I love the idea of this game. It's great. There are a few minor (and some other not so minor) things though that are holding me back from buying the full version. There is one thing in particular that most annoys me, but I have a solution for it.

I admit I'm not a veteran. I just started my first game, but right of the bat there was an issue.

First of all, I didn't know games take 4 hours to begin. I downloaded and explored subterfuge about an hour before I was to sleep, and so I had to schedule my first (and most vital) moves, as I would not be awake. I noticed another player had a sub with 10 ready to take off and grab a generator. To retaliate, I scheduled a sub with 20 for it. I was close, and figured I would win.

I woke up the next morning to find that he had simply upped the sub count to 25, and trumped my 20. I had sent all my other drillers on long trips and was left with nothing to retaliate.

On one hand, you could say it was poor planning, and I would agree, but whether or not it was, I could not have been able to react to that switch, as I was asleep.

Now this isn't just a single situation thing though, this can happen any time you are asleep or simply too busy to check the app. In reality, that is more often than not the case.

So here is my proposed suggestion:

Create a system in which players could predetermine how the game would react for them given certain minor situations.

Reactions would be a series of if-then statements that you could create in order to have the game react the same way you would react when you were not present. For example. If I was a player who wanted to maintain an outpost, then whenever an opponent wanted to attack a certain spot, I would queue up a sub full of drillers to arrive when I was gone. However, I can't always react in time. So what I could do is create a statement that does actions for me when I am absent.

For example, I may be waiting for a certain game state to attack a certain position- say, ive predicted that in the near future, an opponent is about to transfer a lot of drillers away from a factory. I see that an opportunity is about to open up- But looking at my schedule, I'm not going to available to make that order when it does happen. Thankfully, I can create a pre-set reaction to handle that! I would open up the reactions page, and select certain criteria and create a full statement of how I wanted the game to react when those criteria were met. I finish what I was busy doing to find that I had correctly predicted my opponent's action, and my reaction covered me- I successfully took the facotory!

I'll explain the specifics.
Let's suppose there were several drop down boxes with different options that you could select pertaining to certain objects on the map and different actions you could take. I will use quotes to denote the selectable items. A sample statement could look something like, "when" "*Selected outpost* "sends subs containing _ drillers or more", then "have this *selected outpost*" "send _ drillers there."

You could also create something like
"When" "these outposts" "reach 130 drillers total" , then "send them to *Some outpost*" and then "create a mine"

One last example wold be "if" "This enemy outpost" "sends any more than _ drillers to _" then "hire the infiltrator" else if "This enemy outpost sends less than _ drillers" by "*Some time*" then "evacuate all drillers from *Some outpost*" to "some outpost"

Here's how it might work together: there would be 3 pages where you could control reaction-statements.

1. A general reactions creator. This page would allow you to create reactions that would happen in general, in case you forget to check the app, or always react one way in a situation. A reaction statement of this type could be "if" "the queen" "can hire somebody" , then "after _ 2 hours of inactivity" "hire £this specialist* over *this one*."

General reactions would be permanent and cross-game, so that in all situations the game executes the reactions without you having to prompt it. This would save a lot if tedious mental work, and let you focus on your overall stately rather than having to set up something every single time, and worrying about if you'll miss something.

2. A specific reactions page in which you select specific locations from your game and how they would react depending on given situations.

Two examples would be, "If" *Some outpost*" "is not taken by _" , then "send all drillers there."

Or

"For" "every driller" "sent by *Some outpost* to anywhere", "send a driller from *this outpost*"

Specific reactions would help for tactical situations in which you know that at any time something could happen that you wouldn't be prepared for, or when a game state is reached that you don't want to wait for, but you know is going to happen.

3. A specific reactions saved page. This one would save specific reactions that you have specified for later use. When you save a reaction, it clears out all the specific data, but keeps the "shell" of the statement. Perhaps you could even directly drag it onto a location to apply the saved reaction to that location.

This would allow you to create a library of commands that you could reuse when you need them without having to redo each one.

Now at first look this seems really complicated. But is this not a complicated game? I don't think I'd be going out on a limb to say that people who play this game enjoy the intellectual challenge and strategy involved. Adding this sort of option would simply allow users to have even greater control over the game, and be satisfied with how outcomes could turn out if they didn't see something coming. For example, you can predict what you might see when you reach a new location and gain its sonar vision, and determine how the game will react depending on what it sees. Or maybe you expect to be backstabbed, and can have funding for a player cut off the moment they try to attack you. Players could get a good night's sleep knowing that the moment something shows up on their radar, they can have a reaction set there. 


It doesn't compromise the game either, as the general tactics, methods, and approaches players used would take far too long to create using this method, so players would (could) still react to everything as needed. It just would eliminate lack of control, which this game is already aiming towards with things like scheduling. 

Now on the flipside it does add a new aspect, as it means that players would be thinking more about what strategies they would have to add to their reactions list, or how they could optimize their commands to do the least work or be most efficient, but that just means people get more opportunity to explore a new level of strategy.

There are errors it would create though,such as people having way too many statements to accurate understand what they've created. But this something the player would have control over and can prevent by themselves. And predictably, the benefits would out way the costs. 

If worst came to worst, people could simply opt to not use the feature.

It's a controversial topic, but I think if this game had it, it could easily become a staple app, and one of the most impressive games to exist in the history of gaming, simply because of the sheer power the players would have to anticipate play by others and react accordingly.

In fact, if you wanted to go even further you could write p rewritten messages to send to players under given circumstances.

But that's getting a little out there. Anyway, if the game had this feature, I wouldn't buy the full version in a heartbeat- I would be so excited my heart would have already stopped. And besides, I would have purchased it faster than the time it could have taken my heart to beat. Basically I think it would create a new level of strategy game, a really interesting one.

What do you think about this suggestion? Is this something you would want to see in the game? What tweaks would you suggest? Would you use it? Would you like the app more or less if this was included?

You've put a lot of thought into this.

Without going point by point, I think I can sum up by saying, at it's core, you're describing a different game, more then you are an enhancement to this one.

I don't want to sound like a zealot or anything, but I think you may come to appreciate the existing limitations in this regard.

Well, simply put, you should have scheduled your subs 10mins after starting time so he couldn't see your numbers heading out for the first 4 hours. Aside from that it's a game of risk, your game sound like it should just be an automated game

Some steps I take to help mitigate a game starting while I sleep:

First, I join new games in the morning, that way, if the game fills in the morning or afternoon, I'm set for the start.

Second, by joining in the morning and waiting for others to join, I start talking with neighbors. I ask and share for starting intentions, what outposts I want to go for, possible peace at the start, etc. This way, if the game does start while I am sleeping, I at least have a better understanding of what may happen at the start and I have those dialogues warning them too.

Third, I try to find games that just need one more player to start. Then I know exactly when it will start.

I think once you get into the middle of a game you'll get a sense of just how slow the game goes. I can count on one hand the number of times I missed somethin because I was asleep or not paying attention to my phone.

The initial mistake hurts a little, but it's easy to prevent in the future and one outpost isn't going to have a huge impact on the game.

Everyone plays different, but I try not to make enemies in the initial land grab, even if that means taking fewer outposts. Then I target someone who was overly aggressive and team up with some other people who also might have noticed they were taking too many outposts. Diplomacy and allies are far more valuable than an outpost or two.

I also feel like an "if/then" system would take away from the spirit of the game... Like FateCreatr said, the system would change the whole dynamic. But apart from that, there are some issues with the system
1.) A huge part of the game is hiding information from your opponents. A good player won't be predictable, and a better player won't be making game-changing moves where you can see it. So any predictive system would be inherently limited by the nature of the game.
Of course, this logic also applies to the Time Machine (the devs even warn you in the rules that it's not a reliable way of predicting the future.), so of course this argument alone doesn't bury your idea.
2.) If an opponent programs his moves, he becomes indistinguishable from an AI.
Let me explain: All AI's are made in this way. A programmer sat at a computer and thought of every situation the AI could run into, then crafted a response for that situation. Obviously that's an oversimplification, but, at its essence, it's true.
Now, the reason Subterfuge does not have AI (or at least the reason I don't think it should) is that Subterfuge is a game about people. I don't think it should be a game about who can program a smarter AI.
3.) Subterfuge games change constantly. Specifically, new information is always becoming available. I don't think your "if/thens" will stay relevant for long, since new information will change your outlook on the game. You'd end up checking the game just as much. I'm sure of it.
4.) The last reason is a bit nit picky, but a large part of the game's strategy is trying to guess when your opponent will be away from their phone (I'd refer you to Days 1 & 2 of the Broadcast Game on the devlog if you don't know what I mean.) It may just be that I'm clinging to a slightly dirty strategy, but I think it makes the game more exciting and dynamic.

Anyways, all those things together make me think that an AI, even if it's a primitive AI programmed by the player, would be a huge detriment to the game.

Sorry if that's a bit blunt, though. I honestly think you should just try another game, and try to avoid making the same mistakes again. After all, the best strategy games give you opportunity to grow as a player, and that is one of the most rewarding parts of this game.

Honestly I appreciate the replies. I am totally open to critique, besides, isn't that how we improve? I'm going to come back and edit this post soon but just wanted to say that I am definitely pondering over each word in this thread, and I check it constantly. I appreciate the feedback.

I understand the idea and think your thought into the idea is incredible but I must agree with the general theme of the replies,it has the potential of turning the game into an automated process.

Also, the whole thing works both ways. There will be times when you catch an opponent unawares. Knowing that no matter what clever move you come up with your opponent will be able to counter it with an if statement has the risk of turning games somewhat boring where no one takes risks.

This is a really good idea, but what you are describing is basically L2 clearance. I have done pretty much all of those things using my multiple future orders that come with L2 clearance. So don't you think it would be easier to just buy l2 than have an entire new part of the game added?

The spirit of these discussions has me stoked for the future of this game.