I object!

What would it take to make you change your mind on this subject?

I agree that people should be able to form games with less than 7 players.
I object to signing up for a game expecting 7 players and then have it start with less than 7. That is my main point...after all joking and posturing is put aside. I believe that people should get what they want and not denied their expectations.

Then you should probably just play F2F games. On the computer, you will NEVER be able to keep people from CDing or just not submitting moves. Its an imperfect form of Diplomacy, but we like it.

The unknown also adds to the game if you look at the right way.

I agree an option to "wait for 7 players" would be a nice addition. But the way you originally presented it implied to me that you wanted ALL games to have to wait for 7 players to get started. But I see now what you actually meant, and that would be a fine option.

Yes CD's and NMR's are inevitable, and the net is imperfect, but that does not mean that we should accept it as it is and not try to reduce the possibilities...sort of like government: we should strive for a more perfect union, not that we are ever going to get there but we can tinker with it and make improvements.

Hey who says we'll never get there.
Doesn't anyone remember my esteemed cousin Theophilus' utopia vision?

Lol or maybe none of you were in that.

An option "wait for 7 players" on the "new game" page would be awesome. Of course the "joinable games" page should also display whether this option has been turned on or not for each game.

That way everyone knows what they are getting themselves into. And yes... if you want to do 9 hour phases this option is not advisable or you'll drive yourself nuts.

If people are worried some games might never fill up and then remain dormant somehow, we could have a more flexible option that allows the creator of a game to indicate how long the pre-game phase should be (instead of having it equal to in-game phases as it appears to be now).

that would be okay, but an option "don't start this game with only 5 or 6 players" would do.

Another thing I would like is for there to be an option to back out of a game during the pre-game. There have been times wherI have joined games no realizing that the phase times were alo longer/shorter than I had thought.

Thucydides, are you referring to his Brave New World? =D