This whole discussion is moot. Brainking will be on auto-pilot soon and no changes will get made by anyone.

I think we see the problem with brainking going on autopilot in 2018. If there is an issue with something like memberships or problem with paying for a prize to win in a tournament, and there is a glitch, how does this get resolved? One has to think before spending money here as it may not be as secure as when someone is monitoring it.

OK let's be optimistic for a moment and say either one or more people came up with the money to buy Brainking from Fencer. Who will be the administrator that will take time each day to make sure all is running the way it should? If you are going to add new games, who will do the programming for these new games? How are the monthly fees going to be paid to keep the site up and running? You are not just buying a game site, you are investing in a real business. A business that needs good and proper financial bookkeeping records and a way to pay expenses and if their are any salaries to pay, making sure payroll is met. Running the site may also take you away from other aspects of your personal life with friends and family with no guarantee of making a profit on your investment. Before diving in make sure you have a solid business plan that a bank would buy into if you ever needed to borrow money for the site. A lot to think about than just buying a game site to play games. You can play games in a lot of different sites. I am not discouraging anyone from doing this, but make sure you have all your ducks in a row first. Pay a business lawyer for about an hour of their time to discuss how to do this.

Chrome works great for me on all sites. I just bought a Chromebook laptop and it works great with everything I do. I do have high speed cable WIFI internet.

Carnie I sent you a game invite for hyper backgammon. I play my games daily and often check in when i have a free moment to make moves. Also as a pawn, I do not have hundreds or even over a 1000 games to get through to get your game with me.

Carnie: I typically avoid multi-game matches in most cases. They take too long. Some people in tournaments drag their feet and we have had tournaments that have gone on for years and are still going on. In a some cases a few players no longer play here or they have died waiting for these tournaments to play out. Like you said the way things are going Brainking will be gone before you finish the 10 wins match.

Mélusine: LOL

When I was a rook, I played hundreds of games at a time and rarely ended a day without moving on each game at least once Now i am a pawn and carry 20 games, I find the games tend to move too slow for me I also play at bug cafe but unless you pay, you only get 15 moves per day. However a month long membership is only 5 dollars USD. A year is 30 USD. You can also do 3 month and 6 month memberships. If you like word games that is a great place for you and they have other games that brainking doesnt have like cribbage and canasta.

I see no advertising but I do have an adblock app on my browser.

An interesting idea of multiple players pooling financial resources and share owning the site. However who would be the one in charge. You know what they say about too many cooks. How would final decisions get made on questions raised? And of course as Gabriel points out, you need a programmer or maybe two. Being a programmer could be a full-time job. If you are talking about 30-40 USD an hour based on a 40 hour week that is between 1200 and 1600 dollars a week. If one of the owners or possibly more could do the programming, then how much time would they actually have to enjoy playing games? Fencer doesn't play many games and as far as I can tell, never did. If you are going to make this site an investment, you have to consider not only the money to put into it, but also the time and can you earn your investment back and make a profit? If you are in it for a hobby as it was suggested earlier, is the kind of money Fencer is possibly looking for worth it? There are far less expensive and worthwhile hobbies. It almost sounds like those who can't let go are the same type who can't accept the Trump election results. If the site can be saved, that is great. If it can't let it go. It is not healthy to hold on to something that isn't meant to last. This is just my opinion. Not looking for an argument here.

Carnie: You could be waiting until the end of Brainking for that to happen.

The good side/ is you can play at bugcafe for cheap. Try a month for just 5 USA dollars, 3 months for 10.50 or upto a year for $30. That is cheaper than brainking.

It is so quiet at brainking the last couple of days. Either people are in mourning over the brainking news or people are actually playing their games and finishing tournaments so they are completed before the end.

Carnie: Some will and some won't. However there is no guarantee that will as Fencer will no longer be handling the operation of the site. Even if it goes on without supervision from someone, if a problem arises there will be no one to turn to fix it.

6 out of the 10 recent paid memberships happened after Fencer made his announcement. One out of those 6 was for a month. However if the site goes dark after Jan 1, 2018 there is not much lost. It will be harder for those who purchase a year long membership to renew as the year goes on as they may not get their full value for the money spent. If someone were want to buy this site, one would want to know they have a solid paid membership base to start with. If less people renew into the new year, it will look less attractive to a prospective investor.

One must decide this year whether to renew or not because as Fencer said this could be the last year and nothing is guaranteed beyond 2017. I am not sure if that is a positive statement for the site's financial future. I came here from IYT like many others. I recently looked back at IYT and decided I didn't want to play there again. I was analyzing Goldtoken as I have never played there. They seem to have some different games that are not available here and would be interested in playing there. I was checking out the cost of their membership levels and not sure if it is a good deal or not. I guess I would have to examine my needs and how much time I want to devote to playing there. I have scaled back so much in pursuit of other interests but still love playing games as I grew doing so. Though I have misgivings about Brainking now and moving forward, I still would like it to continue stay running if for nothing else to have a few games to play here. I would never sink my money into it again as I feel there is no commitment from the ownership to advance the site. I kept renewing in the past because I felt I was contributing to the advancement of brainking. If new ownership takes over, I will see what level of commitment they make and decide if I can afford or wish to support their efforts with a paid membership.

Retep: Well there is nothing illegal or untrustworthy about the lifetime memberships. At the time they were offered, there was no intention of the site going offline. They were purchased in good faith, in my opinion. Also there is no definition of lifetime in this case. It could be a year or 10 years or whatever, depending on how long you decide to play here or as long as the site is active.

Aganju: I wouldn't buy it as there is no money to be made in its current form. That is my whole point. If you are a player here who would buy it just to keep it alive, then fine but then I am sure you would find you would not have time to play games as you would be too busy maintaining the site and implementing new things that players are asking for. I am not sure how much fun that would be, just a lot of work for really no gain. Again just my opinion. All opinions are welcome and no need to run someone else's down to make their own point.

Bernice: I will grant you that point Bernice. I do have a college degree in accounting and business management. I made a career on restaurant management and later my own insurance sales business as well. Then I got sick and disabled. I now take care of the financials for my church and oversaw the financing of our recently completed building expansion. I look at the income that Brainking generates now. I do not see how the site on its own entity is making money based on just membership fees collected. They may keep the site online,but not necessarily making a profit. I could be wrong. However like I said if someone was looking to buy it as an investment that could be profitable, changes would have to be implemented to help generate a return on that investment. Also working on the site would be a full-time job. Just things one would have to consider.

What would be the financial upside in buying Brainking? It would cost a fair amount of money to keep it online and unless you have the time and knowledge to implement new things and make repairs, you would have to pay someone to do it at a high rate of pay. You would need to demonstrate you have a growing site with lots of activity to coax businesses to advertise on the site to even start to get a return on the investment. ANd if you are like me, you do not to interrupted with popup ads or have them all over your game boards. It is a distraction and annoyance and can cause the site to run slower on your computer device. This may in itself would cause some to leave the site. Whoever would buy it would want a return on the investment at some point. Advertising, higher paid memberships, and perhaps a reduction in benefits at different membership levels are all ways to make it happen. As someone who is studies and works with finances at my church, I see buying brainking as a poor investment, and an bottomless money pit. Unless you are wealthy and do not care about costs, then that is the person who would be interested. Just my opinion.

crosseyed: I never said I could find the money to renew my membership. I have just stated that I would not renew my membership. Some people simply can't afford to renew their membership. All because you can find a way, doesn't mean everyone can. It is very pompous of you to assume everyone can because you can. You do not know everyone's personal situation or priorities with the funds they have available. I was just giving Bernice an option to consider. Another would be to be on a list for someone to sponsor her and pay for a membership if she still wants to be a member. I choose not to be a member any longer. So why demonize me for responding to someone. Are we going to start this attack garbage again? Grow up.

crosseyed: No, how smart of me. If Fencer has left this door open, then utilize it. Even when my games drop below 20 eventually, I am still not going to renew. However, I can relate to Bernice's position financially. Just giving her an option to maximize the amount of game play if she wishes to play a high number of games until she can afford to renew a membership.

Bernice: Load up on hundreds of games and tournaments before your membership expires next week. You will be able to play tons of games without have to renew your membership for a long time. I did that before my membership ran out in February and I am still playing above the 20 game limit for pawns. I have 32 games currently going. Also signup for any membership prize tourneys that might start before the membership runs out and you might win a renewal in the meantime.

ketchuplover: I take it to mean that lifetime is for the lifetime of this site.

The Col: LOL..except Fencer is Czech and not American.

rabbitoid: Yes but how many of those tournaments do not get filled up? The more common games may fill up but there are many tournaments that do not fill up and with the dwindling paying member base, fewer can play in these tournaments as they do not have the space to play or they are involved in another tournament. I think Gabriel has got it right.

Nonetheless everyone Fencer is not dedicated to the improvement of the site including new features, correcting of problems on the site, etc. He has stated this as much. He also has stated that he does not need the membership fees to make the site profitable. So therefore I decided to not to renew my membership for the new year. Some have renewed, some have not. I believe if you look at the number of paying members trend, it is going downward. I still enjoy playing here, but do not support it as the owner is not supportive of it either anymore. This is just my viewpoint and not looking to start a war here at all.

stargood: No problem. I let my membership lapse in February and with over 600 games started and I am down to 288 games. People try to invite me to games but I cant accept them. So for those of you who keep sending me game invites, please stop as it will be a long time before I can accept any new games as I do not wish to renew my membership.

stargood: You will be able to play the excess number of games but will not be able play any more games until you drop below 20 games.

crosseyed: Again thanks for the offer. In the new year I have lots of stuff to do to try to fix my health issues if possible. I am seeing 2 specialists in January for an ultrasound blood flow exam and another for kidney trauma. Most likely getting a toe amputation early in the year as well. I am also taking on a church council spot in February and I will be the financial secretary. So I will have plenty help fill the void of not being a member in 2016. There are more important things than brainking. I lost sight of this temporarily. So things are good.

playBunny: LOL...you have too much time on your hands. I thought I had but you take the cake. LOL.

crosseyed: Thanks for considering me crosseyed. However I am sure I am doing what is best for me. Besides I will still play here for free as I do not want to lose the friends I have gained here. I am available on facebook and play games on facebook too. Just send me a private message and I would be willing to become your facebook friend.

I am done fighting about this subject folks. I made my views known and have made my decision as it is clear that Fencer has made his. The site is going to remain status quo as he does not want to do anything else with it for now. Perhaps in the future he will change his mind and do more. If he does, I will then look into paying for a new membership. This discussion has taken an ugly tone. I am sorry to anyone who I may have offended as that was not the basis for my contention. However it goes to show the passion that the players here have for this site. All in all that in not a bad thing. Before I started playing here in November 2004, I played at itsyourturn.com and there was a bad vibe there at the time and through messages I read, i decided to try it out and have been here since. I hope in the near future there is some sort of balance to please those who are content with things the way they are and those who want some new features. God Bless everyone and happy new year.

mctrivia: Happy new year.

ThunderGr: I do not know everything. I never said I did. However I am just expressing my views which is not arrogant. Some people agree with me and some do not. I see other people's views and find they have some merit. I am not belittling anyone or accusing Fencer of theft. He is providing a service for the money he collects. However I remember a time when I started to paying for brainking there was much growth and excitement. I feel the last couple of years it has become stale and stagnant. For my money I am looking for more. That is not being arrogant, belittling or accusing someone of theft. It seems to me the only one who is belittling anyone is YOU. Anyone who feels as I do is called ARROGANT. Read some of my replies to others including you and you will see I am not arrogant or belittling, just expressing my feelings. Like I have said before, I enjoy playing here. If people are content with things remaining the same and want to renew memberships that is fine. However for me I expect more from the person cashing our membership fee checks. Nothing personal, just my opinion. Not trying to fight, just defending myself.

ThunderGr: You see me as arrogant. I just want to get the most for my entertainment dollars. Look at it as a fan to sports team. If you support a team but they constantly lose and are not dedicated to getting better, are you going to spend your money to buy tickets, pay for parking, concessions and merchandise to support the team? You may stay home and watch the games on TV but that doesnt cost you anything and the team doesnt benefit from it except for the TV contract deal they have. Fencer has said he is not enthusiastic about this anymore. That is fine. I am just not enthusiastic about supporting a site financially that does not want to be better. So I will continue to play for free and forego the other extras. Happy New year to you too.

Aganju: Your McDonalds analogy is fair and that is why McDonalds does not get any of my money. LOL.

If you read my reply to Playbunny, I reason why I was a paying member for so long and why I have made the decision to stop after my current membership ends. I have nothing personal against Fencer. However, I as a consumer of anything, do not give my money to any business that does not do right by its employees or its customers. Maybe I expect more than the status quo. That is my right as it has been expressed. I just feel that management should be as dedicated to me as a customer as I am to them as the business owner. Happy New Year.

playBunny: Thank you Playbunny for your comments. I have sent communication to my second in command to take over my fellowship if she so desires. I do have lots of matches right now as I have had a bunch of new tournaments begin. I normally keep around 300 matches.

As far as a protest thing, it is not form of protest. I was a pawn a long time before I begin paying for membership as I believed in the continued growth in Brainking and because management was dedicated to us as players. However based on Fencer's own words he is not enthusiastic or as dedicated to it anymore. So perhaps I was a bit too harsh in my reply, but it makes me upset when I have supported this site for years with my money and in the last couple of years nothing really new has happened here. Many will continue to be a paid member and support the site as is. That is fine for those people. I have a fixed income and a small amount of dollars to earmark for entertainment. Around $3 a month is not much, but when you have to pay for 6 or 12 months in advance, that is chunk of change that I cannot afford to out of my budget one month. I will more than likely play here daily as a pawn and will keep all my games going as smoothly as possible to prevent them from dragging on for weeks and months but I cannot support a site that is not dedicated to its consumers.

Fencer: WOW! I guess this answers a lot of questions and concerns. As I first read this response it comes across as honest and yet sort of pompous.

First without the paying members the site would not sustain itself so dismissing our thoughts, suggestions, and concerns is not a good business model. If you do not respect your customers they will not respect you with their money and will tell others about the bad attitude of management which in turn means a dry up of potential new customers.

Second, if as the owner, you are not as enthusiastic about the games anymore and do not wish to make the business a priority then perhaps you should sellout or hand the responsibilities over to someone who would enthusiastically make the site all it can be.

Thirdly, Fencer is just collecting the money taken in and not willing to do what he can to please his customers. In any other business he would lose them and have to shut the doors. All businesses have to evolve and try to do better to attract new customers and yet hold on to the ones they already have.

Fourth and lastly, my membership runs through February 11th. As of this time, do to the fact in Fencer's own words, he doesn't need my paying membership to be profitable, I will not be renewing my membership. I have been here since close to the beginning, so doing this is not made in haste. I just wish to be valued as a customer and not made to be feel like someone who just giving the ownership a check they can cash each year.

Have a happy new year folks. I will be interested in what others have to say about Fencer's response to us.

beach: Happy New Year to you too.

Justaminute: I guess none of us knows the cost of maintaining the site and how much is leftover as a profit for Fencer. I guess he would have to weigh in on our discussions. However, sadly he is silent up to this point. That just goes back to one of my original points if I were to continue to support the site, I would wish the owner of the site to be committed to me as a consumer to keep the site evolving and growing. without the consumers there is no game site. We have discussed how to afford this site, but it comes down to one thing, what does the top dog think and is he willing to make the site a high priority. I guess we wait for his response.

Aganju: Of course some places I have been on, non-paying users see ads and an incentive not see ads is to become a paying member. That could work here as well. However advertisers want to see that there is enough traffic each day to make it worth advertising on a site.

Wow I didnt think my comments and views would cause such a commotion. I do not post normally as I am too busy playing my games and find in most cases when people express themselves they are verbally abused for it. I never said that I was ungrateful or unthankful. I did say I spend a lot of time here and do enjoy playing here. However as a consumer I do have a right to let the ownership know how I feel as well. The internet games sites are numerous. Some better than others. This is definitely one of the better ones. However the best ones do upgrade and do things to improve the experience to bring in new members and encourage more paying users to meet expenses and turn a profit. I have seen this site sadly become stagnant and seen players I used to play all the time leave the site altogether. If this happens you will have fewer players and less paying members to sustain the site anyway. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN. I do love playing here. However I notice for example that ponds are getting fewer and harder to fill up than ever. I see by running a fellowship it is harder to get players to fill teams for tournaments. My position is not one of arrogance, it is one of concern for a site I have been addicted to for many, many years. However financially it is only best to see if it is worth the continued support of the site through membership or if I should consider other options. I am dedicated to the site, I just wish to know ownership is just as dedicated to the expansion of the site. I know Fencer is one person and has other priorities. I would like to know that Brainking is near the top as we are paying for the privilege of playing here.

Oh yeah last thing, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, ETC. Hopefully that is still ok to say here without being verbally beat up.

I just checked the conversion rate of Euros into US dollars. If I were today to renew my membership for another year it would cost me $39.57 to do it. I know when you break it down it is just over $3 a month. However I would like to think that for the money I am paying I would see some additional games added or something new during the year to make it worthwhile. I can play games anywhere. Just sustaining the site maybe is not enough anymore. I love playing here. I have my own fellowship and as a disabled person I spend lots of time on the site. Being on a fixed income, I want to know that my money is being utilized in a positive way, not just being taken and nothing new being done with it.

Bernice: Sadly I am not kidding.

Makes me wonder if Fencer is considering the end of Brainking. When was the last time we had anything really new or improved here? I can't remember anything recently. I spend lots of time here so I hope that is not the case. My membership ends in February, which I am looking for something significant that proves Fencer is dedicated to the future of brainking.

I normally use Google Chrome most of the time and firefox if I want to do something that doesn't support Chrome fully.

Does everyone use all that Brainking offers now? Certainly not. I see fellowships dwindling, and those in fellowships not using the boards or participating like they should. How often are there new opinion polls? There is one now. How many noticed? Pond games are becoming fewer and it is harder to get people to play them. I can't remember the last time I used a poker table. Everytime I do look at the tables there is no one at them. So there are some good things here that are not being used to their full potential. That is not Fencer's fault, it is ours. So before expecting Fencer to take lots of time implementing new features, lets take advantage of the ones that currently exist. Fencer has a life outside of brainking too. He worked hard to build it up. I am sure he will not just let it die. If you have comments to him, I am sure you can just message him directly or if you think there is a better place to play, you can go there. I enjoy it here. I routinely have between 300 to 400 games going at a time. Sometimes more. So just enjoy the games. Better yet join my fellowship, Brian's 1971 Pub and play in our battleboats games tournaments that start September 15th. (Paying members only)

Timer is not right as I was supposed to have a fellowship tournament start at 10AM my time today and it is after 3 PM and it still has not started.

Come and join Brian's 1971 Pub to be part of the 3 reversi tournaments that start June 15th. Great fun and competition. SO please request a membership today.

BGBedlam: I have a similar situation with my team for dark battleboats. We are not officially signup yet but have enough players except one of the players has his brain knight membership ending after today and the system would not allow us to sign up the team.