Riichi Mahjong in beta

[Yasten]

Riichi Mahjong, a Japanese variant of mahjong, which is similar to rummy, is now in beta

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=riichimahjong

[jegharenplan]

The auto-pass feature does not appear to work. I set it to 'Auto-pass if Ron is unavailable' and it did not auto-pass even though it's the start of the game and I am not in Tenpai.

[gilthe]

Hi jegharenplan, it says in the Wiki explaining the interface that the auto-pass must be registered on the server. For this, at least one action is required. So on the first action of a game it does not auto-pass you.
Also, BGA does not support indefinite continuations of automatic actions (this can theoretically happen with all players in Riichi), so occasionally you might be asked to confirm a pass or discard.

If you think something else is amiss, please post to bugs.
gilthe

[gilthe]

Hello fellow players,

a couple of players explicitly indicated along with giving a poor rating for the implementation that it is impossible to see the scores at the end of a hand in turn-based play. In my understanding, this is exactly what the replay from move X feature is for (and this way of seeing the score summary works). Maybe people with more turn-based experience can comment: is the replay feature not known well enough? Is it broken in too many games? Is it too slow/clumsy to use?

In any case, if someone has a specific comment like that, it is much more useful for developers (like myself) to post a suggestion or bug report.

Thanks for playing!
gilthe

[tchobello]

replay feature is not to be trusted.

[The Paper]

I've been able to use the replay feature to see end-of-hand scoring, but maybe that's one more step than should be necessary? I suggest that at the end of a hand, there be a quick phase where the scoring is displayed, and each player must click past it to indicate they've seen it. Or at least, in turn-based this sounds like a good idea. It'd probably be redundant in realtime.

I have a decent handle now on the basic mechanics of the game, but scoring is complicated and not easy to learn. I definitely think scoring for each hand should be a mandatory thing for players to see, so it's easier to understand.

[gilthe]

replay feature is not to be trusted.

Well, I made sure it works for this game (of course I haven't done mass testing) but I guess your point is different and more concerning the BGA side of things.

[gilthe]

I've been able to use the replay feature to see end-of-hand scoring, but maybe that's one more step than should be necessary? I suggest that at the end of a hand, there be a quick phase where the scoring is displayed, and each player must click past it to indicate they've seen it. Or at least, in turn-based this sounds like a good idea. It'd probably be redundant in realtime.

I have a decent handle now on the basic mechanics of the game, but scoring is complicated and not easy to learn. I definitely think scoring for each hand should be a mandatory thing for players to see, so it's easier to understand.

Yes, this is clearly an issue when starting out. As you say, the scoring is complicated and online Mahjong clients do it automatically for you. In RL it's something players are expected to handle more through memorization than explicit calculation, if not, there are scoring tables to use as shortcuts. Some clients don't even break down the score. I found it important to break down the scoring into all its nitty-gritty details because it's something that I found very awkward when starting out (not fully understanding why a hand is worth what). Imo, the full breakdown is too long for the log and a condensed version doesn't really answer the questions one might have.
What you describe is exactly what happens in RT play (and also in turn-based if you are "live" at the right time): you get a display you need to click past. I can think about putting a stall underneath so that the game cannot advance without the click. Would be great if you add it as a suggestion (copy-paste of the above is plenty).

Thanks for the input,
gilthe

[tchobello]

replay feature is not to be trusted.

Well, I made sure it works for this game (of course I haven't done mass testing) but I guess your point is different and more concerning the BGA side of things.

you may also display detailed scores in player's log