Idea for simultaneous+nosimultaneous system

[Tei]

I like how the system works now. The idea that some players must show his "cards" first, helps the later players reaction to this. It may also hurt then, since the first players can remove all mules.
Anyway here is a new idea how to make simultaneous play.

1) A global timer.  Maybe  1 minute. If no one press space, and 1 minute pass, this phase ends.

2) Any player can press space,   another timer will show with his time (based on food, as currently) to place mules, make assay, etc.  If other player is playing at the same time, and is on the same screen, can see the other player.

3) If all players have consumed his time (or press space), the fase ends.

4) If the global timer ends, the fase ends, even If a player has enough time on his own timer.

Why?

With this system, most players will "Game" the global timer, waiting for the other players to play, to see what the other players will do.  A player rushing to free all mules will make a stampede where all other players rush to place his
mules.  If there are not enough mules for everyone, everybody will rush.


pro:
add player skill (speed, reflex) to playing the game
continue the theme of the game: play strategically, play social, watch other player

cons:
add player skill (speed, reflex) to playing the game (bad for a game like chess, bad for mule?)
add a phase that is very sensible to latency.
what you see on the screen is not what other people see on the screen (you can be in town takinga mule, where everybody else is on the landscape view ) (is this a con?)