Well, I guess I am guilty of complaining about speed of play. Beyond that, I haven't complained about who I (might) play. But, I don't get your emails, Geo (
).
How to fix it? I don't know. I don't suppose I have the experience to deal with it. But, as usual, I have opinions.
(1) First of all, you da "heavyweight", Geo. People naturally like you and like to join up with "little contests" you come up with. So, for anyone else to step into your "shoes", I think they would have to be a "heavyweight", too. Otherwise, I fear, the enthusiasm would die out.
(2) How to fix it? I think I suggested somewhere else that there could be a KOTH slow (K-Slow) and a KOTH fast (K-Fast). (and people could belong to both). K-Fast running at 36-hour TA and K-Slow running at 72-hour TA. My feeling, if you can't manage a turn every 72 hours, you shouldn't even be playing PBW!
(3) Use auto-nag on the PBW setup to start "auto-bombing" the Last 8 hours of any turn cycle. (every hour)
(4) Rule: If any KOTH player/entrant (fast or slow) misses 3 turns during any game, the other player has the right to claim a win by "time forfeit". (after all, people play in chess tourneys by a clock) This reduces the labor the KOTH "manager" has to put into it by putting the responsibility on the players to inter-react with each other. For example, Player A misses his 3rd turn and emails his opponent and explains why. Then THAT player can decide if it was a good excuse or not and NOT opt for time-forfeit.
(5) Match-ups: If you get scheduled to play the same person you have played before, tough. That's the way it works on the "hill". Otherwise, there shuoldn't be any gripes. Just play at the speed you want to (K-fast or K-slow) and let the other rules above handle it.
(6) Set up parameters for permanent disbarrment for people who are habitual problem-children.
OK. So there are a few suggestions without thinking them through completely.
Having said all that, I would consider "running" it except for something I mentioned above. I don't want to find a host (I currently pay $60 / year for our host for our family website) and pay a fee, set up a site, and make an attempt to generate the same amount of interest only to find out (later) that people drift on to something else...more likely, something else you have come up with. The money isn't that big of a deal (heck, I've donated more than that to the PBW site...though it doesn't reflect it
). The problem is devoting the time to set it up and run it and have it all go for nought.
I sympathize with your feelings, Geo. And I apologize for being one of the people who added to the distress/stress.
[ April 27, 2003, 15:50: Message edited by: Slynky ]