Confused about time settings & how to get games

[Jhyn]

Recently I have been trying various go servers other KGS, that I have been using for many years.
This was overall a pretty frustrating experience but IGS really stood out in terms of interface and features. However I am still confused by some aspects.

If I want to get a game with, say, a 30 minutes main time setting, is the only way to do it to scroll through the list of players around my rank and challenge them one by one? Is it acceptable / useful to spam many challenges at the same time, or does any new challenge cancels the previous one? (In my experience the response rate has been rather low, especially with slow playing times).

Am I correct in understanding that the only automatch setting available is with 1 minute main time, and that the only way to get slow games is the previous method?

Sorry if I am asking the obvious but being used to KGS this feels like surprising design choices.

[jeromie]

I use the automatch feature almost exclusively, so I'll focus on that part of your question. There are a few different time settings you can choose, but from what I understand it can be difficult to find a game on anything but the default setting (one minute main time and 10 minutes / 25 moves). I haven't tried a lot of other time settings on IGS because this one is perfect for me. It ends up giving me about the same amount of thinking time as the medium automatch setting on KGS, but the way Canadian byo-yomi works means that I have as much thinking time in the end game as I do in the opening.

If you're looking for an actual slow game (e.g. KGS long or slower) I think you'll have to stick with individual challenges, but if you've never played with Canadian byo-yomi don't be put off by the one minute main time. It ends up feeling like a surprisingly relaxed pace.

[EdLee]

Hi Jhyn,

The IGS model and KGS model are different from each other, as you have discovered.

The KGS model is you open a "table", and wait for someone to "sit down" at your table.

The IGS model is you request a game from individuals who are "open" to games.

You can send out multiple requests to different users, concurrently --
a new request does not cancel out any previous requests to different users.
If somebody declines your request, you should not spam the same user again.
If somebody declines your request, and you persist to send more requests to the same user, that is spamming.

I never use the automatch feature, on either KGS or IGS.
On IGS, I send out requests to people around my rank, individually, concurrently, but without spamming.

In addition, on IGS, on certain clients (such as gIgo),
you can set your preferred time controls, then set your status to "Looking for games".
Then, if another user's time control "overlaps" yours,
they can send you a request, having seen your "Looking for games" status.
You can continue to send requests to individual users concurrently.

[Jhyn]

It ends up giving me about the same amount of thinking time as the medium automatch setting on KGS, but the way Canadian byo-yomi works means that I have as much thinking time in the end game as I do in the opening.

Yes, after trying it a few times I agree that 25/10 feels surprisingly more relaxed than 3x0:30. This is true for the endgame and quiet parts of the midgame, but I'm still feeling pushed a bit too hard in the opening and hard fights in the midgame. I regularly take between 5 and 10 minutes to try and read out an opening sequence I've never seen before, this being the only way I found to reliably remember joseki. This is not really possible with these time settings, which you might argue is a feature.

The KGS model is you open a "table", and wait for someone to "sit down" at your table.

The IGS model is you request a game from individuals who are "open" to games.

Yes, I think I'm getting the hang of it. I must admit I find this design quite poor: I end up clicking on dozens of names to find a game, most of them rejecting me, and at the same time rejecting myself 75% of the offers I receive because we're not looking for the same type of game. I cannot prevent feeling a lot of time is lost unnecessarily. I might try qlgo to set preferred time settings, I couldn't find this option on GoPanda2.

[oren]

Yes, I think I'm getting the hang of it. I must admit I find this design quite poor: I end up clicking on dozens of names to find a game, most of them rejecting me, and at the same time rejecting myself 75% of the offers I receive because we're not looking for the same type of game. I cannot prevent feeling a lot of time is lost unnecessarily. I might try qlgo to set
preferred time settings, I couldn't find this option on GoPanda2.

Most people automatch with 25 moves in 10 min, so I suggest using that. I don't ever make personal offers or accept any on igs. I only use automatch. Same is true on KGS. I find automatching easier.

[EdLee]

I couldn't find this option on GoPanda2.

If you can open up the Console window in GoPanda2, you should be able to set your preferred time contols via certain command-line commands.
But it's a little inconvenient.

That's why I still use the old gIgo .

For the small iPhone 4S screen, the Panda app is nice for watching games; unless I get hit by the mysterious IGS disconnections.