Conserns about sim speed

[snip]

With Foxy's temporary absence (to a really really cool opportunity) I think that now is the best time to bring this up as his absence will serve to make this issue much worse. The speed at which things are happening has slowed quite a lot, far below what I feel is required for the sim to continue functioning effectively. I realize that there is currently a few wars happening and that life has been time consuming for some members, myself included, but something has to be done to pick the pace back up. By my count, we have been in H1-1920 for around six months or so, and news events have yet to move out to January of 1920 for almost everyone. Frankly, I am loosing interest. Something needs to be done to get the game back on track. Tex is in agreement with me on this. I see a few options which I am going to propose for getting things back on track.

1. Generally scrip the remainder of the Maori-New Swiss war and any other events in 1920 or later as a whole. By this I mean give an outline of events similar to my outlines on the Chinese Civil war (not to say they are great, but they are fast) and just posting sim reports until we decide to slow down again. Jumping ahead might help to revitalize interest.

2. As we seem to have stagnated anyway, I feel that a reboot of some form should not be out of consideration. This gives lots of new material for both discussion and inspiration, as well as an opportunity to fix some parts of the system which are not working as they should. While I know it would be hard for people to let go of nations that they have worked on (or have big plans for in the case of the Middle Kingdom and others), it could be worth it to have a new opportunity to try something new.

I apologize if this ruffles some feathers. I do not mean to single out any individuals with this. I do think that it is something that needs to be addressed, and addressed quickly, if the sim is to continue functioning and providing its unique type of entertainment to all off us.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
I agree. IMO there are three solutions:
1 - kill off the sim and remain friends
2 - speed up
3 - reboot

Borys

[Jefgte]

I agree too,
Navalism is sleeping...
Get up & move forward.
Finish the wars in 1920H1
We need a peace periode to work quietly until1925.


Jef

[ctwaterman]

Im pushing Im pushing.... ;)

I have info comming in from Foxy before he blows out to play Pirates of the Caribbean and from Vales now that Class are over.   I should hopefully get enough Info to push the War thru so that HY2 1920 can be completed.

Charles

[Jefgte]

These are not criticisms against the work of modos

But we have too much wars or crisis in progress.

Be quiet, rest in peace & work new SS with original ideas.


Jef

[ctwaterman]

Not taking it as for Critisism I to believe we need a period of peace and tranquility but since this was likely the only opportunity that the Maori were ever going to get to catch the New Swiss with their proverbial Pants around their ankles.... ;)

We sort of had to let this last war in now to get it moving faster I agree faster would be better.  Followed by some peace.

Charles

[snip]

some further thoughts from me now that I am not about to fall asleep on the keyboard :P

Im going to argue for a reboot as opposed to just speeding up. Tho I would be happy with both opptions, I think that a reboot would be better for the sim as a whole at this point. Just look at how many players we have lost (via my counts on inactivity) over the past few months. Borys (but he still hangs out), Ledeper (April 3), Maddox (hopefully only temporarily), Itherkro (April 30, but no posts for much longer), Blooded (April 7) In addition to the counties which these players left, we still have some vacancies. Just off the top of my head and going by a one player-one country rule: RRC, Ottomans and there affiliates, Ittalia, and quite a few other small ones. By my count, that is 8+ countries, some of them major players, that are vacant. Moving players up to fill these gaps may not work, as it then leaves there prior countries vacant. A reboot would allow us to consolidate the number of countries to something more in line with what our practical player base is, which is good for the overall health of the sim IMO.

I have more, but will wait until some more people chime in.

[Kaiser Kirk]

My musings
1. Yes, the time frame has been too long. No news means no reason to look.
I think this is due to several major changes occurring at once
A. Chinese War + Dutch & Russian involvement.
B. Maori War
C. Bavarian-Ukrainian War
D. Ottoman Consolidation
E.  UNK/Confederacy settling in.
F.  French action.

I concede that at this time I am part of the problem, this Bavarian-Ukrainian thing has taken far to long.  Scheduling the time to write and slotting that around talking to others is the problem. The past month it stalled out waiting for collaboration, but it had already gotten long by then. However, players in Eastern Europe are all involved, so it's not actually stalling them.

2. Peace and Tranquility ... I don't think that's the solution either.
Wars slow us down... but I think because we let them.

On the other hand, I was very frustrated when I started the Sim, missed the Ottoman War, deferred my Ukrainian war, then had Rocky ask for 2 years of peace after the Dutch-Siamese war...only to have Marek take Ukraine and then vanish... for years and years I couldn't do anything with my problematic eastern neighbor.

If each "6 months" was "8 weeks" and wars were 1 week = 1 month, I think they would go faster.  Week for sim turns, people decide to go to war. Second week – Doctrine and offensive/defensive goals.  Then Sundays orders in.  Mod looks, sends question back Monday. . Players clarify Tuesday. Mod decisions made Weds-Sat.    Mods may say that this is ridiculous, I admit – but I think set timeline turns are needed in some format, 2 weeks seems long as that's 3months/turn.

Exceptions made for Defender's life or emergencies (i.e. don't start a war unless you have time,

Plus... Mod work needs to become 'easier'.  I ran the last Dutch moves in 2nd Pacific after Korpen vanished, took some time but took a burden off the mods, but Rocky (understandably) didn't want to game out the war, so it ended badly for the aggressor who abandoned his post.   Just simming the darn battle of the Adriatic took a chunk of time. Nice if you have it.

A. Players- like Miketr did- need to be willing to decide battles for the mods, so the Mods can PM them, ask if available, and if so, send the battle info.

B. Fully simmed out battles are nice... but if the mods are short on time, and there is a lack of players to help out ... *we* have to accept that the "sim" may come down to a die roll of meeting day/night, random weather, range, check of doctrine, and then a "well, in this case, I think ship A would beat ship B", done.

3. How to proceed.
Beats me.

Looking around Europe, there are big holes.  America's looking ok, so is the far East. Ottomans and Dutch need players badly.

Recruit or reboot. If a reboot, I think I'd rather do a Navalism 4 and get to play with old-school ships longer.


Going forward- people like fighting/picking on neutrals, having small-mid sized ones for proxy wars and tinderboxes is nice. Also you can argue about the 'evil empire gobbling up' folks. Here they are being consolidated.

[Kaiser Kirk]

Can we get a "roll call" list of active vs. passive players?

[snip]

few counterpoints/additions to what KK said:

Fully simmed out battles are nice... but if the mods are short on time, and there is a lack of players to help out ... *we* have to accept that the "sim" may come down to a die roll of meeting day/night, random weather, range, check of doctrine, and then a "well, in this case, I think ship A would beat ship B", done.

Yes, this is going to have to happen.

America's looking ok

When Rohan is vacant?

Going forward- people like fighting/picking on neutrals, having small-mid sized ones for proxy wars and tinderboxes is nice. Also you can argue about the 'evil empire gobbling up' folks. Here they are being consolidated.

I think that this is another compelling argument for a reboot. Starting off with areas being fragmented is good for two reasons. Kirk gives the first, but the second is that should all the big boys be full when a new player comes along, then a story can be weaved to bring a new country together out of that territory.

Count me as active, expeciatly once we get out of 1920 and I can begin picking up after this pesky little war.

[miketr]

My two bits on the state of the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0yXqU-w9U0

I have been pushing behind the scenes for a reboot for some time now. 

Michael

[snip]

Mike: that about sums it up

Well, I think it is time for a vote as there seems to be a consensus that something needs to be done. Speed up or Reboot?

I vote for reboot, it gives us as a community the option to fix many things that could make the game run smother and avoid pitfalls like this when they occur again.

[Delta Force]

The late 1800s could be an interesting period to restart in.

[Logi]

I would like a reboot, but then again, I don't even have time to sim right now.

[miketr]

The late 1800s could be an interesting period to restart in.

That was my suggestion for N4.  There was also some heavy taking about major overhauls to the economic engine and a number of other changes.

Before we either pull the plug on the game or do a reboot one issue needs to be addressed.  WARFARE.  All the hold ups are caused by fighting if we reboot or go forward we face the same problem either way.  Next major war causes game to grind to a halt.

Michael