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ThunderGr: The ladders on IYT work the way you describe it. They don't use levels, though. It's just a numerical ranking. Not only can the top person be constantly challenged, but they can lose their place just by virtue of the #2 winning their own game. The ones on GT are similar to BK, but they're more diligent about contracting them regularly to close out the gaps (but you can only play those on the same level).
ketchuplover: This defeats the purpose of the stair, IMHO. You should only lose steps when you lose a game. If we are to talk about a fairer stairs system, you should only gain steps when you defeat someone on the same or higher steps. You should only be able to challenge someone on the same step or higher than yours. You should not be able to challenge the same person more often than once every 2 weeks. No restriction on how high is the person you want to challenge on the stair. The restriction on the number of games at the same time for the stair is good, IMO. So, this would sort everything nicely. No gaps between steps, since you do not advance steps if you win against someone at the lower steps. The top players are not invulnerable to challenge and the whole thing can be easily implemented with the current mechanics, if only someone would take the little time it needs to be done...
of a match involving the stairs leader should be sent to the bottom of the ladder...oh and I would have everyone on their own level....the top would be player and level one.
furbster: According to the help about stairs, the site is supposed to cleanup this situation once per month. A cleaner solution would be to make it so that, when you are at the top step, you no longer advance steps by winning but only maintain your position(and your opponent drops a step).
ThunderGr: Not sure if you'll be able to see this as it's in a fellowship but i'm stuck on step 14 and can't challenge as the person below is 3 down! ◙ The Gammon Cube ◙ - 3 day Stairs (no cube)
I am fairly certain that this must have been discussed at some point in the past, however I was not around at that time. So, isn't it somewhat breaking the point of a stair if you cannot challenge someone at a higher step than you? Instead the -3 rule, it should had been something like +2, -3, in my opinion. The way it is, people at higher steps have no motive to challenge those below, and they cannot be touched by those below, either.
4/ Crowded Backgammon (AlterMann vs. aaru) Last move of my opponent: 24 April 2014, 20:16:53. Dead time -> 25 April 2014, 00:56:00 is the last term before timeout for this move. So 4:39 for move (FC with 18 hours bonus)
5/ Backgammon Race (AlterMann vs. aaru) Last move of my opponent: 24 April 2014, 21:14:55. Dead time -> 25 April 2014, 08:02:00 is the last term before timeout for this move. So 10:47 for move (FC with 18 hours bonus)
Hrqls: Next one 10 minuts ago -> Cloning Backgammon (AlterMann vs. aaru) Last move of my opponent: 22 April 2014, 12:47:48 Dead time -> 22 April 2014, 15:22:00 is the last term before timeout for this move So 2:30 per move (FC with 18 hours bonus)
Hrqls: Full list - it will be hard to do. Too many games. I have 2 games with number -> 6545906, 6531972 2 next with screenshot on my album (but I have to find numbers of this games). It was more games with this problem. Fe. Sometimes I finished play ca 1am. Next game with move before 1-2pm on next day. 7am I looked on BK and ~5 games with 5-10 minuts... (few times).
coan.net: Indeed. So, this is working as intended? It would be nice if there was a notification when this happens instead of the "game successfully created" that you get.
ThunderGr: I think the limit is 50 in the "Waiting games" area - once a game is accepted, I think you should be able to then make another "Waiting game", up to 50.
crosseyed: Yes, I have seen that. However, when I create new games(public invitations) I cannot create more than 50. After that, it says that the game was created but it does not appear anywhere.
ThunderGr: You are a Brain Rook and this is what you are allowed: "The player is not limited by number of started games at once nor number of moves per day nor number of joined tournaments and team tournaments, is limited by 35 vacation days per year." Click on Paid membership in the left hand side above My profile.
speachless: Hmm, it's kind of sensitive part of the code and I still didn't have time to make any safe modifications to it. However, I've just removed all tournament signups of the mentioned users (for tournaments that were not started yet). Please let me know if they manage to sign up for more and I'll try to find time for a more effective solution.
Fencer: dear Fencer. did you find a fix for the bug which allows to brain pawns to join single elimination tournies, even if they have +2000 running games? It still happens so it wasn't fixed yet?
here an example of a newly opened tournament where a brain pawn with +2000 running games was still able to join and start: petty tournament
if you couldn't find a fix for that bug, why don't you just block those 2 or 4 brain pawns which still take advantage from the system without paying?
i don't want to complain, it's just a question. hope you're gonna find some time to answer.
speachless: there is a problem with single elimination, and in the tournament you mentioned there are 2 pawns there that have taken advantage of the system, they both created tons of tournaments and seem to join any single elimination tournaments, like I said I thought fencer was going to delete them from the tournament board,
speachless: Ultimately, we subscribe to support the site and help its development. If the creator has deserted the site though, I really see no point for people to continue paying for using it. If you are content with the tournament hole and have no problems with your conscience, go ahead, I would say, although not something *I* would do. Of course, fellowships and stairs are out of question, since the stairs do check the game number limit.
ThunderGr: it's not only the case of brain rook joining before they got brain pawn.
in this example the tournament a brainpawn was able to join. this player had already +2000 opened games, so why was it possible for him to start in this running tournament as pawn with +2000 running games? petty tournament so this seams for me like i could stop paying for brain rook and then still be able to join open tournaments with single elimination even if i have +2000 or so...?
Justaminute: I agree 100%. I was also wondering about the tournaments mess. However, I think that any limitation about the number of tournaments should go with the ability to save the game types in the template. As it is, you must check one by one all the games you want *every single time*, as they are not saved with the template.
beach: I assumed it was people joining lots of tournaments while still being a paying member and then becoming a pawn. If people start thousands of tournaments after becoming a pawn it seems like a strange thing for the "powers that be" not to care about.
The tournament page is a complete mess anyway. I assume this is why there are endless tournaments created by the same people? Making the change would tidy up the tournanment page as well I hope.
speachless: fencer said about a month ago he was going to fix the problem, I know it still isn't fixed because several pawns are still taking advantage of being able to create lots of tournaments before they become a pawn play unlimited amounts of games.
Fencer said he would fix the problem as it wasn't fair to us paying members, but so far nothing has been changed I agree its not fair
Hmmm, it's really sad (but not too surprising) to see that some people will always try to exploit the system. Very well, it can be fixed this way:
1) A user cannot have more than, say, 100 tournaments in the "open" section of the Tournaments page. Do you want to create more? OK but wait until some of your tournaments start.
2) If a user membership expires, tournaments created by them (in the "open" status) will be automatically deleted, except the prize ones with prizes already provided.
3) Regarding the single eliminations tourneys, that might be a bug because pawns should not be allowed to sign up for another tournament if they are already playing (or signed up) another one. But the code is really old (8 years?) so I am not sure about that. I'll look at it.
Anything else? Sorry, I am totally consumed by other projects so I could easily miss other issues mentioned in this conversation.