BIG BAD WOLF: Yep, I understand that, BBW, but I have to wonder whether it's working. Another possibilty is that a Knight realises that they're so little better off than a Pawn that they might as well be one - and doesn't bother renewing. So Fencer loses the 60% rather than gaining the 40%.

My own subscription was a gift from a friend. I could not even afford to pay for my Knighthood, let alone a Rookhood. And the Sponsor a Pawn schemes (when done out of legitimate motives) are a recognition that money is not an abundant resource for some of the BrainKing customer base.

In the end the answer can only come out of Fencer's records. What are the renewal rates, and the conversion rate of Knights to Rooks, Rooks back to Knights and the like? I suspect that it's too early and the numbers are too low for any reliable conclusion.

In the meantime I make a plea for those who are Knights out of necessity but getting a deal that's out of proportion. Personally I don't care so much about the limits on number of games; as a speed player I only want a few active at a time anyway (thus I get many games completed within a day or so) but the tournament restriction is ridiculous if it means that I can only play one or two per year!

And I would love to be able to create tournaments for other speed players. As a Knight I can't create them myself but I can do it indirectly by asking a Rook to handle the admin. The restriction is thus not a real one, it's just an arbitrary hindrance. Given that creating a popular tournament series (and it would be likely to become so) is a benefit to the site, it could also be seen as a case of "cutting off the Knight in order to spite the site", as it were.


Fencer: I don't want you discussing it at all! It's not complicated, though it may seem that way if you're busy working. I'd like this certainly not minor matter to be given some thought at a later time. If it seems complicated then you don't understand what I'm saying and why. So only when you do, would I care for a response.

For Princess Alison it's simple: Just tell her that she will retrospectively be awarded her Brains when you make the change to the new system.

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