I can be sure. On Saturday, I played my Superstealth Imperial team (AKA Imperial Bombing Run) that uses Darth Vader, Champion of the Sith with Kel Dor Bounty Hunters and Moff Nyna. All of my games were played on Muunilist Commerce Plaza. I had my Camaasi Noble advance in front of Nyna right up to Gambit during the first 2 games. My Kel Dors took point at the pillars. I played solid opponents with solid squads, but the first two games went to time. Game one was against a newer player who had San Hill with Opportunist pieces, and he way out-activated me (I was just goofing around and did not run Ozzel in the squad that day). Nevertheless I had Gambit completely covered. He ran Darth Maul through the north section to try to get to Vader and Thrawn, but I killed Maul before he could do much of significance.

At the end of the game, my opponent asked me how many rounds we played. I had to guess 4 or 5, but I really had no idea. I know it wasn't very many. But I don't think either of us stalled or played slow. He could have rushed the middle at any time, and ended up losing. I could have surrendered my advantage to make the game go faster. Either action would be suicide, and playing smart/carefully should not take a back seat to just getting the game over with.

Game 2 was against one of the kids who has vastly improved his game play to the point he beats the adults on a regular basis. He had Rebels with Rieekan, Han, and Luke Hoth Pilot. I played the exact same way as before, putting the Noble in Gambit with protection from the Stealth pieces behind him and in cover.

He moved cautiously, first through the south end, and then split his forces along both hallways at the north side. This game also went to time. He ran for Gambit, but by then I had a solid point lead, and he finally conceded when he realized he could not kill anything to overcome my score.

Game 3 was my only loss, against one of the players who tends to play more carefully, and thus a little slower. He had GG DAC + Lancer and San. At the end of round 1, he ran the Lancer 24 squares, lost init, and on the next round, after taking 20 damage from my Kel Dor attack, strafed across Thrawn, Nyna, and 2 Ugs, killing all of them in the process (he moved 12 and then made a regular attack on an adjacent Thrawn for the kill).

We continued to play because I believed I could still win on points, but he rolled an 11 for init and then I rolled a 1 on the reroll of a critical attack against Lobot, with a Kel Dor, causing it to be defeated with no one adjacent. At that point, I conceded. Vader and Marisiah (yes, you read that right) just weren't enough to handle GG DAC and the handful of Droids the guy had left.

I guess my point is that I don't share your opinion that making the game go another round is appropriate. I played a strategic position, and one more round would have done nothing more than allow my opponent to capitalize on my end-game movements to secure the win. I played very fast, as all of my opponents had tempo control and I did not. My moves were practically memorized, so its not like a lot of thought was needed on my part.

I believe that if the game were to go to time and there was a penalty issued, I would be the one penalized, either as the result of forcing another round or by DQinhg/warning/issuing a game loss to my opponent. That directly affects my strength of schedule.

That is probably a different scenario then. A 35 minute game is not the same as a 60 minute game. Which leads to your advantage. SOmeoen who is use to making quick dicisions learns that that one more round in time goes a logn way if they can setup rapidly and early.

I'm like you, I've had one 60 minute game go to time in the past year, and that was the Colorado Springs Regional Championship round. And that actually ended in the round being played once time was called. So even time could not be awarded the victory there, and that's because I play a lot of 40 minute games where I play as well.