Which BG server is the best value?
Kenny Lee Smith
My membership in Games Grid and Netgammon is coming due soon
and I was just thinking about which to keep, which to drop.
Games Grid has got to go simply because it is twice as expensive
as it's closest competitor and the new program, with IE 4.0 guts,
is so darned slow to load.
Netgammon, I think I'll keep because it is so cheap, even though
I think the dice are a little funny there. Plus there is always a game
24 hours a day. It does have the most players at any given time.
VOG, of course, is no problem now, since it has everything
the other's do and is FREE!!!!! And, if they don't charge more than
Netgammon, I will definitely keep it even after they do charge.
The Gaming Zone is also FREE!!! I don't play there much
because it is not comparable with the other 3 in what it offers.
FIBS is also FREE!!! but doesn't have the cool interface,
at least, not without a lot of trouble setting up.
So, basically, my determination of the best value in BG servers
for the future is Netgammon and VOG.
I know that everybody else is facing the same decision.
Is there any other view as to the best value in BG servers
out there? Have I missed one that should be considered?
Kenny Lee Smith
kenn...@mindspring.com
URLs:
David D. Wright
If money is the issue then you must do what meets your budget. Games Grid
and FIBS by far have the most talented players. I find myself picking up
bad habits on some of these other servers where the players are weak and
easily exploited with risky play that they let me get away with. For
example on VOG I have played over 200 games, that is 40 matches -- 33 wins
and only 7 losses; my rating is 1930 (VOG starts you at 1600). I would
never have gotten that far in GG or FIBS (1830 equivalent) in 200 games.
Also at the VOG everyone gets an unreal amount of doubles, very suspicious,
it evens out, but I wonder if they hand out feel good doubles and start
everyone at 1600 as a marketing ploy. They will be charging soon. The
other free servers don't have as good of a game interface. On the bright,
side you can still be a guest on Games Grid and at least watch the good
players and play FIBS for free.
You will never get better, unless you play people who are better; that is
the best value for your time and effort.
Bob Hoey
kenn...@mindspring.com,Internet writes:
>FIBS is also FREE!!! but doesn't have the cool interface,
>at least, not without a lot of trouble setting up.
BH> I have not played on the other servers mentioned, primarily because
they do not support Macintosh. FIBS is not only free, but using MacFIBS,
it has an interface that is equal to or superior to any other interface
available. I believe that most of my friends who use GamesGrid and
abandoned FIBS, were doing so because they found the FIBS/w client to be
inferior. We Mac users may not have access to JellyFish (unless we use
soft windows or something like that), but we have the most elegant
interface going to access FIBS.
Thanks Fergy.
I have been told that there is a new interface for FIBS from the PC side.
Called WinFIBS, I believe, but I have not heard any confirmation that
this exists and how good it is.
Bob
Kenny Lee Smith
David D. Wright wrote:
> If money is the issue then you must do what meets your budget. Games Grid
> and FIBS by far have the most talented players. I find myself picking up
> bad habits on some of these other servers where the players are weak and
> easily exploited with risky play that they let me get away with.
> Also at the VOG everyone gets an unreal amount of doubles, very suspicious,
> it evens out, but I wonder if they hand out feel good doubles and start
> everyone at 1600 as a marketing ploy. They will be charging soon. The
> other free servers don't have as good of a game interface. On the bright,
> side you can still be a guest on Games Grid and at least watch the good
> players and play FIBS for free.
Well, money is always an issue. Especially now that we have so manychoices.
Games Grid is not just slightly more expensive, it is twice
as expensive. And, due to that expense, there aren't many players
there a lot of times. Netgammon and the others all have more players
available and more games with rated players.
And the dice? I hear as many complaints about GG as any other.
Can anyone here prove which BG server has the most honest dice?
As far as missing out on playing the good players, the
ones on GG are on the others, too. Probably due to the expense.
If they are paying for GG they don't care about price and are
playing everywhere. I doubt that any ranking player on GG is
not also playing at Netgammon.
One thing I have learned already here. There are many people that
recommend that I give FIBS another try, so I am. Many here think
it may be the best value of all.
Kenny Lee Smith
kenn...@mindspring.com
> > URLs:
> >
> > <http://www.netgammon.com>
> >
> > <http://www.vog.ru>
> >
> > <http://www.gamesgrid.com>
> >
> > <http://www.zone.com>
e r g y @best.com Paul Ferguson
In article <fc.003e902500aaf5093b...@mlsonline.com> Bob
Hoey, Bob_...@mlsonline.com writes:
>I have been told that there is a new interface for FIBS from the PC side.
>Called WinFIBS, I believe, but I have not heard any confirmation that
>this exists and how good it is.
I have seen but not played with WinFIBS; my PC at work is
behind a firewall.
I worked closely with John Fahey (the author of WinFIBS),
even giving him a customized copy of the board artwork and
permission to use the basic design of MacFIBS.
There is also a Windows client called EBBS/W by Egon
Beermat, which seems to be in a perpetual state of pre-beta.
Both WinFIBS and EBBS/W are relatively new, but both strive
to provide a much better interface than FIBS/W. If you are a
Windows user, I suggest you check both these out and
encourage the authors to make them (nearly) as good as
MacFIBS.
//fergy
e r g y @best.com Paul Ferguson
In article <6mlvlm$e3e$1...@nntp2.ba.best.com> Paul Ferguson, f e r g y @ b e s t
. c o m writes:
>Both WinFIBS and EBBS/W are relatively new, but both strive
>to provide a much better interface than FIBS/W. If you are a
>Windows user, I suggest you check both these out and
>encourage the authors to make them (nearly) as good as
>MacFIBS.
>
Several people have asked for URLs to these programs:
EBBS/W: <http://www.crl.com/~egon/ebbs/index.html>
WinFIBS: <http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Network/9886/winfibs.html>
//fergy
Jcl501fre
without a doubt...FIBS sucks the sweat off a dead man;s balls, GG offers so
much more to everyone....graphics, moneygames, etc...
cauce....@vo.cnchost.com
>And the dice? I hear as many complaints about GG as any other.
>Can anyone here prove which BG server has the most honest dice?
There is no such thing as "most honest dice". Either the BG server or BG player
provides random dice without regard to player or position or ranking, or it
doesn't and the dice are "fixed". While there are lots of people complaining
that the dice *seem* to be fixed here, there, everywhere, there hasn't been one
scintilla of proof that any BG server or any BG player (JellyFish etc.) has
actually had fixed dice that favor any player for any reason.
People who complain about the appearance of fixed dice do so because it's more
satisfying to blame their poor performance on things outside their control (like
the dice) then to have to study and work on their game to improve their play.
To choose which server to play on based on one's impression of the dice is as
silly as choosing to play on the one that ranks you highest! If the goal is to
become a better player, you should be trying to find the server where you are
ranked *lowest*, as that means that you have found players at/above your level
to play against and you will improve the fastest.
If all you care about is winning (as opposed to improving your playing skill)
then you should buy some cheap BG playing software that you can beat 99% of the
time and go amuse yourself with your BG playing skill.
jc
All email sent to the address used for this post is deleted unread
(although headers may be used in my spam filters). To reach my real
email box, send to personal@ at the above domain.
Rodrigo Andrade
: If all you care about is winning (as opposed to improving your playing
skill)
: then you should buy some cheap BG playing software that you can beat 99%
of the
: time and go amuse yourself with your BG playing skill.
Like Backgammon by George *LOL*
Rodrigo
Rodrigo Andrade
Here goes my verdict, in order of personal preference.
First, let's see those that can be accessed through client software - I
like those more because they're faster, and waiting is not one of my
virtues
1. GamesGrid: tough players, cool GUI, sysops always around to help you
whenever you need, natural-looking dice (I mean, not really biased),
friendly environment, being a guest isn't really bad, VERY FAST
2. FIBS: FREE ratings , world-class players, choice of GUIs (I use WinFIBS
and I LOVE it!!), dice statistically proven to be fair. The only reason I
like the Grid better is because FIBS runs somewhat slow at my end. I've
heard that it could be my ISP's fault, but I got a very fast connection to
the Net (56k modem, on a Pentium 200 w/ 64 RAM)
3. Netgammon: the guy who created it would be better off running a tic tac
toe server. It's just too much eye candy for me, all pretty and cute, and
stuff. There are, surely, some good players, but the majority winded up
there from some Yahoo banner. True, it's the cheapest of the most decent
paid servers, but not worthy for the "funny" dice. Winning/loosing streaks
seem to happen too often to everyone!!
Now the Java based backgammon -- for those horrible times when you are away
from your computer and your hands are itching to throw the dice a few
times...
1. Yahoo Games (any lounge, but the Social): that's where I play at school
most of the time. If you wanna play a good game, don't go to the social
lounge -- that's for people who are taking a break from reading e-mail or
something of that nature. Don't blame me if you play there and someone asks
"What does the button 'Double' do?"
2. Playsite: Good graphs, good players, relatively fast to load, free,
keeps ratings. The problem is that not too many people are available to
play against.
3. Internet Gaming Zone: how cute... They use the same tables system as
Yahoo (you pick a table w/ one player and start playing). I don't play much
there.
Well, there are MANY other servers around. If your favorite server isn't
here, that means I don't play there. Most of these other servers carry
other games too. Most of these other servers suck too. Like iPlay, there's
nobody logged on there EVER!!!!! Funcom is another one: I could never get
it to work right.
Hope you have fun.
Rodrigo
Rodrigo Andrade
: there hasn't been one
: scintilla of proof that any BG server or any BG player (JellyFish etc.)
has
: actually had fixed dice that favor any player for any reason.
But when someone finds one, the server in question will totally loose its
credibility, and, most important to them, the paying subscribers...
: People who complain about the appearance of fixed dice do so because it's
more
: satisfying to blame their poor performance on things outside their
control (like
: the dice) then to have to study and work on their game to improve their
play.
I do study and work on my game to improve my play, but I still think the
dice are biased. Some more than others, but they're all biased.
: To choose which server to play on based on one's impression of the dice
is as
: silly as choosing to play on the one that ranks you highest! If the goal
is to
: become a better player, you should be trying to find the server where you
are
: ranked *lowest*, as that means that you have found players at/above your
level
: to play against and you will improve the fastest.
Agreed w/ the 2nd part. The first part is wrong. Of course I'll choose
which server to play based on my impression of the dice, among other
things. That's why I chose GamesGrid over Netgammon (my rating is also
lower on GG). Even though GG is more expensive, the dice there seem to be
more fair than the weird dice rolls at Netgammon.
RODRIGO
Howard Rubin
and discovering more things about it, such as profile.
it plays fast and you can pick your skill level...
comments to me and the NG is fine........
Rodrigo Andrade
best service available on the Internet to date. Don't be fooled by the post
above Re: GamesGrid. FIBS is GamesGrid in slow motion. Besides having an
great GUI which is light years ahead of FIBS' interfaces, it also has many
more features.
Both servers have equally good players. You'll find a tough challenge in
both places. The Grid provides a great technical support, while the only
place you can get help w/ FIBS is right here.
If you've been reading this ng for a while you've probably read some wacko
taking about the GG "evil software" that deletes important DLLs when
uninstalled. Absolute bullshit!
A WONDERFUL thing about the Grid is also all the backgammon resources on
their Web page. It's not like they just wanna suck your money... they really
care about the game of backgammon. They sell books, they sell Snowie, they
have every backgammon-related thing, just like a backgammon school! It's
amazing!
A few pointers to get you started:
- go to http://www.gamesgrid.com to get a better insight
- download the software v. 2.09 if you have Internet Explorer installed on
your system (STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!)
- have fun!
See ya on the Grid!
RODRIGO
John Graas
and the more organized BG servers of this class, the better.
Yes -- GG v. 2.09 -- does have a bug in the uninstall that will delete
two DLLs that are required for Netscape 4.x. I have notified GG of
the problem and they are working on it.
jdg
"Rodrigo Andrade" <candrade@_R_E_M_O_V_E_wt.net> wrote:
<snip>
>
>If you've been reading this ng for a while you've probably read some wacko
>taking about the GG "evil software" that deletes important DLLs when
>uninstalled. Absolute bullshit!
>
<snip>
**** Remove _nospam_ from e-mail address to respond. ****
John Graas
John Graas
mashadi
Games Grid is the best backgammon server out there.
I wish I could afford it.
But I can't.
So I would say FIBS is the next best thing, or since it is free and
affordable, the best there is for me.
mashadi
In article <6o8bp5$feo$1...@news4.wt.net> Rodrigo Andrade wrote:
>Date: Sat, 11 Jul 1998 13:38:36 -0500
>From: "Rodrigo Andrade" <candrade@_R_E_M_O_V_E_wt.net>
>Newsgroups: rec.games.backgammon
>Subject: Re: Which BG server is the best value?
>
>Games Grid (http://www.gamesgrid.com) is worthy every penny of it. It's the
>best service available on the Internet to date. Don't be fooled by the post
>above Re: GamesGrid. FIBS is GamesGrid in slow motion. Besides having an
>great GUI which is light years ahead of FIBS' interfaces, it also has many
>more features.
>
>Both servers have equally good players. You'll find a tough challenge in
>both places. The Grid provides a great technical support, while the only
>place you can get help w/ FIBS is right here.
>
>If you've been reading this ng for a while you've probably read some wacko
>taking about the GG "evil software" that deletes important DLLs when
>uninstalled. Absolute bullshit!
>