<Walter -

You asked the following question:

>> how come you didn't get him to add the move restriction option that you told me about that the second player places the next three moves and the first player decides if he is going to be the first to move player or make the second player be the first to move player? That version is certainly more fair than the current move restriction standard game, and would be just as much fun. And it could get some play and you'd see if it'd work well or not. The ol' data base you keep plugging would get some data put into it. Why not have it on as well?

Well, Walter, this is an EXCELLENT question! I have tried to be reasonable in the # of requests that I make of Fencer. I know that he ALWAYS has a lot on his plate.

That is next on my list of requests that I make and I DO THINK that IT IS the answer to taking Pente to the HUGELY popular ranks that we can think it can be.

But I also know that it will be an almost completely new piece of programming for Brain King. I know of no other game here or at IYT that has a swap rule.

There are several things that we have on request with Fencer. #1 was to put the opening restriction on Small Pente and Small Keryo Pente. We also have a couple of others that will attempt to reduce the possible abuse of ratings as follows:
1. Show a percentage of games played as White on the ratings page. He said he would do this, so perhaps within the next 2-3 releases.
2. Drop players off of a ratings page if they have not played a rated game in that particular game within the last 3 months. He put this on his 'to do' list, so I would not expect to see it for a while, but it is not greatly important at this point.

What we are attempting to do is make this into a site where the ratings can possibly be used for seedings in future World Championships. And THOSE World Championships could be held HERE!! That is as opposed to the Email server at www.gamerz.net which is very cryptic and hard to use.

In other words, we have been so impressed by what Fencer has done in such a short time frame that we're trying to get all of our ducks in a row so that MANY games on the site can become IMMENSELY popular.

I anticipate that within the next 2 months that we will request that both the variant that you described above, Dpente, and the one with my own simple rule change to further restrict player 1's 2nd move, Gpente. Even though Dpente should completely eliminate ANY advantage for either side and should be VERY fun to play, it may take a lot longer to catch on, because with the swap rule, it would be a MUCH bigger adjustment for most players than Gpente will be, which will probably still be found to have at least a moderate advantage for one side or the other.


Gary