Fencer: I think you have mistaken what I am asking for. I am not asking for something to show everyones real names. I am sugesting the ability for the user if they know someones real name(I.E. my friends) they can type it in and it will show up instead of there silly nick name or beter yet have both show suck as "Mark D(sdgjksdgetj)" so you still know what to call them in public forems. Everyone else would see them as sdgjksdgetj. You may see him as "Big Guy(sdgjksdgetj) and someone else may see him as "cool man(sdgjksdgetj)". Each user would by default see him as sdgjksdgetj but people could if they wanted rename him to a name that only shows up for them.

In the three column display, could the Logout link be moved to the first group? It's one of the most frequnt actions yet is the hardest to reach.

playBunny: There's a logout link?

playBunny: My stats show that it's far below ShowGame, ShowMove and DoMove actions.

playBunny: You mean we are supposed to leave once in a while?

rod03801: I still don't get it. Unless you're on a shared computer I guess. Even then you just need to shut the browser, why bother clicking logout?

grenv: Might be playing in a cyper cafe

wellywales: That's what I meant by shared computer, but again: closing the browser does the same thing doesn't it?

grenv: If you log out actively is ended straight away, if you have one or more windows open.

Fencer: I hope so!

Grenv: It's part of a tidy-minded attitude but it's also a courtesy to my opponents. While I'm "browsing main page" they might expect me to make a move sometime and thus hang on when they could have gone and done something else. If I log out then my little green light goes out too and they know not to wait.

playBunny: and if you just close the browser it stays on for 5 minutes

wellywales: You mean I'm being nice for nothing? Gah! Well that only leaves tidy-mindedness and that's not even half the reason that the other was. I feel all let down now!

MidnightMcMedic: If ever a scrabble clone game was to appear here.
It should be accompanied with the choice of the official recognized dictionaries databases:
OWL/TWL98, OSPD2, OSPD3, OSPD4 and SOWPODS.
see:
http://thepixiepit.co.uk/scrabble/dictions.htm
--
also to service al of our community.
online are availalbe dictionary databases for:
Languages available: Dutch, English, French, German, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish
--
I have no doubt that if fencer has ever considred this,he has thought of all this.

Is is feasible to move the "Refresh" link to the bottom of the active games on the main page, rather than where it lives at the top right? It would provide an extra line or two with which we can see more of the games without scrolling down. It would be useful for people who can only play up to 20 games.
The feature doesn't get changed much once it is established, so that makes it low on the priority of visibility on the main page.

emmett: A difficulty with that, perhaps, is that the area is also used for a one-line tourney announcer/enticer. However, I have that 'tourney tip' turned off and I've not changed the refresh period in months so I second the request.

You're right about the tourney enticer. Thanks for your feedback, pB.

To spead up game play a little it would be nice if once your apponent accepts a game both players can set up there boards right away. Instead of player 1 seting up his then player 2 seting up theres.

mctrivia: Good point. I am currently waiting for my opponent to set up on our first game of Espionage. It is a long wait.

mctrivia: that's interesting, I could see where such a feature would be good . . . however, with the two player structure of the games here . . . is it possible?

ColonelCrockett: I don't know would have to ask Fencer.

emmett: If you're fast, and the other one takes his time deciding, it'll still be a wait, whether you do it simultaneously or not.

rabbitoid: but it can only go the limit of a single time control (not time control plus a few minutes like normally, or potentially two full time controls)

I would like to request that when you edit stairs (Fellowship stairs in my case), that you would also be allowed to add/remove different games from those stairs.

For example, in my ◙ The Gammon Cube ◙ Fellowship, I have stairs with all 6 gammon games. If you were to add a new gammon game to the site, it would be nice if I could add the new game to the current stairs which is already well on it's way.

(This might also be helpfull on site stairs for when you add new games to the site and would like to add them to the already made stairs)

I would like to be able to make notes visible to only myself in the pond games

Vikings: What notes?

Fencer: I think Vikings is talking about the ability to add secret notes, visible only to one self, like other games have (those that were recently upgraded )

Vikings:

I like this idea

Fencer: yes, just like other games , there are some things that it would be nice to keep track of and this would be the most convienent way,

If possible, I would like BrainKing.com to have statistics of what piece users have preferred to in each game by users' country, especially in Japanese chess and Chinese chess.
It will give some data in terms of the assumption that traditional piece prevents Westerners from learning an oriental board game.

takodori: Being able to figure out statistics like that on your aponent is what makes a good player. If the site gave it to you it would be taking a way a little of the skill involved.

takodori: That's such specialised knowledge that it makes no sense for BrainKing to provide it. Among the difficultes would be what "preferred" means. How is it judged? It's likely that it's something with a fuzzy definition and probably you'd want to play with it until it gave what you considered the most meaningful results. I imagine that the best solution, though practically impossible, is that of writing a program to do external analysis of the games.

If that's what makes a good player, I think fencer is very underrated in shogi. :)

frolind: Well that is one thing. Being able to use that information to your advantage is also important. Never played shogi though.

He was talking about the choice of appearance of the pieces. In shogi you can either have traditional or westernized pieces.

frolind: lol well in that case I totally misunderstood.

mctrivia: LOL. Aye that makes much better sense.

Is there any way, besides notepad, to have a list of tournaments signed up for, playing, etc...?
Thanks.

tinksbell: Profile, for example?

Fencer: Oops, Thanks :)

takodori: I use traditional pieces in Japanese, even though I am an anglophone. I often ask people which they prefer, and I consistently get "traditional" as an answer. I think what stops the average Westerner from playing more is simply ignorance. There is no popular forum in which shogi is usually introduced. I am from Canada, and am playing on BK because no one else in most cities I have lived in has even heard of shogi. When I play go in cafes, people always think it is pente....

takodori: I fail to see what is so complicated with answering this question. There's two choices, right? The Japanese characters or the ones with the Roman letters and piece direction movement indicators on them. Why not just ask Fencer how many people have chosen which ones they want to play with? Though some people may not be aware that they now have a choice, it should at least give you figure that you can then argue about.

By the way, I prefer the one with the Roman letters and directionals on it.

Walter Montego: Me too.

how i would loooove to see zylinder- (or sphere-)froglet here... . it would add that wonderful chaos to this game... fencer, plz tell me - wouldnt that be possible???

diogenes: Sphere Froglet.

diogenes, Fencer: A miracle of timing, or is this a double act?

playBunny: I think Fencer was keeping Sphere Froglet from us until its well-known (?) canvasser (sic) came out with his triggering (and, eventually, final) plea ;)

WhiteTower: Well, actually I started to implement it just after the post of diogenes, otherwise I would postpone it to January, at least.

Fencer: Aye, actually I was thinking that 'cos it was too coincidental otherwise. You've already got the Froglet and the wrap-around experience from other games so all the ingredients were there for the new recipe.

Er, can we have Sphere Backgammon, please?

playBunny: Oh COME ON!!! Better to have that circular monstrosity proposed earlier in this fine board :)

WhiteTower: