El Cid: I'm a mathematician and comuter scientist, and I know it would not be too resource consuming. It's not necessary to simulate the outcome of every game, and, it need only be done when a game finishes.

However, I already offered my help (not to this concrete problem, but to the site in general) and it was not welcome, so I won't do it again.

Fencer: Nobody is forced to use it.

And an opponent using it is indistinguishable from a quick player, so that shouldn't matter. (with the possible exception to fisher clock games)

tonyh: In a cubed game if I'm stuck, I still have two moves (pass and double). Even if one of them is very bad most of the time I wouldn't want the server to make that choice for me. Compare to chess, when there is only one move that saves from a checkmate, I'd still want to chose that myself.

I also think it should not depend on agreement, except in fischer clock games.

there should be a link somewhere to news for specific game types (like this one http://brainking.com/en/News?tp=93 ) without needing to guess and type the URL.

Fencer: it's not absolutely precise to say absolutely precise when you mean wrong

alanback: To clarify a misunderstanding: I care about the name of the game and would like to see it changed. I discussed this right after the game was introduced but Fencer sayed he didn't want to change it. Ok, for me this ends the discussion about the name of the brainking feature.

It doesn't end the discussion about which name is correct. In my post I only wanted to correct a mathematical error (that a sphere and a torus are equivalent), and btw, KotDB has described this perfectly. Last time I was too lazy to type a long explanation.

I hope this is now really my last post on this subject.

alanback: I know. I answered White Tower's post which started: "Sorry to be off-topic"

P.S. This will be my last post on this topic

alanback: I'm not arguing user interface details (BTW I was the first to suggest doughnut) but simply stating mathematical truth (a torus is NOT equivalent to a sphere).

WhiteTower: you might be correct with the non-mathematicians, but for mathematicians it's clear that sphere is wrong. torus is not "also valid" but it's the only valid thing

playBunny: with 50:50 the distribution of the final destination (on an empty board) is roughly a normal distribution (bell shaped); and of course this changes in the course of the game; so I'd guess it is NOT so much luck based as you think it is.

<img src="http://perso.wanadoo.fr/nantouillet/smiley/d
uel.gif">

Eriisa: Yes, that's true; and it's listed on the tournament page how many free slots are needed. But it is not on the page after you signed up to the tournament; it would be nice as a reminder, because the system allows you to sign up with less than the required number of free games but you are thrown out when the tourney starts.

it would be nice to see the number of needed free game slots (for pawns) in a tournament when already signed up (it's shown before one signs up)

Eriisa: 20 items 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)

excellent! The only thing missing is now the dice rolled. (and then to make it downloadable)

nobleheart: In a training game you'd also want to go back and try different variations; i.e. you should be able to takeback moves. In backgammon that also includes "what if the dice had been", therefore the ability to change them.
The ability to "play" (i.e. analyze) such a game against yourself would be nice.

Fencer, could you give us an update on the improved tournament system that is in development?

ColonelCrockett: yes, but the whole concept of a training game is that you can go back and forth through the game with your opponent (partner, teacher) and analyze the game.

I'd like to see the possibiliby of training games. A training game would have the following properties:
- unrated and untimed
- can be played against oneself
- can be deleted
- can takeback moves
- can manipulate dice in backgammon
- dark games should still be dark, because the opponent can tell parts of the position if this is needed.

I'd like to see three enhancements for fischer clock games on the main page:
- make them somehow visible (the red dot is also shown for other non-day-off games); it's important to know whether the time shown is for the next move or for the whole game
- show also the increment time (this would also somehow solve 1)
- show my time also if it's the opponent's turn

would it be possible to show the online status of players in tournament tables? E.g. using a green dot as on the main page.

I'd suggest to mark fischer clock games differently on the main page. Currently there is no visible difference to other no-day-off games.

I suggest using a different colour dot and also showing the bonus time. Currently this is only visible within the game.

grenv: yes, but I gave the definition of what chessmec already drew.

grenv: From http://www.m-w.com/
4 b : a round playing piece used in various games (as backgammon or go)

miuek: no need to be sorry. If someone criticises your English, just ask them to explain it in Slovak

BIG BAD WOLF: You are customer service, you should know :).
My guess is it adds one day

Summertop: http://brainking.com/en/Help?ht=13

playBunny: you may speak english, I learnt its grammar in school:
logging out - no tense
is logging out - present continuous tense
was logging out - past continuous tense
logged out - past tense

AbigailII: I'd like to have an API, so I can get the data in some program readable form. I'd like to do my own web pages and include information that I want, but as it is now I have to retrieve web pages and parse them. Possible but ugly. (And then Fencer changes the page slightly and my program stops working)

In the game list on the main page please add a column days/move. The time left is not enough to tell me the deadline for the next move (esp. when it's the opponent's turn)

Hrqls: perfectly clear. I'm a software developer myself so I'm used to hear confusing things :)

I always used the reply link in the last few messages and did not edit the subject

A new feature request:
When replying to a message that has "Re:" in the subject don't add another one

Hrqls: go to the main page instead of to the login page. In guest mode the entry fields for nickname/password are right at the top of the page

The flag would be nice to see on the discussion boards as well (and more important than the player's last action imho)

from http://www.excaliburelectronics.com/history0799.html

"In the 1970's, The US Chess Federation began a campaign to convert the US to algebraic notation, which had by then become standard in nearly all countries. The arguments for the change were several: that US books would then enjoy a bigger international market; that algebraic was less ambiguous and therefore produced fewer irretrievable game scores; that algebraic took less space and more games could therefore fit into fewer pages."

Bry: exactly

Luke Skywalker: seriously, mail forwarding to the registered e-mail address would be nice.

GeGe: And the next request is to send e-mail from/to the message box and have POP and IMAP access

I'd like to be able to see tournament games in a table similar to the running and finished games in people's profiles. It would include both player names, whose turn it is, whether it is still running or finished, the winner, time to move, online status. Game type and event are obviously not needed so there should be enough room for the additional information

Hannelore: Or he timed out in a different game before yours on the same day

In game lists, e.g. in the profile the list of finished games, show the BKR of the players

Rating positions as shown on the main page and on profile pages should also list the total number of players in the list, e.g. 23/77 or
23 of 77 like it is in the header of the rating table.
This would it make much easier to compare rating positions between games (that have different numbers of active players). Being number 23 in cylinder chess sounds more impressive than number 483 in chess, but 23/77 versus 483/1699 shows a more correct picture.

I think any BKR relevant action should count here, i.e. any move from the 3rd on in a rated game

Spirou: I said: (of course the opponent has to agree)
I think of a link similar to "resign" and "offer draw" that sends a take back request to the opponent. The opponent then has a link to accept, or he/she can make a move thereby rejecting the takeback

I'd like a possibility to take back moves (of course the opponent has to agree). Also an option to add more time to the game (when it's the opponent's turn) would be nice.
This would make it easier to have training games.

Partica: to avoid having to add them to the friends list or looking into every profile to find the same information

BuilderQ: Sure, but the link could be renamed.
Also, for some people, the list would be quite long. Could split the list into online (less than 5 min) and offline(more than 5 min).

the "online opponents" link shows the last action of the opponents if it is less than 5 minutes ago. I'd like it to show the last action no matter how long ago it was, similar to the way the "friends"-link works