4 players active everyday I think. Sometimes I think other players drop in and move things around a bit but for the most part it is me and 2 partners and one other guy . We are just trying to finish the game and move along. My previous game was Battleground USA with 3 players most of the way through. Me , a partner and one other player. I prefer to finish a game before I start another one but usually I do start one just to try and build and research and mobilize. I do enjoy the forum to spend some time .
      "Retreat hell! We're not retreating ..we're just advancing in a different direction." General Oliver Smith USMC
    • PerigeeNil wrote:

      Hi folks,

      I've asked this question before, but either I didn't get a satisfactory answer or I am hard of learning or both:

      How are you guys managing your play/login times for 1x games?

      . . .
      I build and fight with lots of planes, and so far, in public games with allies that has worked well. It also has the effect of giving me something to do each time I look at the game.

      When you're micro-managing planes you can constantly send ASFs and/or UAVs on quick (get in and get out) scouting missions over some interesting location, or start moving them toward the next location you want to examine; and you can juggle the Striker stacks(s) to maximize the damage they deal out while simultaneously keeping them healthy at a hospital.

      Aside from playing Sky Marshall, I watch my borders, watch neighboring cities to see what buildings are going up, reexamine (agonize) my building/research plans, etc.

      But, the bottom line is that after a few more games, I'll probably have squeezed almost all the surprises out of those ^ activities and feel more like you do, than I already do.

      To state the obvious, what you're describing is a game-designer's challenge. It's hard to make the preparation for a fight as exciting as the fight; and it's hard to make it easy to join new/fresh instances of the game(s) while simultaneously dealing with dropouts.

      So . . . Maybe build more planes???
    • Thanks for the thoughtful answer, KF. And you're right - one of the things I've probably not been doing in 1x games where I've lost track/interest is using units that require/benefit from more active/frequent management. If I'm being completely honest, that's partially because it's been a long time since I've even stayed in a 1x game long enough to use those types of units. If I take your suggestion and make it a conscious goal, though, it definitely might help me stay engaged in 1x games. Thank you.
    • 1 x does allow for more time away. Playing 1 x now and its painfully slow after last x 4 game. But x 4 game i make more planning errors and sucks if get a decent nights sleep missing 1.5 game days. Plus when unlocked research you have too many options early on and if not disciplined end up wasting builds/ research on stuff you really dont need at that point of game.

      But to answer question check in few times a day just to see if anything unexpected. Try to plan when a research slot open and/or building required to build etc.
      "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him "

      aka ...The killer formerly known as BuckeyeChamp
    • I constantly check in while I'm in between other activities... it's not so much an hourly, but more of an impulsively schedule... 1x really reward patience and AFK time, I find... I love being away for 12+ hours and having resources to use and movement to be seen etc.

      If you check too often out of anxiety for the unexpected map movements and don't find any... it can become sort of a "cry wolf" scenario where the game gets lackluster and you put your guard down.

      I tend to engage in war at all phases of the game... diplomacy at all stages of the game... and study the rest of the map's progress as KFG described...
      Having multiple games going increases the urge to do the check-ups.

      This forum is a nice filler activity for when the game is calm... or in between check ups or whatever... as interesting as in game notifications... a new thread comment from someone.

      I suspect this is something you're already doing @PerigeeNil
    • PerigeeNil wrote:

      So, Buckeye, I know you used to play a lot of 1x. Did you just have set/scheduled times every day when you would log in? Like, you always logged in first thing in the morning, after lunch, after dinner, before bed, etc?
      Well when working from home would have on in background...lol. If in office would check before work; when home; before bed. Some intense coalition battles have even gone to library a block from office to login at lunch at lunch. Mobile didnt work very well back then; and now helps on builds/mobilizations etc but not getting into active war via mobile app. Plus before random insurgent pops midnight game time was a key time to move troops; which is generally 6:20PM so corresponded to after work.

      Thats when tme for a break when let game effect your IRL schedule/Sleep. (I am sure we all woke up once or twice at 3am to see if we were invaded ;-))

      Biggest thing mobile app helps is notifications on phone. I always thought you should be able to subscribe to certain in game notifications. You obviously dont want ever prov conquered; etc. but damn if someone invaded in middle of night I think someone might call the general.
      "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him "

      aka ...The killer formerly known as BuckeyeChamp
    • Yes, Buck I am the same way. But I never check first thing in the morning before I leave for work. It would just make me late because I would get caught up in the game. :D Mobile is the same, I use it to check in but I really prefer to use my laptop to start anything big like offensives. I like the big screen and all .
      "Retreat hell! We're not retreating ..we're just advancing in a different direction." General Oliver Smith USMC