mctrivia: Unless Fencer makes a different image for each game, or if you have a really stupid browser, adding an image a 1000 times to a page will only count for one download of the image. Which, after the first time, will be in cache anyway.

Noone complains about the overhead of the image marking online players - yet that suffers from the same "problem". Heck, if one would use the same image as for online players, the only increase in traffic would be the extra 'IMG' tags in the HTML page.

Furthermore, a single simple image is a huge traffic problem, smilies should be abandoned. The images are much larger, and what's worse, a typical boards page has many different smilies. But no, there are no complains about traffic if someone makes a 35k smiley; instead, it is welcomed and added to the collection.

Now, as I said, I'm not interested at all in such an image (not caring about in-game chats - the medium is too awkward and slow), but I don't buy the 'traffic' argument.

mctrivia: It wouldn't be an image... it would be a * next to the game...

AbigailII: Actually a little bit of extra data can add a lot. 1 image at 100characters for 1000 games adds an extra 100kB of data. Some pages are already over 1MB in size on this site for some players. My Auto Player script is already having to download about 2GB of data per day off this site. However in saying that this would actually reduce the data for me since i would not have to download the game to check for a note.

Fencer: But imagine the huge amount of data to transfer to the browser if someone starts 1000 games and only a half of them contains a last move message.

Really? The extra amount of traffic would be a single image (which typically will be in the browsers cache anyway), and 500 times an 'IMG' tag in the HTML code. Surely it wouldn't take more traffic than if half of the games where played against opponents that are online?

Personally, I don't care for such an image, and I would use my style sheet to filter it out, but I find the extra traffic argument baffling.

coan.net: Neat? It would be fantastic! For those that don't want to see games with a message, have too many games, or don't want the extra milli-second it would take to load; they can simply check the box so it is off in the settings page.

Fencer: So since it will take some extra time or bandwidth for this idea it won't be implemented? If this idea slows the site speed for others, I can understand the arguement, but if it is only the individual person's load time, then it will be worth it to me and probably many others...

AbigailII: As for which games are or aren't suitable on a turn-based site, I would say that you hit the nail on the head. Rephrasing, I would say that the board image should include all relevant information.

This is unfortunately not the case of the current implementation of Crowded / Cloning Backgammon (checkers on the bar that are undistinguishable from checkers on the 0 point, stacks of more than 15 checkers which use a 15-checkers image).

coan.net: such a "stripped down" mode could be automatically activated for everyone when one of the servers goes down for some reason and the other(s) get overloaded. That way, there'd be a lot less load for the remaining server(s) on desperate times when every single byte of bandwidth counts...

wetware:

Puckish: In my games, when things go badly, I feel the need for an icon that resembles Munch's series Skrik or "The Scream"    :-O

mctrivia: Yes, second that.

rednaz23: To have the system check the database on every game to see if a recent message was written every time the main page loads would take a lot of extra time in my opinion. It would be neat, maybe even as an option that some can turn on if they don't have a lot of game (as long as it does not slow down the rest of the site) - but I think a striped down version that makes as little as possible lookups to the database & such would be the best....

I know I keep requesting it but a striped down version would be nice. Main page just a list of games no extra information at all I have slow internet.

Fencer: I would think that most people that play a lot of games aren't taking the time to write messages... Any chance a checkbox in the settings could be added to turn this code on? Or does that still cause the code to be there for everyone?

I don't care that it may take an extra two-tenths of a second, I would still see it as worthwhile to me. Others may too, and for those of us like that we can turn this feature on. Otherwise people can leave it off in the settings page.

Fencer: ahhh, thats what that one means, okay, thanks!

Puckish:

I am looking for a smiley that does something like wiping sweat from its brow to say "whew", as in a gesture symbolizing a close call.

I have looked, and dont see one, can we get one like that please?

rednaz23: Yes, it could be done. But imagine the huge amount of data to transfer to the browser if someone starts 1000 games and only a half of them contains a last move message.

Fencer: On game invitations if there is a message written for the game a star pops up next to the game on the main page. Could that be done on the main page for games already in progress where it is your turn and there is a message on the last move?

I like this idea a lot! Sometimes I am in a chatty mode and want to chat with people. I can look very quickly and see who wrote me a message without going into every game!

AbigailII: What is important is that games like Dominoes, Various cards games etc... if they are wanted & will get played, should be looked in to

AbigailII: I think you are wrong ... do not try to play with guys from Professional Dominoes Association without "historical" knowledge of the situation on the board ... Logik is a bad example since you do not actually play agains the opponent, and you do not have to remember anything he/she did and why ... you play against yourself, it's like golf, darts, bowling etc ...
Chess ia a game of perfect information, cards are not ... you have to assume some plays based on your calculations ... this is why cards cannot be played well on turn-base sites without (sometimes) complex notes ... card game I gave you a link to, is a rare card game with 100 percent perfect information, and you do not have to assume anything beside the consequences of your move ...
all your "pieces" and opponent's are known ... isn't it a board game using plastic cards instead of wooden pieces ?
And you do not like games, like dark Chess, for the reason you consider not important, contradictiong yourself ...
Regards,
Andy.

dicepro: IMO, perfect information isn't a necessity for a game to work well on a turn-based site. The various boat games, Logic and Frog Finder are examples of games without perfect information that work well. Also, games involving dice don't have perfect information - but they work well.

What, IMO, is a necessity is that the history of the game isn't important. That is, all you need to decide on the best move is the current situation on the board, regardless of how it has been archieved. This is why, IMO, most card games are unsuitable for turn-based sites. (And that's why I don't like to play Dark chess or Espionage on a turn based site).

There is a small group of card games that would fit into turn-based site. These are open card games with perfect information ... I played dominoes at Goldtoken, and it work fine but only with the ability to make notes ... you have to make notes when and why your opponent passes ... it makes this game difficult to follow ... we have the ability to make personal notes at brainking ...
Here is the link to excellent card game with perfect information. It works somewhat like a board game
http://www.davidparlett.co.uk/oricards/stucco.html

mctrivia: the Fellowship Board http://brainking.com/en/Board?bc=24

rednaz23: which felowship

mctrivia: Go to the fellowship page... Fencer said the basics there. ;-)

can we have detailed right up of what a little bos can do when you go to edit it like the other types. is there anything they can't do(I assume they can't delete the fellowship)

Fencer: PLEASE, please.... could you make it possible to embed U Tube videos at the top (description area) of Fellowship Discussion Boards

Be great for Music boards

rednaz23: That would be cool, but would make the image twice as big - and it is already very big (for a smiley). That is is 34.15KB in size - which is basicly 20 images set to rotate. To add add an image in between each to make it look like he puts the sign down, for the next one to be raised with new image would double that - which taking a quick look, most smileys are under 1 KB - with the biggest at 17.72KB (but there might be others that big - I did not look at each one.)

I just hope I got all the languages correct - which I just copied from http://brainking.com/en/Languages, so hopefully those are correct.

i must say being a pawn all of a sudden is a pain. I am still in tournaments that started in 2004 (how is that possible?). Any chance we could change the rule to only include tournaments where the player has games going? This would still exclude me, but at least it would be in my control.

coan.net: It would be even cooler if you had the guy lift a new sign for each new language... Signs don't come like that! But I still really like it. ;-) Very cool indeed!

coan.net:

It is long over due to be able to make ponds with BKR restrictions

This is a game for paying members only, we should get to play it the way we want to, shouldnt we?

Fencer: Should be cleaned up now - on this file: http://coan.net/bk-smile/coan-made/good-luck5.gif

Fencer: I can clean those 2 up tomorrow (don't have access to the computer I made it on until then - and should be easy to clean up once I get back on it.)

If you use Firefox you can download Paste Email Extension

It sits on your toolbar and gives you 15 spaces to put any messages you like (ok it is meant for email, but no matter, i use it for email and messages)....

Then you just click on it and select the appropriate message you wish to write OR if you use want to use the same one just click once and it will repeat the last one used

coan.net: Very well. And if you fix transparent areas at Swedish and Bulgarian frame (there are some gray points just below the poster), I will add it.

coan.net:

Well Fencer, how about a 20 language smiley:

http://coan.net/bk-smile/coan-made/good-luck4.gif

(or if you have a very fast eye.... which I made before I figured out how to slow it down):

http://coan.net/bk-smile/coan-made/good-luck2.gif

Fencer:

I dont know why, since it would only be an option, nothing mandatory

But if it works for you, then I guess I can use the same excuse when I get too lazy to put down my mouse and type a "hello" or a 'good Luck" or a "good game" to someone.... I wouldn't want to be rude using English since this is a multi lingual site

Fencer: Vive la Différence!

Czuch: We are a multilingual site, I prefer not to add smileys containing English text.

Fencer, could you add some more sign smileys that say things like "good game" and "good luck" etc...

like this one here? http://coan.net/bk-smile/2/very-favorite/goodgame.gif

rednaz23: how about accept the games in the waiting room. This would get rid of all the old games also :)

rednaz23: maybe Fencer could put something in the waiting room like he has on the tournament page. and option to see only those created in last X # of days.

Please could we have a Preview button for messages, so links etc.... can be checked to make sure they work

It has been asked before

pauloaguia: Fantastic start! Could we make 30 days of a player being away into a simple 30 days since creating the game, or even 10 days since creating the game? I see the same games all of the time, and it's because the players are still on and playing, they just leave those games sit for ages upon ages... I think this would really clean up the waiting room... which is needed in my opinion.

rednaz23: should be 30 days: http://brainking.info/archives/260-The-code-mania.html
If it's not, better post it on the BugTracker

Is there any way to make it so games in the waiting room are automatically deleted after a specific period of time? Say a week and no matter what they get deleted?

That should help to clean out the waiting room, and hopefully should get people to put more reasonable time limits on there games, which all leads to less craziness like there is in there now...

pauloaguia: I was looking at my profile page where it says i have 165 draws, I believe that is the total of both game draws and match draws, but I dont really play many games that can end in a draw, I was wondering if they could be separate stats?

Czuch: in the rules pages the statistics display drawn games... most everywhere else it displays drawn matches...
not sure if this helps you, thoug...

How about a little instant messenger system at the top of the page between the towers. AJAX could be easily used to transfer messages back and forth in real time.