Thad: Expand the board to 14x14.

Then for each side.

Back row, 10 pieces can be places (middle 10, leaving 2 spaces on each side.)
Next to back row, 8 pieces can be places (middle 8, leaving 4 spaces on each side)
next row, 6 pieces
next row, 4 pieces
front row - 2 pieces

So your front row, and the front row of your opponent across from you has 4 empty spaces - kind of like current.

So each of the 4 sides has the same amount of pieces, look like pyramids, and has about the same amount of space from their opponents.

Thad: I agree with Thad - the game how it is now is beter played with people who have time to keep track of things in the notes - where for someone like me who likes to play fast, it takes too much time messing with 1 games.

Also like Thad said, if the captured pieces is unkown, then mark it with a ? - only if it was revealed with a spy first should the actuall captured pieces be shown (or beter yet, show what the pieces was captured with - so if it was captured with a 2, then a ?-2 - that way you know it was either a 1, 2, spy, or sapper) - but I would be happy with just a ?

How about an "Open Espionage" - where you have to move somewhere between 2-10 pieces per move.

... or another 5

Dragon: Why move away from a "1"? Well if I'm getting ready to attack with a 5, but I know his "1" is protected by another 5 or a sapper - I will not attack and possible even move away, which may (in most cases) make my opponent think it is a very weak piece and may chase, allowing me to then turn around and attack. (Strategy I think it is called)

Will anything happen because I'm letting off a little steam in here? Of course not, but felt like venting somewhere.... that is all. :-)

I'll get over it and accept it - just frustrating and letting out a little steam!

.... and to make it worse, they followed me with a spy, so they can see my setup and now defend against it before I can attack. UGH!

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this rule REALLY stinks to be put into ongoing games!!

Again did a good "bait" job to get someone to follow me, and now I can not attack...... so I'll share my frustration with everyone else.

I would like to say I REALLY hate that new rules that was put in that does not let you move back to a space (sideways) that you just come from.

Take this example. I have a 5 piece. Right in front of me is my opponetns 1 piece which I could take, but there is a sapper ready to take my 5 if I take the 1 piece, so I move my 5 piece to the side and not take the 1 piece.

Well now (after the rule change), the opponents 1 piece can move where my 5 was and not even worry about having to protect it (at least until the next move).

Anyway, it just COMPLETELY changed the strategy of on-going games, and wanted to voice my opinion that I do not like this rule - and it made it worse to apply it to on-going games which changes many of the strategies.

First with so few games completed, you will see the ratings do many funny things.

Second - When you win against lower ranked players, you rating may not change. Actually, with so few games complete, you could actually LOSE points when you win a game against a lower ranked player (But Fencer made it so you actually never lose points, even if the ratings formula says it should)

Third: You rating is also rounded/trunkated. So even though you think your rating has stayed at 1700, it may have actually been 1700.0, then 1700.2, then 1700.4

All I want is an easier way to keep track of what you already know.

It would not be changing the strategy at all - it would just help the players who do not have the time to study the board, keep going through past moves to see what has already happened, etc...

Also the suggestion of knowing which pieces you captured is also a good idea. (If you capture a ? with a blind attack, then it should show a ? as captured - not reveal any new information that you can not already get by spending a lot of time going though the board.)

Espionage is a fun game, but I quickly learned I do not have the time to put into each game to play it with 100%. All I'm asking for is an easier way to keep track of things, and I believe most others are also.

Nothingness - I'm interested on how you keep track of the pieces in the notes - as it is now, every time your opponent moves a piece, you have to update the position - so lets say a pieces was at A1, and they just moved it - you have to update the position of that piece. (If it was labled someway, you would never have to update the piece location.)

... but that is why I'm asking how you do it - maybe I'm missing an easier way.

I'm finding that a player that has more time to track the game, track the pieces, etc... will do a lot beter in this game then someone who does not have the time to study the board.

What I would like to see is an easier way to keep notes about pieces. Here is my idea.

Once the pieces are placed, each "?" piece will be given a number. The piece in A1 with get #1, the piece in B1 will get #2... and so on. Then the you will be able to keep track of pieces a little more.
So in ThomasBarnes example, if your 4 piece attacks the ?13 piece and loses, then in your own notes, you can write ?13 = 5 or mine.

Otherwise, you would have to start tracking, changing your noted every time that piece moves somewhere else, etc.... again to the point that the person who has the most time to study the board will do beter.

Also if the suggestion of having an option of the submit/notes field be moved ABOVE the game board after a move ever gets done, it would be easier to make notes while seeing the board, instead of now looking at the board, scrolling down writing some notes, scrolling back up to look at board, then back down to write, etc...

Well I've noticed mostly in the small espionage game, the volcanos can easly block a couple of vital pieces at the start of the game - so knowing where the volcanos are can help you not place pieces right behind them - easly giving an advantage to that person.

If it could be something that could be corrected, that would be good. But wanted to mention it here so all have the same oppertunity to see the volcanos.

Not sure if it is fair, but I thought I would mention it here so all have the same oppertunity.

But I've noticed that games in the same tournament all have the volcanos set in the same position, so if another 2 people already have their board set up, you can go and look at their game to see how your board will be setup.