I look forward to a new big tournament!
My preference is for open fast.

Congratulations to Mark!

Nothingness:
if vacations are not allowed, I think it will not encourage me and a lot of players, because you can easily have any incovenience that prevents you from connecting to the site (sickness, holiday, work, connection breakdown,....).
It would be better to have a short time per move. Usually players can be very slow because they have hundreds of games running and they simply play the first one in the time list. They are always near the time limit.
The problem is: what is a short time for you?
For me it is 2 days, with vacation on.
Maybe it is too long for many others.

Dark Prince:
I also liked the corner version at IYT. I quitted the site because there wasn't anymore a message board and a lot of good players moved to BK.
I suggest a corner version with a 9x9 board, that would be in the middle between Open Espionage (10x10) and Small Espionage (8x8).
We should meet the requirements of a lot of players.

Nothingness:
I think a minimum number of moves with no capture is a good rule to force a draw, if one of the opponents claims for it:
1) it is simple to remember for everyone
2) it helps preventing games to go on years, when only a player is very slow
3) if two skilled and defensive players agree on going on, it does not oblige to end up the game as a draw, if no opponent asks for it.

I think the most important thing here is to help games to go on faster.

Chaos:
I agree this is not a bug, but the rules should explain this point in a clear way.

Chaos:
Thank you for the invite. I could pay for a short membership, but I just realized this tournament has a very short time limit. I can't join if time limit is less than 3 days.

Chaos:
would you also invite Nuno Miguel? He is at the top of our rating, but never joins League Events!

Chaos:
I'm in!
You know I'm not this fast, but I can make 1 move a day!

Chaos:
Good idea!
It's time to start another League event!

What about a rectangular 10x8 version?
25 pieces
5 moves (as in large espionage)
the board is large 10 and long 8

Are you still in time to put it in the poll?

Sandoz:
This 3-game-match variant is very fascinating, but I'm afraid it is quite complicated!
It would be difficult to implement for the programmer and also difficult to play for beginners.
I'm afraid only 10-15 players in the site would really play it!
I think extinction or atomic espionage would work easier and better!

Good post Mark!
I would also add a 10x8 board variant (10 is the width and 8 is the depth).

SL-Mark:
I never played Extinction or Atomic chess. I just read the rules and I think we can apply both variant to Espionage with success!
They both comply with "my requests" for the new variant: higher speed and different strategy.

SL-Bosse:
I did not even know about this chance of blocking users.
I discovered that you and Mark where in my blocklist!
Maybe it was because I lost a game with you some weeks ago... :-)
Now you are both removed and you can send a message if you like.

If the set of pieces is not fixed, but you may choose some of them, I'm afraid it will give two problems:
1) the strategy would not change much, because you don't know the set choosen by your opponent.
2) the uncertainty given by the unknown opponent's pieces would lead to a more difensive and slow game

The most important thing for me in a new variant is a higher speed of the game.

Nothingness:
I think the Corner variant already exists and it was very successful at IYT.
The game is faster than Open fast and the strategy is different.
If they could implement it at IYT, sure Fencer can do better at BK!
Is there anyone remembering the adress of the site with the example of the game? Rules at IYT don't show the "corner pattern " of the board.

Chaos:
maybe I will think about a paid membership.
If I purchase a membership for -let's say- 3 months and the team tournament lasts for more, what will happen later?
Can I go on with my games until they are completed?

I never joined a team tournament.
Can I enter only if a captain invites me in his team?

happy hermit:
This sounds like a good idea.
But how can you control this feature in BK?

SL-Bosse:
my vote is for 2 days, weekends on, vacation on.
Maybe a poll can be useful.........

rod03801:
someone knows something more about the S-B points?
The explanation given here at BK is not so clear.....

Dark Prince:
I'm sorry to see that my game with Brainsurfer is the last of the first round and it is not relevant for the second round.
It will not last for long, please don't ask me to resign now because I'm near to win.

happy hermit:
I agree a Hybrid tournament is still a big job for the volunteer administrator.
As a brain pawn, if I can't join next League event, I will pay for 3 months or give it up!

SL-Mark:
I consider this a bug. However, if it is well described in the game rules, I can accept to keep it as it is now.
Fencer gave his opinion that this is not a bug, but he did not promise to update the game rules.

SL-Bosse:
I look forward to a new league event, as I'm already out of the current ones!
:-)

SL-Mark:
thank you for admitting it!
I didn't know about this matter, that is a bug for me.
I think we should ask to fix it or at least to explain it in the game rules.

SL-Mark:
Did this happen in our game?
I'm taken notes about my unrevealed pieces!

happy hermit:
I followed all the thread about the identities of jonaron and quite man.
I'm afraid only people coming from IYT may read that.
Maybe someone should explain other players who really is quite man............

SL-Mark:
don't worry! I never make disguises in Open Fast.....
That "?" in F3 is exactly what it seems.......

SL-Mark:
in Italy we don't paint our face and we wear our usual shoes, but if we want to make a disguise you will not realize it in time!
;-)

Are Joseph-Gentle Killer and Nuno Miguel in the tournament?

Nothingness:
you say:
here is the dangerous part with vacations. many members get a lot of vacation time and set it on auto vacation they can literally be away from the game for 2 -3 weeks without a move and not time out!

I think this is not a big problem, because most slow players have hundreds of games running. With a fast time-limit, they will find our League game soon in the top of their list and they will become faster.

I never found a paid member not connecting for weeks.

Nothingness:
I also like to set a different time control for League events.
In IYT I was one of the slowest players, but here I found a lot of people much slower than me!
Maybe a 3-days limit, with weekends on (as usual here) may work. It's easy and you always have the chance of using vacation days.

Guys,
do you really play to gain achievements?
I play to win, if I gain achievements, that's OK, but I don't mind much about them.

happy hermit:
Sorry quiet man, I have too many games running at the moment. But I'd like to challenge you as soon as possible.
Please don't forget about this site!!!!
If you follow the thread of this board, you will see that the League is born again!
I hope to see you in next event......

Thank you to Chaos and Bosse for making this big tournament real.
Am I forgetting someone else?

Wow, it has started!
Everybody have fun!

Nothingness: I agree with you.
I usually make more than 1 move per day, but sometimes it may happen to lose some days or even 1 week.
On IYT you can change your time limit, but only out of a tournament: this is one of the reasons that made the League successful.
I believe a 3-days limit with vacations on may work: the game would be fast enough and you can avoid problems depending on weekend days or holidays.
I think this is a good compromise for the first "gran slam" tournaments.

Please remember what is my aim: recruiting more and more people for espionage tourneys.
Maybe we can choose some events with long time limit and some other with short limit.
We will see which is more successful.

OK, I found the answer myself here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer_clock

This is not for me, as I play slowly.
I always support 5 days with vacations on.

Thad:
what is the fisher clock?

I propose to choose (or create) one tournament a month as a sort of "Gran Slam Tournament", as it was in IYT.
All people reading this messageboard would like entering these tourneys and it would be easier to advertise them and recruiting more and more players week after week.
I kindly ask your feedback about time limit, kind of tourney (elimination, round robin, etc.), espionage variants.
Our aim should be finding more and more people joining tourneys.

SL-Bosse:
that link contains useful information about the beginning of the game and the importance of general 2 vs spy (or recon).
I believe it may be helpful for new players here in BK.
It would be great to keep this link up, even if the old League does not exist anymore.

SL-Bosse:
I remember about the pages speaking about tactics.
Are these pages still active?
Is there anyone who can remind us the link?

How can I write a link to this board in my messages during a game?

Nothingness:
I remember the Tourny you created some weeks ago: there were only 5 players signed up.
How can we find more people playing Espionage and potentially joining large tourneys?
Does everyone know about this message board?
If everyone reading this board speaks about it with all opponents, I believe it would be the best advertising.

Hallo to every Espionage players.
Not many of you know about me, because I play slowly and I have few games going on.
I came to BK some months ago coming from Its Your Turn.
I like this site much more, because there are more interesting features, such as ratings and statistics.
Unfortunately, here it is harder to find Espionage players.
Some weeks ago I posted an invitation in the waiting games and I ritired it after 20 days!
Most tournaments with long time limit have no signings for Espionage and its variants.
Can someone halp me in finding good tournaments with 5 or 7 days limit?

dAGGER:
the game is small fast!

Is there anyone willing to play this tournament?
All games; 5 players; fast start. #19

There are still 3 slots free!