Goodbye and Good Games!

[JoysJoy]

Uhm, I wanted to say thank you for enabling people all over the world to play together. Which is a great thing for sure.
But then there was an advertisement, a political even, in the middle of the text. Then I thought it's just the computer translating it in a strange way, but it's not. Not sure what this message is meant to be but it has a bitter taste to it indeed.

You can turn off ads in your settings

[CraftyRaf]

Dear Greg Isabelli,

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for all your contributions to the BoardGameArena community. Your vision and dedication have truly shaped the platform into what it is today. As you embark on your new journey, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss a potential blog topic.

Recently, I've noticed the rise of official Carcassonne tournaments on BoardGameArena, such as the upcoming http://www.carcassonne.cat/wtcoc2023/. It's exciting to see the Carcassonne community flourishing over the past few years, aided by influential streamers with hundreds of followers. These tournaments have tremendous potential to attract even more participants, resulting in additional income for BGA and a thriving competitive community.

However, there are certain gameplay issues that hinder the growth of this competitive community. Some players have voiced concerns about these issues, making it somewhat uncomfortable to watch or commentate on matches. It seems that despite the crowd's vocal requests for improvements, these concerns have not been adequately addressed. Allow me to highlight a few examples:
1. Tiles in the text, including discarded tiles, are not distinguishable due to broken images on the right side of the screen. It would greatly enhance the experience if players received a clear notification or a better visual cue for discarded tiles.
2. Timer-related problems have caused confusion, as players believe they are moving within their allocated time but end up losing on time according to the game logs. Additionally, there are instances where a player's remaining time suddenly drops by 5 seconds for no apparent reason.
3. When the game reaches its conclusion and displays "0 tiles remaining," it is unclear whether or not your opponent still holds a tile in hand. This ambiguity can affect decision-making and strategic gameplay.
4. In official tournaments, if a game ends in a draw, the starting player loses. However, it is not explicitly clear who the starting player is during the match unless you review the replay. This has resulted in numerous instances of confusion and frustration, particularly during live commentary.

Considering your invaluable experience and expertise in the gaming industry, I would love to hear your insights on these challenges. How do you envision addressing these gameplay issues to ensure an enjoyable and smooth experience for both players and spectators? Additionally, it would be greatly beneficial if we could establish a direct connection with one of the developers to discuss and resolve not only these issues but also other potential improvements that could enhance the overall gameplay experience.

Thank you for your time, and I eagerly await your response.

Best regards,
CraftyRaf

[catch44]

Thanks for all your hard work over the years it sounds like it been a very interesting journey.

I'd like to see some technical blogs on the following aspects of the journey.... multilingual systems, development platforms, scalable application hosting

I think it would be of great interest to future entrepeneurs in this space

Thanks
Brendan

[- - D L - -]

感恩，祝前程似锦

[janye1613]

The GOAT , being GOATed, thank you for everything and launching BGA <333

[Den Jive]

Thx for the great platform where we can enjoy our hobby with people from all over the world!

[GEOKOENDS]

Fantastisch wat je gedaan hebt !
Hoed af!
Hopelijk evenveel succes in je nieuwe avontuur!
Een zéér tevreden speler!

see you beyond!
GEOKOENDS

[MetteSamme]

Thank you very much for making BGA. It has made an important difference for me, during the Covid pandemic. I meet so many nice people here, and learn about the world.

[napoleonvole]

heh, it is nice to put a face to souri finally even if it is just to say thank you so much for bga and all the best in your new projects and ventures. your work here has been much appreciated!

[TheFlyingBoat]

Bon voyage and congratulations! Incredible that you managed to make a platform as grand in objective work as well as it does!