furbster: How old is that picture of himself that he uses on the site? I don't think it has ever changed since I have been on here. You're only allowed to use old pictures of oneself on a dating profile. Everywhere else must be recent. lol :P

Just piggybacking on ellieoop's endorsement, Goldtoken is an excellent site with a committed owner and an active programmer who consistently add new games and update the site's features. The memberships are reasonable and they frequently give out short term free membership trials as well as free upgrades to a higher membership level. Yes, they are overly involved with the discussion boards and I have had my own battles with them over it, but that should not dissuade anyone from playing games there. They have so many variants of so many games, I don't know of another site that offers that much variety. They finally added Connect Six which is great and if they ever implement Frog Finder, I'll never need to go anywhere else again. If anyone needs help over there, you can message me as well. I'm JerNYC on there, too.

Would it ever be possible to include an "average activity" of moves in each player's profile? The thought hit me since there's one for the day and the top overall. A daily average, I think, would be nice to know when considering someone for a game invite.

Purple: Untrue. GT rolls out more new games and variants than any of the three sites. They have some fantastic people programming for them; always upgrading. I'm tired of people putting GT down without actually even giving them a chance. All I hear is same tired complaint that they're too strict on their DBs. So? Is that it? If Marshmud were smart, he would reach out to Badger, GT's owner, for advice and friendship. She's a very nice person and was in the same position Marshmud is in now when she took over from Chad (GT's Founder). No reason these sites have to be mortal enemies.

Some of you people crack me up, you know that? As if all non-paying players are somehow beneath you and warrant contempt. I have never seen a snootier membership base on any board game site. As if Brainking is soooo much better than all the other sites. Well, it's not and the declining numbers bear that out. BK falls behind IYT and GT in many aspects. Since 2008, I have played regularly at all three sites and I also used to frequent Little Golem and YourTurnMyTurn. Same name, same person. So, I'm not just speaking off-hand here. I know all these sites very well and I have always felt that BK offered the least value to me. In terms of tournament play, I get a lot more competition on IYT and at a much faster pace. Same with the ladders. It's become a running joke that BK has the slowest players around. I can face the best competition in the world on Little Golem (in Go Moku and Connect 6, anyway). If what I want is a real sense of community with down-to-earth and humble people then I know GT is the place for me (and I have been a paid member there). Not only that, but GT innovates more than anyone else. They are constantly introducing new games and variants and updating site features. My intent here is not to belittle BK but to make some of you understand that it's not worth it for some of us "freeloaders" to join your fiefdom. However, I am happy to be exposed to as many advertisements as can make money for Fencer in exchange for a few free games of Frog Finder. The funny thing is I remember when everything on the internet was free in the early 00's and nobody was calling anyone names then. ;)

BGBedlam: I think this is what happens when you select the "random game" type of tournament. Now you know for next time.

ThunderGr: The ladders on IYT work the way you describe it. They don't use levels, though. It's just a numerical ranking. Not only can the top person be constantly challenged, but they can lose their place just by virtue of the #2 winning their own game. The ones on GT are similar to BK, but they're more diligent about contracting them regularly to close out the gaps (but you can only play those on the same level).

ThunderGr: I know I freaked out when I first started playing here and the Go Moku pieces were Xs and 0s and I was like the w..t..f..is this? lol Then, I eventually was able to change the pieces to normal ones. Game boards vary with each site so you have to find what works best for you.

ThunderGr: When I go into the layout area, I specifically see an option to change the color background. There's a default and then there's a palette where you can pick a color.

ThunderGr: Try scrolling down the page below the board to where it says "Layout." Usually, there's an option to make changes.

Purple: Oh, this was on GT, not BK. Thank you, though.

Bernice: Wow, I was just looking at a wiki page on GT for missing players. Nothing to do with the woman mentioned here, but just in general. It's always a little troubling when someone you've gotten used to on a game site suddenly (and often times, inexplicably) vanishes. I'll never forget about this one guy. I hated him as an opponent but we were such fierce rivals. Many of our games ended in draw. I was always up for the challenge. Then he wrote on his profile that he was embarking on a short vacation. Didn't think anything of it. One month passes. Another month passes. He's timing out in our games. This is odd because he was paid up well in advance. He was such a methodical and regular player. Never showed up again. Four years already. I always had a bad feeling something befell him. I'm glad Barb has such nice friends to think of her and keep others posted. Hope she recovers soon.

rod03801: Uh yeah, Rod, I know. I was the last person to post on that board about this very topic and there's not even a cricket chirping in there. I don't expect it to change. Technically, you can still win, but 9 out of 10 times, you're going to lose.

Aganju: I don't see anything in the rules that indicate a permanent vacant square.

42: I wish Frog Finder would have an opening automove to prevent accidental opening kills that become a forced loss for that player.

badgerboy78: There were others besides me that complained? It wasn't the slow play itself as it was that you were putting out new invites for the same game type with faster time limits. My perspective was, hey, why not just move faster in our game? I understand the limits of being a pawn and I play at multiple sites so I don't have to rely on any one place. On Brainking, a game that takes a year is considered fast. Ha ha...

The most involved owner that I've seen on any of the sites would have to be 'Badger' on GT. It's not just a business venture for her, but more of a labor of love. Very active on the discussion boards and always working with the main programmer to develop new games. She's on a personal basis with many of the members. After her, I would say that Fencer is the second most involved owner. The rest of the sites (including IYT) seem to have no input or presence whatsoever from their owners.

I will say this of Fencer, though, he does seem to be very tolerant of criticism. There are very public complaints on here that would be moderated elsewhere.

ketchuplover: What about the number of active pawns?

crosseyed: I'm a skeptical person. I don't take everything at face value. I've just seen this happen a few times already where a new handle appears out of nowhere and wipes everyone off the board without so much as a loss. Yes, I find that a little weird. I tend to think it's an advanced player who has concealed their known handle and their abilities in order to attract fresh meat. As far as cheating, it's already known that people do use software. I know on one site where there are bots that are programmed to play games.

when a new player shows up and absolutely demolishes the competition? Especially when you don't recognize their name from any other sites. I always wonder if it's a previously top ranked player who created a new handle because it was probably hard for them to get new games. Then, you also have to question if they're possibly using a special software. Just wondering if there are other suspicious minds out there. (Elvis song pun intended :D)

The Col: What if you could deep fry it? :D

Roberto Silva: Right and even if I've lost the match, I can still get satisfaction out of trying to win the remaining game(s). Every game is an opportunity to hone your skills or learn something.

Carpe Diem: Always propose that option to your opponent rather than employing it on your own. This will give them a say in the matter. I think most people enjoy playing a game out, even in an otherwise losing cause.

ketchuplover: He still hasn't moved yet, OMG. By the way, I think he literally signed up for every single game in this particular tournament and I doubt he's moved once in any of them. This seems to be a problem that plagues BK. It does occur a little bit on other sites but never to this extreme.

Ack, I've got that horrible feeling now because I know a tournament that I started recently will go on for years because of this one person. Hasn't moved against anyone in the section yet, has started thousands of games and keeps signing up for more. Will probably end up hijacking hundreds of tournaments.

ketchuplover: I used to wait for Rabbitoid's demise during our Zero G games on GT but no such luck. That wabbit has more lives than a cat. lol :P

Gammonator: 5 wins match with like, 15 or so sections??? No wonder it's been going on for 6 years! lol Why would anyone design a tournament that would take so long? I don't get it. :P

Yes, I've played some of the longest games ever on this site, but slow players are by no means endemic to Brainking. They are pretty much on every site. It does hold up tournaments for me on here but I can play plenty of tournaments on other sites with less restrictions. Besides, sometimes I can be slow too (from burnout or move contemplation) but I once start moving quickly again that's usually a bad sign for my opponent. Sometimes I would think if anyone ever asked me to move faster in those phases, I would say, "Why are you in such a rush to lose?" LOL So, being on both sides, I can understand all the frustration. It's best to stick to the time limits that work best for each individual person and to avoid those players that frequently move too slow or timeout.