I think how Bry explained it would be best.

Starting point Value: Choose between 1,000 - 20,000 (Maybe choices like 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 7,500, 10,000, 12,500, 15,000, 17,500, 20,000)

Bonus Points: Choice between 0 = 500 (maybe choices like 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500)

So the most "unbalanced" game would be start with 1,000 points, and can get up to 500 bonus points - which is how many games will be towards the end of the game anyway!

what are we solving for here? I doubt the subtle difference in amounts will mean a significant change in approach. And firthermore how would you know until you've at least finished one game?

I think a lot of people were frustrated with the slow pace of the first pond run, and we were "searching" for some way to make this game interesting quicker than the current pace of that game. I think that if the ratio is lower than 40 to 1, which it is currently, it makes the game get 'interesting' much sooner.

I think another way to 'solve' this issue is to allow us to create games with fewer people, so those of us that want, can play more "end games", say start with 6 players, then it would be exciting from the very first move!!

Splash! You fell in the pond.

Ugh! I leave the site for a few hours, and I get pushed into the water.... TWICE! (Yes, I did not fall - I was pushed!)

pushed ay, it was an accidental sneeze, with a sudden gust of wind, i wasnt pushing you in you or anything.

You too BBW? Thought I was out there swimming alone LOL

only twice, I'm getting dizzy from falling in so much

Before anyone else gets yelled at, please be sure and read the entire description before joining a run. Some are starting runs for fellowships only and if you're not a part of those fellowships, you will get a message tell you to leave.

MidnightMcMedic:

If this is yelling ((( According to the "TITLE" and "DESCRIPTION" of the pond, Its for "JUNGLE WARRIORS" fellowship only.
Please remove yourself from the pond.

TY

http://brainking.com/game/Pond?g=44&trnst=0)))

Then I would like to know what you think is nice.

LOL

Seems like you could add a variable to change the ratio based on how many people sign up too.
x = starting amount
b = bonus amount
n = number of players entered
c = constant to divide the number of players

1) First pond:

c = b X n ÷ x
c = 500 X 249 ÷ 20000
c = 6.225

2) Czuch's 19000 first bid pond, makes x = 1000
Note there's also less players in this game, but the bonus is the same.

c = 500 X 16 ÷ 1000
c = 8.000

If this has any correlation to how the game is played, then what Czuch has done (by design or not), is modify the original Pond game to make a smaller version that should play near the same. Though the bonus is going to figure hugely in the game from the start as it is now slightly more than ½ the amount of points the leaders have.
It seems to me that the most important variable of the game is the amount of players in relation to the ratio of bonus to starting amount. It'll be interesting to see how these two games play out. I'm in them both and will see first hand. Of course the various people involved and what happens along the way will make the game what it is.
Perhaps the game's starting point could be based on the number of players signed up using a constant of the game creator's chosing. I kind of like the table Bry and BigBadWolf have thought up. It'd be easy to look at the table and pick the values that one would like. As we get more experience playing this game, we should be able to make choices the will give us the kind of game we would like to play. A slow calculating game or a fast gambling game. Use of a table along with a variable for the number of players and you could have it set how you want and not need to bother with capping the amount of players except to limit the number of days a game will take to play.

Actually it would be just easier for the creator to just remove the person and not say anything - To let them know is just being a little more nicer! :-)

I removed the same player twice now without saying anything LOL

BIG BAD WOLF:

U are correct sir and it will be done in the future from me

Sorry, I was in a bit of a mood over something else and it hit me wrong. But as I said, if its fellowship only, maybe it should be in bold or something?

maybe if you put the word "fellowship" in the title you would have less of a problem, there are so many fellowships its hard to keep tract of, I know that I have never heard of that one, and I, like most people really don't read the description that closely

Vikings: Thank you

Walter Montego: I guess I won't be seeing first hand in both games, since I'm the first one out in Czuch's! :)

and someone got the bonus with a bid of 55

I just saw that! VERY frustrating....

Actually 2 people bid 55, and neither got the bonus is Czuch's pond!

bet you someone bets over 400 in next round

Yea, what I like is in one round, a person will win the bonus with a low bid like 55, then next round - about 4 or 5 people will have bids of around and over 500 - to try to get the bonus.

Hopefully Fencer will let us look at past moves of all the pond games soon - I have started to learn how some players play, but would be nice to "research" some players a little more... :-)

hehe , some players like me just play random ...both high and low

I would love to see a statistics page that shows averages of all the games.

Like the average bet of the first person to fall in...(right now belive that 12 or higher has never gone out in the first round)
Also the average low and high bids per round ie the average low bid in round #9 is (?), the average high bid in round 11 is (?) etc... This would have to be catorgorized by how many people start the game as well.

I would like to see the amount I bid in the previous round, when I go to make my next move. Yes, it is easy enough to scroll a little and look at the chart, but on the bigger ponds, (like the first one), it would be nice to just have the information right there.

Vikings: And don't forget that there are a lot of non-English speaking members that don't understand the description at all. Medic for one.

bumble:

maybe if tourneys could be set up by invite only,, like my new glasses

we all also have to understand that with people here from all sorts of cultures, what one person sees as rude, another person sees as normal

I see Medic as rude but not normal.

Who me?????

I would think that most abominal snowmen would see cattle as lunch

Or breakfast. One or the udder.

I like BBW's (Bry's) proposal:

Starting point Value: Choose between 1,000 - 20,000 (Maybe choices like 1,000, 2,500, 5,000, 7,500, 10,000, 12,500, 15,000, 17,500, 20,000)

Bonus Points: Choice between 0 = 500 (maybe choices like 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500)

So the most "unbalanced" game would be start with 1,000 points, and can get up to 500 bonus points - which is how many games will be towards the end of the game anyway!

There is no need to make it more complicated.

stevie that bid of 10 isn't doing you much justice is it(tehe) feell a few times with that one.

furbster: tell me about it LOL

yeh, maybe you should try 11 ;o)

I had to open my big mouth about no one going in with a bid over ten on the first move..... I just kerplunked at 11 :)

Is that poetic or what? LOLOL

http://brainking.com/game/Pond?g=26

this pond is getting interesting, a bet off 300 didnt make it, im getting more confused as to how much to bet now

yeaa and i was thinging i will change it and i didnt make it . im fool :D

And i dont want to see a pond when only 5 player and less will stand :] That will be amazing :]

yes maxxina, i changed my bet from 250 to 530 in the last 10 mins.. sorry lol

Thats crazy that it went to 300 from 93 the previous round.
I would have thought 300 would be plenty!

Czuch : me too me too . But 5 minutes before deadline something in me brain said me , its not enough . I told him be quiet :(

arrrrrrrrrghhhh someone bid same as me so neither of us got the bonus in czuchs pond :o(

i just noticed that stevie, very unlucky.

I was watching my bet of 332 - at about an hour left, I was debating if I wanted to go higher - but decided to stay with my original bet of 332.

.... now what to bet.. 500 will probable not even be safe now with this few players....

LOL, I can see that if I didn't fall in the pond in the last round, I'd definitely be there now...