How to play saved games and general questions

[rebcalale]

How do U play saved games?  I now know how to see a list but can't find the commands to play saved games? I assume the player of record has to be available as well.  Please help.

Some observations:  the server lists me as having around 14 dropped games.  I have only dropped one game that I know of but many times the player I am playing will drop.  Why are my opponent's drops listed on my rating? I'm not the one who dropped the connection.   Not always but typically the drops occur when I happen to be winning.

Sometimes I am playing with the doubling cube in play, I notice it will not always work as it should .  I try to  double but the server ignores my double and just keeps rolling the dice.  What gives?  Of course I only notice this when it happens to me.  However, it always happens when my opponent still has a chance to win but most certainly would resign if the stakes got doubled.  In one instance,  this cost me a game. 

[Patti]

The command for resuming an unfinished game is "invite (player)" without specifying a match length.  Yes, the other player must be logged in and ready to play for you to do this.

FIBS doesn't list the number of dropped games that you have-- it lists the number of unfinished games that you have.  Games get saved regardless of which player initiated it (via logging off, dropping connection either intentionally or accidentally, server restart, or just leaving the game in progress).  FIBS doesn't have a rating to go with this, just a raw count of the number of games that are currently saved for you.  They expire after a few weeks.

If you're playing a 1-point match, you're in the Crawford game, or you're one point away from winning the match, then FIBS will automatically roll for you rather than giving you the option to double.  "help toggle double" for more information.

[ah_clem]

Since this is in the 3DFibs forum, the 3DFibs answer is as follows:

To resume a match:
Find the player in the list of logged in players.
Right click on the name
Choose "Invite"
When the invite dialog box appears, choose "S" for match length. (S for Saved)
The player must be logged in for you to do this.

Now some advice:  try to finish all the matches you start.  A large number of saved matches is an indication that the user will drop.  Personally, I won't play anyone with 10 or more saved matches.  Of course, the saved matches may not be your fault, but I have no way to know that, so this is another reason to avoid droppers in the first place (as if the frustration of being dropped wasn't enough (c: )

Here's how to avoid droppers:

Use Repbot to check reputation and avoid those with negative ratings
Look at the saved count (it's displayed in the invitation dialog box in 3DFibs) and avoid those with more than 10 saved matches.
Shy away from players with low experience points.
Don't play players using Odesys client (phone users)


Folks with lots of experience points, good repbot ratings and low savedcount almost never drop.

[adrian]

Sometimes I am playing with the doubling cube in play, I notice it will not always work as it should .  I try to  double but the server ignores my double and just keeps rolling the dice.  What gives?  Of course I only notice this when it happens to me.  

I suggest you read the rules of backgammon too... http://www.bkgm.com/rules.html

[ah_clem]

This confused me at first too because I didn't understand the Crawford rule.  Read up on it - in 3DFibs, when it's the Crawford game the cube will say "CR" and clicking on it has no effect.

Also, once you're one point away from winning the match it's pointless for you to turn the cube.  3DFibs won't let you turn the cube higher than it takes to win the match, so clicking on the cube has no effect once you are 1 point away.  Likewise, if you are 2 points away and your opponent doubles, you won't be able to turn the cube to 4.

Other FIBS interfaces allow you to make these irrelevant doubles.  Or at least I've seen opponents make these wild doubles.

[spielberg]

3DFibs won't let you turn the cube higher than it takes to win the match

Unfair that - I'm glad rollingfool can double in his Crawford matches! (For those who don't know - the leading player may double during Crawford)

[adrian]

(For those who don't know - the leading player may double during Crawford)

..and I am sure that rebcalale is one of those brilliant players who do this on a permanent basis , since it seems that he was losing by not doing so. I suggest he switches to javafibs, that software allows such ................ behavior. (Everyone should replace the ............. with whatever fits for him)

[rebcalale]

It is impossible to play saved games!!!! I have tried!!!!  First, the players who saved the games are not active most of  the time and thus not available. Second even if they are they may not respond or someone jumps in.  Finally most of the games saved are saved at the end of a game when the outcome is already finalized.  WHY, no one would want to resume these games!!!! In other words, the saved game system is not very good and it harms the reputation of legit players!!!!

[ah_clem]

It is impossible to play saved games!!!! I have tried!!!!  First, the players who saved the games are not active most of  the time and thus not available. Second even if they are they may not respond or someone jumps in.  Finally most of the games saved are saved at the end of a game when the outcome is already finalized.  WHY, no one would want to resume these games!!!! In other words, the saved game system is not very good and it harms the reputation of legit players!!!!

The problem you are having is with players that are known as "droppers".  Droppers don't finish their matches when they're losing, they just disconnect.  They're dishonest people, thieves really. You're as likely to get a dropper to resume a match as you are to get a thief to return the things he stole.

The saved games system in FIBS works quite well as long as both players are honest.  It breaks down when one of the players is dishonest (i.e. a dropper) The solution to your problem is to avoid the droppers.  See my advice upthread.  Be careful who you play.

[samsami]

I can sometimes get my opponent to resume a saved ('dropped') game. But, yes. sometimes they ignore me, too.

I prefer the ICC (Chess) method where the person who disconnects automatically loses the game.

Of course the disadvantage is when you lose your connection, you lose the game, but hey, that is better than people disconnecting on purpose when they are 5-0 down!!!

Samsami

[adrian]

In the era of 99% guarantted uptime for the internet connection , the person who disconnects SHOULD automatically lose the match. Especially the "answering a call" message is unacceptable.
I will not bring up the "not moving" issue. That cannot be easily fixed.

[diane]

Erm, in this era of 99% up time, I get disconnected from fibs about once per game, and sometimes more.  I think it is the fact that the majority of us use wireless, and it has teeny tiny seconds of outage, not enough to notice - unless you are on fibs.  If one of those command special fibs/interface private chat thingies gets lost, I get disconnected. I often notice quite quickly, and little disruption is seen overall, but I still have to log out and in and resume the match...that is a lot of games for me to lose....on top of the ones I lose anyway...

[ah_clem]

Erm, in this era of 99% up time, I get disconnected from fibs about once per game, and sometimes more. 

That was happening to me until a couple of weeks ago.  After a fair amount of troubleshooting we traced the problem to the router/modem that was provided by my ISP.  After bypassing the router portion of the device the problem went away - the router was just a POS.

It might be wireless, or it might be something else.  In researching the issue, I found that most FIBS users do not have this problem.

[/quote]

[diane]

I didn't think it was fibs, but clearly wireless home systems, even here, are a bit flakey [hence the BT add  ]

So, the thing is, I dont think 99% up time is realistic...

[ah_clem]

I didn't think it was fibs, but clearly wireless home systems, even here, are a bit flakey [hence the BT add  ]

So, the thing is, I dont think 99% up time is realistic...

Agree with you there. Players do get disconnected for various reasons and shouldn't automatically lose when they do.  But when you say "I get disconnected from fibs about once per game, and sometimes more" that tells me that you're an outlier.  Hopefully the change in hemisphere will alleviate your problem.

I think Patti's on the right track with the warning to players with large numbers of saved matches that they risk forfeiting them.  My take is that there should be a limit to saved matches, something like 7 or 9, and once that number is reached all the saves turn into losses.  It shouldn't be strictly enforced, but dealt with more like speed limits - a stated limit plus some fuzzy grey area before the hammer comes down.

[socksey]

Also, once you're one point away from winning the match it's pointless for you to turn the cube.

Pointless for the leader of the match, impossible for the underdog. 

3DFibs won't let you turn the cube higher than it takes to win the match, so clicking on the cube has no effect once you are 1 point away.

This is true but only for the the first game that this is the circumstance and if you are the underdog.  That is called the "Crawford game".  The person who is ahead in the race is allowed to turn the cube (although to no purpose). 

Likewise, if you are 2 points away and your opponent doubles, you won't be able to turn the cube to 4.

Once you are past the Crawford game, the score doesn't matter any more for cubing.   

socksey



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