Triple Triad Time Limit Too Short

[Welsper59]

I was just about to post the same thing. Triple Triad should be an involved strategic game. It has all the elements for it. But I barely have time to make out what all the numbers are so I can throw down the first card I find that might flip one. There's no chance to even consider what alternatives there might be, where combos might happen, how the other player/NPC might respond, how any special rules might influence it, etc. I want to be able to plan a couple moves ahead in a game like this, but the 30 second time limit makes that impossible. (I don't even have time to check the opponent's cards when they're visible, making All Open and Three Open useless.)

As for needing a time limit, I can only see that as necessary when playing against another player. Against NPCs, there's not much reason for having any limit, but if there is one, it should be several minutes. Between players, letting them choose a time limit when challenging each other would be a nice addition. Or if it's easier to just have a single set time limit on everything, make it like three or four minutes or something, certainly not 30 seconds.

I will totally troll people if 3-4min system set became a thing for PvP TT lol. I mean, I get that some people can't think fast enough or feel pressured and panic a little (because I definitely do), but that's still a very VERY long time. You're looking at a minimum of 15-20min games if I were to do that LOL. This isn't chess. This is more akin to checkers for the amount of thought you need. 1 minute, however, seems perfectly fine and ideal to me (or the player set time limit). This is a math game. If you're horrible at math, you're probably not going to enjoy yourself very much regardless of time limit. I hate math, but I can certainly function basic addition, subtraction, and number matching just fine.

Against NPCs, time limit kind of makes sense, but feels unnecessary. They're probably afraid of hundreds of people simply AFKing while accessing the NPC. Might be for potential problems that arise in case of that. It's also likely to be partially because of PvP reasons, where they DON'T want players to have unlimited time (because of people like me that will just troll you if something ridiculous like that happened). At first, especially when you just started to challenge an NPC, you're gonna wish you had that extended time limit but the results are likely going to be the same at first. After a while though, it's systematic because you become familiar with the NPCs cards and how it plays them. Time limit means nothing after a while.

Honestly, the big picture of it is that TT is a training game (see Brain Age). You're intended to eventually think faster and more efficiently the more you play. You become more accustomed to the cards, rules, and your opponent(s), not to mention you're becoming better at problem solving, basic math, and working under pressure. At least, that's how it is CURRENTLY set up. Which is funny, given that by taking out the basic math function, this really isn't much different of a training process than learning a new dungeon/raid/boss/etc. If they ever change it, then that might not be the case, but for now, it is what it is.

[Niwashi]

No, it isn't the same. TT is a game running within a game. Your journal and all that other stuff isn't.

To the player, it's a game. To the server, it's not. The server doesn't care about the game until the time comes for it to respond to whatever move you make. Those moments come up either five or six times in each game (depending on whether the player or NPC gets the first move). It doesn't matter to the server how far apart those moments are, because between them, it isn't doing anything that relates to the game. Of course, it still needs to keep track of your character standing there, and it needs to tell any other game clients about her if their character approaches, but it would have to do that regardless of whether you were playing Triple Triad or not. That you're playing a TT game is just a status of your character, like any other.

[bigjohnny]

I think the time limit is good, making it any longer just makes it too easy.

People good at planning ahread will be able to do it in the time allowed.

Logistically speaking you can not plan ahead the dozens of possible scenarios that could arise from a single move in just 30 seconds. A move made in 30 seconds will mostly likely be a flimsy one that fails to stand up to scrutiny.


"People good at planning ahead will be able to do it in the time allowed."

I'm good at planning ahead.
Should need be, I can prepare a meal in 10 minutes. However, should I choose to put more time into said meal I can produce something of much higher quality that will ultimately lead to a more satisfying experience. Just because you can do something in a limited amount of time does not mean that everyone should be pigeonholed into suboptimal conditions.

[Aeyis]

This isn't chess.

No, it isnt as simple as chess is, and a heck of a lot less predictable. 30 seconds isnt nearly long enough for anything, pvp or otherwise.

[Welsper59]

No, it isnt as simple as chess is, and a heck of a lot less predictable. 30 seconds isnt nearly long enough for anything, pvp or otherwise.

I think you're doing something wrong if you really think that, like needlessly over-complicating the game. Like I said, at first it's complicated... but there's set patterns. The NPC, for example, is predictable in most cases. They can throw curveballs, sure, but they're still following a relatively set pattern of play. In fact, in most cases, it will be literally impossible to win most games against difficult NPCs. Some of them, such as King and the Imperial, you can cheese them due to the rules they have. Again, not that complicated overall due to that, and the fact that many matches are designed for you to lose (at least until you reach 2 then 3 star decks). You'll still run into situations where you have no chance of winning, but that's how it is. That much is a fact lol

There are a certain combination of rules can make things difficult, definitely, but it's not that hard of a prediction game. Single digit numbers are a lot more user friendly than chess pieces in noticing probability and potential, partly due to the fact it's literally what it is... not a whole lot more than that (like meaning behind the number and various ways use it doesn't really exist, since 1 is always 1, even when descension rule is in play, 1 is still 1, exception being that it represents a dominant number now). If anything, the primary strategy surrounds rules like Plus, to lure out certain cards. The number you use isn't too relevant, in that most cases it won't matter if you use a "1" or "2" as a low card number to lure the NPC into a trap.

Against players though, yeah, more time might be needed. I still say anything more than 1min is too long though for a competitive game designed to be fast. Even in FF8, there was never a match that required me to think for 5min on every turn.

[Chiramu]

I agree with this idea for a longer time limit. I do find myself thinking really hard on moves and then the beep wakes me up and it panicks me lol XD. Longer thinking time would be awesome .

[Asheilin]

I agree with this idea for a longer time limit. I do find myself thinking really hard on moves and then the beep wakes me up and it panicks me lol XD. Longer thinking time would be awesome .

this pretty much sums it up for me. this is even more probably when I'm on plus or same, simply because you can have 2-3 cards to add up and not everyone is able to do that many adds in 30 seconds. I know I'm not. I think the tutorial of 1m was perfect; and think it would work for the math heavy rules as well with ease for all. Just because you have 1m doesn't mean you have to use it. If people can play faster, they can; if not, they can take the little extra time to be sure.

[AdlerTakamura]

Triple Triad is a strategic game. 30 seconds just isn't long enough to plan several plays ahead, working in the best options for regional rules and etc. You wouldn't want to limit your time so much in chess, so why with this?

Speed Chess.

[scarebearz]

Logistically speaking you can not plan ahead the dozens of possible scenarios that could arise from a single move in just 30 seconds. A move made in 30 seconds will mostly likely be a flimsy one that fails to stand up to scrutiny.

If someone is a "good strategist", why can't they beat a bad strategist, when they each have 30 seconds? xD

I for one would not be happy taking an 30mins - an hour to play 1 TT match.

Extent the time to 45s maybe, but any more is really not needed imo.

[scarebearz]

Speed Chess.

Exactly ^^