[Samhain]

Another great way to learn a lot about the game quickly is to sub a position from a more experienced player somewhere in the turn 35 to 60 range. This will give you a good idea of what you need to try to develop in the preceding turns and what battles look like at that stage.

This is not an unusual situation as this is when turns start to take much longer, especially if the player is doing well. A player at that stage who has a sudden uptick in real life responsibilities often has to bail.

I've done a few of these, often covering the other player for only a week or two, and have learned a lot in every case.