Please, don't discuss features of third party applications here.

miuek: Proxomitron! Now that's amazing. I've read the help files and contents. This program had lots of uses. Just from reading it I wouldn'tve guessed you could do what you said about changing the way my board looks while using this site. How'd you make the connection to do so? Is what you say easy to do with the Proxomitron? I'd like to use a different icon for the Janus in Janus Chess than what is used on this site. Is this something I could change with the Proxomitron? How would I do it, if it is something I can change?

Spirou: the word game requires no dice

If you'd like to see other image in amazons as arrows than current, you can try Proxomitron.
You can choose your own image to be shown instead of current arrow and much more (change images for other pieces in other games and so on) :-)

Cheers

pgt: I agree.

grenv: I agree completely. "Vacation" should means that you can't get to your computer for any number of valid reasons, but being signed up for more games than you can possibly play should NOT be one of them.

Frankly i think it's a bug that auto-vac is activated if a player has made a move already that day. Perhaps we should submit it as such.

If it's a "feature" let's hear a valid argument for it.

pgt: Thanks for the note. I am sure you have a valid point, and I figured this might be the case. As grenv says, he made the same suggestion before. Is there anything you can recall from those previous discussions that could be used to motivate players who want only to have reasonable time limits respected to join with us and voice their support?

So far, a handful of us have expressed at least some lack of satisfaction with the current system. If, in fact, there are many more of us who are displeased with the status quo than those who are taking advantage of the system, do we not have a legitimate grievance? Now, I don't wish to engage in an "us versus them" argument--this site is far too magnificent for that--nor do I want to isolate the slower moving players. Just have them get off of their dead butts and make those moves!!! .... However, it is not realistic to suppose this will happen without a healthy bit of, shall we say, "arm-twisting", for there are many people (and please, I hope no one will take this as some kind of personal indictment, it's just human nature) who either cannot or will not properly regulate themselves and their time; and in the absence of their accommodation, I purport that we have no choice other than to band together in as large a group as possible, and then politely ask Filip (in the name of fairness, among perhaps other nouns) for a modification of the auto-vac policy in order to curtail these delays.

nobleheart: I thank you very much but I don't like games were dices are implied.
Cheers.

playBunny: We're thinking along much the same lines. I've finished with my games in quite a few tourneys, but will not be able to enter another like event until a delinquent player relying on the auto-vac to keep from timing out finishes their games!?

These players would eventually run out of vacation days to use, although that could still take weeks or months.

Pioneer54: Regretfully it has been under discussion on numerous previous occasions, but to no avail.

Pioneer54: ".. since just one slow player can really drag down an entire tournament."

Agreed. This is a major problem for a knight who finds themself in such a tourney.

ArtfulDodger: An organizer can "red dot" a tournament, which means absolutely no days off. Lately, I'm glad to say, more of these offerings are showing up on the tournament listings, I suspect to attract the players who move in a timely fashion while discouraging those who don't. It is a grand idea, since just one slow player can really drag down an entire tournament.

However, even this will not entirely alleviate the larger problem, and while I don't expect any radical action to be taken in the near future, it is a situation that will need reckoning at some point. The fact that it is now under discussion is a successful beginning.

Spirou:
I am learning a new game too
if you like backgammon,this you will like:
its not a variant something completely different
http://www.littlegolem.net/jsp/games/gamedetail.jsp?gtid=dvonn
also there a unique word game:
http://www.littlegolem.net/jsp/games/gamedetail.jsp?gtid=gwg
---
but brainking is still my heart & my home
---
which reminds me thank you fencer so much for the kool new games.

Can you let me resign from the March Medley Tournament so I can join the Purple Pawn Tournament?
Thanks very much!

ArtfulDodger: Rofl. 'Cos I'm lazy!! haven't you figured out how many of my requests are to save me effort? Lolol. ;-))

Seriously, though, you have to apply to the controller to join (Oh, how I don't like that title "Big Boss"!) so there's a delay in getting in. That's a put-off for someone who is window shopping now while their interest is high. It's also a bit like buying something just to find out that you don't like it, and have to bring it back; a waste of time for all involved.

Also, I bet you there are more than a few people who join fellowships but stay in them when it's not their cup of tea because they don't want to cause offence by leaving. That may strike folks as wierd but that's my understanding of people. Assertiveness is not something that everyone has in abundance and leaving a fellowship does require a certain amount because it's a rejecting action. Sensitive people, too, tend to find it very hard to reject. And that's certainly bad for the joiners and no good for the fellowship.

playBunny: That's a good point. ;)

playBunny: Why not just join, check it out, then leave if it's not what you expected? ;)

ArtfulDodger: But doesn't using a vacation day mean that they will eventually run out of that resource? (I admit I don't understand the holiday system yet; all my game invitations are fixed-weekend.)

Pioneer54: I suggested this myself a long time ago. I totally agree, people playing too many games should time out.

ArtfulDodger: I quite agree; reading the posts gives the full information. But you can't read the posts to decide whether to join because joining is the only way to read them - they're private to the fellowship. Catch 22! (I may be wrong on that but it's been the case in all the ones that I've checked out.) Thus, posting activity would be informative for some (lol) people.

Fencer Can fellowships have publicly viewable boards? If so, are they for Knights and Rooks only?

Pioneer54: I agree with this. It's a bit frustrating when I meet the conditions of the time controls and then my opponents get to use the auto-vac as a cover in case they time out.

Can't games or tourneys be set up where auto vacation can't be used?

I have a serious reservation about the Automatic Vacation option. While I believe it is great in principle, in practice it is being abused by some players here to indefinitely delay many of the hundreds more games they have in progress than they can reasonably handle! I know of a few here (and there are perhaps numerous others) who have well over 1,000 games going. It's not that they aren't entitled, it just isn't sensible. Even if you have nothing to do all day but log on to BK, you cannot possibly keep up with that many games.

My suggested remedy is to revamp the automatic vacation system so that it only activates on days when a player DOES NOT log on to the site. After all, should it not be to protect a player from timing out when the computer crashes, power outages, etc., or there arises some personal emergency? The time limits arranged in tournaments are plenty gracious.

What do other members think of this situation?

harley: No bout a dout it!

ArtfulDodger:

playBunny: lol :) But the only way to really know what a FS or DB is like is to simply read the posts. In fact, that's really the only way.

And yes, I must rejoin if only for the smilies! I can't stand trying to look em up all the time. Fencer is one smart cookie!

ArtfulDodger: Lol 1. If we have the number of words posted for the week then I also want to know the typing rate. If we can get the average heart rate while they're doing it, that would be most informative! ;-)

Lol 2. I originally put "would be useful" but thought I'd weaken the assertion in case someone thought otherwise. Saw ya coming, me fine fella! ;-))

I agree that the other statistics you mentioned are pretty much meaningless, but knowing who the active posters are, especially if you know their posts from elsewhere, gives you part of the picture about what a fellowship is like.

Let's say you're invited to a fellowship (as all new paying members are ... a deluge of impersonal form-letters invitating them to join). They go to the page and read the fellowship's intro (which may be sparse). Being able to see that the fellowship has 100+ members but that only 3 people post a lot and maybe 5 post a sprinkle .. that tells a different story from the 50-member fellowship where 20-30 are active posters.

Given that "big bosses" don't tend to weed their garden and remove pawns who stopped playing a few months or years previously (lapsed subscriptions followed by leaving the site), the member tally is not a reliable figure for evaluating a fellowship. I think the posting activity would be.

When you join up for real**, perhaps find this request will make more sense.

(** Lol, you know you're going to, eh? ;-) - if only to see the smileys! )

playBunny: I don't see that as 'useful' but more 'useless.' I hope we don't get into having too many features. It gets kinda silly after a while. Why not have a group of numbers after each name too. We could record the number of hours they are online, the number of words they have posted for the week, and the number of post made overall. ;)

It could be useful to have the number of posts next to the the fellowship members' names - that way a visitor can see who provides the "flavour" of the fellowship, whether it's a full one with just a handful of active members or a busy one with input all round.

I suggest an option who limit the choice in "Waiting games". Once checked, we pick up the kind of games we wish to play and that can be used as a filter in "Waiting games".

chessmec: To Xiangqi and Shogi boards, Chess category.

Please tell me - to which discussion board is chinese and japanese chess related?

Ebru: hehe good luck with it

furbster: I am planning to spare a day for it lol. I wonder my capacity :-)

Ebru: I don't try for the top 50 either, but if i happen to be near it, i probably would then start trying... i always seem more likely to get onto the board anyway, if i am not thinking about doing so.

furbster: Its funny coz I dont play for top 50 unfortunately but I would like to see how many moves I made at the moment

I was just thinking the same thing Ebru. Then if we're anywhere near the top 50 board, gives us more incentive to try to get there.

do you think we may be able to see how many moves we made at the moment lively ? I know its not usefull too much but it would be fun to see it

rabbitoid: Then you are in a guest mode.

Fencer: and the problem is that if you're not logged in to BK in the current browser session, then who are you?

Fencer: make an RSS menu from the links to the current games in which the user has to move.

Fencer: Rules part is reminding me something lol, new job is coming so

Fencer: wow fencer great

rabbitoid: How should it work? I know you were talking about it before but I cannot recall a single detail of your former idea.

nobleheart: Xiangqi and Shogi are almost finished, I am just doing final tests or the models. Of course, when I release them, there will be definitely some bugs left but it's nothing unexpected.
Of yes, of course, I have to write the rules as well :-)

nobleheart: I am learning Xianqi since 6 days ago. Fantastic game! Different from Shogi but also fascinating.

but how about the main page? it would be nice to have a RSS stream directly to the games

nobleheart: And with a castle. That beats being a knight or a castle! ;-)

Heading too far off topic here, so I'm done. :-)

playBunny: I am a knight:
http://www.medieval-weaponry.co.uk/acatalog/FT1284.jpg

nobleheart: Oh yeah?! Then and !!

Lol, you'll have to come back when you're a Knight or Rook. ;-))