First of all, I have to reach back a couple of months. Our regular sheduled appointments for our DoW SoW group actually are 20.00 GMT (always GMT in the following except marked differently) to gather and 20.30 to launch the game. Since I joined DoW, this in practice didnt work at least one single time. When I was new, I came according the predetermined times. So I used to wait for most other members to join more than 30 min and the battles to start at least 20 minutes more. Of course I soon stopped to come much sooner before the starting time at 20.30, but I almost kept to be in place at this point.
The same happened to new players who joined after I did. For exemple Paulchen and Klaus used to be on at 20.00 too and several times they had to wait for nothing, until they realized that a certain punctualtity doesnt pay off in our group.
On the other hand there was a couple of certain individuals who actually never ever made it even close to the set appointments, but almost everytime arrived in the average around 15-20 minutes after the battles were supposed to be already running according our rules. Cos we need some time for preparation, which belongs to the session in fact, another 10-15 minutes passed until we actually started the game.
Sometimes poeple joined the TS lobby, but stayed there and had smalltalk, although it was already like 15 or more minutes over the supposed launching of the battle, while others were already waiting in the SoW channel for a long time.
Sure, smalltalk is good for our group-building. Its important to practice it, but not at the wrong time when others, who perhaps dont even speak the corresponding language, were not able to join the talk, but instead rely on the agreement that we start at a set time.
In a few individual cases there might have been a certain reason, which prevented people from coming at 20.00 or being ready at 20.30. But noone ever told new players, that the sheduling actually doesnt count, so that they didnt had to join at 20.00. Noone ever made clear, that in his opinion or in fact he in principle cannot make it until the given appointments. So that it doesnt make sense to stick on these times as long as "core-players" arent able to generally stick to them.
We observed, that in spite of the permanent delays the registered players actually mostly were present around 20.45-20.50, so that the games could be started at about 21.00. This meant one hour after the supposed gathering-time and 30 minutes after the set launching - and other members in the meantime hanging in a time-hole, always waiting again and again, always the same to occur over weeks and months, until the games finally began.
Therefore we could evidently conclude, that postponing the appointments for 30 minutes would lead to a situation which allows us to begin the battles right in the newly set time - as long as previously the true causes for the delays were of great importance and factually to be seen in context to the former starting-time at 20.30.
Unfortuatly the intention failed. As soon as the appointment had been postponed, a couple of players postponed their appearence at the SoW MP as well. So nothing really changed regarding the punctuality. The battles started even later, but often had to be reduced in their running time and more marching than fighting prevented them sometimes to even reach their climax. And the same people still had to wait for the same other people.
Actually it could be so damn easy:
1. According the experience before the change, it has been proven that most of us were nearly always able to join till 21.45 - 21.55 CET (currently 19.45-19.55 GMT) latest. So, everything that actually had to be done was to get here at the same time as the months before.
2. IMO the central problem is, that some guys cant do other than always watching the ultimo. What is the last moment I have to be there to play? What is the last moment I have to join without having to wait? But 22.00 CET (atm 20.00 GMT) is not the time to get here. It is too late. The set time to be here is 21.30, but 21.50 CET latest (currently 19.30 and 19.50 GMT). This has been done for very good reasons, which had been communicated several times.
If someone exceptionally comes past 21.50 CET, but can make it in the game-lobby until 22.00 CET, he might be too late but could be considered to be present within a tolerable time-frame.
Those, who try to put off their coming till the last bit, would regulary cause delay and dissent. In spite of the fact that we learned from observing the previous situation, that actually all core-players could easily come at the right time (related to the appointment after the change), such a practice appears to be absolutely unnecessary and is suitable to compromise the community.