ThunderGr: I treat everyone the same whether they are non paying members or paying members. I move as fast as I can within the time limits if not sooner. If I am losing I don't slow down and sometimes if I am losing badly I resign the game to save wasting time. Each to their own we all have other commitment in our daily lives that can mean we sometimes can't play for some reason or another.

For my 2 cents worth here, I too play against paying and non paying members.  I pay for a membership and I play a lot of games that is the purpose of my membership.  I play usually only 3 or 4 day time limit games I rarely take 7 days tournaments because for my liking they are too slow and I always play those games last.  Time limits are a personal choice.   To those that only play a few games and want moves made several times a day I suggest you post games in the waiting room or choose game from there with a 1 day limit.  The beauty of this site is there is a time limit that suits everyone.  This is one of my favourite sites, I play several times a day, but sometimes real life effects how many moves I make a day.  There are several of us that play lots of games and again that is our right with a membership.  There are less and less fellowships now that post tournaments not like in the old days.  I used to post new tournaments in the tournament section where everyone could join, and found there are fewer and fewer people here that wish to play, as a result when someone else posts a tournament I join.     I have never had a problem with anyone who plays within the time limits.  So to those that complain, I suggest buy a membership if you can, if that is not possible post really quick games in the waiting room.

beach: Again I agree with you totally.

beach: I generally agree. Everyone is free to join in a game or tournament, and if you do so and not read or understand the time settings, it is your fault, and you should not blame others for it.
Yes, I do not like to have 100 or so games hanging around from 2012 and earlier, which move every 29.9 days only, but if it really bothers me, I should not have joined them to begin with. It is like in real life - if you buy a broken car that is advertised as such, you got a broken car, so nobody to blame except yourself.

Regarding beach's point to the tournaments (which I find much more interesting and fruitful to discuss): I have the feeling that the tournament list has been taken over by an enormous amount of numbered the-same-all-over-again tournaments, that nobody ever signs up for. I often spent half an hour trying to find a tournament to join, but all of them are the same, and have only one or two players waiting. I think we should target quality before quantity, and then people would join again. But again, yes, I understand that a paying member bought the right to create a gazillion useless identical tournaments. So be it. I hope you get happy with it.

One side note: I would join a lot more Backgammon-variant tournaments, if they would not be created as one-pointers. Any serious backgammon player knows that the game needs the cube, and playing only one single game is too much random winning. So please, when you create backgammon type tournaments, use at least 5 points (or more), and allow the cube, and you will get more players.

Aganju: Once again I agree with you totally What I did like was your suggestion about Backgammon variants tournaments. I don't really like playing single games as it can be too one sided sometimes and over very soon. I like playing 3 and 5 or more points games too. How about you setting one up then for us?

Aganju:
I do agree the tournament system is one of the weaker parts of Brainking, and it seems to be a case of the inmates running the asylum. The plus side is that you can create an endless variety of tournaments, but right now there is an endless list of the same tournament. Some sites simply set up a fixed number of tournaments each week, or there is only one open one at a time. I would prefer this as you would probably get more people entering each tournament if there was only 1 to enter. It does limit the variety on the time per move, clock type etc which is Brainking’s strength and well as its weakness.

Justaminute:   it would be nice to have different people creating different tournaments not everyone likes the same games.  As for having one auto generated tournament (similar to IYT)  the tournament set up here is the one I like the best I like the option of being able to create a tournament when I want to.  The situation on the current board was discussed several months ago with fencer on here.  I thought he was going to make some changes.  There are less and less people playing on this site which I think is part of the problem with the tournament section.  I used to post tournaments with different variations and games (although always 3 day limit) but found I couldn't get 8 people to sign up so the tournaments could run.  A problem with the current board is tournaments staying on after scheduled start date.  My personal opinion is that when a tournament is supposed to start it either starts or should get deleted, it shouldn't be able to sit on the board for another 30 days waiting for people to sign up. 

beach: It is often the case that people will not sign to a tournament starting, say, in 3 days but they would sign on one that is about to start as soon as the minimum number of participants sign up.
I've had most of my tournaments starting up while past the starting up time.

I think the waiting period before deletion is a good thing.

What we need is a new feature: CTRL, ALT, Zap! Then we can send a slight shock to the slower players and help them along! j/k ! I don't like playing slow players either. When I had lots of games it didn't matter but now it shows. However, I do recognize that I have choices and I shouldn't impose my play preferences on others. So my attitude has changed. I can choose to play in faster tourneys only. Guess what? It works! ;) Even an old fart like me can learn something new!

Some of you people crack me up, you know that? As if all non-paying players are somehow beneath you and warrant contempt. I have never seen a snootier membership base on any board game site. As if Brainking is soooo much better than all the other sites. Well, it's not and the declining numbers bear that out. BK falls behind IYT and GT in many aspects. Since 2008, I have played regularly at all three sites and I also used to frequent Little Golem and YourTurnMyTurn. Same name, same person. So, I'm not just speaking off-hand here. I know all these sites very well and I have always felt that BK offered the least value to me. In terms of tournament play, I get a lot more competition on IYT and at a much faster pace. Same with the ladders. It's become a running joke that BK has the slowest players around. I can face the best competition in the world on Little Golem (in Go Moku and Connect 6, anyway). If what I want is a real sense of community with down-to-earth and humble people then I know GT is the place for me (and I have been a paid member there). Not only that, but GT innovates more than anyone else. They are constantly introducing new games and variants and updating site features. My intent here is not to belittle BK but to make some of you understand that it's not worth it for some of us "freeloaders" to join your fiefdom. However, I am happy to be exposed to as many advertisements as can make money for Fencer in exchange for a few free games of Frog Finder. The funny thing is I remember when everything on the internet was free in the early 00's and nobody was calling anyone names then. ;)

JerNYC: As I stated in a previous post each to their own. I still think this site is the best to play in for layout etc. IYT no longer have discussion boards and runs very slow for me. and I can't understand Goldtokens layouts so don't bother with the discussion boards. Granted Goldtoken is upgrading and improving the site and if things do fail the owner does extend membership sometimes. If this site is losing members it has to be because Fencer has shown no interest in this site anymore which is a pity.

crosseyed: hear, hear...I agree with what you have said :)

JerNYC:
I apologise for using the emotive term freeloader.

I was specifically attacking those individuals who try to get something for nothing, by complaining about people not moving fast enough, thereby enjoying increased benefits for themselves to the detriment of others.

If you play in an over the board chess tournament, for example, you don’t get your opponent complaining that you are not moving fast enough. If you play so slowly you run out of time you lose the game. It is the same here.

I was not attacking those who simply play their games and have the common sense to chose clock times that suit themselves, rather than expect others to adhere to there terms.

Again, I apologise for using the term which was overly emotional.

JerNYC: That was a pretty "snooty" post coming from someone complaining of a "snooty" membership base.
And sorry, but EVERY turn based site has people complaining of "the slower players". Even at the sites you list.

I, along with most of the paid membership base, certainly do appreciate the free players as well. It's only common sense that the base of available opponents would be pretty small if only paid members could play here.

most of the free players are also paying members...lol

Bwild:

???

I tried for years to get people to make a big thing about slow players and I was just told that they are playing with in the rules. So, I made my mind up to start playing like them. And now I still see the same talk about slow play. Like I was told just get over it. My games will run out some day. But I understand that this site is up for sell. So, I hope all the pay members don't have to start over and that goes for the forever membership. Well that my say so back to my corner.
Oh, this i my first post in over a year. Hope everyone don't start jumping on me. This is from a passed member but the site did not want to help out and they know what I'm talking about. And I know this will get removed so no biggie to me...

Bwild: Do you mean someone paid for their membership?

crosseyed:
He means they are multi-nics

alexlee: I understand now thank you.

DeaD man WalkiN:get over it gone with your gamrs

I remember this club being formed about ten years ago in response to some of the very things I have been reading on this discussion board lately and someone drafted me into it. I imagine that any of the players still using BrainKing might move regularly.
****** HerculesBeast *****
It was a dedicated bunch at the time and it was not a fellowship so that all members of BrainKing could join it.

I just looked at this club. It seems it is not maintained any more since 2006. Perhaps some of you that want regular or quick moving opponents without having to set short time controls might be interested in doing something similar? And this is the issue, right? Wanting fast moving opponents without setting short time control parameters? I ask this, because it is quite easy to set short time controls or use the Fischer Clock, so what else is all the complaining about? The Fischer Clock has the tremendous advantage of having the game end eventually. Its big disadvantage is when you are going to be away from the computer for many days or weeks. It'd be nice if there was a way to freeze the game while this happens, say something that would require both opponents to agree to it, and then pick up the game when you return, but we don't have that option. As for the other timing method, I know I have 45 days of vacation and weekend days off too and I could take over a year to make 2 moves in a 7 day per move game depending on when my opponent moves.

I only have 15 running games at this moment. Yes, I am a Life Rook Member and I could choose to play hundreds of games. Each of us uses the site in the manner that leads to our enjoyment. My way is different, and it'd be very presumptuous of me to say it is better than someone else's way. Each game site has certain benefits and parameters built into it that might change over time. No matter which site a person is a member of it is up to that person to use the site as he can within the workings the site owner sets up. Fairly obvious, but it seems to get lost in the arguing of what we have as compared to what we think we have. I am no fan of people that use the clock as part of their strategy for winning a game, nor those people that have hundreds or even thousands of games who are more or less forced to let the clock almost run out as they race to move before the time out occurs are aggravating to me for different reasons. So I avoid playing both of these types of clock users. I drop out of joining a tournament when I see one or more of these types of players on the list and the tournament is not timed with a Fischer Clock. Even with just these few games running I often make over one hundred moves in a day, though it is obviously not just me that must move. So if your opponents move too slow, get different opponents or stop playing and do something else.

As for what's wrong with BrainKing. It is easy to spot its decline in fun, especially for those who have much fun using the discussion boards. The creation of the Global Moderators and powers that Fencer gave them. These boards used to be very lively places of discourse and humor, but not since that happened. Stifling self-censorship has made people just not write any more, let alone moderator censorship. This is something that completely changed how I went about posting to these discussion boards. Having one of these people just delete a post of mine without any recourse or remorse. Yes, I'm chancing that with this post, but them's the breaks. With the rise of Facebook and Twitter, I imagine that the writers of us won't be coming back here to this limited audience any time soon.

I suppose the other thing is that Fencer has changed, but we all have things in our lives that change. If I had the money, I might buy the site, but then what? I do not program computers and it'd be a mess until I learned how to.

Walter Montego: I would say "ditto" to your remarks ;)

Walter Montego: A very enlightening and insightful post. Thank you.

Walter Montego: When IYT removed the boards they also lost interest in the players.. that is probably why Pogo and other gaming sites are desired.. I know when I get online to play my games I do so to get rid of stress and escape the crap going on in my world at times.. I enjoyed the times we had on the boards uncensored .. so what if a cuss word got on the board. It isn't like the youth don't know the words .. heck most times they are the ones teaching us the new lingo. It was a way to vent and escape.. when it was taken away there is no surprise the site went downhill.. 

ScarletRose: Yes, lots of fun in the old Gothic Chess discussion board. I learned some Latin back then, such as "ad hominem". :) Many emotions, different sides, and characters involved, but it has been very quiet after the whole "Bumble Affair" died down.

I still like this site for playing the games. Hard to find Dark Chess elsewhere though IYT has it, and this is the only place that has Embassy Chess. Plus there's lots of other games. I do not visit other sites as this one is enough for me, but I'm sure there's good ones out there. There's features in BrainKing that I'm sure other sites do not have, but I'm just speculating. There's plenty of things here that could be added or improved, but it works for me as is.

Walter Montego: what is quick player's club? how fast a move? 3 days? ha ha

DeaD man WalkiN: And I know this will get removed so no biggie to me.....@ the end of ur post.dated 7 June 2014
you still worry abt that your post will be removed
the only way your post won't be removed you have to say something they like to see. for example: this site is the best online site you know.....

435152: feel free to start a new club with even faster time controls

just post the rules of that club on your profile, and a list of the members .. and make sure everyone on that list obeys the rules, otherwise you will remove them

Hrqls: thanks.
the regular game should be finished in hours and the fast game in minutes. i don't think people are this type of player.
sorry i can't start a new club like that. no one will join...just leave those guys enjoy the way they play and what type of player they are.

Hrqls: I think it would be cool if every player has a numebr showing in his profile that shows the average time -to-move for him. Easy to calculate for the database.
And then, of course, when you create a tournament, you can limit this value.

Being in a voluntary club and 'making a promise' is one thing, but why have humans patrol and policy this? So much easier if the computer does it.

435152: I think you are not considering people that still have a work life or whatever - not everybody is online 16 hours a day and has time to play. I consider myself a very fast player, and I typically make all my moves 4 - 6 times a day, but still I could not finish a game within hours.

4-6 moves a day and you consider yourself a very fast player? for me it only take 1/2 hour the most. max 5 minutes per move.
who need 16 hours online to finish a game?
the problem is you don't have the ability to find the move over the board.

435152: Nope. The problem is that some people have to go to work, shopping, spend time with their family, etc.
In addition, some people have hundreds or thousands of games and it takes time to make a move in all of them.

Obviously, you are very inconsiderate about the conditions of other players.

435152:
Your stats are interesting.

33 games played in total and none current. The last game was played in 2009. Posts to boards, 103.

Complaining if you have an active interest in the site is one thing. But your stats don’t support that.

Justaminute: Nice catch . He could have another account, though.

ThunderGr: Probably but I dont think that is current either. Most of the posts were to the chinese Chess board so the style and nature of the posts will be familiar to readers of that board.

435152: Either your English is really bad, or you are a rude idiot.
I said I make ALL MY MOVES 4 - 6 times a day, that means i play all the moves I can make in all games , until none is remaining. And I think you sound like a rude idiot because you assume others 'cannot find the moves' like you obviously can. Before you state such offensive nonsense, you should check first. Obviously, the only thing yuo ever learned to play is Chinese chess, and that seems to make you qualified to talk about move speed in other games.

Justaminute: Maybe he/she was swallowed into a Black Hole and doesn't know it....yet

I think the problem here is people don't seem to understand that Brainking is not supposed to be a replacement for board games, it's supposed to be a replacement to "mail chess" - that old system where you'd send an e-mail to a friend with your move, then he'd e-mail you back with the next move, and so on. If you expect to play an entire game from start to finish in half an hour, then I'm sorry but you're on the wrong site. And that isn't the players' fault, they play on the site the way it's meant to be played.

Let's please refrain from name calling.
He has definitely gone on and on about this stuff, and "quit" the site several years ago when he was asked to stop spamming discussion boards with the SAME rants over and over again. Then he came back under another name, and proceeded to do the same thing, and was given the same request. You may recognize another name that has more recently given the same complaints as this name. (Unless his posts were removed, I don't recall now) I have sent him a PM and reminded him that he has been given plenty of notice about "spamming" and it won't be tolerated this time either. (Not that he has done exactly that yet)

We should all remember, as Roberto said, that this sort of issue will always come up with turn based sites. It is just a "fact of life" that we all have to deal with different playing styles/habits.
For some reason, this person has never quite gotten over the fact that this is NOT real time and over the board playing.

rod03801:  well said!

435152: If you want quick games like that then you should go to POGO or other sites that offer you to sit in a room with your opponents and play out the game.. This site is different from that so either deal with it or leave.. 

ScarletRose:

Papa Zoom: 

ScarletRose: BK Rulez

speachless: I just read your heated rant regarding my innocent post in which I dared to question the generous nature of the BK time controls. Good Lord you're quite verbose for someone named 'speechless' (or speachless, but that's not English grammar) . I stand by my post and its tone, I simply expressed my opinion so keep your shirt on, it's easy to feel like a Ninja while sitting comfortably and feverishly typing on a keyboard with a nice cup of tea at hand. I hope you keep enjoying BK as much as I do and that you keep playing at the pace that best suits your capabilities.

Dice Cheater: i can stand behind every single word i wrote to you, and as i can see from the posts you generated after your complaining about slow players, i think there are enough people thinking similar as i do.

and btw: thx that you made me "aware" that my nickname speachless isn't english grammar - well it's because it's just a nick and didn't need to have the definition of speechless. but if you think you need to point up, go on feel free to show us your "innocent" posts again...