Especially you Dmitri. In my original pente set, the rules state two ways of playing the game (well, actually more, but I'll stick with what we are talking about here). With the tourney rule and without it. It is not up to you nor Gary, nor anyone for that matter to decide how people should enjoy playing this game. If they choose tourney rule, fine. If not, that's also fine. The only exception to this would be in TOURNAMENT play, where the rules are defined before sign-up and actual play. But in regular play of any game, it is not up to you or Gary to make that decision for others on how a game should be played. It is up to the individual. We all have the freedom to choose which games we like to play. Since you like to use the chess example, I'll use one of my own: At IYT they have MANY chess variations (and I believe on this site as well). You once told me that you like to play some of these diferent variations because you find them fun and challenging in a different way. But, it's not traditional chess, and these chess variations are most CERTAINLY NOT found in the "official" chess rules. But you enjoy playing them any ways. And rightly so. They're games.

You and gary both know that I take tourney rule pente fairly seriously. Yet, I still enter a regular pente tourney every now and then. Why? Because, forced win for player 1 or not, I enjoy trying to win as player 2. What I'm trying to say is I ENJOY both games. I also believe that if you take away the players' choices of games here, you will most definitely be alienating many people. Some of these people might even have considered contributing to the site. But, since the game they want to play can not be found here, they'll go somewhere else (e.g. IYT). Who's going to make up for the possible money then lost by the site owner? You two? I doubt it.

-Scott aka Snutter aka Satan