I've said this before, but the vacation system on RHP really is the crutch. (Everything else is great!)
We need a system where people are able to walk away from the site for a few days. I would propose something like you get a proper amount of vacation days that have to be used in chunks, and when starting a challenge there would be a yes/no option to respect vacation time.
For example: you could be allocated 24 vacation days, that have to be used in 3-day chunks, with mandatory 3-day notice-time, so that your opponents can choose whether to wait for you to go on vacation before they make a move. During your vacation time, in any games that are set to respect vacation, you would not be able to make any moves, and your opponents moves would be "sealed", until your vacation time is finished.
With a system like this, skulls should be automatic.
Originally posted by Sicilian SmaugBut there are other reasons than sick family to need a few days off..you could have irratic work schedules, family vacations, regular business trips, etc. etc.
But the joy of skull clicking would then be gone and so many enjoy it, it would be mean to them to take the ability to skull away.
Things are fine as they are, if you get skulled just deal with it, it's just a game, start another game and forget about it.
Worse things could happen, what's important is yours and your loved ones health, I think if yo ...[text shortened]... en how you going to cope when something genuinly bad happens? Bit of perspective needed here.
It's precisely because corr chess is *not* important in many people's lives, that a vacation system would vastly improve the site. It's a put-off to be in the middle of a good game and win/lose by a timeout.
Even if the system is abused by some, if we had three/four weeks vacation, how much abuse is that, on a game that would typically go 3-6 months in length anywas? I can see many people benefitting from a good vacation system, and few people losing from it.
Originally posted by Sicilian SmaugYou're right. The remedy of this is frozen games and sealed moves.
If it was not possible to skull when someone was on vacation then we would notice a massive rise in the number and length of people's vacations.
X doesn't want to lose to Y even though the position is completly lost, he likes his 1700 rating and doesn't want to resign and go back to 1680, his timebank has run out but it's ok he can drag it on for an ...[text shortened]... hile Y watches in anger as X is moving every day in every other game whilst on 'vacation'.
a vacation system would be almost exactly the same as timebanks, only less flexible and customizable. now you can choose different controls for different games, customize them to suit your current needs. one fixed timebank for all the games would be far less practical.
you could play with 28 day timebank, but for some incomprehensive reason some would like to replace that with 28 of 'vacation bank'. the others oth, would like to stop people from using the time that is allowed. the same time they themselves have agreeded when they started the game.
the only problem here is whining. automatic timeouts would take care of that. "ran out of time? too bad, game over. now forget it and move on."
it's only rating, it doesn't matter. really. it's like getting bothered over your daddy drinking all the imaginary tea your little sister made, not leaving you any.
Originally posted by FabianFnasYes, and rather replacing the time-bank with the vacation bank, I'd say have both!
Hmmm... 'vacation bank' ... well, that is a good word for what I might suggest.
The timeout period is the agreed upon time for a move. The timebank is extra 'thinking' time for individual games, as what happens in practice already, if not in theory, and the vacation bank is for extended time away from all of your games!
For me, the current system is completly fair, as Cludi has already said, there are internet cafe's everywhere.
I don't know where you live, but I bounce around Asia quite a lot, and no, there are not internet cafes everywhere, and frankly, there are times when RHP is the last thing on my mind.
Originally posted by bosintangEven in smaller places?
I don't know where you live, but I bounce around Asia quite a lot, and no, there are not internet cafes everywhere, and frankly, there are times when RHP is the last thing on my mind.
A vacation for me is just a vacation. A vacation for me is total relaxation. I don't want to have any obligation to do anything. 100% sun bathing or 100% climbing mountains or 100% snorkling. Or else it is not 100% vacation.
But that is my view only. I think shared with many but not with everybody.