I think that rating change should consider the number of points in the match.
Currently the rating change will be the same for 1 point Backgammon match and for example 3 points Backgammon match, which takes more time and skill to win.
Current system discourages players to play longer matches

Vikings: What revised message board?

alanback: I believe that Fencer has plans for a revised message board

Andersp: Sorry.... there was no intent at anything negative, it just might not have come out correctly in my written format. But I am sure there are some others out here who apreciate the lesson as well. I know I am confused with the language and it is my native tongue. I cant imagine how difficult it must be as a second language.

Again, I wanst laughing at you but the LOL was more of a chuckle that I understand how confusing it can be sometimes. Sorry if you felt I was trying to embarrass you...

Czuch Chuckers: i suppose you thought that more people and I needed the correction since you corrected me in a public "LOL-message" instead of a pm...i have noone blocked

Thanks for the score display, Fencer :)

alanback: Or, at least, the search feature on the top right of the board could search on message subject's as well... (and maybe even author name?)
Probably simpler to implement, and just as usefull

When a message board is active, a response sometimes is widely separated from the message to which it responds. (E.g. Fencer's message to Andersp). It would be nice to have a link to the previous message, or alternatively a button to "view thread" which would provide a list of all messages in the string.

Czuch Chuckers: Agreed. I struggle with French and German, and with the language of whatever country I happen to be in at the time . . . and always welcome assistance from the natives!

grenv:

Czuch Chuckers:

One die
Two dice
Three dices

pgt: I agree with pedro.... english is a complicated language, especially with context like die and dice, instead of dices. I have travelled a bit and I have found that most people who are trying to learn or improve their english do like to be "corrected". As long as it isnt meant to be critical or cruel.

pgt: I know how you mean it. It always depends on the intention with which the "corrector" corrects the "correctee". But I would just like to let everybody know that the more you correct my mistakes, the better! :)

Pedro Martínez: I'm always reluctant to correct mistakes in English for non-English speakers, because my Czech/German/Dutch/Greek/Italian or whatever is so much worse than their English!

Andersp: LOL @ Andersp.

However, I always appreciate when someone corrects my mistakes when writing English. You can improve your language skills this way, y'know?

Jump This: You can try your discussions on general chat as well.... I know one Iranian, Reza, who speaks english very competently, and is always very helpful in giving Americans (and others) a different perspective of the world. But you best bet, like BBW said, is to get a membership and join a fellowship. Although that type of forum doesnt include pawns and therefore does diminish the full scope of opinions. But is the quickest way to become a lying idiot! Sound like fun? *cough* up the cash ;)

Andersp: LOL.... dice is the plural of die, unless you have a machine that slices and dices your vegetables for you, or if the past tense is dead!

Andersp: This is a joke, isn't it?

Jump This: Well, you can always ask them directly... it just won't be available to everyone else, but it will satisfy your curiosity

Jump This: I agree with Jump This. It would be a great board to have.

* Edited to change good to great.

BIG BAD WOLF:Well,maybe you're right BBW,I realize this a game site and maybe it's not the proper place to discuss very serious issues that are going on in the world today.The only reason I made the suggestion is because I noticed this site has 47 players from Iran and 2 players from Iraq,considering what's taking place in that area of the world, I felt it would be very interesting to hear directly from those people using a discussion board format. I don't trust reports from the news media,I'd rather hear directly from the people who live there and I thought others would as well. I wasn't thinking about debating or arguing about political issues,I was just interested in getting information and a better understanding of certain issues. :-)

BIG BAD WOLF: Politics stems directly from culture. You will have the same problems with a cultural board as you would a political. Of course if things get too heated Fencer can use that handy-dandy delete key, LOL. :)

WhiteTower: World culture would be cool (as long as it stayed off politics as much as possible) - in my opinion.

BIG BAD WOLF: OK, then no debates or political stuff - Jump This mentioned mostly cultural attributes in his request. Let's say a World Culture board then. Or would that be too politically related as well?

Jump This: To have a public politics board will probable only lead to problems in my opinion. It would probable be dominated by a select few people, probable on the anti-bush, anti-optional war, etc.. type of talk.

If you are a paid member (knight or above), there is a "Debate club" fellowship which has it's own board to debate and talk about politics. I was pretty active in there until recent when I finaly got sick of the same idiot making up lies about what I have said and such that I finally left.

Anyway, I think many people are put off by political discussion boards, and would probable only lead to problems if one was put up on this site.

It would be great if BK had a "Political and World Events" discussion board.I think we can all learn more about what's going on in the world and what life is like in each country from the people who actually live there instead of getting second hand information from the news media.For example, as an American I would love to know what life is like in Iraq,Iran,Israel,etc.and how people from those countries view the war in Iraq and worldwide terrorism. (Jump This)

Eriisa: 20 items or more

Luke Skywalker: They don't add up, because some of them are using the retirement feature of the stairs!

Luke Skywalker: I don't know about the numbers adding up, but can you imagine how long that list is, once people are on 20 steps or more?

which leads to the question, why do the numbers not add up?

The stairs page shows the number of players for each game type, e.g. on the page http://brainking.com/en/Stairs?trg=1 you can see Backgammon (55). It would be nicer if this info contained the number of players on each step, e.g. Backgammon (55: 38/9/6/1)

The request has been noted. Please continue this conversation over on the Stairs Discussion Board.

Thanks! :-)

playBunny: well i would have liked the new stair system to have had a separate way of counting wins and losses like a percentage of wins , so that it was a separate system altogether . in my opinion it would have been alot more fun that way and anybody who was concerned about bkr ect would have no worries

I've become a shogi fan in the few games I've played, and recently found that there are many smaller and larger Shogi variants that look extremely intriguing to play. They range from the absurdly small (4x4 "nana" shogi) to the absurdly large (taikyoku shogi on a 36x36 board with 402 pieces per player). I'd be interested in both ends of the spectrum and all those in between, but there are a few that are especially intriguing:

Chu Shogi (12x12) - a good size, I think, and has an active following worldwide
Dai Shogi (15x15) - very large, but perhaps playable in a few hours
Daidai and Maka Daidai Shogi (17x17 and 19x19, respectively) and Tai shogi (25x25). some of the smaller variants sound interesting as well, and they range from 4x4 up to 9x9.

Would there be interest in getting more Shogi variants on BK? I'd vote for Chu and Dai immediately.

Czuch Chuckers: I think the ratings are being manipulated by players that refuse to play certain games, while others are willing to play anyone. Therefore they are being rendered meaningless.
At least if you were forced to play random people from time to time that would be somewhat addressed.

grenv: The point is that stairs were introduced as an alternative to the BKR or tournaments, it should therefore be seprate. If you dont care about ratings, then why do you bother slaming my request? If I were to play all my backgammon games with all lower bkr players where I would only gain a point or maybe none, my bkr would obviously go down. I Know because backgammon has so much of a luck element to it that people dont consider the bkr to mean that much anyway, but there are reasons to want to maintain a higher bkr anyway.

Maybe I will amend my request to only include single match stairs....

1) True. The right formula allows anyone to play anyone else equitably.

2) Too black and white. It means that the game (chase the ratings) is flawed, not that it's invalid.

3) I disagree. If some match results are fair and others are not then accuracy is compromised.

I'm not saying that Stairs matches shouldn't count towards ratings. I'm glad that they do, in fact. But I will stay away from the single-match Stairs (and also tournaments) until the day we get a proper Backgammon formula. And I'll keep pushing for that periodically despite everyone getting tired of it, me included.

playBunny:

If the ratings work properly it shouldn't matter how lowly the opponent is rated.

If the ratings don't work properly (as may be in backgammon) then it shouldn't matter what your rating is.

Either way I think the ratings will be more accurate and therefore more meaningful if EVERY competitive game played is counted.

Dryznik: This is actually the wrong board to be making such a request, as it's not about additions or changes to how the site works - the main topic of this board. However it's strangely appropriate because of the timing and the current topic, lol.

I'd recommend that you join all the Halma Stairs. That way you get to choose matches with the highest player available and they can't refuse. Stairs are a great way for a strong new player to get a high rating!

Welcome to BrainKing, Dryznik. I think you'll find that it's an experience way beyond what you're used to at the other sites.

I recently joined this site, therefore I am a low rated player. My favorite game is Halma 10; I had beaten some of the best Halma and Halma 10 players on IYT before dropping that site. I very much liked the way their Halma 10 tournaments were set up-most fair and challenging and all in the open. I'm holding my own here in my Halma games and have won most of my Halma and Halma 10 games on Goldtoken site, which I also recently joined. "Do I have any challengers for Halma 10?" The best are welcome in single or tournament play to take on this low rated player! ;~)

grenv: LOL.

Tired, sure, but I imagine you understand the point of view, even if it's not one that's matters to you.

For me the ratings are important because they are another game, and one that I can be keenly competitive about. Stairs is a new competition, also great fun. In these "meta-games" the actual matches are simply moves in the outer competition. This tiring discussion is about whether the resulting moves are appropriate. Naturally it's of no importance to those who don't care about the game and don't play it. ;-)

grenv: Speaking of ratings, I'm back at number 1 again. You up for a couple games? :)

playBunny: If I jump around happily will that help?



I'm just tired of people complaining about playing players with low ratings. I play all sorts of lower rated players without too much affect on my oh so important rating.

grenv: Wow, grenv, you sound so angry! Lighten up dude.

playBunny: Or how about the idea that the ratings actually mean something that has a material impact on your life and choose your opponents accordingly. Relax, it's just a game. Nobody cares what your stupid rating is.

grenv: Low rated players may not be bad players, just new to Brain King

grenv: I've got a worse idea! Let's use a Chess rating formula for Backgammon and other games with luck in them. That way the ratings can be unfair and wrong at the same time!

grenv: he must be joking :)

Czuch Chuckers: I think that's the worst idea I ever heard. If you play a competitive game it shouhld be rated. If you play a low rated player try beating them, that won't affect your rating.

Czuch Chuckers: Why dont you suggest that your games against higher rated players are rated and the games against lower (not worth) players are not rated...then you dont risk anything?