You know who and tournaments

The post that was quoted here has been removed

Probably vacation just needs to be ignored for these. The timebank will decrease anyway on vacation, so probably for 0 timeout tourneys (or maybe 0 timeout games in general), vacation should be ignored.

The post that was quoted here has been removed

I'm guessing that a 0/14 or whatever game should normally be played as quick as possible.

Even with the vacation flag up, your timeout and timebank go down. Without vacation, if you hit zero timebank + timeout, your opponent can time you out.

Vacation distorts that, as with vacation flags up, you can carry on playing, and your opponent cannot time you out, even though you have hit zero timebank. He has to wait for you to return from vacation, then he can make a move and time you out immediately (in a 0/N game).

So I would suggest that the only solution is to have vacation "not apply" to 0/N games: you could still be timed out in them, even with the vacation flag set.

I see 0/N as a special case, as there is no way for a player to make the single move to get back into "normal timeout" play. Do you have other suggestions for 0/N games and vacation?

Originally posted by TerrierJack
Why are people on vacation allowed to enter tournaments? How can you be unavailable and yet proclaim yourself ready to play in a tournament? Preventing this would go a long way towards slowing some people's abusive nature. (And I could actually enter a tournament without having to waste my time playing them.)

From a simian to an amoeba (and I mean that as a compliment) stop moaning and get with the programme.

You are asking for those on holiday to be prevented from entering a tournament just because it doesn't please you. WOW - buy the site and then run it as you feel it should be run!

Who would you prefer to enter a tournament

Player A who makes one move then places themselves on holiday for 3 weeks

or

Player B who is still on vacation, returns 2 days later and then moves at least once in the games every day.

As previously advised the vacation system was brought in following a subscriber vote. I really can't see Russ telling people they can't join a tournament when they are on vacation.

BTW I disagree with the vacation system however more folk agreed with it than disagreed so it was brought into play.

You just learn to live with it.

The post that was quoted here has been removed

Isn't the 2009 Championship a 0/60 in time? Then championship should be exempt from vacation rules?

The post that was quoted here has been removed

Maybe it was your suggestion I read, and recalled.

There is definitely the possibility of abuse here. Does anyone know if it has happened?

I have not seen the issue with Atri. can you post a link. Thx.

Originally posted by gezza
Maybe it was your suggestion I read, and recalled.

There is definitely the possibility of abuse here. Does anyone know if it has happened?

I have not seen the issue with Atri. can you post a link. Thx.

I got a lot of critics when I earlier said it's possible to abuse the vacation system. Now I don't care.

Originally posted by FabianFnas
Isn't the 2009 Championship a 0/60 in time? Then championship should be exempt from vacation rules?

The Championship should be changed to a saner time control. 😛

Originally posted by gezza
Maybe it was your suggestion I read, and recalled.

There is definitely the possibility of abuse here. Does anyone know if it has happened?

I have not seen the issue with Atri. can you post a link. Thx.

Two threads in Only Chess, both called Atri.

Originally posted by Kewpie
Two threads in Only Chess, both called Atri.

Thanks. I found Thread 112890 and Thread 112481
under tournaments. The site search worked when I knew what to look for.

The posts under site ideas did not refer back, so expect people to defend the advantages they know of the vacation system.

It is clear that someone is irritating a large number of people. I can now see why, and that you would like to see something done. The question is what?

Suggestions so far are to prevent tournament entry while on vacation, and to take down the vacation flag if enough moves are made.

I have already said why I think the first idea is wrong, a few posts back. If I am wrong, am I the only one who would like freedom to sign up / move occasionally while having limited access?

To quote from settings, vacation:
Note : You must move in all games at risk from timeout before your vacation period ends. You may need to book additional days to compensate. .
So in short, the intention of the vacation system was that you get back, move in all your games, and then take the flag down.

In short, you are looking for point fixes based on the "problem" you see before you. I am not involved, and I can only see issues with the suggestions.

Simply put, if used sensibly, the vacation system gives a useful benefit to subscribers. However, the system is open to abuse. Based on reports, some people appear to suggest that Atri is stalling in lost games to pump his rating, and using the vacation system to prevent the timeouts, and continue pumping. While doing this, he appears to be attempting to get the maximum possible number of games in parallel.

So now that I have seen some more background of the problem, let me offer a couple of suggestions to fix it:
- tourney mods - suggested before, but might be a solution here.
- impose an order on moves while the vacation flag is set : games with pending skulls first, then those with decreasing timebank.
- change vacation so that it does not apply to 0/N games
- do nothing - his vacation will run out real soon, and by Christmas you will be looking back and laughing at some fool pumping his rating (anyone else recall User 285560?) or trying to 1 million games at once.

I don't claim to have all (or even any!!) of the answers here. Maybe some of the ideas can give someone else a better idea. Criticise away!

Gezza

A different approach, which I've outlined in Thread 112890.

Should Russ have to create 1000 tournaments a month just to give everyone a chance to play, because a few clowns enrol in EVERY tournament just to add to their gameload record attempts? More tournaments isn't a solution as it will just give the clowns more opportunity to clog the servers. Instead, can we have a block on your ability to enter tournaments once your gameload passes, say, 1200 games?
*you have exceeded your maximum number of tournament games. Please complete at least 10 tournament games before trying again.*

I just still don't understand why someone needs to enter a tournament when the flag is flying - if you only have a few games that are timed-out then surely you can make moves in those games then drop your flag and enter any tournament you want and book your flag again the next day. It should be clear that atri cannot do this and this would easily prevent him from continuing to add more games that he will never play. What could it possibly cost someone who was trying to be considerate to others?

I just want to add that this is the only solution I've seen offered that would stop this insanity and still allow responsible people to play whatever number of games that they can handle (and it still wouldn't stop players from entering and playing in any tournament that they wanted.)

Several threads are now running on this topic, but I'm going to start another just to get some focus on the idea I believe is practical and sensible.