[golfacer]

Is there a way to disable the new automated message a director receives every 20-30 seconds when a player in the tournament has disconnected? As a director, I want to allow time for the disconnected player to return. If the player does not return, the player's partner should be allowed to choose a sub. If neither happens, a player at the table will call me to the table, regardless of whether I see the automated message.

[uday]

Not all TDs are as diligent, nor all players as aware.

There will be a way to disable this message (couple of days, when the code is deployed) but I'm not sure it should be used.

[jillybean]

I agree with your comment golfacer, I sent Uday feedback via email when this feature was introduced.

I see no advantages in receiving ‘offline player’ messages, if a td is diligent enough to read messages they will also be able to see for themselves that there is an offline player, or they will be called by someone at the table. IMHO this messages creates more “noise” and frustration for the TD.

The new ‘start tournament’ message is useful and would be a great feature if it was possible to associate a unique sound to the message. If the TD was on a screen other than BBO the sound would alert them to the start of the tournament.

jb

[mink]

I agree the messages do not really help.

I rather think there should be a tourney option like "Automatically sub player after n minutes of inactivity". This should include players with and without connection. Chat should count as activity, and the automatism should not be executed if a TD is at the table, if the player in question is dummy or if the round is already finished for this table.
TD and partner should still be able to sub a player earlier, like today.

BTW, a claim currently cannot succeed if one of the players has red dot, even if it is the dummy and both opps have agreed to the claim. Maybe it is possible to improve this, or has it already been improved?

Karl

[Mr. Dodgy]

I actually quite like this feature, but do think the timing of the messages could be less frequent - perhaps when the round clock ticks over (Unclocked tourneys could be tricky, but less of an issue there anyway) and when the number of 'reds' changes.

What would be really nice if the red dot proclaiming a connection problem was visible in the tables view/pane.

[chicken]

talking about improvements.......
i still think the ability to mark red players instantly with the right mouseclick when they are offline (not in the chat window) should be nearly on the top of the legendary "to-do-list" by now.:-)

[Mr. Dodgy]

I'd like to see a bit more information in these messages - the table number and/or player ID.

And for the TD to be advised of ALL substitutions, not just those he/she enacts.

For Multi-TD tourneys, only those messages relating the tables which that TD is responsible for (as I believe the calls are assigned in 'sections').

[uday]

Chicken: AFAIK you can right click on red "players" in seats (actually, on their reservations). What did you want to do with the reservation?

Mr. Dodgy: We show the player name/table when he is booted. The summary message can't show all the table numbers ( what if there are 50 missing?) but just like the 'show status command' it could show the 1st few tables.

[jillybean]

uday, on Sep 18 2006, 05:33 AM, said:

Chicken: AFAIK you can right click on red "players" in seats (actually, on their reservations).    What did you want to do with the reservation?

We can right click on red players and sub but not right click and get full functions, edit profile, add to enemy list etc. This is the function that would be most useful, allowing TD's to ban runners immediately.

I guess this is what chicken is talking about, apolgies if I am wrong.

MrD, how do you find the "missing player" message useful? I see a RED player on my screen, that for me and a call from the table is enough notification without also sending a message every xx seconds. I see this message could be a help for playing TD's but oher than that Im not sure.

jb

[chicken]

jillybean2 is right. (as usual)
it needs about estimated 15 actions (depends on the length of the name and his/her seating because if the quitter is west my profile window covers his name) to get a runner into my enemyfile. that is really disruptive. he/she runs...... right click, define as enemy thats it. pleeeeeeeeeeeease!!!!!

[Mr. Dodgy]

Players don't always call when someone goes red. If I'm attending other directorial duties at a table (or otherwise distracted from the never-ending process of hunting down the missing), I find the automated message can be handy. Far better to get a notification than to have to deal with finding some table has been twiddling it's thumbs waiting for something to happen when there's one minute left on the clock.

Even better (and I haven't actually directed for a few days so I'm not sure if this might be possible already); if the message comes as if FROM the player missing, and BBO tweaks the accessibility of right-click TD functions on red players, you could more easily check the board history for the player to see whether the round has finished at their table (or if they've quit after some disaster).

The frequency of the messages is a little bothersome, no doubt :-)

[jillybean]

Mr. Dodgy, on Sep 19 2006, 06:33 AM, said:

Even better (and I haven't actually directed for a few days so I'm not sure if this might be possible already), if the message comes as if FROM the player missing, and BBO tweaks the accessibility of right-click TD functions on red players, you could check the board history for the player to see whether the round has finished at their table (or whether they've quit after some disaster).

Fantastic idea MrD

[Mr. Dodgy]

One more reason I like the messages is that it makes it easier for me to keep decent records . I can always refer back to my chat log to check who went missing.

[uday]

For ACBL tourneys i have the TDs notified whenever a player leaves (in addition to the periodic summary message).

Mulling over this stuff, trying to avoid the obvious conclusions

[zielona]

I found the missing player messages annoying for two reasons:
1. With the chat area so busy, it is easy to miss genuine messages from players
2. Not enough information in the message

Too often? Yes, they are but how do we really know? The messages have no time stamps. I am finding lack of time stamps on any messages in the chat area slightly inconvenient at times. Is it possible to add an option to see time stamp or see it as mouse-over?

[uday]

You can place a "---" (three minus signs) anywhere in your profile to suppress the periodic summary message.

Currently, messages appear every 30 secs. with next release, couple of days, it will be every minute

[jillybean]

uday, on Sep 19 2006, 07:53 AM, said:

You can place a "---"  (three minus signs) anywhere in your profile to suppress the periodic summary message.

Currently, messages appear every 30 secs. with next release, couple of days, it will be every minute

Great can you make some more room on profiles for these extra characters please .....(joke)

What other nice features do ACBL TD's get?

jb

[uday]

Nothing they like all that much:) Every time a player is booted, they get notified. That's about it at the moment

[Mr. Dodgy]

uday, on Sep 18 2006, 07:33 AM, said:

Mr. Dodgy: We show the player name/table when he is booted. The summary message can't show all the table numbers ( what if there are 50 missing?) but just like the 'show status command' it could show the 1st few tables.

No, you don't, all you show is:

Quote

>[TDID]: Automated message:  MISSING: 1 player   in T# 1194 (Pairs)

much cooler:

>[PlayerID]: Automated message: MISSING: ? missing player(s) in T# 1194 (Pairs)

[uday]

acbl Ts get something like that when a player is booted.
in addition, they get a summary message every min like you do.

I dont send the 'booted' message to non-acbl Ts . i was worried that would be too much noise . Now that there is an easy way to turn it off i probably should.