CoS Discussion: Section I - Game Schedule

[ravensfire]

From DG2 CoS:

I. Game Schedule 
  1. The President will post a fixed schedule of game times. 
    A. Example: 23:00 GMT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. 
    B. This schedule may be updated each Sunday for the following week’s 
       games. 
    C. If not updated, the existing schedule carries over week to week.

-- Ravensfire

 

[ravensfire]

How about:

I. Game Schedule 
  1.  The President shall post a fixed schedule of game times in the
      Presidential thread.
    A.  Example: 23:00 GMT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. 
  2.  Times shall be listed in GMT format.
  3.  This schedule should be updated each Sunday for the following week’s 
      games. 
    C.  If not updated, the existing schedule carries over week to week.

-- Ravensfire

 

[DaveShack]

Not sure it's necessary to change it to specify the presidential thread. I would probably put the schedule of upcoming TCs as its own thread in the main forum, so it is right next to the TCITs.

 

[Cyc]

I would have to agree with DaveShack on this one. It would be much easier for everyone to find in the main forum, although it would be more convenient for the Prez to do it your way. Maybe it could be listed in both?

 

[Furiey]

If it is in the main forum, the presidential thread could simply link to it - no need to do it twice.

 

[ybbor]

we should probably change it to te top person on the COC

 

[Rik Meleet]

I don't agree with this proposal. Especially the "automatically carried over" bit. If the President suddenly discovers the forum is down, his internet connection is temporarily none-existing, etc. the schedule is fixxed.

I don't agree with "sunday" either. There are some sundays that I am not available.

I prefer to have the schedule for the next week (week defined as monday 00:00 GMT - Sunday 23:59 GMT) posted before the beginning of the next week. If the President fails to do so the VP / whoever (please define) reminds the President by PM to carry out his duties. If still no schedule is posted monday 23:59 GMT, the next-in-line in the COC posts the schedule.

 

[Bootstoots]

I don't think that we need a schedule at all. This CoS article should state that the President must make turn chat times known (especially in the turnchat instruction thread), but to plan them well in advance is not really necessary.

 

[Rik Meleet]

Bootstoots just mentioned my other problem. This blocks quick turns for special occassions like a 0 turn turnchat just to investigate a city, make a quick peace or trade WM's for instance. These quick TC's can be very important and tend to not be plannable in advance. We want to keep this game rolling, don't we ?

 

[ravensfire]

V1.1

I. Game Schedule 
  1.  The President shall post a fixed schedule of game times in the
      Game Schedule thread.
    A.  Example: 23:00 GMT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. 
    B.  The Presidential thread shall have a link to this thread.
  2.  Times shall be listed in GMT format, at a minimum.
  3.  This schedule shall list only the regular game play sessions.
  4.  The schedule for each week shall be updated prior to the start of
      that week.
    A.  Week is defined as Monday, 00:00 GMT through Sunday, 23:59 GMT
    B.  If not updated, the next player in the COC may alter the 
        schedule, or carry over the times of the previous week.

NOTE: This will entail a change in the Forum Organization - we would create a new thread - the schedule thread.

While I do like Boots' idea, we are very specific throughout this ruleset - that's the DG2 concept. We need to continue that here.

-- Ravensfire

 

[zorven]

I don't necessarily agree that a schedule needs to be posted for each week. I think that a schedule should be encouraged. Instead, I think a requirement that says turn chats need to be scheduled with X number of days notice. In the proposal above, the Pres could post a schedule on Sunday that lists a turn chat on Mon; at worst there could be about 2 minutes between the posted schedule and the turn chat. That is unless this is addressed in some other section of code (I can't seem to remember all, what, 40 pages? ).

 

[Cyc]

A schedule needs to be posted. Period. I remember how Presidents used to post their t/c scedule for the entire month. Of course exceptions would be allowed for "quick Turn Chats", as long as the proper notice was given in the Citizen's sub forum.

I don't see a problem requiring the President to post a schedule. It should be posted in the main forum page so that even newbies can find it. I would rather have the schedule go 2 weeks to a month rather than just a week. No more major holidays or special events are coming up for quite a while. Let's just post a lengthy schedule and make changes when necessary. Proper notice of changes made in the citizen's sub forum.

 

[Furiey]

As a newbie when I was lurking in DG3 I found a schedule both useful and it encouraged me to keep dropping in when things were likely to be happening (and yes it does have to be really obvious to find it – it took me a while to find the sub-forums!). I see no reason why it would have to be updated ON Sunday though, and I would definitely not want it to stop the special occasion type of sessions that Rik mentions, they can be important in providing information that allow us to make decisions and keep the game moving. I also recognise that things happen and sometimes changes have to be made after schedules are posted. But it is still useful to have a thread where it is all recorded.

So what do we want from this?. To be able to find out the schedule in advance. To still be able to have special sessions and change the schedule if necessary. But above all I would say - one place to look to find out what’s scheduled when. I would like to see this thread as the place for ALL game play times – so changes don’t then get lost as threads move down the Citizens Forum

Perhaps it could just say something like:

I. Game Schedule 
  1.  The President (or Designated Player) shall maintain a schedule
      of all game times in the Game Play Schedule thread in the Main Forum.
      A.  Example: 23:00 GMT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. 
      B.  The Presidential thread shall have a link to this thread.
  2.  Times shall be listed in GMT format, at a minimum.
  3.  Changes to the schedule with less than 1 week notice should also
      be announced in the Turn Chat Instruction Thread (if it has already 
      been created for the game play session concerned) or Citizen Sub-Forum.

3. Is intended to allow special sessions, and schedule changes. I just picked 1 week as something to put in - how short notice should it be before it's announced in the Citizen Thread?
1. Would just saying or DP be sufficient to cover it?

 

[Cyc]

@ Furiey - Your note on 1. is fine. But on 3. it should be ANY changes whatsoever should immediately be posted in the TCI thread AND a thread in the Citizen's sub forum created especially for that announcement.

I also noticed that you didn't include a minimum cut-off time for advanced posting fot schedules, such as a 1 week prior posting of a schedule, or schedules must be posted for the next week by Sunday - something like that. We need to have some kind of cut-off date where the President/DP is delinquent on there posting of the schedule, so we know when we can b1tch about it (see CG's Presidency).

 

[Furiey]

Hmmm, thanks for your comments Cyc - showing my inexperience here and probably also trying to oversimplify, but getting involved in these discussions is definitely getting me more familiar with what’s going on.

On 3 I was trying to allow the schedule to be posted as far in advance as the person wished to, but allow notice to be given if changes were made - although I didn’t think that a change for example 3 weeks away would require notice other than in this schedule. The 1 week thing was supposed to keep a schedule for at least 1 week ahead at all times (so you couldn’t post a schedule on Sunday for something on Monday without giving additional notice elsewhere) but did allow a whole month to be posted then allow special and unforeseen changes etc. So I suppose I was thinking Schedules shall be announced at least one week in advance. I do remember CG’s presidency – it was very frustrating trying to find out what was happening when. Is the thread in the Citizen’s Forum one single thread for all schedule changes, or threads started as required? I only noticed changes if the TCIT was changed – but then as I said it took a while for me to find the Sub-forums! Looking at the wording though I meant Citizens thread AND TCIT (if it had been created) rather than 1 or the other. So maybe better wording of what I intended would be:

  3.  At the beginning of a Term the schedule shall be
      announced within XXX of that Term starting.  Scheduled 
      times shall then be announced at least 1 week in advance.
  4.  Changes to a scheduled time with less than 1 week 
      notice shall also immediately be announced in a thread  
      for that purpose in the Citizen Sub-Forum and the Turn  
      Chat Instruction Thread (if it has already been created
      for the game play session concerned).

New 3 – don’t know what XXX would be or maybe it should even be by 0:00 GMT on the day the Term starts – it obviously couldn’t be before the elections are over though!.

I wanted to try and get this as the master schedule so to speak, to get schedules published in advance and allow even the special sessions to be included so that at any time somebody could roll up and say “what’s happening?” and look in this schedule to find out. But you’re right – we definitely need to know at what point we can start moaning!

edited for line length

 

[zorven]

Furiey,

As most here prefer mandating a schedule, I like your versions alternative to the "weekly method" that was part of the prior code.

 

[donsig]

You all might want to write this rule to allow the schedule to be written out more than a week in advance.

 

[zorven]

donsig, I believe Furiey's proposal does that. If you think it doesn't, can you point out where?

 

[donsig]

Originally posted by zorven
donsig, I believe Furiey's proposal does that. If you think it doesn't, can you point out where?

My apologies. It is very difficu;t to get a hold of the gist of these threads when there is not enough time to read every post. Furiey's proposal does seem to allow for an advance schedule. Upon reading it though I am quite concerned about *changing* the posted schedule. Am I correct in thinking the posted schedule can be changed at any time? It seems to me that the president could change the schedule at the last minute and thereby make the whole point of having a posted schedule moot. You all do realize that 30 seconds before a scheduled chat is less than 1 week notice, don't you?

 

[zorven]

I do see your point about less than 1 week notice. I suppose the fix would be to require that any changes require X number of days notice and if that notice cannot be given and a change needs to be made that the chat is instead cancelled.