iphones/ipods etc what do you want to see/ any suggestions

[stog]

hi are you user, or someone who plays mobile users --- what do you want to see/ any suggestions

"they can't type and play and answer the phone at the same time, so tend to be insular when they r playing and tend to drop more"

comments include..
talkinaway shouts: or maybe a shared second verson of FIBS...iPHONEFIBS so they can playa against each other
Patti shouts: If they start overwhelming the regular players, I'll find a way to shunt them to a separate server.
Patti shouts: It's because they drop, basically.  They have less stable connections, but they're also less tied to the culture of the server.
Patti shouts: Some of them are responsible (same as Odesys) but a lot are hit-and-run.
dorbel shouts: Its a source of new blood BT
dorbel shouts: always welcome
dorbel shouts: you dont have to play them

also have a look at this thread in droppers here

.... they get phone calls / can't type and so when they play desktop users who haven't realised that they are mobile users - then hackles r raised.

clients are now flagged as "mobile users - may be flaky" and "OdesysMobile" for a reason

but if i was in an airport on a 10 hour wait - i'd love to play backgammon on my iphone

but maybe not while i was in a queue in the supermarket!!

Patti is looking into this and may at a future date redirect mobile users to a seperate server

as they don't regularly integrate into fibs as we know it, but as dorbel correctly noted they are the new blood and they are a sizeable % of accounts now


check what client your invite comes from / "ask" repbot for a rep and you are sorted

have a wonderful new year

[adrian]

@ Dorbel:

When was the last time you played a mobile user, AND the game pace/quality was satisfactory for your standards?
Play them and speak after.

[diane]

I would like clients to offer the possibility to filter invites automatically.  So, instead of me having to set every mobile player as a villain to avoid seeing their invites [which isn't a perfect solution by any means], I would rather I could tell my client that I simply don't want top see any invites from players on certain clients....is that possible?

I have made a policy of playing all comers to fibs across the years - newbies struggle to find good opponents, and I would offer guidance and a positive experience to any who needed it.  After many many many bad experiences with Odesys and a few with iPhones - since I gave up much more quickly based on previous experience, I just don't want to bother.  At best it is a slow and cranky match, with little chat and interaction, at worst they take hours and end in a drop.  For me it just isn't worth it, anyone who really wants to play will sit down and give the match their attention, rather than filling in a quick five minutes while waiting for a train or whatever - then dropping when said train arrives, or a friend calls for a chat.

[stog]

good post diane - i asked around but..

one thing i didn't know i could do, was (in javafibs) to rearrange the columns so that clients is now my third column and easily visible in my window - simply drag the heading..

(i believe we must ask Peter if we want something for javafibs)

[diane]

Yes, I do rearrange all my columns in javafibs - the last login time for freinds, if you are using that to find league opponents, then the times they log in are handy to know, and 'opponent' is my third column in the player table, from running tourneys - that makes it way easier to quickly check that the right people are playing each other    I do have 'client' as a major column, easy to view on my player table, but this still takes a fair bit of manual input, cross checking invites to players.

That brings me to the fact that the invite table [which I have also rearranged to make a big deal out of the host column] doesnt contain a 'client' column, only the 'host' column.  So when the Odesys are tagged with 'phone user, may be flakey', it works fine. But if that hasn't caught up with them yet, it doesnt - and that has caught me out a few times.  Also, iPhone users have no such tag, so you either have to learn the host, which, for me is just a bunch of numbers  or manually check each time, which slows the whole process down. 

Those are my current techniques for filtering them out, but I was just hoping that there might be a more automatic way of doing it, as this is all a bit long hand.

Also, I put the request here, rather than in javafibs, because I was addressing it to all client writers really, it would be a nifty feature in all of the current ones, and future ones [unless the plans to divert them to a separate server are imminent, which I also think is a fine idea btw]

[spielberg]

I'm less altruistic than diane - I've always made an effort to play newbies but have never done so if they're on a phone. There are two fibsters on phones whom I will play but in both cases I already knew them.

A question occured to me on this topic. Does anyone know how the new Google Android phones will report themselves when logging in?

[socksey]

There are two fibsters on phones whom I will play but in both cases I already knew them.

OK, we know one is kid_pantyhose, aka, mittens, so, who is the other one?   

socksey



"Golf is a good walk spoiled." â€" Mark Twain

[diane]

Jennings is another one, but I don't think he is the one spielberg referred to - as he hasn't been on it that long.  He also plays on a PC sometimes - so you have a good chance of getting a resume from the PC if need be.

I think HolzBG is another one who often uses a  mobile and is actually quite accomplished at chatting with it as well as finishing matches 

[Caliman]

 
Rickochet (nick on fibs)
New (4 weeks) and a novice? Pls dont tar all mobile users with the same brush? I have never dropped a single match but have been dropped over 30 times though have managed to finish some. Not all were mobile players! I understand your frustrations but please give people a chance! I personally only play 1 point matches until I know I can trust the player. This has been working well.
Many computer players say they will vouch for me but still it seems Im automatically on your villains list? No answer is the stern reply when I invite many players. As Odesys has no access to repbot etc how do I know if anyone HAS vouched for me or if the user I invite/accept is reputable?
I procrastinate,I should feel guilty for being a mobile user!?
I can take calls while playing and chat - multi task on my mobile and have never had my 3g connection fail during a match but often my opponent freezes LOL
Ive said my bit, its a shame some 'hit and run' mobile users , whom re-install when their rating falls or have too many unfinished matches,an observation, give all mobile players a bad name.
Enjoy your backgammon as I do. Apologies for my ramblings its just frustrating 

[diane]

RepBotNG says: Rickochet's reputation is 53130 (GOOD)

Rickochet has 32 saved games.

Information about Rickochet:
  Last login:  Tuesday, January 13 21:15 GMT from PhoneUser.MayBeFlaky.net
  Still logged in. 4 seconds idle.
  Rickochet is playing with socksey.
  Rating: 1542.12 Experience: 669
  No email address.

I guess you won sockseys trust  , but yes you had already made your way onto my villian list.  It is a sad state of affairs, and I do feel for the genuine players on mobiles like yourself. Sadly unless the client is improved dramatically I cant see a way around this, but maybe you could get on a computer somewhere?

The iPhone client does seem better, and it does seem some conversations are in progress to improve the Odesys client. I hope so, for us all!

[socksey]

I vouched for Rickochet, diane, and have played him several times.  Completely pleasant player.     I suggest you take Rickochet off your villians list. 

socksey



In our lives, we may get one chance to make a significant, positive change for the world. Will we recognize that opportunity? Will we have the wisdom, courage, integrity, and sense of responsibility, to do our part? Will we turn our backs on something that could have made a difference? - unknown

[inim]

I vouched for Rickochet, diane, and have played him several times.  Completely pleasant player.

I've vouched him too, couldn't agree more with socksey. Rickochet asked questions about BG and Fibs culture, and resumed actively after he had lost connection. He promised to have a  look at fibs with a full client so he could understand the "other side".

Let's just be fair to mobile players, and after a while some of them will become valuable citizens. This particular one already is.

[Caliman]

well im sorry to say ive had enough now. For the 3rd night running ive been 'hit and run' by droppers. As I have over 30 saved games not even the bots will play me!
Ive enjoyed my matches with the players whom I would like to thank. Until I get a pc online il just pop my head in here to see how things are progressing.
Thanks for the advice and to the people who vouched for me If I do go on fibs I will only be playing people i know. Until then I hope my saved games are adjudicated as patti has stated. Apologies for repeating myself its boring im sure but I DO NOT DROP MATCHES!! Not even the courtesy to respond to my invites. The situation has now become ridiculous: I dare not accept a game from unknown players and the regulars ive seen refuse to give me a chance to prove my integrity. A lose lose situation has evolved due to the saved games which are simply games in which I have been dropped.
See you on the 'other side' as inim puts it.
You can please some of the people all of the time, all the people some of the time but not all the people all of the time, you know the quote.
Sapere aude! Semper idem!
Rickochet has left the building.

[socksey]

No, you can't do that!  We have a saved match that I had to leave.  Hope you are around to finish that one.   

socksey



There is one type of hero that can hit a ball, and there is one type of hero that will die for all. - unknown

[Caliman]

Hi socksey! We will finish that game no worries. Ive got a standard response now to unknown players: I have too many saved games due to droppers sorry ty 4 the invitation.
Ive got a few ppl to register on here they were unaware it existed.
One thing I will be doing is compiling a list which i will update regularly on here, a list of hit and run (confirmed) droppers for anyone to take as they will.
I only have ten names so far but the list keeps getting longer and will continue to do so no doubt.
A droppers hall of shame if you like, hopefully it will help mobile users whom do not have access to repbot. - Rickochet

[socksey]

Great idea, Rickochet!     I should have thought of that!     I'll add some of my own to that list.   

socksey



Often, in pursuing a goal, fame and fortune are not enough to motivate us. In our hearts we know that there should be a more mature and valuable reason to push on. We need to find out what that is. - unknown

[Caliman]

RepBotNG says: Rickochet's reputation is 53130 (GOOD)

Rickochet has 32 saved games.

Information about Rickochet:
  Last login:  Tuesday, January 13 21:15 GMT from PhoneUser.MayBeFlaky.net
  Still logged in. 4 seconds idle.
  Rickochet is playing with socksey.
  Rating: 1542.12 Experience: 669
  No email address.

I guess you won sockseys trust  , but yes you had already made your way onto my villian list.  It is a sad state of affairs, and I do feel for the genuine players on mobiles like yourself. Sadly unless the client is improved dramatically I cant see a way around this, but maybe you could get on a computer somewhere?

The iPhone client does seem better, and it does seem some conversations are in progress to improve the Odesys client. I hope so, for us all!

My rep is now much higher but still I have over 30 saved games.
Many of these are from the time I first joined fibs so should be expiring soon? a: Ive noticed players re-joining with a new username but so similar to the original nick its obvious  b: how can people be expected to finish matches when the dropper never shows themselves online?
a+b go figure!

[spielberg]

Your saved games will be expiring very soon I'd have thought. Patti shouted tonight that the number which repbot refers to is the saved games from the last six weeks or so.
I've not played you yet btw - I've added you to my "friends" list and will correct that ASAP as non dropping mobile phone users deserve encouragment!

[spielberg]

OK, we know one is kid_pantyhose, aka, mittens, so, who is the other one?  

socksey

The other one was tielias - a fine player, good sport and he also "chats" while playing on the iphone. I've now played Rickochet and have another good iphone player to add too - GusDog.

[Caliman]

I've vouched him too, couldn't agree more with socksey. Rickochet asked questions about BG and Fibs culture, and resumed actively after he had lost connection. He promised to have a  look at fibs with a full client so he could understand the "other side".

Let's just be fair to mobile players, and after a while some of them will become valuable citizens. This particular one already is.

inim does not accept my invites anymore?  no idea why? Anyway I have got my saved games count down to 17 from 33! Some expired but many players I listed on droppers hall of shame have resumed the match which they were previously ignoring my invites to lol maybe the hall of shame is working ?
Ive also found a Fibs client for mobiles that lets users see saved games count of opponent and has command lines kibitz etc and you can watch other matches too. Check it out its indispensable to me now.
The download is available on the web see harmonicode.com its a java file or jad. The only drawback is playing a match which is very slow and cumbersome so i toggle between the 2, odesys and mobileFibs. Ive caught up with many a dropper using it and its handy to learn the command lines for when I eventually get a pc or laptop online ( in negotiations with my service provider) sorry im rambling again, liking the new layout etc stog , good work! Any programmers that could combine the odesys play interface with the mobileFibs client would be onto a winner! I have not a clue if that is even feasable lol get emulating inim!