I'm not 100% sure what the timer bars actually time, but I have a couple ideas on what they should do. I think they just count down during your turn, but why then is the opponent's bar displayed but always set to 5:00? One option would be to restrict each player to a given amount of time per turn. If they reach the turn time limit before making a selection, the selections could be made randomly. The timer should reset each turn, and should be no longer than 2 minutes (maybe even 1 minute). Another option would be to have a timer that didn't reset each turn. A player's timer would not initiate until their opponent made their selections. This way, a player is not being timed for stalling until their opponent is waiting on them. This time could be around 5 minutes or so and again would not reset each turn. The issue with this idea is that players will know when their opponents choose their moves, and this may effect the battle a little.
Well this was pretty much all discussed on two separate topics over two forums. I think the only thing that wasn't mentioned was the possibility of selections being made randomly after a turn time limit is reached. But some people weren't in favour of the individual turn time limit; and there is also the fact that the moves being made randomly would delay the players whose opponents have left. In the end, it was decided that it would be the same as it is now - with the addition of a tooltip notifying the player of the time the opponent would have left if they hadn't made a move.
I'd much rather prefer 1 minute per turn. A lot of people take way too long with their turns that sometimes I wonder if they're looking up strategies on how to beat my pokemon online while I'm battling them. It can't possibly take someone longer than a minute to decide what move to make now can it.
The current timer is 5 minutes, and 30 seconds more per turn after that. Having only 1 min, especially on the first turn (people use find battle and may not be in front of the comp when the battle starts), is a bit rash.
I think this should either count as their fault, or they should have to confirm the battle for it to start. Having it start automatically doesn't really make sense anyway, if one assumes they may not be in front of their computer. Especially in VGC, how one handles the leads is pivotal. I agree with pkc that people may look up strategies or counters or movepools etc. No matter the reason, afk or otherwise, someone who is matched to someone else shouldn't have to wait long for the battle to commence.
In my opinion those people shouldn't click on 'Find Battle' in the first place if they're not going to be there for it when it starts. Yes I understand that sometimes it takes a while for it to find you a battle - especially when the server's moving slower than usual - but I just don't see the logic in wanting to find a battle but leaving the computer as soon as you click 'Find Battle'. I've been in many battles where it's moving at an excruciatingly slow pace because of my opponent and it just makes me cross it out (counting as a loss) and find another one only for the next person to also take their sweet time with their moves. I'm not someone who can multi-task well so I give my undivided attention to the battles and I don't think I ever take more than 20 seconds at the most to decide what move to make.
1 Minute for each turn, five minutes is just outrageous, it leads to ghost-faking - this is where the opponent will run the move timer down without making a move, to make you think they are not there. They do this in the hope that you will get frustrated and quit, this has been a major problem in my experiences and shortening the move timer would eliminate this distasteful tactic, as well as keep the battle fast paced. It should be 1 minute minimum - if you can't decide which move to choose with in a minute, then i'm sorry but there's something wrong with you. Most moves are made within 10-20 seconds, so the extra 40 - 50 seconds that a 1 minute move timer allows is plenty, even if the server is running slow. And as for using people missing the start of the battle as an excuse, please, that's lame. When people choose to find a battle or challenge some one they should be ready for it. If you don't have the patience to wait to be automatically matched for a battle, then don't play! If you have to watch the children, you shouldn't be playing! Peace out everyone
and if you find a bug and want to report it, you would forcibly lose the match because 30 seconds are not nearly enough to printscreen and save everything. good idea there. and If you're in a tough spot, you can't take your time to think of a strategy, because in 30 seconds you can't even start thinking. and if you play CC, you can't take your time checking your pokemon. NO. I DISAGREE. sorry. The timer is fine as it is. 5 minutes is what Blitz Chess uses, and I'm hard pressed to think that they could do it in any less, so I can't see why we should just for a few people who rage. If anything was to be changed, I think it should be the additional 30 seconds (maybe give 5 seconds? 10 at the maximum). I still think it's fine as it is though.
the fact that 30 seconds are added creates the illusion that the timer resets for fast players, I guess. So yeah, I think this system (the current one) is good.
I think alot of this frustration comes from the fact that you can't see how much time your opponent has left to move (especially since it doesn't seem to update... ever). But I think that's pretty much because of what Gold said: Most moves are made faster than 30 seconds.
Well people were against knowing when their opponent made a move (selection). That's why the tooltip that's on the to do list notifies the player of the time the opponent would have left if they hadn't made a selection. So the time will decrease even if you're the one that hasn't made the selection.
How long does it take to press one button, click a program and press another two buttons together? Plus I never proposed making it an automatic loss if the person doesn't make their move in time, making their move for them randomly would be a better alternative. You should have your strategy mapped out in your head before you even start battling. If you don't know what purpose each of your pokemon will serve after you've already started the battle then you shouldn't even be playing this game. I will admit that this is a case where more time would be needed. You can't possibly tell me that playing a pokemon battle is more complicated than chess. Yes the pokemon battling system is intricate and concise but most of the complicated things you need to think about you can deal with before even entering a battle. Once in battle though it's as simple as choosing from a set of four moves which you already carefully picked out for your pokemon, if not then switch over it's as simple as that. With chess you usually need around 5 minutes to make your turn since there are so many pieces across the board you need to take into account and devise your strategy as you go along, with pokemon your strategy should already be pretty much second nature once you've entered the battle with your team.
you obviously have not played chess on any level NEAR to professional. Exactly as with pokemon, in chess you know all your resources beforehand, and you also know your opponents resources, somthing that does not apply in poke (+1 level of difficulty). The first moves in poke are obviously planned before the battle by both sides, just like in chess. However, just like in chess, once you get into the game, you have to account for everything that has happened and formulate new strategies, which are not necessarily second nature. you don't just spam moves in poke. if that's what YOU do, go play Crysis, where you just spam bullets in order to win. By the way, 5 minutes is the full time allowed per player for the whole game in Blitz Chess. That's why I compared it to the 5 minutes allowed in this sim.
I didn't actually know how the timers worked, but now that I do, I will say they aren't bad. I am still skeptical about the opponent's timer. Are players not supposed to see the opponent's timers, or are you telling me that literally every opponent I've ever had has always spent 30- seconds / turn?
It's highly probable. Personally I'm generally at least 1-2 moves ahead, adjusting as necessary. It doesn't take me long to decide what part of my plan to execute next or what my reaction will be. You'll notice it if someone takes like 2 minutes to move for some reason (like occasionally I'll click the button and it won't register the move and it will take me a bit to realize it) but otherwise no.
Yes, if you click the button before the animated hp bars finish, it won't do anything (because technically the new turn hasn't started, so the choices available aren't updated)
How about making a button to ask your opponent to extend the time? also, It should be 5 min for the first move, and reduce the time to :30 for each consecutive move. Double battles should have longer allowed times.
I just watched two sides of the same battle, and one player took around 50 seconds to choose his moves. After his turn, his timer was reset to 5 minutes, not (time remaining) + 30 seconds.
If you can't figure out what move you are going to take in under a minute, then you realy shouldn't be playing. Pokemon is not like chess, the good players are the ones who can outsmart their opponents in the least amount of time possible, and are therefore the ones that deserve their wins. To know that the current timer allows one of these skillful players to be beaten by a slow moving chess player is outrageous!!! It does not reward skill + tactics, it rewards tactics + slowness. It is a grey area however, there is not a time to suit everyone. And I do admit that the current time limit does allow for both fast and slow play, and only becomes unfair when a fast player is matched with a slow one, and vice versa.