The Garden Gate Tournament Matches Discussion

[Skud]

Tournament features are underway - soon, we will be able to have regular tournaments (with prizes!) at The Garden Gate. But tournament games will need to be more regulated or structured than the current games. So, how should they work?

Here are some ideas of how tournament games should work. Please let me know any ideas you have that either build on these or break them down

## Time Limits
Games should have time limits enforced to ensure that they finish in a timely manner. Standard tournaments will have timed games that encourage live play where players sit down at the same time and play together. (Correspondence-game tournaments could be an option in the future.)

We want to respect that players will be playing each other from across the world (which by the way is awesome!) so a number of pauses in gameplay should be allowed.

*Question*: How should pauses work? How would you expect it to work on the screen (something to click on to pause the game, other ideas)?

Time limits should be shown to players during the game. Players will have a certain amount of time per turn during normal play.

*Question*: What is the most appropriate time limit system that is both gracious and strict enough to help the game complete in a timely manner?

Let me know what you think. I'm looking forward to seeing tournaments happen regularly and seeing players at The Garden Gate get better and better at these games. Thanks!

[SpinxKreuz]

Would be a good idea if both players could check a box/click a button to agree to a pause.

For Skud Pai Sho, if you play the game in one sitting, I think 5min per turn enough time.

[Abacadaren]

I believe that the tournament moderator should be the one with the power to pause at any given time, though either player should be able to ask to begin a pause. As far as how it works, the players have their text channel as in normal games and the moderator would be a spectator who has access to this channel as well.

As far as timer's go what I'm most used to is the chess style time pool with so and so much per game with a delay time for each turn, the delay being for writing down notation or so that if you move fast enough you don't run out of time. The trouble there is that we don't know how long games on average should take or what is reasonable, so it would be up to the person setting up the tournament to decide of course though more than an hour shouldn't be needed I imagine.

I suggest a time for the game rather than per turn is so that you can spend as much time as you want on any given move if you're having trouble, but moving quickly still has incentive. If there is a time per turn, then the "best" way to play is to use 4 minutes and 30 or so seconds every turn since there's no reason to move before that.

[Skud]

I agree with the "time pool". I think I have seen timers where you start with a certain amount of time, and with every move you get an additional number of seconds added to your pool. I think that will be a good to go.

[Abacadaren]

What you're thinking of skud is a count up, with bonus time per turn. A delay is, for example, 5 seconds per turn where the clock is paused, instead of adding five seconds to the timer. The difference is important because in count up a bunch of quick moves may add up to give you an extra minute or two by the end, while delay doesn't carry over to the next turn, its only for that one turn you get the time. Chess can use either, but as far as competition I've only ever seen delay used.

[SpinxKreuz]

If there is a time per turn, then the "best" way to play is to use 4 minutes and 30 or so seconds every turn since there's no reason to move before that.

But if there is a delay, there's also no reason to move before your that delay runs out.

[MrSns]

If there is a time per turn, then the "best" way to play is to use 4 minutes and 30 or so seconds every turn since there's no reason to move before that.

But if there is a delay, there's also no reason to move before your that delay runs out.

I agree with what Spinx has said here. I mean it could possibly lead to abuse of the game mechanic, although not detrimental to the game it has possibilities. 

In relation to time the tournament moderator should be able to select the time conditions of the tournament. So if they are looking for a fast game you might be able to remove afformentioned delay or if you want a game that allows for more thought to go into every move the moderator could set the time limit from say 5 minutes to 10 minutes. 

Relating to time limits I think 5 minutes per turn is a good starting point. 

Relating to pausing it might be a option for competitors in said tournament to have the option for a 5 minute pause as  people still need to go to the bathroom etc. When competing against people in opposite time zones the moderator should have the ability to pause the game for any duration as a means of emergency. 

I hope this is relevant

Regards,
MrSns

[Skud]

I think Tak tournaments use the count up. Though I looked and it seems like they have a low time per game so that really encourages the quick moves to gain more. Maybe that won't be needed.

How long would the delay be? One minute?

[Skud]

As it is standard for the time limit to be for the entire game, I think we will definitely plan on that style of timer.

Spinx and I are planning on having some intense Skud Pai Sho games to test out how long it might need to be

[Abacadaren]

If there is a time per turn, then the "best" way to play is to use 4 minutes and 30 or so seconds every turn since there's no reason to move before that.

But if there is a delay, there's also no reason to move before your that delay runs out.

I agree with what Spinx has said here. I mean it could possibly lead to abuse of the game mechanic, although not detrimental to the game it has possibilities. 

In relation to time the tournament moderator should be able to select the time conditions of the tournament. So if they are looking for a fast game you might be able to remove afformentioned delay or if you want a game that allows for more thought to go into every move the moderator could set the time limit from say 5 minutes to 10 minutes. 

Relating to time limits I think 5 minutes per turn is a good starting point. 

Relating to pausing it might be a option for competitors in said tournament to have the option for a 5 minute pause as  people still need to go to the bathroom etc. When competing against people in opposite time zones the moderator should have the ability to pause the game for any duration as a means of emergency. 

I hope this is relevant

Regards,
MrSns

Moving before the delay is up is part of why the delay is there, so that you don't lose do to time out. However, instead of being 5 minutes of time, standard delay is 5 seconds. So yeah, if you want to use only 5 seconds every turn that's why you have the delay. It's much harder to not use time compared to having 5 minutes every turn forever. Delay is only used when you have a time limit for the game, not for the turn, so you have to spend your time carefully so you can finish the game without having to rush, though rush you can.