Hurrah for updates! Hurrah for uploads! :)

I don't know if anything can be done about this, but it is really frustrating when players sign up for a game and then miss turns early on. It can be a huge disadvantage to some of the other players in those games.

Nothing can be done about that directly.
However, I do like the idea of adding a field to each user's data, which hold the number of times they have fallen into civil disorder. Then, this can be shown in the profile page, and you'll be able to know who is more likely to go and who is likely to stay . . .

That would be good. I'm in 4 games right now, 2 of which have players not submitting orders in the early phases.

This is extremely frustrating! And I think is disrespectful not only to other players in the game but also to all the work of the developers in trying to create a true simulation of the face-to-face game. There must be something more than can be done.

LOLitsisbian: Autumn 1901, Unit placing
End of phase: in 18 hours
Players:
Fanas as Austria (x): 2 units
Last logged in: Sat 17 Mar

jigga huff: Spring 1904, Diplomacy
End of phase: in 170 minutes
Players:
huntermanson as Turkey (x): 2 units
Last logged in: Sat 17 Mar

Sorry if the rant is inappropriate.

Well, I'll put my name with you on it.
This is why I think that in the future, there should be an abdicate button. this would switch your empire immediately into a form of civil disorder, but this would mean the account would be in good enough status to make it worth taking over. Admittedly this could lead to more people leaving games as soon as they get hard, but if the number they leave is counted, then perhaps people will use it when they have to go, to keep games going, and be sensible...

Are those players new to the site or are they playing multiple games?

I seem to have signed up to play the only games they are in and I assume they're new players. Maybe they signed up to try and aren't as into it as the regular players on php. Next time I'll look at who's signed up for a game before signing myself up. That having been said, I do wish there was a way to boot players who don't communicate that they're leaving and miss the first turn. These guys probably wouldn't hit that abdicate button if it does get added. If booting has been considered and ruled out, I do at least wish CD would kick in sooner, as the game is really slowed down for players who have no intention of returning. I 100% agree with what l_tibike has written in the "Changes" thread below.

Well, if an abdicate button was added, then the number of times someone falls into CD could be counted, and those above a certain amount could have some punishment, perhaps a ban from new games or something for a certain time...

I think there are 3 different reasons, why games are slowed down:

(1) Regular players being away for a longer time.
Here a abdicate button would be fine. I am sure, most of the regular players would use it. No sort of punishment is necessary.

(2) New players leaving the game.
Many new players play for 2-3 years. Then they get disappointed because they lose and leave this site. I guess hardly any of them would use the abdicate button. There is also no sense in trying to punish them.
Additionally, new players tend to join every running game they can get on for various reasons. (new to the interface, no new games open, over excitement)

(3) Regular players being frustrated after being stabbed / losing and refusing to continue playing. Personally, I don't like the idea of punishment, but here it would be perhaps most suiteful.

My suggestion:
- Introduce an abdicate button. This helps in problem 1.
- Allow only exprienced players to take over countries in civil disorder. This helps in problem 2.
- If a players goes into civil disorder in a certain game, set him on civil disorder in all his other games too. This would solve problem 2 and be a harsh punishment for problem 3.

For (2) maybe there should be a limit how much games new players can join to.

Also, when a player joins a game in civil disorder, this needs to be noted - scoring them as if they had been in from the start might not be fair - eg if you take over a nation with no supply centers left!

Or as in one of my games, someone took a country with 11 SC from CV!

I agree with you Merano. #1 isn't a big deal. Here's what l_tibike had written:
Another tips.
1, If an army cann't retreat to anywhere dismiss it automaticly!
It could fasten the games.

2, If a country loses his last supply center for the and of the Autumn diplomatic turn, abandon him immediatly.
(The palyer won't enter the game, because he knows that he has lost. But the others have to wait two days for his retreat and dismiss.)

How about adding an abdicate button (regulars will use it), and triggering cd after one missed move rather than two?

I would have the abdicate as instant, but it had occured to me that another form of button would be really good (although probably not worth the coding required), where you could put your nation up for 'adoption', then someone else could take over, but you could keep it going until they did. The advantage of this would be for when people go on holidays etc there nation could be saved. I know they might be in civil disorder cases, but being honest I personally never both looking at the CD lists...

More frustration! (Perhaps Merano can attest.) The game below was not password protected. A new player took over Turkey with one unit and has not submitted any moves. There are only three of us left in the game. We are now in Autumn retreats and Turkey has lost its last supply centre. We will wait 24 hours for Turkey to fail to submit retreats and then another 24 hours for him to fail to disband his final unit and be eliminated. Doesn't anyone have the power to bump this player out? Otherwise, is there a way to go with the tips I posted above?

jigga huff: Autumn 1905, Retreats
End of phase: in 16 hours
Players:

SeorasReinard as England (check mark): 11 units
Last logged in: Sun 09 AM
lopez as France (check mark): 3 units
Last logged in: 11:11 AM
Gautman as Italy (check mark): 7 units
Last logged in: Currently logged in
SuperDan as Germany
Last logged in: Sat 03 AM
Merano as Austria (check mark): 12 units
Last logged in: 09:33 AM
oli-the-strange as Turkey (x): 1 units
Last logged in: Sun 03 AM
grotto as Russia
Last logged in: Sat 02 AM

This should be changed soon - pending on the allied victory code being legitimate!
Once thats done, players will be kicked at the beginning of the create phase, and in the not so near future, it will automatically make disbands where there are no options

In the future there will be a points system that will allow players to set that only players with a certain amount of experience can join their game.
Until then the only way to ensure only experienced players can play is by password protecting your games