Maximum Playing Time

[azoic 7]

We want to use a Game Timer like CUBE to fix the maximum playing time. Has anyone any experience with a limited playing time per player?

 

Normally we play with 5 players, and we have an average total playing time of approx. 7 hours. So we decided 1:15 hours playing time for every player.

 

It is only an idea, we have not yet tested this. (... but maybe next weekend) 

 

Any other ideas or suggestions?

[adjogi 91]

I have never tried time limiting a game. Our games (three or four player mostly) always last between 4 and 7 hours each! However, every game is different and so it would be difficult, in my opinion, to put a time limit on the game. Better to accept that it is an almost all day event and make sure there are plenty of refreshments!

 

You probably have it about right though at 1:15 per player - that's an average game time I would say. But, if you put a time limit on a 5 player game at 1:15 per player you will be at 6 1/2 hours anyway which will likely see the game play out to it's natural conclusion.  A 2 player game may not be enough time to finish. Either way you would have to come to some agreement as to what constitutes a winner once the time is up.

 

Let us know how the test goes.

Edited December 15, 2013 by adjogi

[0beron 151]

As a two player only player, our games have still gone on for 4, 5 and more hours. Determining a limit has been game-by-game. Some games are so enthralling that neither of us want to give up. But others have been nearly pointless. One of two things happens, one of us gets really thumped (loses last life or all at once) and we declare the other the winner by default, or we just decide to end at midnight, or whatever time (about an hour after having played 5 or more pointless hours).

 

On average, the shortest games are about 3 to 4 hours, but in general our games are about 5 hours more or less. Longest has lasted some 8 hours...  (we took breaks, continued the next day, etc.)

[Draii 7]

Our games tends to take 8+ hours.

It might be because we try to use all expansions (and some houserules), killed heroes is replaced with new heroes, so no one normally wins as sole survivor, but have to reach the CoC. And sometimes takes time to read the cards and what they actually do. English is only our second language and sometimes it might slow down the reading of longer texts on cards or in the rules.

We try to finish the game. But if it gets to late and slow and people start dozing off, we set a time limit, like 30 more minutes, or three more rounds etc. Sometimes we activate the battle royale before anyone has reached CoC or everyone is moved to LoD and fight him to see who succeeds best.

 

The anniversary game took 12 hours. We where 8 players, so about 1,5 hours active time per player.

Someone timed some turns and said it took about 20 minutes to go around the table. So about 2.5 minutes per player.

And that should make it to 36 full turns from start to end in 12 hours. But we where only 3-4 players to play it to the end, so it got faster the last hours.

[0beron 151]

Thanks for your experience.

 

  We do that sometimes, after fatigue sets in. We set a "final limit", 30 minutes more or like you.

 

I only play with my wife and sometimes I do take long turns, because I want to really read the various cards or spaces I encounter.  But not 20 minutes.