Please withdraw the Backgammon game from BGA

[totes_not_pej]

As of now, there are about 40 bug reports listed for Backgammon, some more are listed under the list of website bugs. In the bug reports there are given specific ways to cheat. I tried some of them in an unranked game and there are several consistently working ways to cheat my way into victory. In fact, if I have the first move, I can easily win while not giving my opponent the opportunity to even roll their dice. There are also rules of the original game which are either not enforced or forgotten completely. Not only does this make playing the game unpleasant, it makes all ELO games pointless, since some of those "bugs" that happen might actually be deliberate cheats.

I understand that the debugging process can take some time, which is why I think that it would be for the best to temporarily withdraw Backgammon from live play and give the developer more time to work in the BGA Studio.

[Jest Phulin]

Agreed.

While it is nice to have more games on BGA, having a well-known game be broken is not in the best interests of this site. From looking at the bug reports, I see very few that don't directly affect the outcome of the game. If new members come to this site for this game, they will most likely assume that the entire site is of poor quality because of how poorly this game is implemented. Backgammon is available on many sites. BGA does not need a poor implementation just to allow people to play. BGA needs an implementation that is of the same quality as the rest of the games on the site.

[sourisdudesert]

Hi,

You're right, we took too long time to fix some bugs, but now it's a question of hours.

Cheers,

[Liallan]

This is the first new game since I've been here, which was actually something I already knew and could play immediately. Finding a few minor bugs when it's first put up is not a surprise, but I am glad to hear that what I'm seeing with this is not typical of the site. So I'd have to agree.

Do you not put games up in a beta stage? Let people play with no ELO until most of the bugs can be found.

This may not be the best place for this... but not only would it be nice to see the full implementation of all the rules (as options I assume), but it would also be nice if the board were bigger, if the background on the board were not so "busy" cause it's hard to see through all that, and nicer looking pieces that aren't red would be nice. I don't know what kind of requirements you may have due to copyrights (does someone actually hold the copyright?), but it would be nice to see a pretty, professional looking board.

[werfmark]

I agree.
The game is buggy and has a bit of a lacking interface, to play the game quickly it's neater if it features the drag capability or just directly let's you click on a spot you want to move your checker to (in case there is no ambiguity which there often isn't)

Most of all though as great as this site is it isn't for backgammon really in this form. Backgammon is a game you should play in boX with the doubling cube, removing that is removing most of the game. Once you remove making (back)gammon's, doubling etc. the game is just too different.
For the same reason chess shouldn't be covered, there shouldn't be backgammon here. It's a hardcore game with many different sites for it already where there are analysis tools (download games, computer analysis) plus the game is poorly implemented here (not the full game, buggy).

[Liallan]

For the same reason chess shouldn't be covered, there shouldn't be backgammon here. It's a hardcore game with many different sites for it already where there are analysis tools (download games, computer analysis) plus the game is poorly implemented here (not the full game, buggy).

I agree that it's poorly implemented. (And I don't like cutting down anyone who develops these games, as I know it's voluntary and takes a lot of work and time; however, it does need work.) But I'm not seeing why it shouldn't be here. Some of us who are not quite as hard-core about the game might appreciate having it here. I don't need/want analysis tools and don't want to have to join every site in existence, or have to play with the hard-core snobs. So it's nice when a game like this comes to where you already are. But yes, I see that it should be implemented with the options such that the hardcore players can play it their way.

(Now don't go into shock or anything, but there are people who play chess casually as well.)