The default color setting - “automatic” - does not randomly assign colors (unlike any other Go server). Instead the higher rated player always gets white. This behavior is neither expected, nor is it possible to tell what “automatic” does without trial&error.
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The thing that grinds my gears is that “Automatic” means two different things depending on context!
For handicap and color, “automatic” means “based on strength”.
But for komi, it means “based on board size and ruleset”. (I think)
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Perhaps Automatic should become Traditional?
Doesn’t need to be renamed, just make Automatic in color intuitively mean random when handicap is set to none.
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I’m sorry to disagree, but I (super-newbie) understood “automatic” color and handicap as “based on strength”, I think it makes perfect sense.
I thought that “automatic komi” would be a combination of ruleset+board size+handicap.
In my opinion that would be the expected behavior from an “automatic system”
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No need to be sorry- it’s good to know that the system makes sense for some people.
I think the scenario where I’m always nervous about the outcome is where I’m playing a weaker player that prefers even games.
I set:
- Handicap: None
- Color: Random
- Komi: Auto
Some little voice in the back of my head says “This game is not even, Auto should be reverse komi!”
In my mind, a word like "Standard"1 would convey what actually happens.
Anyway, I fear I’ve taken the thread off topic. I totally agree with the point made in the OP: Automatic Color should be the same as Random color in the case of an even (standard komi) game. And then there is, perhaps, no reason to have a random option at all!
1 or as @bugcat suggested, “traditional”, although “traditional” means “no komi” in my mind
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