changelog: http://webdiplomacy.net/install/0.82-0.90/readme.txt

Whoops, wrong thread, sorry.

It is a poor sportsman who stops finalizing once they are losing just to be a pain in the ass to the other players. But yes, it seems to happen a lot. They just stop checking in on games where things are not going well.

Nothing to do about it but technically all players have agreed to the phase lengths when the game started so a player has the right to wait out phases. It has even been known as a tactic to annoy other players so the would agree to a draw or go for the win instead of a two-way draw (to give some examples). Personally I'm not bothered much by it. If you want to play just start another game - or join a live game :)

Yeah - I've seen it happen, but I think it's better to accept it and move on, not least because it's just as common for players on their last legs to be trying feverishly to negotiate deals or organize counterattacks so they can survive and not lose their original bet. I've certainly negotiated to the bitter end before, and to their credit, I've seen other players do it in recent games as well.

it's annoying but I just start a new game and let the old one hover and slowly end (like one I am in now that I started in April or some shit)

I don't finalize very often. I join very slow games because it is not always possible for me to check in evey day. I am a bit too busy to play games like this... but I can't resist. So I join one or two slow games. The other reason I don't finalize is I like to maximize press. Sometimes I get some interesting press just before the turn ends - when you make the plans at the last minute with another player it can be good because it means that another player won't have a chance to change their mind or have their mind changed by someone else.

I had a dude give me a lecture and ask me to explain to every one why it took me so long to disband an army. Some times one game is more important than other and I only have a short time to be logged on and in that case I more time to make the disband latter. A 24 hr phase a 24 hr phase and if you don't like it, quit, and cry to someone who cares.

I'm in the opposite camp--If I'm getting my backside handed to me, I don't want to drag the process out. I'll finalize quickly and hope that the other players have their ideas at the ready and we can move ahead in a timely fashion.

That's what I've done, Gnarfflinger! Everybody should play with you and me, lest they be so unfortunate as to do well in a game with someone who feels differently.

@hoyce: if the situation is quite obvious, like disbanding your last unit, why wait? There's nothing to gain except annoying your fellow players.

maximizing press (ie: talking a lot to everyone), is very different from when it is something very obvious. Like disbanding your last unit, or retreating to the only available spot, and so on. You can tell when someone is being engaging and playing the game to its fullest potential (you), and when someone is just being a dick.

I took a while to disband my last unit once because the turn started when I was at work. I got home to angry messages about how everyone is sick of people who lose making them wait. I apologized, explained and disbanded. Four hours of waiting in 24 hour phases - oh the humanity!