One of the most disappointing aspects of Alteil gaming would be the random disconnections that happen when players are having a match. Below is a typical scenario of an Alteil disconnection.
As you can see, I was clearly ahead of my opponent in terms of field control. So this match should have been a win for me. But because of Alteil disconnections, I ended up losing this match, lower RP, and an ended winning streak.
Reasons for a disconnection have been attributed to a player's browser, his computer, or his ISP. I have re-installed Flash several times, tried different browsers, and the disconnections only seem to happen when I am on the Alteil website. So I really don't think the problem is happening because of my computer or my ISP.
The only time a disconnection during a match is acceptable should be during the website's maintenance. Players have suggested several solutions to this problem on the forums. Some suggestions are prone to player abuse (say the match is not counted for the losing player), but I specifically like the suggestion of a reconnect button. Websites like Yahoo Games allow players to reconnect in timer-based matches like Chess. So as long as the timer has not run down to zero, a player has a chance to reconnect to that same match. So if Alteil incorporates one, a player should have roughly about 5 minutes maximum time to reconnect.
Yahoo Games are also made using Flash so I don't understand why Alteil developers seem to have a difficult time implementing this despite the disconnection issue being present until now. I have been playing Alteil for 3 years now and I have been getting disconnected in random matches since my first year. Perhaps this feature presents too much trouble with very little gains for Alteil management. But they should also see it as an opportunity to show that they hear their players concerns and are doing something about it.
Addendum:
An alternative to having a reconnect button is to add logic to the game which analyzes which Player was ahead and awards the win to that player. There are several factors that could be analyzed.
As you can see, I was clearly ahead of my opponent in terms of field control. So this match should have been a win for me. But because of Alteil disconnections, I ended up losing this match, lower RP, and an ended winning streak.
Reasons for a disconnection have been attributed to a player's browser, his computer, or his ISP. I have re-installed Flash several times, tried different browsers, and the disconnections only seem to happen when I am on the Alteil website. So I really don't think the problem is happening because of my computer or my ISP.
The only time a disconnection during a match is acceptable should be during the website's maintenance. Players have suggested several solutions to this problem on the forums. Some suggestions are prone to player abuse (say the match is not counted for the losing player), but I specifically like the suggestion of a reconnect button. Websites like Yahoo Games allow players to reconnect in timer-based matches like Chess. So as long as the timer has not run down to zero, a player has a chance to reconnect to that same match. So if Alteil incorporates one, a player should have roughly about 5 minutes maximum time to reconnect.
Yahoo Games are also made using Flash so I don't understand why Alteil developers seem to have a difficult time implementing this despite the disconnection issue being present until now. I have been playing Alteil for 3 years now and I have been getting disconnected in random matches since my first year. Perhaps this feature presents too much trouble with very little gains for Alteil management. But they should also see it as an opportunity to show that they hear their players concerns and are doing something about it.
Addendum:
An alternative to having a reconnect button is to add logic to the game which analyzes which Player was ahead and awards the win to that player. There are several factors that could be analyzed.
- Which player had the lower remaining time during the time of the disconnection
- Which player had more units on the field during the time of the disconnection
- Which player had more LP (life points) during the time of the disconnection
- Which player had more SP during the time of the disconnection
- Which player had more cards in their deck during the time of the disconnection
Based on these questions, it should be easier to piece which player deserves the win during a disconnected game.
I still don't know if there is a flaw in Flash that allows gamers to force the opponent to get disconnected. If there is, no one would share it since they have an advantage in having that secret. But if the developers are made aware of this exploit, perhaps a fairer playground could be created in the future.
What is your alteil username? Do you still play??
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