SpielByWeb

[shushnik]

Would it be possible to replace an inactive player after a month or so? I don't know the headaches this might cause, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

It would probably be most fair to not rank the game after a player dropped and was replaced. I don't really care though. I would just like to see a feature to get these speedbump games moving.
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I'm a mother pheasant plucker. I pluck mother pheasants. I'm the most pleasant mother pheasant plucker that ever plucked mother pheasants.

[freduk]

This would be a useful feature.
Say if a game has been inactive for a period (a month?), then a substitute could be requested and the remaining players "vote on" the new player in the inactive player's slot.

[stargate]

the idea of substitute players is a good one

I do not like the idea of adding politics to the problem by having a vote
on who gets to join a dead game

you could earn your status as a substitute by being one of the
top 100 players on the site by games completed

a list of games needing a substitute player could be created
and a player with sustitute status could join a game on the list

of course controls would be in place to prevent a player
from joining a game they were already in

just food for thought

[freduk]

I wasn't thinking of having a vote on who joins, more like advertising a position and when someone offered, they were accepted by all players.

The scenario could go something like this...
The game goes inactive for a month.
The creator selects an option to ask for a sub.
The game gets added to a list of games requiring a sub (much like the list of games waiting players, but separate)
The first person to apply gets provisionally added.
Each player has to click "agree", or the sub is rejected and the game goes back to the queue.
The game continues.
The dropped player receives a game loss.
The sub gets a win/loss depending on result, but also a "kudos" point each time they sub.

[ges]

Good idea! Replacement players.

[Bkruppa]

What about a preseason or free agency?

[DangerMouse]

Any old pbm (play by MAIL, as in snail mail) players out there?

Back in the old days I used to play Flying Buffalo's Starweb (and a few others from different companies) and most of the games supported "Stand By" players. You'd volunteer to be a "Stand By" and when someone dropped out of a game a "Stand By" player would be called on to play. I forget the exact process, but it seemed to work fine and I think FBI (Flying Buffalo Inc.) is still around so their policy might be something to refer to.

[Wes M]

Are replacement players a reasonable programming solution?

I'd be a willing Amun-Re replacement player. As long as losses wouldn't be reflected in my overall stats. But I would want credit for any wins.