spamguy
Give option for CD games to stop or keep going
During game setup, there needs to be an option for whether games with abandoned positions should stop or keep going. Games that keep going will not require moves from abandoned positions.
So instead of calling this NMR/NoNMR and invoking the religious frenzy that accompanies that debate, I suggest calling it continuation options. Ideally, we'll want to know how long after grace expires do we wait for a human replacement player and what to do when that time expires. Continuation options could include CD, Smart CD, use a [specific] bot, and terminate.
- Alert the late player(s) the grace period counter has started.
- If grace expires, the player is booted and the status is set to 2 (waiting), which throws it back in the public list of joinable games.
Some incentive system might be needed to make sure waiting games don't stay waiting long.
In an Elo style rating system, you can assign points proportional to the number of turns played if, and only if, the result is positive for the replacement player. If the result is negative, the original player bears the full brunt of the point loss.
You can also give game creators the option of waiving skill and dedication requirements for replacement players, allowing players to take positions and play against competition they normally wouldn't be able to access.
Historically speaking, successful inducements to take replacement positions have been the "no downside" provision in the JDPR rating system, the desire to score quick game resolutions in order to qualify for a club like Vermont Group, and social groups like DiplomaticCorps's "Light Brigade."