As Hereward said. The idea is that you make it so that in any 9 hour period, you can log on. If you find 9 hours is a hard time period to play in, you can just go for a longer one next game.

Also, I'm pretty sure that the time limit must be between 12 and 72 hours...
So If you just enter in your orders and update the final time, but do not finalize, then the rounds should adjudicate every 12 hours like clockwork.

wait, never mind, 9 hours is allowed.... but the finalization point is valid.

1 hour is the minimum phase length right now.

The key is before hitting finalize, ask your self if you will be logging in again within the next 9 hours. If not, then don't finalize and you'll have 9 hours plus the current remaining time.

And by the way, in longer phase games, it is much nicer to finalize when you can. Can really speed up the game.

Not true Alderian. The phase has a set length for a reason, and it is to allow people who can only log on a certain amount of times a day to keep the game running in a regular pace. Finalizing is optional.

I didn't say it wasn't optional. I said it was nicer. On longer phase games. When you can. E.g. If you know that you will be logged in again before the next phase would expire.

If you aren't sure you can log in within the necessary time frame or are still wheeling and dealing then by all means don't finalize and nothing wrong with it.

But if you know you'll be on again well within the time of the next phase and have no plans to work out or anything like that, then by all means, finalize so the game can proceed. Why not?

I very occasionally get some grief for my habitual non-finalizing. =)

Gom, I recommend you play games with longer phases. You can't go wrong with 25 hour phases.

Another site has an interesting set-up - where you can't tell who has finalized and who hasn't... for that matter, you can't tell the last time they logged on. I guess those both have their advantages (people don't get attitudes towards you because you haven't finalized)... but, I think on balance I prefer the way it is here.

25 hour is my favored length also, and whilst I agree you shouldn't feel pressured into finalizing, particularly once you're into the later game it's helpful as it keeps the pace up

I like 48 more...more time for press.