GALAXY : How to handle dropped players ? From: graeme@postimpressions.co.uk (Graeme Griffiths) Date: Thu, 25 Jun 1998 00:00:00 +0000 We recently touched on the subject of what to do when a player drops out of a game of Galaxy without actually doing anything. I think most people will admit its not practical to give the player to someone else as invariably the position has lost a good few of the early turns and will therefore always be behind any competent players in the game. It may be a challenge but its going to be seriously hard work. So I started thinking about what you need to do to even the game up. Essentially the only problem with a player just dissappearing is that there is then a home-world up for grabs close to one (or more) players. Experienced players know to then probe that planet to see what it will take to claim it for themselves. This unbalances the game unfairly. What I propose, and I'd like to hear opinions on this, is to add a bit of code to the bit in process.c that removes idle players. Currently, very little is done but I suggest a check to see if the player has fulfilled some crtieria of development. If they have, the code will do exactly what it does now. If they haven't I suggest a removal of all their ships ala NG and the changing of their homeworld into an normal planet (i.e the resource and size will drop to a random amount). This, I think wouldn't affect normal players who simply miss orders (who can then claim their position back from the GM as normal) but anyone who hasn't really made an impact on the game will simply cease to exist and not have any affect on the rest of the game. The criteria is obviously difficult. Peoples opinions of what to do at the start of the game vary but I'd suggest anyone who has colonised a planet has at least made a stab at playing and is therefore likely to want the position back if it drops. That would be an easy check. Another criteria could be the production of a ship with weapons. So what do Galaxy players an GM's think ? I'm bound to not have considered something but it seems like a neat solution to an anoying problem. Comments ? -- Graeme Griffiths - Post Impressions (Systems) Ltd Disclaimer: I do not speak for anyone but myself and I do that badly. Mail: graeme@postimpressions.co.uk Spam: All unsolicited mail will be reported, and billed for my time. Referenced By Up