Absolute timer /* bug

mysterious /*

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This is a visual indication that it’s absolute time, and all moves need to be made on the same clock. Borrowed from Canadian time, which says “/9” if you have 9 moves left on the same clock.

EDIT: previously, absolute time was indistinguishable from Fischer/Simple time in the game list, even though the clocks have dramatically different meanings.

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it will create more questions than old hamburger OGS menu and name search inside it

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One alternative solution: use equivalent Fischer time control (e.g. 1m+0). Fischer is more common on OGS, and +0 is already meaningful.

That said, I think this is the type of thing that people would get used to in short time. Regardless of the symbol, they would associate it with absolute (as @stone.defender did in the title)

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For Fischer time, the +X doesn’t show up in the game list or in the active game. Might be worth considering anyway, but since no one sees the +X for ladders/tournaments/automatch/etc, I’m not sure +0 would be any more obvious than /*.

(In the meantime I’ve sent a pull request to remove the extra line break from the screenshot, so that the /* shows up on the same line as the Hours.)

That said, I think this is the type of thing that people would get used to in short time. Regardless of the symbol, they would associate it with absolute (as @stone.defender did in the title)

That’s my hope, that although it might initially seem like a glitch (huh, what’s that?), it’ll quickly be associated with absolute time, which in the game list is pretty crucial for understanding move urgency.

BTW, it came out of this thread: Suggestion : Sort games with ''Absolute Time" settings to appear at the top of one's list of games when sorting by time remaining

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it would make much more sense. Main time in other time controls is displayed as 1m+something
and main idea of Absolute is that you have only main time

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problem is: its not associated with anything before research is done. And normal users never do research. You could as well include Chinese character.

Canadian time is not so popular (and used) on OGS. Not like on IGS for example.

If regulars ask you the meaning, there is a problem already.

15mn +0 looks pretty and clear IMHO.

Can’t this be arranged then? A strange choice from the past, incomplete information.

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main time in Byo-Yomi (the most popular time control) looks like that too

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Hmm… the byo-yomi analogy is convincing for me.

Should it say “+0” or should it say “(SD)”?

sd means last Byo-Yomi period, when main time already ended, so it will be a contradiction

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SD has meaning of some time remaining, not exactly what +0 means

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I’d argue strongly against adding the clutter. It’s not really relevant when figuring out urgency of a move.

Then nothing may be better as only half of the information. Playing a +10s is very different as a +1mn. (Fisher)

+10s and +1min are live game settings. If you have a live game, then the live game is certainly the most urgent game in which to make a move. You also see the clock jump up (by whatever increment) every time you move. The settings are obvious through experience.

(Regardless, making changes to Fischer time seem off-topic for this thread…)

Right, right, thanks; I wasn’t thinking clearly.

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how about “ABS” for “absolute”?

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And easy to find icons for it! :yum:

Okay, if we don’t have consensus on +0, I can do a poll.

EDIT: here it is: Poll: Should absolute time say "Time/*", "Time+0", or "Time ABS"?

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Checked. Nothing interesting in this, sorry.