Sometimes have to wait a long time to get a game on OGS. Are there are stats around number of players at different ranks logged in across a 24 hr period.
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custom game without rank restriction always fast
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it looks like you use automatch only
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You might want to like and comment on this thread so the proposed fix can get some traction: Rework the "Automatch finder" (formerly "Quick match finder")
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If this may help, main body of players are american, then european. There are some asian, australian thailand bodies too. And more ofc. Set a custom game is probably the fastest way to get a live game.
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I glanced over your thread. I sincerely appreciate your efforts, and I mean it. Sadly, OGS suffers from thinking that a strong product vision equals to a fascist regime. So they make a common mistake made by junior product managers - they try to appease everyone by introducing more customization. The argument of “old folks would be sad” has more weight than “the website must grow in order to survive” and “the website would be much more convenient to use without customization”. And so they think that the Fox or Yike servers with their exceptionally laser-focused game settings limit their freedom as players.
Regarding the topic. Try take a look at US and EU evenings, usually after 16:00 / 4 PM local time. Personally, I find those are the best time.
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Customization lets everyone get what they want. I use the rather uncommon ruleset of NZD rules and never have trouble getting my open challenges accepted
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If you are talking about automatch, well, small vocal minor wins over silent majority. So you win – for the cost of less-populated and less beginner-friendly server. But I’m not talking about custom games. In customer games, people could have as much customization as they want.
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I’m talking about custom games, I think that’s the normal way to get games, and there are enough people accepting that you don’t even need to look at them and accept one if you don’t want to; I almost always just create a custom game offer and it’s always filled in short order
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Finally someone who is talking some sense. Thanks a lot for that comment!
It is on OGS but it shouldn’t be like that, and it causes OGS to stay a fringe option when it comes to Go servers.
I have some sympathy for your views on Automatch (which is pretty much the only way I find games), but I highly doubt this is the main reason for OGS being fringe compared to asian servers…
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Maybe depends on how we define “fringe”. Obviously OGS is not suddenly going to surpass Fox just by reworking the matchmaking design. But I think better matchmaking could be a huge popularity booster for this server.
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And that can be improved through AF creating CGs, and automatically accepting CGs, without taking away any freedom in creating CGs
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For any devs considering implementing this, I’d like to suggest again that just showing the AFs in the CG section would be a huge start. They don’t have to be deeply unified with CGs; “accepting” one could just sign you up for automatch with the right settings so that presumably you’d match with that game. It shouldn’t take any extra backend work beyond exposing the list of active AF challenges.
And seeing a live list of AFs could help us figure out why it’s taking so long for people to find matches.
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yep, the thing is on Asian servers you can bet.
If you really want to attract strong Asian players, organize tournaments here with big money prize. Even pros may appear if big enough.
I mean we can think of many missing features, but none of them are as influential as the fact that OGS is a “Western” server for a game that is much less popular in the west
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Is LiChess still doing that? Of course, lichess is bigger than OGS and chess is more popular than Go in the west
I don’t think the lichess prize money was that large in the grand scheme of things and it still attracted quite strong players. But lichess is also in the west for a game popular in the west
In what way is OGS a “western server”?
It is made and owned by an american, and the primary player base is american and european. In what way is it not a western go server?
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