Variants Server Suggestions [Post-4PC Merge]

So like a "Variant of the Day" arena? I don't quite get what the separate point system would be used for though.

Couldn't players just select an open variant queue from the lobby?

Grable unresign then make quickthrone bypass all filters then resign again

I have a question, which may be followed by a suggestion XD

Is there a reason why there is always a link at the bottom to the 4PC group, even if you're not looking at 4PC games?

I can answer that! While not disclosing private admin conversations, there were questions about how to treat the official 4PC forum, now that this one (Variants) is designated as all-encompassing. We had debated somehow merging the two forums, but there wasn't a feasible way to do so. More than 5 years' history in the 4PC forums, much of it, now with no relation to anything on the variants server. However, that shouldn't all be erased, or made un-official, because, well, why bother? Also, for as much irrelevant content as there is over there, there are also troves of very much still-relevant discussions. Still today, there are posts going up over there which don't really have much to do with 4PC at all, but rather to the variants server. You can't force people to post in the correct forum always (although it's recommended, and stipulated by the rules).

Hence, if you're on the variants server, you have a direct link to the discussion forum formerly only pertaining to 4PC, alongside that of the variants club.

Okay, that makes sense I think. Thanks.

I guess my question is, though, why is it always there instead of just when it’s set to 4PC? That would make more sense to me, though I’m sure it would be harder to code XD

I also ask because I think it would be cool if there were various links that could be down there. If there was a club for koth, or for 3+, or even linking to the 4PC Teams group or the 4PC Custom Positions group, and it would switch depending on what mode you have selected.

No, I want something like that; but it's pinned to the lobby; do you see how less people are playing arenas?

Just rewriting this as a more concrete and defined suggestion:

The links included at the bottom of the sidebar menu could change depending on which game type was being played/observed. Specifically:

• Games that primarily contribute to FFA standard ratings: https://www.chess.com/club/4-player-chess
• Games that primarily contribute to Teams standard ratings: https://www.chess.com/club/4pc-teams
• Games that primarily contribute to variant ratings: https://www.chess.com/club/4pc-custom-games

Thanks @grable 

Suggestion: Counter that shows how many arenas someone has gotten top 3 in.

Can I revise? I love this idea, but would suggest a slight change:

Leaderboards for tournaments (combined). A points-based scoring scheme could be created as a function of A) Placement in the tournament's standings, B) Number of unique players in the tournament, C) How long ago it was played, and D) Tournament duration.

Something along the lines of (just spitballing here): 

• 1st place = 4 tournament leaderboard points
• 2nd place = 2 tournament leaderboard points
• 3rd place = 1 tournament leaderboard point
• Points are multiplied by 1,2 if there are more than 300 unique players
• Points are multiplied by 1,5 if there are more than 600 unique players
• Points are multiplied by 2 if there are more than 1.000 unique players
• Points are multiplied by 1,2 if it's a Stakes tournament (between 12 and 24 hours)
• Points are multiplied by 1,5 if it's a Derby tournament (longer than 24 hours)
• Points are multiplied by 2 if it was an All Week tournament (168 hours or longer)
• Tournament leaderboard points depreciate at 20% per week

En Passant = 1 pt is a total nonsense, not only that...remember when there was a variant (old standard promotion on 4th=K) with all the players missing their king, so if you slip or you don't know the rules, push the pawn 2 squares up auto-promotion into a king and you get mated in a few moves after some checks. imo I only find 8th 9th and 11th rank useful because of standard FFA, standard Teams and King Safety Teams. The most hated rank for a promotion is 4th rank and ppl wanted it removed from the promotion settings. What I would do is have all of them removed except those main 3 and maybe KoTH enabling it in some variants, I would have that removed as well. Only possible "promotion into En passant" (walking into En passant) in standard are side pawns promotion = 4th rank in variants also 4th, but those who all pawns on 2nd rank like in War for Throne it's possible. Speaking of variants, there can be some variants (previously approved by the admins) with some exceptions when it comes to the promotion settings,, but those who have all the pawns on 2nd rank like in standard, it doesn't make any sense to have the promotion on 4th rank. Also "no promotion" unless it's a variant with the wall in front where you can push the pawn into a wall and go for stalemate. So, even if "a promotion" walking into En passant is possible I agree with spacebar, it should give the value of a promoted piece. 

Now my suggestion:

I want the change of the arenas. have multiple arenas starting at the same time. I would separate them into 4 categories: standard, antichess, chaturaji, other variants. So basically, we can have even (up to) 4 arenas starting at the same time up to (lasting/arena duration time) 24h max. Standard can mix with old standard and teams self-partner. So, we would have lots of arenas basically available all the time, maybe even give a 5th spot to WoF since it can be played rated, it's different and luck based. How all of this would be of any use? It would help new players discover various new variants instead of them sitting in the basement somewhere. Right now I see WoF: Chase the Royal 76 games 37 players (3h 37min left), Surprise Attack 0 games 0 players 1 active player (36min left) Standard FFA Gold Arena 1600+ 0 games 0 players (3h 35min left) Standard FFA Diamond Arena 2000+ 0 games 0 players (3h 35min left) Standard FFA Beginners Arena <1600 0 games 0 players (3h 35min left) My suggestion is maybe keep those standard ones out of the "Chess Variants" arenas cuz they're not representing what chess variants really is, it's just standard 4pc boring, right? or keep them, add 3 more variants so we have 3 more besides Surprise Attack and WoF and keep Standard FFA ones at the bottom. Those Standard FFA ones are not really useful atm, at least not in "Chess Variants" arena list, are they? Another thing, 1|0 is a bit sus like this current ongoing WoF, I would keep it at fast blitz like 2|4 in general as the time control. Lasting 4h okay, but why bullet and why 1|0, maybe keep it blitz blitz blitz, exclude all standard ones and an exception to blitz could be 15sec chaturaji hyperbullet arena which is kept separated as a chaturaji arena, so the other 3 or 4 "Chess Variants" arenas would be in focus. This sounds rude, but I would keep bullet out of "Chess Variants" arenas and being allowed to be created only custom, no arenas, hyperbullet all the same with chaturaji 15sec as an exception because it's really not beginner friendly. I really don't know what those empty (with a rating range) Standard FFA arenas are doing there in the "Chess Variants" since there's 0 interest in them...

I wonder what percentage of people who see that actually bothered to read it, and if their combined time reading it exceeds the time you spent typing it

Suggestion: The ability for custom position creators to designate squares at given coordinates to function as the "Hill" in king-of-the-hill games, so we aren't always constrained to using the 2x2 square in the centre of the board:

i suggested it on 4PC discord.

Suggestion: The ability to automatically join next arena game. Can be turned on for a specific arena when spectating/playing its game and turned off any time.

Maybe we can do this. For example, assume all the pawns are berolinas. They promote to sergeant, a more powerful pawn, or maybe another piece, on the 7th rank, for example, and then sergeants promote on 9th rank to amazon.

This creates a problem, because then racing kings will be the same as KOTH only with a different hill position.

What's a problem here? There can just be a separate rule that does not allow checks.

Why not simply let players choose the squares for KotH, like you can do with walls?

This's exactly what grable suggested a few comments above 🤦‍♂️