would anyone like to challenge me in a game mancala, if you are waiting?

VA_M.O.N.E.Y.: To add a couple of things to what rod said,

Think of a turn-based games site like way-back when people use to play chess by the mail. That is they would make a move, then send a postcard through the mail to someone who in turn made a move and sent them the move back and forth through the mail.

So a lot of people will sign on, make moves on the games they have, then leave the site. Then maybe the next day, they will sign back on and see what moves they have waiting for them.

Like rod mentioned, there are even faster time limits (like complete games within 1 hour), but in my opinion - if you like live games, there are other game sites out there that offer live games. But turn-based games might grow on you. Give it a try - that is, start some games - make your moves - then come back tomorrow and check to see what games have moves waiting.

VA_M.O.N.E.Y.: Lots of things have to be taken into account, firstly they might not even be on the site when you challenged them, also they might have a lot of games to play and yours will be delt to in the process of time. Stay cool lifes to short to speed it up.

VA_M.O.N.E.Y.: I guess you have never been part of a turn based game site. That IS how things work. You have a time limit per move.

You will find it is RARE to NOT have people take a few hours before they move.. In fact it not rare that it be days between moves. That is the nature of the turn based game site. It is for people who WANT that type of flexibility. You need to choose your time limits wisely, ALWAYS expecting that many of your opponents could take the entire time allotted to them.

oh, i didn't know that the games weren't live so my bad for that one.... but regardless of how they want to " spend their time" i should not have to wait 3 hours for my opponent to play when you in a tournament...right? whatsup with that?

VA_M.O.N.E.Y.: You only joined this site 3 or 4 hours ago! Patience!. This is a turn based game site, not LIVE games. You need to expect that people will possibly take the time alotted to them.

And fakar10 is right, people CAN'T turn down Stairs challenges.

And posts of this type are generally frowned upon on Brainking.

VA_M.O.N.E.Y.:
1. Relax.
2. This doesn't sound like a Stairs issue, since your opponent couldn't turn down your challenge.
3. Relax..
4. Your opponents are free to spend their time however they want to.
5. Relax...

what the hell is the point of excepting a game if you're not going to play it. so for future reference don't except my invitation if you are going take 1000 years to make your move and play!!!!!!!

Family Man: Yes i agree, i have just had to go through all my stairs to put myself on retirement, due to my forthcoming holiday

Okay, I just looked at the rules for stairs and it doesnt say anywhere that you can automatically be put on retirement. Well when I came back on after about a month away with computer problem I was on retirement in all of my stairs. Also I just went in to remove my retirement and it was a long painstaking requirement.

There should be some way to end retirement in all stairs at one time please!

rod03801: I did not start my retirement, and I dont know how to end it either.

Will there be a link for me to use once the 7 days are finished?

Family Man: This is from the Stairs rules:

9) If you want to take a break from the Stairs but you don't want to leave completely (as described in the previous point), you can use a Retirement:

* When you set a Retirement, your Step position will be hidden for other players and they cannot challenge you.
* You must finish your started games even if you set a Retirement and the wins/loses still count and change your Step position (although it is hidden).
* You cannot end the Retirement until at least 7 days pass. After you finish the Retirement, you cannot start a new one within 14 days

I have been put on retirement from all my stairs when my computer was down. It says that my earliest time to come off retirement is May 7th. How do I activate this to happen please?

Andersp: I'll have to try it with somebody I know - Thanks for ALL the info

srnity: I guess it doesnt change anything in that game

Andersp: Ok, so if they have autopass and I have autopass, it just automatically uses itself, yes?...So what happens if it's turned off in the middle of a game tho?...by either player, that is...

srnity: No..you dont need to "ask", but if you challenge an opponent who has "no autopass" in settings than you cant use it either.  So in fact its your opponent who decides if your settings are in use or not....fair?...ask Fencer :)

Andersp: So I just went and selected autopass, but it's only available for backgammon and variants, right? And do I really have to "ask" each opponent if it's okey to use with them?

srnity: Would be nice if we could see the opponents settings before we challenge him/her

Andersp: Yeah, which makes autopass a pretty useless feature if you ask me. I've set my setting to autopass as soon as it was possible, but so far, I've yet to encounter an opponent that lets me play with it.

Perhaps I should change strategy. Whenever I have to use pass manually I wait till just before my time runs out. ;-)

Andersp: Ohhhhh, got it - thanks

srnity: No..i mean that it doesnt matter what your settings are if your opponent doesnt want autopass.

Andersp: You mean before my first move? Can you switch it back off after you put it on - in the middle of a game, for instance?

srnity: But remember to ask your opponent for permission to use it 

srnity: All of them.
Settings / Game Filter.

Fencer: Good to know - for ALL Stairs, then, even "dotted" ones? May I ask where do I go to get info to sign up for autopass?

Fencer: thanks :)

Andersp: Yes. If both players have the autopass set on their Settings page, the game will be played with it.

Fencer: Did you make any decisions yet?

Luke Skywalker: Why not use auto-pass for fisher-timed games?

I mean I guess I always try to play for win/loss, and not timeout of my opponent - so if an auto-pass can help keep a game going even if it's fisher-timed game, I can only see that as a disadvantage to those who try to wait until their opponent is off-line to play their move in the hopes to get them to time out.... which I guess is one way of doing things but what is the point of playing games if you are not going to let your opponent move? OK, sorry... i'm getting off on a tangent.... I try to not even play fisher-timed games anyway...

Fencer: actually, no. You can as well go to sleep and relax, leaving the game sitting when it's your turn ..

except - I agree with you for fisher-time games. Also hexkid's automover doesn't move in those games.

BIG BAD WOLF: Wrong. I won't be happy because the autopass would force me to make a move again instead of going to sleep and relax for several hours before you log in to make the pass move manually.

Luke Skywalker: I was about to write almost the exact same thing on this discussion on Feature Request, but decided to read the other boards before replying - and you said almost exactly what I was thinking also.

For example - I like to use AutoPass, and Fencer does not - we have a game together - if Fencer makes a move, and goes to me - let the system autopass it (if it can) and give it back to Fencer to make a move. In this way, Fencer is happy that he does not have to use autopass, and I'm happy because I can use autopass.

Anyway, the exact 3 things you listed is exactly what I would love to see also. Even though I don't like the idea of an opponent being able to just write " . " as a message to mess me up since you know there will be a few users who just like to cause problems who would do that.... but that can be a suggestion later down the road - to autopass even if there is a new message (with the reply of "Opponenet autopassed without reading last message" sent back) - but again, that suggestion can wait for now.

Luke Skywalker: Very well.

Luke Skywalker: Yeah, I agree with Luke here. I had always imagined autopass as a player attribute and not an attribute of a game. After all, how could a player object against his opponent using autopass? From a player's point of view there's no difference between a pass made automatically, or a pass made by a quick player.

Fencer: why so complicated?

Instead of an option in the invitation, which makes it difficult for stairs, tournaments, and impossible to change for running games, I suggest:

• An option in the settings for each player: use autopass (yes/no)
  
• In a game show whether the opponent uses autopass
  
• A player can prohibit an opponent's autopass by sending a game message (as already implemented)
  </ul>

As you might have noticed, we have recently introduced the auto pass feature for backgammon games. When a player accepts a game invitation, he can choose if he agrees to play with auto pass or not.
However, this system doesn't work with Stairs because there are no invitations to accept/reject. There are two possible solutions of the problem:

• All Stairs games will be played with auto pass by default. Who joins Stairs, must accept this rule.
• Players will be able to specify whether they want to play Stairs games with the auto pass or not. Then, when a new Stairs game is created, it will use the auto pass feature only if both players have this option set to "accept".

Comments?

~Tommes Pommes~: If someone challenges you (which you can only be challenged by 1 person at a time), the game will automatically start - so no, there is no way to decline a stair game.

Hello, if someone invites me to a stair-game - can I say No to the invite or must I accept it?

BIG BAD WOLF: I was in a stair but went out of it when I see. that I can't challenge every player.
But I think the answer before yours is a good help: "...challange anyone in your step that isn't currently involved in a stairs match..."
But thanks for your help!

Tommes_Pommes: I'm looking at your profile, and don't see you involved in any stairs. Are you currently retired or something?

you should be able to challange anyone in your step that isn't currently involved in a stairs match or resigning from the stairs.

Why can't I choose any player from my step?

whirlybabe: I don't want to create more public stairs but there is a possibility to make any kind of stairs in fellowships.

Could there be 3-wins stairs, please?

alanback: My "crime" was that i said something about Fencer's autopasspromise..i deleted that post

Fencer: What's off topic about "Yup"?

Fencer: sorry, this board should of course be as much on topic as BrainKing.com is

Andersp: No off topic please. This board is about Stairs.

Andersp: I mean, tomorrow it will be 14 days.