Game time favors specific time zones

Pentabuksus2 · Nov 7th 2022, 1:58pm

I'm playing from Belgium. my time zone is CET or UTC+1h. This means the clock for every game lags 1h behind real time. In other words, the in-game new day starts at 1AM.
Let this be a moment when I'm often 8h asleep...

This is a big disadvantage, as:
- cities morale changes at this point, often freeing troops needed to sit newly conquered cities.
- New tech becomes available, giving an 8h setback on other timezones
- Spies do their work:
- sabotage: need to repair buildings, but you start with an 8h setback
- corruption: cities' moral drops, and have 8h to revolt before you can act.
- intelligence: reveal troops, but the info is stale when you wake up.

If I was living in New York, it would have been 18.00h.
In California it would be 15.00h.
Shanghai 7 AM

That leaves a lot of prime gaming hours to use these advantages.

A solution could be randomizing the clock at the start of new games. This would defeat this structural advantage for other time zones making the advantage more random.
Curious to hear if this has already been given any thought and if there are other solutions.

WalterChang · Nov 7th 2022, 3:59pm

"Game starts when full" should be standard across all modes.

Pentabuksus2 · Nov 8th 2022, 11:19am

I think that would lead to an even slower start and even more ghost players.
Imagine joining a game, and then having to wait 7 hours before you can actually log in, only to then again wait another 12h to make your first moves.

WalterChang · Nov 8th 2022, 4:44pm

You can log in and do diplomacy and stuff before the game starts. You just can't start building/moving anything.
You get a notification in your messages (and your email), plus a push notification of you've enabled it, when the game starts.

It works pretty well.

kurtvonstein · Nov 8th 2022, 5:46pm

If I see the comments then I asume most commenters did not understand the underlying intention / change request.

I totally support that the start of the next day/ingame should vary....at this moment it only favours US and pacfic users...

I dont wanne stay awake just to way for next day jump to start next available research in tree.

KFGauss · Nov 9th 2022, 9:59pm

OBTW - Improving (I think) this part of the game doesn't require delaying anything players are allowed to do in the first hours of a game.

Instead, each game's clock could simply start at the same hour the game is spawned (is offerred to players).

I have no idea how many headaches this would (or wouldn't) give the software teams, but on the surface it seems like a simple and useful improvement.

WednesdayAddams · Nov 9th 2022, 10:07pm

KFGauss wrote:

OBTW - Improving (I think) this part of the game doesn't require delaying anything players are allowed to do in the first hours of a game.

Instead, each game's clock could simply start at the same hour the game is spawned (is offerred to players).

I have no idea how many headaches this would (or wouldn't) give the software teams, but on the surface it seems like a simple and useful improvement.

I agree with him!

kurtvonstein · Nov 9th 2022, 10:15pm

its too obviuos. maybe after croatian language support…

I remember this discussion beeing already hold. search zhe forum. they said something about evil legacy code…

KFGauss · Nov 9th 2022, 11:04pm

kurtvonstein wrote:

its too obviuos. maybe after croatian language support…

I remember this discussion beeing already hold. search zhe forum. they said something about evil legacy code…

Yeah, yeah, yeah - Every change made in any existing software system affects existing code - People can debate vague definitions of what is/isn't "legacy code" for as long as they care to, but any change has a cost, so the "legacy code" answer doesn't really get to the heart of the matter (so let's not fall down that rabbit hole).

The question (that Dorado gets to ask and answer) is whether the benefits outweigh the cost.

It sounds like the previous answer was that Dorado thinks the costs would outweigh the benefits and/or that Dorado believes that other important changes are more needed more urgently.

Dealer of Death · Nov 9th 2022, 11:07pm

Going off of when gameday changes vs real time, I betting it is all the same and when it is because it is after midnight in Malta. No doubt it also allows a better tracking of when problems occur. Standardization.

kurtvonstein · Nov 10th 2022, 7:54am

no itsnot the same in every game there is i variance time span of 1-2 hours.
i asume to balance server load. so the question is why bot balance completely by sync the game start time with daychamge. you got my vote:
+1

Pentabuksus2 · Nov 10th 2022, 10:34am

KFGauss wrote:

It sounds like the previous answer was that Dorado thinks the costs would outweigh the benefits and/or that Dorado believes that other important changes are more needed more urgently.

like air patrol timers?
but seriously, I would think that balancing your game would be high on your priority list, no?

JimmyMaestro · Nov 14th 2022, 1:15pm

I mentioned it before on another thread. (Maybe another similar game. I forgot so long ago)

These games should be open 3 or 4 consecutive hours a day and that's it. Make it 4x or 6x. You can't log on in the off hours. No more going to bed at night and waking up with your empire in shambles.

I used to play the 1942 game. I'd wake up at 3am nuke someone and go back to bed. (Because the other guy started his game at 4 or 5am my time.)

kurtvonstein · Nov 14th 2022, 2:55pm

JimmyMaestro wrote:

I used to play the 1942 game. I'd wake up at 3am nuke someone and go back to bed. (Because the other guy started his game at 4 or 5am my time.)

my bet. it has nothing to do with skill. you just need a certain disrespect for your health and body.

Only think online game can top with stupidity is login in every couple of minutes to collect resources. I see them - I log iff und delete instantly.

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