What do the gifts do?

[Morgue]

When I win a game for the first time I receive these gifts as well as trophy points.
What exactly does the gifts do?

[Trociu]

You earn gift points not only for winning for the first time but also for helping new players (if they give you green thumb after their first game on BGA) and translating games and website to your language. You also earn them for contributing for BGA. You can use them only for 1 thing - 100 gift points = 1 month of being member of BGA club. It means that you will see everyones ELO ans statistics for each game. In other words it gives acces to premium account

[Morgue]

Ah, thank you

[Ezel]

Quote from http://en.boardgamearena.com/#!contribute

How to get gift points?
Each time a beginner thanks you for playing with him/her their first game on BGA: 3

I was looking for the Thank You button but couldn't find it. Since when does a Thumb up mean 'Thank you'? That page needs a rewrite.
Also, does the 'first game' have to be the very first game or is it the first game of a special kind (for instance, I've played lots of games on BGA but today I played my first game of Stone Age. Will me thumbing my opponents give them giftpoints?).
And how soon after the game does this thumb contribute giftpoints? Can I thumb someone from my 'first game' 1 year after the game took place and they still get giftpoints?

[Liallan]

I have never gotten any gift points from getting a thumbs up from a new player. I don't have any proof of this, but I have played games where someone was designated as a first time player (site, not that game), and I end up with more thumbs after the game, so the obvious conclusion is they did it. (I don't play enough games for it to be not obvious.)

When I played my first game, I didn't see any place special to "give thanks" to who I played it. I've always wondered about this, because if this isn't obvious, I don't know how people can do it - especially when they're new.

[Tejo]

Quote from http://en.boardgamearena.com/#!contribute

How to get gift points?
Each time a beginner thanks you for playing with him/her their first game on BGA: 3

I was looking for the Thank You button but couldn't find it. Since when does a Thumb up mean 'Thank you'? That page needs a rewrite.
Also, does the 'first game' have to be the very first game or is it the first game of a special kind (for instance, I've played lots of games on BGA but today I played my first game of Stone Age. Will me thumbing my opponents give them giftpoints?).
And how soon after the game does this thumb contribute giftpoints? Can I thumb someone from my 'first game' 1 year after the game took place and they still get giftpoints?

When you play your first game on the site (and I mean the very first game) you have to give a green thumb to your opponent at the end of the game to give him/her also the gift points.
The gift points are given to your opponent immediately when you give him/her the green thumb, but if you close the window of the game and you'll give him/her the green thumb in another moment you give only the green thumb but no gift points.

[Liallan]

The gift points are given to your opponent immediately when you give him/her the green thumb, but if you close the window of the game and you'll give him/her the green thumb in another moment you give only the green thumb but no gift points.

Um... how would a new player know this? And they're only a first-time player once, and then it's too late.

Just another one of those things around here that are never said any place, even for those of us who actually read the FAQs first. Not sure why this site is so incredible lacking in information.

(Tejo, this obviously is not directed at you.)

[Tejo]

The gift points are given to your opponent immediately when you give him/her the green thumb, but if you close the window of the game and you'll give him/her the green thumb in another moment you give only the green thumb but no gift points.

Um... how would a new player know this? And they're only a first-time player once, and then it's too late.

Just another one of those things around here that are never said any place, even for those of us who actually read the FAQs first. Not sure why this site is so incredible lacking in information.

(Tejo, this obviously is not directed at you.)

Yeah, the only way a new player can know this is with the bar opening on the top of the screen as you come back to the site after finishing a game, the bar that reminds you to give an evaluation to your opponent.
But as you correctly said, if it's the first time on the site there is a chance you don't even know where to look to see the reminder

[zohaa]

Hello, everyone. I am completely new to BGA... I found this website via google. Through the Ages is a personal favorite game of mine, and I see a couple of other good games here, as well. I was having a bit of an issue, however. It seems as though it is extremely rare to find just an 'open' game... a game available for someone who is perfectly capable of playing these games, who knows the rules quite well, and yet lacks the social network or the proper reputation to be able to join any games...

As such, I feel as though many newer players such as myself are being put off by BGA. Unless you have established yourself through a social network of friends, it becomes too difficult to join a game. Might there be any plans in the future that will give players incentive to play against newer players? Might there be a section in the forums set aside for new-timers only? What are your thoughts on this issue?

[Tejo]

Hello, everyone. I am completely new to BGA... I found this website via google. Through the Ages is a personal favorite game of mine, and I see a couple of other good games here, as well. I was having a bit of an issue, however. It seems as though it is extremely rare to find just an 'open' game... a game available for someone who is perfectly capable of playing these games, who knows the rules quite well, and yet lacks the social network or the proper reputation to be able to join any games...

As such, I feel as though many newer players such as myself are being put off by BGA. Unless you have established yourself through a social network of friends, it becomes too difficult to join a game. Might there be any plans in the future that will give players incentive to play against newer players? Might there be a section in the forums set aside for new-timers only? What are your thoughts on this issue?

You're not the first player who says that isn't easy to find opponents to play Through the Ages.
I don't know the game so I never saw how many tables are open to join during the day, but probably 'cause of the game itself there will be a lot number of tables not opened to beginners (I only know it's a long game, so probably a good bunch of players don't want to risk to start a game with the opponent never played before).
I know it is a poor suggestion (and I'm sorry I don't have a better one), but I see that in this moment you haven't played any games here on BGA, so you should create yourself the table to start playing the game and gain, with some games played, more chances to join other players' tables. You also said you see some other interesting games here on the site, try play some matches in these games before starting to joint other TtA tables.
I repeat, I know my suggestion won't really solve the problem, but it can be a starting point.