PBeM game length (in real time)?

[Imp]

My main concern is that I will start to 'lose the plot' if I don't remain actively engaged in a battle.

I understand what you mean firstly it makes the battle more engaging keeping the flow if played regulary, for me over 3 days l lose the flow of the battle & have to think what I was doing trawl up from memory where that ATG fired from etc. Inevitably you forget something & get caught out because of it. Becomes trickier if have several games on the go but I would rather limit my playing so I can return turns pretty much when I get them. Luckily 1-3 day returns seem to fit with most peoples lives & in my experience 5-7 turns a week is the norm. If you share the same time zone can sometimes be higher.

[Lt. Ketch]

Originally Posted by Imp

I understand what you mean firstly it makes the battle more engaging keeping the flow if played regulary, for me over 3 days l lose the flow of the battle & have to think what I was doing trawl up from memory where that ATG fired from etc.

Yeah, I know your current opponent really well and it's really agrivating when he goes a couple of days without posting. You're good to be patient with me. OH! I mean him.

RL has been a little interesting of late, so my games have been "choppy" to say the least. As I play in the mornings before work, it only gives me about an hour to play tops, and if the night before wasn't so good....you can understand. Luckly my computer, which we are replacing here soon, is running better now that I removed 1/8" (3 mm) of dust from the vents and fans.

I do like the smaller games better as I'm able to fit them in to my schedule. I accually had one opponent send me a set of files, and then sent me a new set up on a smaller scale so it would work better with my schedule and computer (pre-dust clean up). I was and am very grateful to him.

I would be interested in doing a small scale tournament and would be willing to committ to one, in the circumstance that I have finished my other games and able to give it top priority. I feel confident in committing to at least 4 turns a week. Now, as a few oppoents can attest, as far as MBT is concerned, I'm a beginner and so may be out early on. I'm okay with that so long as I get an opportunity to learn how to be better.

[c_of_red]

I use the 10-day rule. I figure that 10 days go by without any commo from my opponent either RL has bit him on the arse or he isn't having fun any more. Since I play for fun and I won't have any fun if my opponent isn't, I just ask them if anything is wrong and if so, what can we do to fix it.
Most of the time we communicate, fix the problem and go back to having fun.

[Double_Deuce]

Its always hard to keep up morale and interest in your game when you are getting hammered. I try to take solace in the chances that I might get to take down one more tank before my remaining men are ground into oblivion.

Another thing I have found is email is not always as reliable as many might think. If you email someone a few times and don't hear back it is probably a good idea to PM them on the forums they normally frequent or post a "Flare" as they do at the Blitz.

[Imp]

Range of comments

Lt Ketch as far as MBT is concerned, I'm a beginner and so may be out early on

Dont put yourself down lots of other people will do that for you, trust me I have played a lot of worse players. Your problems this game were due to a tactical gaff letting me get the main hill early & watch your force deployment. Have now lost sight of your heavies so you can still inflict some damage as its now an even playing field.

CofRed 10 day rule

Agree but it should not happen really if something crops up sending your opponent a message to say delayed costs nothing. Same with if you have had enough of the game just offer to surrender or say something most players seem pretty reasonable.

DD respect surrender is not an option for your forces I said to you I was impressed how you fought on despite the odds

[c_of_red]

"Agree but it should not happen really if something crops up sending your opponent a message to say delayed costs nothing. Same with if you have had enough of the game just offer to surrender or say something most players seem pretty reasonable."

Sometimes that just isn't possible. Last year I went to court with my lawyer telling me every_tang was OK and I would get max 30 days time served and some community service. An Hour later I was sitting in the van with cuffs on contemplating 3 to 5 years in Jail. No computer between court and Jail. I looked.
So as much or as little as we want, sometimes things spin out of control.

[pjbandit2003]

I usually play 1 or 2 turns a day/game and several turns a day on weekends as long as my partner can keep up. Have played a 30 turn game is 7 days this way but as said before requires the other player to be up to it. So having a turn a day turnaround requirement for a game is reasonable if stated before hand. If the player can not meet this requirement then they should have enough common sense to not register for the tourney. This may limit your participants but it makes a faster game.

Ken

[Double_Deuce]

I find my Pbem time comes in spurts. While there are days I simply cannot get to any of my games, on other days I can get a turn rate of 3-4 in a single day for a game.

[c_of_red]

I have a drill that I use to keep track of the plot as much as possible for a game with this many variables. Of course, that makes me vulnerable to OODA looping. I'm pretty predictable for the first couple of games. Plus I lose a lot. That's OK because if it bothers me, I just start making notes.
When you think about it, the basics are, well...... basic. You go up the middle, left flank, right flan or both flanks. Terrain pretty much dictates which approach is better. Of course, your opponent can see the map also. If he is working of the same platbook as you are, you both pretty much have an idea of what the other will do. Surprise is still possible, but it's mostly in the details.
I just got crunched by an opponent who had pretty much what I thought he did only more. I figured him for a dozen or so ATGM's, which is what he showed me. So when it got down to nut cutting time, those extra 30 or 40 ATGM's he didn't show me reaped a huge harvest. So surprise IS possible. If I had known he had that many ATGM's I would have just built a wall of smoke ( we are playing pre-40 vis era) and ran my tracks up to it , off loaded my Mech squads and had me a fine old time slaughtering ATGM's. So next time I'll know to buy lots of smaller arty, so I can put down more smoke and still stay within the 10% limits. I'll also load up on HMG's. They are great for 'z' keying the area where you think an ATGM is.

[Skirmisher]

I find myself in a strange situation as far as PBEM's go.

I technically am playing three games right now, but no turns are forthcoming from any of them. Now that could change tomorrow but as it stands now I can't get a turn sent to me if my life depended on it.

One game has been going on since 19th,April and seems to be sputtering out...
A second game is caught in some kinda setup stasis. Where I purchased the army and sent it off some 10 days ago...
A third game which was to be my "quick fix" to get things moving
along suffered a setback this evening because of incompatible game versions...

It just isnt meant to be, at least for now.


On the issue of game turn length I can't say for sure because each opponent rates turns at a different priority level.

I've played a few rare games where people will send the turn back right away, and I would do the same. Almost playing in real time and maybe getting 10 turns done in a row.
Then there's other players that put it way down on the priority list,possibly even have too many large games going themselves.

Myself I think one turn per 24 hr period is the happy medium.