[Rules] Defer spoils in escalating games

[Milo The Oaf]

Concise description:

• There can be a benefit to missing a turn while holding 5 spoils in an escalating game.

Specifics/Details:

• If a player holding 5 spoils misses their turn and another player cashes spoils before the player returns, the player that missed gets a larger reward. This tactical miss could be prevented if the spoils reward value were incremented for the following players and when the player returned he got the original reward value.

How this will benefit the site and/or other comments:

• Intentionally missing a turn is rude to the other players in the game and should not be rewarded.

*Edited to add poll, 5/31/2011.

[iamkoolerthanu]

Plus one, this has happened to me several times, and I don't think it is fair.

[mc05025]

Except from the fact that everyone has to wait 24 hours why this is a problem? Why this is not one more strategy that makes the game more complicated?

[Milo The Oaf]

I'll admit it only irritates me in speed games.

How would this be handled if we were playing on a board on a table in person?

[Dibbun]

I hate it when people miss turns on purpose, and anything that discourages that has my full support.

[nvrijn]

Couldn't the other players miss their turns as well? The first guy has to break, or he's thrown out of the game after 3 turns. So there is a counter-strategy of sorts.

That said ... if you went with this approach, you'd have to indicate that to all players (next risk = 30 except for truant Red who gets 20). Is that what you are proposing?

[TheForgivenOne]

And what happens if the player legitimately missed their turn? They didn't mean to do it, but it happened. And if this was implemented, my best guess is they would start just deploying and not attacking with 4 cards, so they still get to "miss" the spoil, but still get to cash later.

[Milo The Oaf]

Couldn't the other players miss their turns as well? The first guy has to break, or he's thrown out of the game after 3 turns. So there is a counter-strategy of sorts.
That said ... if you went with this approach, you'd have to indicate that to all players (next risk = 30 except for truant Red who gets 20). Is that what you are proposing?

My perspective is primarily from speed games. Speed games are the reason I signed up for premium. True, the other players can miss, and I have seen a scond player with 5 cards miss and I suspect he had the same motivation.

If a player with 5 cards missed it could say "XXXXX missed a turn and will turn in spoils for 10 troops next turn." The counter would increase to 12 for the next reward level.

And what happens if the player legitimately missed their turn? They didn't mean to do it, but it happened. And if this was implemented, my best guess is they would start just deploying and not attacking with 4 cards, so they still get to "miss" the spoil, but still get to cash later.

I have legitimately missed turns, and I am penalized by it. I recieve my troops only after I have completed my attacks. It appears to me the developers already view missing a turn negatively, otherwise the deferred troops would be available at the initial deployment.

I have seen many people deploy and not attack with 4 cards. I do it if I do not want to be forced to cash.

[Graeko]

Milo's last point is the takeaway here. If you don't like your cash position, don't attack once you have four cards. Wait another round. This method is preferable because it is honest: there is no question about what you are doing and why. I do it all the time. The tactical miss is secretive and should be frowned upon (just as secret diplomacy is). But I do not think anything can be done about it without penalizing those who legitimately miss a turn.

[TheForgivenOne]

Moving this to Rejected