Irma.. has scrabble bug shut down completely? I've not been able to get on but I thought it was just a fault and would be back on in a few days.

I'm about to make myself very unpopular now!! I would suggest that people having a problem with which games come up next, because of timeouts etc... play fewer games then it wouldn't be a problem! Or.. play more often.
I dont accept games I think I may timeout in, or have so many games that they timeout before I've got through them.
Its just a case of game management.
I'm not wanting to sound patronising here, it just seems that the problem is with the member, not the system. No matter which way it goes there will always be people wanting it another way. I prefer it how it is because I'm not keeping people waiting for me to move longer than necessary, but I can see the other side of it too. :o)

Yep, sounds like broadband, I'd love to have that but firstly my PC can't handle it (not enough memory or thingies or wotsits!!) and secondly I just cant afford it yet, its loads more expensive than AOL. So you'll all just have to put up with slow old me!! LOL!
Thanks for the info though, always handy to know.

Great idea Kevin, I've noticed its easy to lose track of tournaments started. How about a little icon at the side too if they haven't started yet? Then we wont forget about them!!

Eddie, what do you mean by 'cable access'? (Keeping in mind I'm a Brit!!)
Is it like broadband? Cos I'm on AOL, and its slow, but thats as much my PC's fault as the provider!

:o( I see!! Yes, it would be a bit much I guess! Never mind!!

You know at the bottom of our page where we have which fellowships we are in? Is it possible to have next to each fellowship which teams we are in for each one?

Like

(fellowship) halma, backgammon, checkers
(fellowship) chess, tablut, nackgammon

Just so we can keep track of which teams we are in for each fellowship, without having to write it down or visit the pages to find out?

Dream, thats what I meant, even though in a normal game its not possible to have a draw, there may be certain circumstances where both players may want to agree to a draw. If one player disagrees then the other player would have to either time out or finish the game.
Its a bit like playing a game at home, then visitors arrive.. so the board is put away and a draw agreed upon!!
Its not like one player announces a draw and thats the end of the game, you get the choice of accepting or rejecting the draw. :o)

Dream, the option is a valid one because it may be that half way through a game one player has personal issues and cannot carry on with the game, but the scores are level, so a draw is decided upon.
There are all kinds of reasons a draw may be a good idea in backgammon.

On the Games Rules pages, would it be possible to add a 'start a new game of this type' on each page? After reading the rules of a game its annoying having to go to New Game and go through all that.
With the checkers games and those with a number of variants I haven't played much, I like to check the rules before starting a game! A link would make it easier!

Thanks Mike & Fencer, that simplifies it a lot!!

I have a real problem understanding how to set ratings up. All the BKR=100 =BKR... and so on!!
I had to check how Eddie had set up his tournament before I could start my own, and I know others struggled with this too.
Setting up a new game with restricted BKR's just isn't an option because I dont know how! Isn't there an easier way to arrange this? Just a simple "BKR minimum 100...BKR maximum 3000" and an option to change the numbers?

Erm.. this 'active players' discussion, has someone deleted their messages?!
I feel like I'm listening to one half of a conversation!! LOL!

I give up. 2 hours and I've managed to post 2 messages and play NO games.

Maybe short messages are better... I was saying new sites are bound to have problems and Fencer has been generous giving us another days membership for every day the site has problems...

Rose, I just wrote a long reply then got the site unavalable!! ARRGHH!!

Rigattoni.. you're lucky to get 10 goes before you get the upgrade or page unavailable page! I get 3 or 4 turns at the most before being booted! Very frustrating!

I'd like to see that here too, but surely if TOO much is added and there are loads more members things will slow down here too? Hopefully not but isn't it possible?

Ah, I see! So when you add the new flags there will be England/Scotland/Wales on the list too? Great!

How do you change your flag anyway? I've never seen an option for that.

Wow! That number next to the message box is GREAT!! I'll never miss another message now! Thanks Fencer! :o)

Aww, never mind MadMonkey, I'll fill your mail box up if you like!
Giggle... I missed the 'M' off monkey when I typed that and your name read 'Ma Donkey'!!! Sorry, just thought it would be good for your ego if I pointed that out!! LMAO!!

Hey Fencer, you know how you put that number next to waiting games so if you're elsewhere on the site you know when there is a game waiting?
Is it possible to do the same for the message box? When you have loads of games and you're doing 'move and go to next game' you can be stuck in that for an hour or so (at least!) and when you go back to the main page theres a message that needed answering but that player has logged off waiting for you!
It would just be nice to know theres a message there without having to keep checking the main page.

Thanks Tony :o)
Wow, Kevin, you weren't kidding were you?!! No wonder I have so many games against you when you have that many overall!!! How do you keep up?!

Are you kidding?!! I tried that when I first came on here and it took way too long! I gave it up in the end, I couldn't keep up on 20 games, now I have 50+ games going I'd never be able to do it!

Hey yeah, that'd be a good one! Nice quick game, it wouldn't drag out for ages! You could have 2 or 3 games in 10 mins! I'd love to see that here, great suggestion!

Ah, I see! I thought you were after replacing the current 2 games match with individually rated games within a 2 match set-up. As an extra it would work.
Yeah, I see where you're coming from now, its a good idea, but really shouldn't be necessary if two players agreed to have 2 individual games, one after the other, of different colours. Shame on them if they refuse you the second game after its been agreed.
Your rating should still go higher though, if you get a draw with a higher rated player. Not as much as if you'd won of course but it should go up a bit. Thats my understanding anyway.
And thanks grillyx for clearing up what Tony meant!

Yes, I see what you mean (nice to hear form you too!), but for me thats the whole idea of these game matches, so the entire match decides the end ratings, not the individual games within the match. if I'm playing maharajah or horde chess, I like a 2 game match, the outcome is often a draw, which shows the ability of both layers at each colour since playing each colour is so different, and requires different strategies.
I think this caters for everyone, someone with a higher rating would win a 2 (or more) game match anyway, and people with lower ratings may score a draw. It gives everyone a chance.
You could always go for a 2 win match, nobody wins until someone has won 2 games. No chance of a draw there!
Or, like I say, offer 2 games, individual, one of each colour, and get ratings for both! If you make that clear at the beginning of the game thats what you want it shouldn't be a problem!

But thats the whole point of these 2 game matches, so you can play one of each colour and the whole outcome could be a draw. Its especially good for games where one colour has an obvious advantage, like maharajah chess for example.
If you want separate ratings for each game then send 2 separate invites, one for each colour.

Ha ha, OK Northern Lights!! Its Harlequin, just without the vowels!! Easier?!!!!! Or just call me Michelle.. or anything you like, I'm sure you couldn't think of much I haven't been called before!! LOL!!

There already is a counter, by the usernames, top and bottom.

I allowed my son to have a few games on GT, but I made sure it was with people I'd played before (I asked them first!!) and I was OK about him playing, and I supervised too, he never went on without me looking over his shoulder!!
I've not heard of any games sites just for kids, but if there were I wouldn't let my kids near them. Its like 'kids' chat rooms, its where half the paedophiles meet kids. Too dangerous. How would you know it was really another kid they were playing? I think the only way to keep them truly safe is full supervision when they are on the net.

Hi Fencer, no, Eddies right, I offered a draw 3 times in a game of maharajah, they couldn't accept it, so they offered me a draw and there really isn't anywhere to accept! I resigned in the end too!

OMG, there'd be no room on the site for anything else!! LMAO!!

Thats great Fencer! I hardly need a friend list now!!

WHOOOOPPIEEEEE!!!!!! Thanks!!!! cant wait for those!!!!!!!

What would be the chances of a couple of small one player games we could play while waiting for our turn to move?
You know, like a hangman or wordsearch or something... just to give us something to do while we wait!

You're a star! I bet you never imagined you'd get so bombarded with things to do when you started this site!! LOL, glad you did though, its a huge success!

Or even just one of those things you click to go to the top of the page without scrolling up!