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tactical_abyss
27-Aug-13, 15:53
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 New GK feature options likes/dislikes/misc.
1.I'll start off with saying that I prefer the move button to have remained white,not a dimmer brown color.I also prefer to have my profile pic and avatar "borderless"...not with a line around it that makes it look like it was pasted on the profile,or like you were looking through an aquarium glass window into another room into the picture.Pictures had borders removed over 30 years ago for good reason!
2.Interesting enough,I made 32 conditional moves today trying to duplicate a past game to be replayed again from move #54 starting right from move #1.Thats great,except that I feel that I should have been able to plug in all 54 moves,not just 32 moves.I actually DID plug in all 54 moves,but the conditional move system only took on 32 of those 54 moves I plugged in!So,my opinion is that there should not be a limit on conditional moves,even if I want to plug in 100 moves!
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tactical_abyss
16-Sep-13, 12:02
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Most of you guys do not know this being new or remember this if you were here many years ago,but conditional move's were set up differently than they are now.I don't mean how they are set up with additional move strings,but the location of the conditional moves.I remembered a long time ago(when I was someone else on GK,a few years prior to 2008),that the conditional moves were immediately visible below the game board when you clicked on the game.They were not as they are now,where you have to click on to "conditional moves" and then get a separate board.Yes,if you wanted to give a conditional move,then you had to still click on the conditional move button and plug them in on a different board.But it was nice(at the time)to NOT have to do this when you were not plugging in moves and simply "observe"the conditional line below the board being used up in progress with your opponent with the shaded areas,without clicking on anything else.I asked GK about the change years ago and they said something to the effect that there was no room anymore to do this.I disagree.I think room can be "made"to accomplish this,even if it means by "detach method"and moving around the board.It was nice to see instant conditional move usage progress directly below your game board without clicking on an auxiliary board.
Just one of the things I liked then,regardless of the new progress made on conditionals.But I suppose you have to properly picture what I mean,before understanding or making your own opinion about this.
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I'm glad conditional moves are limited, otherwise it is like playing a computer, and too many conditional moves by an opponent becomes irritating. It is like the opponent saying; "ok, you wish to play by the book, so I'll plug in all the moves, until you deviate, and then we can play proper.."
Incidentally, I am in discussion with GK to establish a forum for debating the enhancements they keep making to the site. I expressed my surprise that they choose to keep making modifications to the site without any form of dialogue with the membership. Though the response I received today is as follows:
"Thank you for your feedback, it will be passed on to our development team for further consideration. Please note that while we do appreciate and consider all the comments, unfortunately we cannot promise to act on all of them immediately. We will certainly try our best, of course.
Thank you for choosing GameKnot as your premier online chess battleground!"
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tactical_abyss
16-Sep-13, 12:49
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Hi Charlie,
Yes,that is a standard response(like a prerecorded message)that many of us receive when suggesting things most of the time.GK has taken votes/forum discussions over issues in the past,but not as much in the present.
As to conditional move limitations,I do not know if you are aware of this,but its kind of the opposite!Compared to years ago it is now nearly "unlimited"!My tests on this site have revealed that you or your opponent can plug in as many as 27 conditional moves!And that does not even count the additional move "strings"that can be attached as a conditional move variant!How many additional variants?I ask GK and they said "unlimited".But I have never tested that area.Maybe others have and i'd be interested in knowing the facts.
So,in essence and for example,a standard Ruy Lopez opening variation can go as much as 30 moves or more.So,in reality,you could possibly plug in 27 of those 30 moves for an opening conditional move response and then go on to plug in 3 or 4 more "sets"of variant conditional moves 27 moves deep!!!!So add up the math...it could literally be hundreds of conditional moves in one game at one time!
So Charlie,it is somewhat unlimited and like playing a computer as you mentioned!My opinion varies with conditional move usage,since I know how to use it at times to my advantage,so i'm actually all for conditionals,even complicated variant strings,but that is me,not necessarily the next guy!
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tactical_abyss
16-Sep-13, 13:00
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PS....above in my first post in this string,I mentioned 32 conditionals max.I have to recheck again one day,but that may be a typo.I know that the last time I checked it was 27,not 34.But in any case,that is a hell of a large number of conditional moves...Ha ha!
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tactical_abyss
20-Oct-13, 09:14
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Bells and whistles...
Wiggling Kings,colors,more board options,icons are all ok.But these things remind me of a buffet where they add new food items all the time.But is this buffet as good as a 4 or 5 star restaurant with less food?Most of the time,the buffet loses in quality.To me the bells and whistles are nice,but really not that important.Just like a spice,its not the real needed "meat and potatoes" which are needed here on GK.It could be improvements in the blitz room with more time selections or by being able to view a live game for learning in the blitz room.Or perhaps a fast way to find past/present games of an opponent by typing in an opening by name or move.Then you could see the results of that game and create a quicker subvariantional response.I could think of many more valuable things that would be much better than some spice like wiggling Kings,pink Rooks or smiling icons.Keep the spice and brussel sprouts,i'll take the better quality "meat and potatoes"!
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My favorite of all time is Annotate Games, believe it or not. First, in all ways, this has also helped to improve my games. Second, when I was still moving too quickly, this actually slowed me down. Why? Because I would take time to make an annotation and study a past game. I got the whole idea from Jack Stockel because he has and does show past games, involving GM's. So, I took that idea and used to create my own annotations on GK.
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on going GK changes
At first, you wonder what's wrong. Then after a while you take what they decide to force feed you. playing live chess is better now than when I was a non paying member. At one point I was going to find a different place to play online. The server's would time out. Lastly I come here playing on different browsers, I have noticed if I click right when I should click on the left of my touchpad. I have to close out gameknot and go back to live chess to continue playing blitz. Sometimes I time out playing the cc games also.
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tactical_abyss
25-Nov-13, 11:37
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Ron,
Hope to meet you in the blitz room someday!Perhaps we have played before,but I cannot remember!I usually play either on a Saturday or Sunday at various times.Let me know when you will be there(at what time on the weekend)... and doing a bit of math with the time zone differences we may be able to meet.Right now,i'm in the eastern time zone but that is subject to change!I have an address in TX as well!I'm usually in the 3 or 5 minute sudden death room,but i'd be willing to play any blitz time level(even 10 minutes) against my club members,including incremental time up to 60 seconds if that makes you more comfortable.
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tactical_abyss
25-Nov-13, 11:51
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On a side note,this may seem very minor to others,but I do not like the way GK designed the way the pictures on ones profile are now posted.Kind of looks or gives the appearance of a "cheap"look,not a custom look.The old way was a "borderless"picture with no line around the edge's.That old way blended the picture into the background as it sunk into the profile like a custom glove form fitted.Now it has kind of the look of a slightly raised picture giving it the appearance of an out of style polaroid picture with border lines or a postal stamp that was swiftly slammed on an envelope!Borderless profile pictures looked more custom and professional to me!Oh well,its so minor to most,that my wish to have it go back to the way it was will be taken as seriously as a trip to the Andromeda galaxy!
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