If that was the only conclusion you could have drawn, then you're much more perceptive than you're being given credit for and your talents are clearly wasted on webDip. Especially because I don't believe I had previously spoken of my dislike for Italy (I definitely had spoken about ways to open as Italy in the forums around that time).

In truth, I'd probably put Italy 5th out of 7 in terms of countries I'd prefer to draw in gunboat, ahead of Russia and Austria and behind the others. So, it would be hard for me to have spoken about Italy being my least favorite country, because I don't lie on here outside of the context of games, and it's not my least favorite country. I do think it's a very difficult country to play in gunboat because it requires a good understanding of the dynamics of the entire board to play well, whereas some other countries can be played well solely with more local considerations. But, if I had the choice between seven Italys and seven Austrias in gunboat, it wouldn't be close. I would, by the way, have also felt my draw were very likely worse than Czech's had I been given five different countries, for example, AAAEIRT. So, apparently you're much more perceptive than I am in reading these tea leaves, and I should be asking you for some financial advice!

See, Lando, this is the problem. You're arguing with half-truths and lies about things which are in the public record, and that's a bad strategy because eventually if you raise enough of a stink, people actually look at the facts. Similarly, posting only half of a message I sent you just leads me to eventually post the entire message. And then you're forced to make wilder and wilder claims. Do you think anybody actually believes you when you say this is the only conclusion you could have drawn?

Finally, where in the tournament instructions does it state that I'm required to respond to your PMs? It states very clearly in the site rules that I must answer communications, both via PM and via email, from the site moderators. I do so promptly and will continue to do so promptly. I am not required to answer your PMs, and given some of the profanity-laced tirades you sent me recently, it's probably fortunate for both of us that I'm not.

Oh,you certainly are not required to respond anything to anybody.We are aware of that. You only have special rights on the site.Mentioned earlier.

All of this depends on the actual infraction of SD. I see that the mods do a great job day in and day out, and dont need to fill us in on their entire playing field. Thats their prerogative. The same goes, in a lesser degree for the role of TD. Having said that, judging from this thread there seems to have been quite a bit of info shared with a small group and little to the group of participants as a whole.

Is it true CS received additional info on SDs infraction while the others (and seemingly the TD) did not? And if so, why?

SD is a moot point and, in fact, his veiled cheating accusation about CStein and the mods should probably get him silinced again, this time for longer than 24 hours.

I think Drgnr should be silenced for making cheating accusations about SD. And for the sake of the comunity.

I still just want to continue playing. I understand there are multiple forces at work here, but it just feels like my games were hijacked by the mods and I can't have them back.

Folks,

I know many of you are very anxious to get the games moving again or to resolve the tourney's issues, but this mud slinging is really not helping anybody. It is merely devolving further and further into a "he says, she says" pissing contest.

At this point, there are 3 ways that the paused games will continue: 1. Kestas's ruling in regards to Lando and CSteinhardt, 2. Lando says to resume the games, or 3. CSteinhardt says "kick me out."

Moreover, I am currently in conversation with Lando in regards to who has been told what and so forth and to try to resolve any discrepancy or contradiction or the perception thereof. The mod team is also discussing with Kestas about the tourney's policy and clarifying any other outstanding issue in regards to SplitDiplomat's case.

I would ask that everyone please wait for Kestas to come to a decision and please try to remember that this is just a game at the end of the day.

@Lando (TD) "Joeunice please attempt to read and understand the posts above yours before posting "

I appologize if I am not understanding what is meant by these 1,300 posts of commentary, and I am sorry the TD is getting frustrated, but I don't appreciate being talked down to, as CStein and SD have been as well. Continuing this tourney appears to be more pain then it is worth. The waters have become quite muddy... I hope the outcome is that we continue what was started with the current players, including CStein, which remains my humble position on the matter.

I am not sending a PM to the TD to repeat, again, that opinion.

@Zultar - can you summarize what question we are waiting for Kestas to make a decision on?

@SD - Not that a moron with the English skills of a baboon like you could understand this but I will clarify one thing for you. Pointing out a site rule violation is not the same thing as a cheating accusation. Cheating requires Tue activity to be game related or, at a minimum, potential contribute to a game related violation. Suggesting someone gets special treatment by the mods for a supposed game violation is a cheating accusation. Pointing out that a person who was recently silenced for poating cheating accusations is doing.it again is *not* a cheating accusation as your accusation wasn't cheating but merely violating site rules. But stupid is as stupid does and you very clearly confirm Forrest Gump's favortie phrase.

Where did you see c/a ?

Can we at least set a deadline by when we expect this to be resolved?

I don't think it's fair to make fun of someone's English when he's ESL. Or maybe even ETL.

^And when Draugnar can't even spell himself.

No,it's ok,nothing much.Not taken. He's right after all, I suck at Eng.

I'd expect by the end of the weekend ava, but I can't swear to it.

If people are banned or CD now I'm playing on, I think it is the only chance I have, $300 up on the roulette and blackjack, living the dream, come on 8 black !!

@Nigee - FYI...roulette is the worst game (statistically speaking) for the player in the entire casino. Have fun!

17 black all the way, Nigs. Or you could bet like the Chinese and scatter chips all over the bloody place.

@ jimgov

Blackjack is far worse unless you know how to play it properly, and if you know how to play it properly it's as boring as hell.

@Draug - personally I don't care if your last rant was meant to be funny or that SD chose not to take offense, I did. Any worthwhile point gets lost in the insults, which were in poor taste.

Lando is right.

Lando - I think you should look things with a broader perspective. You and Cstein are in a personal flame war and this isn´t good for the tournament. You are taken this personally and your answer to josunice was really rude withouy any reason. I think everybody need to calm down a bit.

Cstein post about the draw isn´t really worst as any other that have posted (including me). It was a mistake, and I don´t really think that me, him or any of the players that posted have any intention to take advantage or cheat in any way. And this was 34 pages behind.....

So, I think we need to move on. Finish this round and hopefully have a final round with the 7 best on this round. I

@jos - Tough luck if you took offense. He insulted me and claimed I made a cheating accusation. I felt the need to insult him right back while correcting him on what a cheating accusation is. Of course, I honestly don't give a fuck if I offend any and every one on this site. It's just a fucking board game site. So sorry you get offended so easily. I would suggest you grow a pair and stop being a pussy.

@ava - Old geezers with bad eyes and arthritic thumbs tend to have a hard time typing on cell phone touch screens.

@SD - "You only have special rights on the site"

That is a veiled cheating accusation essentially saying the mods treat him with privilege. In short, you accuse the *mods* of cheating when you say that.

Hi all, Sorry this has dragged out for a while, I've been trying to hear everyone out and come to a decision about how to deal with these sorts of tournament related issues.


I think tournaments shouldn't be official things, and they should place as little burden on the mod team as possible. The problem seems to be that mods need to do the actions for the TDs, which associates TD decisions with the mod team, and of course if the mod team object to what the TD wants to do they naturally want to resist it, and people can blame the mod team for TD decisions.

So I think the best way to deal with is with a software change, to allow TDs to run games themselves. Whatever happens in the tournament has nothing to do with the site or moderators; they set someone as a director for the game, and from then on it's totally up to the director (who is not affiliated with the site in any way).

Any rule breaking that has an impact outside the site or breaks the site-wide rules will be dealt with as usual, but otherwise how the game is run will be totally up to the TD. This way if a tournament goes sour people can choose to participate in different tournaments, rather than go to the mod team to resolve it.

There may be a set of guidelines/rules for TDs who are given access to this feature, but for now I just want to get this feature out so this deadlock can be resolved.

Thanks Kestas. How do you propose we deal with this tournament round being paused as it stands?

That'll be up to Lando, who we'll give director access to those games. I'm going to give it a couple of hours first though, just so I can check to see if there have been any breaking changes to the existing code paths. Then Lando will be set as director, and he'll be able to go in and pause / unpause those games as he chooses, and we'll see how things go and use this as a test case.