Freeze time

[Chazar]

Something is not right with the freeze time; or at least it does not work as I guessed above in the second post.

Yesterday evening, we started a normal-turn 2vs2 to welcome a new player, non-ladder. All four of us were online at the same time (and would be for another hour), but when my team finished its turn, we got 6 hour freeze time. However, within the other team, one player could play their 2nd turn immediately, while the other player had to wait only 4 hours, but not 6.
EDIT: We don't recall the order in which we ended our turns, but I believe the player being allowed to play the second turn right away ended last.

This seems quite buggy to me. Maybe it is due to not being in ladder mode?

EDIT-PS: Yes, a real-time game might have been the better choice, but I was on the train with an unreliable connection, so that seemed risky.

[Vicotnic]

Talking about freeze time, I find the first turns being simultanious really annoying. Not only is it really confusing how freeze times work, one of my first games ever I got screwed by a double moving scout razing my cities... not a great first expirence. Also I often find both myself and my opponent online for the first couple of turns and the freeze just slows everything down which I assume is the opposit of the desired effect of having sim early turns.

[Zywus]

I also find the early freezetime to often slow things down rather than speed them up. At least in 1v1 games (teams or individuals).

Could the feature be made optional perhaps?

[smursh]

I think there is still a way to set up speed games but not sure how to do it. Still listed int he wiki but I have not seen a speed game set up in a while and can't figure out how to set it up as nothing pops in standard or advanced settings. In speed mode players get a set time(1 minute 30 to 5 minutes 30 as agreed by players) to take turns. Speed mode is set for a specific number of turns. Would work well for playing with friends to be in speed mode at start for 4 turns as long as both players are agreed to be online at the start.

[makmak]

Imho it seems that freeze time in separate turn games delays and doesn't accelerate, especially on duels

Starting separated turns as sim should be made optional or left for 2 turns without freeze time.

If you start a duel on weekend playing separate instead of sim in order to have no pressure on time limit, the actual game starts Monday even if both opponents are on line during weekend...

[fantastory]

Simultanouse start of separate games should be removed, or at last left as an option:

1. can not introduce friend to game - we need to wait 6 hours on a hot seat session.
2. some players do not understand when it will end
3. some players do not understand freeze and it does not matter how many tutorials, post and explanations you will write. Just let them play turn based game as they now from so many games,
4. Even in 1 vs 1 players tend to move last so they can benefit / not lose from the turn mode change.

[Igor]

Real time game may be good for hot seat playing with a friend.