Logging in

[DribNairb]

Grenlock has informed me that he likely won't be able to play his turns this weekend. He's given me his password so that I can defend his civ from the current onslaught.

I'm not sure what the exact rules are on logging into other civs like this. I've just logged in to move a fairly critical unit but not done anything else. Does anyone have any objections to me playing the next couple of turns for Grenlock? Or does anyone know a sub who could play temporarily?

[Capsavian Hopewell]

I don't see any issues or conflict of interest in this case.  I personally see no problems.

[da_Vinci]

Grenlock has informed me that he likely won't be able to play his turns this weekend. He's given me his password so that I can defend his civ from the current onslaught.

I'm not sure what the exact rules are on logging into other civs like this. I've just logged in to move a fairly critical unit but not done anything else. Does anyone have any objections to me playing the next couple of turns for Grenlock? Or does anyone know a sub who could play temporarily?

Seems to me that you have reversed the onslaught pretty well in the last turn or two      ( )  (Miscalculated your ability to complete that road ...  )

At least in GrenLand ...

I have no objections to your managing his forces in his absence ... assuming that we can have the same priviledge on our side.

The more universal questions is what about cross-logging for general unit coordination, not related to an absence, but just to time of day to play issues? 

For example, if I have to move and would really like to have Maltman's siege precede an attack I might make, should I be allowed to log in as him to move those forces?

Or, the other option on coordination might be multiple logins (but on the same side of the team divide of the turn timer).  Was it this game or another where we concluded that in a team war scenario, each team was entitled to as many logins as they wanted or needed in their half of the turn timer, but once the second team had logged in during their half of the timer, the first team could not further log in?

Probably worth getting a policy on these issues.

dV

[DribNairb]

I think we decided it was fine for you to login multiple times if necessary, but just post to the forums so we knew not to login before you'd finished.

Sometimes it would be beneficial for players effectively working on the same 'team' to login to each other to move units, (as long as the players agree of course!) since it can keep the game moving. The only time it becomes a problem is if one player gains an advantage he shouldn't have for some reason. I can't think of many likely scenarios, but here are a few which might mean we shouldn't do this kind of thing on a regular basis:

1) If A logs in as B and B can see units from peaceful civ C that A can't then if C was planning to attack A it might mean they have knowledge they shouldn't have (because B would never have thought it necessary to warn A about C's units)

2) If A asks B if he can login to move his units but B was secretly planning on backstabbing A it becomes a difficult position for B since he can't really decline the offer without alerting A.

3) A logs in as B and does a lot more than move a few units (eg. changing build queues, drafting units etc) which is something that, from a RP perspective, player B would never have done.

I don't think any of the scenarios are particularly likely to happen, but if we allow this kind of thing as a general rule we have the potential to end up with 2 warring parties playing several civs each and everyone else just sitting back and watching! As long as it's regulated in some way (even just the usual gentlemanly conduct) we'll probably be fine though. We seem to have a good bunch of players happy enough to sort things out OOC if something has gone wrong.

[da_Vinci]

I think we decided it was fine for you to login multiple times if necessary, but just post to the forums so we knew not to login before you'd finished.

Sometimes it would be beneficial for players effectively working on the same 'team' to login to each other to move units, (as long as the players agree of course!) since it can keep the game moving. The only time it becomes a problem is if one player gains an advantage he shouldn't have for some reason. I can't think of many likely scenarios, but here are a few which might mean we shouldn't do this kind of thing on a regular basis:

1) If A logs in as B and B can see units from peaceful civ C that A can't then if C was planning to attack A it might mean they have knowledge they shouldn't have (because B would never have thought it necessary to warn A about C's units)

I would hope that if A and B are working together, B would always think it is necessary to warn A about C's units ...    Now if B and C are together planning to backstab A, then that is a whole new level of deceit ...

2) If A asks B if he can login to move his units but B was secretly planning on backstabbing A it becomes a difficult position for B since he can't really decline the offer without alerting A. 

Hmm ... if he is backstabbing in the current turn, that could be tricky, but if it is some future plan, A presumably already knows what units B has that A wants to move, and where they are, so maybe allowing the cross-login is not so revealing?

3) A logs in as B and does a lot more than move a few units (eg. changing build queues, drafting units etc) which is something that, from a RP perspective, player B would never have done.

Unless this was requested during B's absence, it would be cause for summary execution! 

I don't think any of the scenarios are particularly likely to happen, but if we allow this kind of thing as a general rule we have the potential to end up with 2 warring parties playing several civs each and everyone else just sitting back and watching! As long as it's regulated in some way (even just the usual gentlemanly conduct) we'll probably be fine though. We seem to have a good bunch of players happy enough to sort things out OOC if something has gone wrong.

As long as the minimum units needed for effective coordination are moved in a cross-login, we should be able to avoid the two player game scenario you describe.  Alternatively, units can always be gifted as a means of improving coordination.  Ideally the cross-logins would be minimal.

dV

[DribNairb]

FYI, I have to login now as I won't be able to play in the morning. I've left it as late as I can but Fosse hasn't had his turn yet. I don't think it will make much of a difference with our current situation though.