Your game turn - Hours? Minutes?

So, I'm sitting there on the third day of sorting out my latest game turn for one of my games. I've been sitting at the PC for a good 3 hours now (this sitting alone) & I'm just about ready to print off my diplomatic orders for the third time (the other two were not to my liking & recycled).

Now from what I remember some of the game positions are meant to be easier to play than others, and therefor, argueably, shorter to write up & have to think about. However, in my four incarnations in the LGDR/TGOK world I have played as small, medium & large game positions & have found that they all seem to take more & more time to play. This I acknowledege is due to my increased activity in-game & making small game positions into world famous legends (self ego stroking).

But to get back to the reason for starting this thread. If I may ask. How long on average does it take for my fellow gamers to complete a game turn, from reading all information newspaper etc, to writing up & then eventual posting back off to Agema?

For myself I read the game return, sit on it for about 3 to 4 days, thinking on it in the most strangest places which I wont go into. Jotting down some ideas here & there. Then I start a draft turn with my thoughts. The after another couple of days of thinking things through I go back to my draft game turn & finalise. This normally however, taking a totally different route from what I had planned over the week & I find myself having to quickly rethink & get it finished off & printed as it has to be sent back to Agema tomorrow.

Anyway, how long does it take for others to play their turn is something I was wondering & would like to ask, please.

I will read my through at least a dozen times and formulate replies, etc and also continue other threads/actions I have started or about to start. All told depending on what is going on it can take me a good morning/ 2/3rds of a day to get it right.

But some turns can take an hour, it depends on what I am planning etc.....

As soon as my turn arrives in email I download and print it twice. I will leave one copy on my desk and the other will ride around with my in one of briefcases for the duration. My practice is to read the turn and then retrieve the old trusty yellow legal pad. I have six headings on the pad and begin making notes under each. When all is said and done with the legal pad I begin the letter writing process. That is one of the areas that I spend the most time... It is not out of the question for me to write at least 6 or 8 letters per turn. Some players will get more than one form me each turn. In my usual fashion I wait until the last minute is upon me to finish it all up and send it in. I would dare say that I spend at least 3 hours on every turn if not more. Considering the fact that I am always coming up with ideas to put into place I would say it would be a good bit more, but who is counting when you are having fun!

Just got my game 2 turn back yesterday, to be returned for 3rd January next year now, & along side it came the two other source books I had ordered as well - C18th Companion & The Gentlemans Handbook. Oh, I wish I had had these before. It would of saved a lot of hard work & wasted time on my part asking stupid questions, or not as the case proved, to the GM.

I'm going to have to be really disciplined with myself now & sort out a gameplan & stick to it. I have been guilty of just going with the flow for about 5 game years now or so & my countrymen now need me to be strong. This will hopefully cut down the time I waste each turn figuring out "what do I do now". This really does seem obvious when I think about it, but... doh! (point worth wondering. I've been succesful in this method of playing & will the new style I'll have to follow work for me?)

To tie this into the thread - buy the source books anybody who doesn't yet have them. They will help you play the game & make your life easier when figuring out what to do.

Game 2 has a new player this last turn, the year is now February 1735 & the field of play encompasses the globe for anyone interested.

I would also get the Advanced Guide I have published it will help as well.

I find it varies with the game to be honest.

In Game 2 (welcome by the way Ginger) I tend to find it takes me no more than an hour to do my turn. I think this is something to do with the fact I am fairly remote from most of the 'action' and I do get relatively few letters (think never more than four in any one turn). I've also had a 'development plan' for my military and at the moment most of my change orders are simply 'drill this or that formation or garrison' so not much thought is required For example, got the trun yesterday and did it last night over a glass of wine...

In Game 3, the one I've been active in for longest, this can take 3 or 4 hours or more! This is for a mix of reasons, I do get a lot of letters and there is a lot going on all the time-always at least one crisis somewhere! At the moment there seem to be half a dozen, including a personal one with another nation deciding it has better title to a big chunk of my kingdom and is trying to buy it off me So, for example, this turn I've spent a lot of time doing historical research into the claim and I think the answer is more due to confusion caused by a change in game maps than a real claim-I'll have to point this out to him and see if he shuts up however as I believe in preparing for the worst I've also had to devote extra time this month to trying to work out if I can afford and find recruits for a big army expansion.

Game 6 is the most variable. Sometimes i can do the turn in an hour, sometimes 3 or 4.

I'm a big fan of the guides (including Kingmakers new one). I should also say that the above times are when I sit down and phyiscally work on the turns, I often think through drafts of letters, etc on the train on the way to work or in work meetings (if they are tedious).

The volume of mail that I recieve in Game VII is the main reason at present for the large amount of time expended on the turn. I believe this last turn I received somewhere around 10 letters that will have to be returned with the new orders. I imagine that several of them will easily reach three pages of information. Further, the new rules in play in Game VII have taken some getting used to.

New rules. Ten letters received & needing to be replied. Complex diplomatic orders.

Oh no. I only do the basics & it takes me ages now.

I've been having a think on my method of playing today, whilst I should of been repairing box sash windows, & I've come to the understanding I need to book my ideas up, come up with a plan & method & stick to it. Should I do this I reckon I can reduce my "faffing about" (technical term there) & get my turns done in at least 50% of the current time I take at the moment.

I'm pleased I started this thread now

I always reply to all my letters (unless real life intervenes) some times that is as many as 10 or as little as 1. But never ever "faff around" set your self a 5 year plan stick to it...

And always keep a note on what you've spent money on last turn. Where those recruits went to that you ordered to do something last turn & have now forgot about. Who you didn't reply to & now need to. Yes, I'm guilty of all three & many more. The hours wasted trying to remember. If I didn't laugh I'd cry

A better system of filing is needed, me thinks. Gone are to be the days where I would just throw the papers into a boxfile after reading once & forget about them An a4 ringbinder, page dividers, clear plastic wallets to store papers... What else should I require

Right, an update. Just to show I am learning from my own stupidly pathetic and unforgivable mistakes.
(anybody been wating for a partner to do something since 1732 you have my apologies. I am ashamed of myself) It adds realism to the game though I think if you play to stereotypes. "Captain Bertorelli, great Italian war hero. This is my medal for the retreat through Albania. This one is for the retreat through Tunisia. This one for the retreat through Libya..." (no disrespect intended - I did play to this idea when as Savoy-Piedmont)

I've properly organised both of my game positions. I've found the correct pages for the information in the source books I need & noted them down. I've got a game plan for one of my games - about to figure out the other over Christmas.

So far I've flown through my game 2 turn & it's ready to be posted back - for next year. I might hang onto it for a while yet. (The postman's just dropped aload of post belonging to next door upon my drive this morning. I don't trust to the post at this time of year. PBEM the way??)

Anyway - I'm doing my turn in record time! Huzzah! For me
Diplomatic orders, military orders, 6 letters! 6, & not just for the sake of writing them! I hate receiving these in games, "just want to chat- how are you doing?" Anyway that's my opinion & I'm known for being anti social.
I deserve a cup of tea for getting the job done I think. Might even have a biscuit as well.

Mine will all be parcled and packaged thois weekend!

The Tsar is busy and so is......

One of the benefits of a real life economical down turn. No work, but I get more daylight hours to sort out my mess/complete my turn. If you didn't laugh you'd cry. Where did it all go wrong.

Mother Shipton said when man flew to the moon we'd destroy ourselves. The end must be nigh. Well some't like that. You can read a lot into the predictions of a dead for two hundred years witch.

But then as that heretical text goes, "mans greatness lies in the fact that he alone in all of the world is aware of his own misery."
I'll have to look it up in my Lious XIV book to see which tect it is though & which religious movement from the late C17th. Or was it early C18th? Hmm.

Anyway, I'm drifting so I'll stop now. You should read my letters in-game. I can take some time to get to the point when I want.

Just got Game VII this morning. Quite a bit to answer there and I don't believe I was prepared for the last turn since the computer failure.

When I first started playing all was done via post, but now it is much easier for me to function using email. I recieve my turns electronically and return them in the same fashion. This helps other players because they can read what I type, but certainly not what I write.

Game II letters are written and now I am working on my other orders since matters look to get interesting for sure and certain. Game VII is just going though its first reading! Exciting times ahead!

oh yes game 2 is set to get lively soon......

Indeed... The First Army is drawing supplies as we speak! Tis going to be interesting for sure.

arrgghhh! game VII has arrived by email already...oh the anguish, will the postman get up extra early to deliver my post???

I tend to take about 2-3 hours per turn, and i am very pleased to read of all your various levels of nerdiness in your turn preparation behaviour...not for me the dropping the turn on the meeting room table to startled cries of 'Oh my goodness the Portuguese have seized Mamora !'...followed by apologies and some hushed explanations...

I know those moments as well sir... That I do! And yes, the turn arrived here this morning about 0200 local time. I have read through it once and will put it down to look it over in the future, but it appears that King Carlos II has passed.

excellent news he's been hanging around for far too long!

let the succession begin

The Little Corporal wrote:... will the postman get up extra early to deliver my post???

Just been speaking to our postman - he's having to work the night & day shift to help shift the amount of mail due to staff shortage. He started the night shift at 12.00 am working through to 08.00 am. The day shift going on from then to ? He was in our street still come 11.00 am.

The reason I stopped playing by email was for the lack some paper actually in my hand to go from. Well as revvaughan has stated before the method he uses, I could print off my returns (this never occured to me before. Doh! ). PBEM might be the way for me again I also, played my game turns faster from memory when doing them by email. Hmm.

Not only do I print them out, but I have about 12 filing cabinets in my shop where I keep all sorts of interesting morsels on various subjects and people. Did I say people ! What I meant to say was nothing at all.

In reality, I do indeed have all the paper returns printed out along with all the letters and orders that I wrote back. Also included in the folders... Hand scraweled jiblets of paper where I wrote something down for the game while I was away from my desk. I am a masterful packrat!.

CRV