I see a lot of "slow play" accusations. Still I think people are confused from slow play or stalling compared to defensive play. Stalling is unsportsmanlike and should not be legal. Defensive play is strategic and is still playing the game instead of stalling. So here are examples

• Defensive Moving a low hit point ship away from danger to keep it alive or get it in a better position to attack later. (still playing the game)
• Stalling taking 5 minutes or more to place a single dial for each dial (not playing the game)

So here I propose more of a rule to eliminate the actual number of people complaining about defensive slow play over actual stalling.

Solution count the number of turns played. Thus 60 minuets to play 10 turns.

So here is an average break down for time to complete the 4 phases

1. Planning phase 1 minutes
2. Activation Phase 2 minutes
3. Combat phase 2 minutes
4. End phase 1 minutes

So this averages about 6 minutes a turn. I know planning phase often takes more than 1 minute but the end phase rarely takes more than a few seconds. Still 6 minuets to complete a turn should be enough time and in the end game when fewer ships are on the table turns should go faster.

So if there is a slow play complaint if 10 turns have been played the complaint is dismissed. If there is less than 10 turns played at the end of the round then the slow play claim should be considered valid however it is still up to the TO to determine what constitute as stalling and who is at fault.

That's a lot of dancing...

Other than that, I'm fine with having a way to quantify stalling. Though I'll admit, when I first read your title I thought you were going to say only 10 turns should be allowed in a game which I am definitely against.

though i like to see people that slow play intentionally, to be penalized. making rules to enforce for the masses will only harm the game

i've been playing this game since wave 1, i've run into one person and only one instance of someone intentionally slow playing. all it took was me to politely inform them to hurry it up as slow playing can penalize you

don't bring in rules that will only harm the game and alienate the community because of the rare eggs out there

this kind of mentality is the reason why there are a lot of pointless and stupid laws in existence today

No. Stalling/slow play is one of those things you can't put hard definations on. This is one of those things the TO has to make a call on.

That's a lot of dancing...

Other than that, I'm fine with having a way to quantify stalling. Though I'll admit, when I first read your title I thought you were going to say only 10 turns should be allowed in a game which I am definitely against.

Nope, it is just saying that in order to be considered for slow play is that less than 10 turns have been completed at the end of 60 minuets. There is no turn limit.

However for competitive play it does put competitive players in a situation where they have to shoot for at least turn 10 by the 60 minuet time limit. Competitive players should know the game well enough and their squadrons where completing a turn every 6 minuets should be no problem.

For lower brackets you could lighten the turn requirement to say 6 turns by 60 minuets (10 minuets a turn). That way the rules is a little bit more relax and doesn't force players to worry about their turn count.

So what do you think? At least 6 turns by 60 minuets, or at least 10 turns by 60 minuets.

You are running on the faulty assumption that there cannot be any stalling/slow play after 10 turns.

No. Stalling/slow play is one of those things you can't put hard definations on. This is one of those things the TO has to make a call on.

It is still up to the TO to make a decision on stalling. Slow play is the wrong term to apply to defensive play. However slow play is possible without intentional stalling. Slow play should not automatically be considered illegal but it should be discouraged. Stalling players on the other hand should be disqualified.

To simplify if a 60 minuet round ends and there has been less than 10(or 6) turns played then the table should be considered slow play. TO should make a determination if stalling was a factor or not. If not both players move on the the next round. If there was stalling TO should determine the appropriate action.

You are running on the faulty assumption that there cannot be any stalling/slow play after 10 turns.

After 10 turns the game has been played. Sure there will still be those that will try to exploit that rule to where after the 10th turn players could start playing like crap taking a long time to place a dial. Still it actually takes some effort to get to turn 10 before the 60 minutes time limit. Within those 10 turns there can be allot of good plays on the opponent to force an engagement. I feel cheated if I play a game and only get 3 turns before the 60 minuets time limit is up. Even if it slows down after 10 turns at least I know that I have played a game that round for about 10 turns of it.

http://youtu.be/dNrwSeMY-bk?t=4s

That's a lot of dancing...

Other than that, I'm fine with having a way to quantify stalling. Though I'll admit, when I first read your title I thought you were going to say only 10 turns should be allowed in a game which I am definitely against.

Nope, it is just saying that in order to be considered for slow play is that less than 10 turns have been completed at the end of 60 minuets. There is no turn limit.

The minuet is a stately dance in triple time. See also Dances.

The minute is a unit of time or of angle.

That's a lot of dancing...

Other than that, I'm fine with having a way to quantify stalling. Though I'll admit, when I first read your title I thought you were going to say only 10 turns should be allowed in a game which I am definitely against.

Nope, it is just saying that in order to be considered for slow play is that less than 10 turns have been completed at the end of 60 minuets. There is no turn limit.

The minuet is a stately dance in triple time. See also Dances.

The minute is a unit of time or of angle.

auto correct strikes again.

I do not think that slow play is the core issue. Lack of partial points in timed matches is the underlying problem.

My 2 cents.

Maybe one of these guys to total the time used up, each player is given an allocated time to play the entire game, how they use this time management is up to them. Time runs out there finished. How long ??? 35min or 40min per side. Idea???

One minute planning phase for an 8 ship non formation list is a wee bit tight...

Yeah, people playing TIE Swarm or Tarn Mison Flight will suffer from these kinds of rules. What's to stop someone from crying slow play against a swarm list, not having the TO be reasonable with the swarm player, and having that player penalized for it? Not to mention the amount of misplays and missed triggers from being expected to rush through the turn sequence. A full blown X-Wing board state isn't as easily tracked as a Netrunner or MtG board state, nor is it as easy to setup or clean up.

Honestly, I just feel 60 minute rounds for 100 point dogfights is unreasonable. Between cleanup/setup, the turn sequences and everything involved within the game, it easily eats up a lot of time that store owners don't have. I feel like its impossible to grasp the whole essence of the game, whether it is competitive or not, in only 60 minutes. 75 minutes of dedicated gameply time would be much more ideal, plus it gives players that chance to blow up Han when they get him down to 1 hull or for the guy running 4-ship to make a hail-Mary comeback. Those are what make things fun for the game.

And yes, while it arguable that players can just technically stall the game by arc dodging and boosting out of range for 15 more minutes, I feel like it would benefit more players to grant those 15 more minutes to play. There have been 3 instances where I've gotten Han or Chiraneau down to 1-2 hull, but getting time called on me that cost me the match. And I'm not saying this just as a personal benefit, but for the benefit of encouraging more gameplay, more strategy and more opportunity for an even and equal playing field.

Which is why I feel like trying to rush players through turns in 6 minutes is absurd. That kind of pressure will take away the fun or "fly casual" aspect of the game, which is heavily emphasized even in the competitive environment, and would give players less reason to bother playing the game competitively. I know slow play is an issue, but trying to enforce a 10-turn decree will give a sour taste among players claiming slow play on each other and might possibly ruin the fun of the game for those players.

Sometimes it seems like an attack from fat han w/ gunner or luke... or gunner phantom with FCS lasts longer than 6 mins already

There's some kind of expression involving fixing non-broken things, but I can't remember it off the top of my head.

If your TO is only allowing 60 min rounds, then all set up (and clean up) should be done before the round starts. 60 mins from flipping the first dial is plenty of time. I've have never failed to finish a tourney game which was set up before time starts in 60

Minutes. It's plenty of time.

The most common form of stalling is absolutely not going to be a persistent slower pace of play. It's going to be a sudden drop in pace in response to the understanding that time is almost up and that the player is currently winning.

A system that essentially allows that after an arbitrary turn limit is going to cause more issues then not.

Events should be allowing the proper time to run the standard round timer and TOs should be actively watching games, particularly close ones as the time limit nears.

I defy you to play 6 minute turns each with 16 ships on the table, when both players have been playing the game for less than six months.

On the other hand, playing 6 minute turns when there are only 4 ships on the table is laughably easy.

Having a game rule that punishes what type of squad you build is absolutely godawful design, and has no place being implemented.

There is nothing at all wrong with the current system, which is "If you suspect slow play, call over the TO".

Maybe one of these guys to total the time used up, each player is given an allocated time to play the entire game, how they use this time management is up to them. Time runs out there finished. How long ??? 35min or 40min per side. Idea???

Not possible, really. For one thing, who is going to finance supplying each and every tournament with enough of these things? Secondly, they're not as useful in this game as they are in chess, because both players are making back-and-forth decisions in a lot of the action. You'd spend almost as much time stopping the clock as you would playing the game.

I think it just boils down to sportsmanship - which is a pretty nebulous term and virtually impossible to quantify or produce clear rules for.

I went to my first tourney about a month ago - and as a tourney noob and someone who generally plays a deliberate and defensive style anyway, I took a defensive list and flew it in a defensive style.

I found out a week or so later that a couple of players voiced a few grumbles about my style of play.

However the three players I faced whom I considered to be genuinely very good players, had nothing but good things to say about my approach - even the guy I denied first place to by inflicting his only loss of the day.

Likewise I had nothing but admiration for the swarm player who refused to take my bait and rush at me through the rocks into a hail of HLC fire, but instead tracked me slowly and deliberately round the rocks, only to trap and rush me in the closing minutes and knock out Leebo for the cost of just 1 A-Wing. Well played that man!

The only grumbles came from the guy or guys who weren't particularly experienced and took a thumping.

how about quantifying it per ship.. per each ship you are allocated X amount of time...

I see a lot of "slow play" accusations. Still I think people are confused from slow play or stalling compared to defensive play. Stalling is unsportsmanlike and should not be legal. Defensive play is strategic and is still playing the game instead of stalling. So here are examples

• Defensive Moving a low hit point ship away from danger to keep it alive or get it in a better position to attack later. (still playing the game)
• Stalling taking 5 minutes or more to place a single dial for each dial (not playing the game)

So here I propose more of a rule to eliminate the actual number of people complaining about defensive slow play over actual stalling.

Solution count the number of turns played. Thus 60 minuets to play 10 turns.

So here is an average break down for time to complete the 4 phases

• Planning phase 1 minutes
• Activation Phase 2 minutes
• Combat phase 2 minutes
• End phase 1 minutes

So this averages about 6 minutes a turn. I know planning phase often takes more than 1 minute but the end phase rarely takes more than a few seconds. Still 6 minuets to complete a turn should be enough time and in the end game when fewer ships are on the table turns should go faster.

So if there is a slow play complaint if 10 turns have been played the complaint is dismissed. If there is less than 10 turns played at the end of the round then the slow play claim should be considered valid however it is still up to the TO to determine what constitute as stalling and who is at fault.

Those are some pretty bad guidelines

A player playing a swarm is going. To take longer than one minute to plan out all their ships.

You just killed the game Right there.

Again the activation phase is going to hurt anyone who flies a lot of ships.

Reveal dial, move, oh no I bumped,

The combat phase is probably one of the longest phases and your time restraint is just highly Unreasonable

Especially if players are fielding a lot of ships.

This is a strategy game and the time restraint you suggest break it.

Maybe if everyone flew two ships would your guidelines be maybe reasonable

It doesn't matter how well you know your squad, it still takes time when considering what your opponent is going to do, try to visualize if your going to collide, or land on a rock etc etc

Your not taking a lot of things into account.

The best way to deal with stalling in a tournament would be call a to over.

Not punish every player, and probably ruin the game

Step 1: Identify a chronic problem that is harmful to the game.

As far as I can tell your answer to the above is "Slow playing is a tactic that is frequent, and frequently missed by TOs".

This is something that I personally disagree with.

I think it's a creative solution. You should be commended for your attempt to rectify what you see as an issue. However, my biggest concern is that it may inadvertantly encourage slow play with some squads. By having a set time, you allow players to use up the entire time when they might normally not need it. This plays along with the concern thst you are punishing squads with more ships. Let's say you have an 8-TIE swarm vs. a 2-ship turret build. Now the 2-ship guy has every right to use all the time even if they don't need it. Instead of saying they neex to survive for 60 miutes, now they just have to shoot for surviving 10 rounds.