[Antraxxx]

In the off-hours, using "help me find a game" normally results in being placed as south in an empty table. Then you have two options: leave the table and click on "help me find a game" again or stay in the table and see people flickering in and out, never filling it. Generally, rational or no, nobody stays at a table with less than 3 players, and even those who are waiting for a fourth often give it 3-5 seconds before leaving.
A modification could be made such that clicking on "help me find a game" sends you to some data structure that then dishes out full, four-people tables (can be randomly, FIFO, based on skill, that's the next level of details). If you're in that "help me find a game" limbo for more than <timeout> time (probably can be as low as 2-3 seconds based on my experience with the feature), then you get placed according to the old algorithm as south in an empty table and try your luck at getting people to stay.
I think it's relatively simple to implement (especially if you don't insist on any particular grouping of ordering of the people), can be easily configured around if some people prefer the old way (we already have "preferences" for "help me find a game) and is likely to improve user experience and reduce server strain of people hopping on and off new tables.

[uday]

HMFAG originally did this; waited about 10 secs and used the data accumulated during those 10 secs to assign seats more intelligently.

Now, it tries to instantly gratify each request ( in practice, a few requests, but could be as few as 1 ) as it comes in. It assigns with some internal logic, and then it is sometimes left with a stray player.


We could avoid spawning a new table, instead, making this player wait until the next request arrived and trying again - that's one way.

But I'm not sure people would rather wait than host their own table. it depends on how hard it is to fill a table-of-one. I'll ask someone to run some tests.

[Antraxxx]

Thanks. I think you'll find that it's extremely difficult to fill a table of one in the off hours, certainly it takes much longer than leaving the table and clicking on "take me to the first seat available" again.

[Rain]

We'll test it, but Antraxxx, make sure things like "allow permission to sit" option is not selected?
If those limitations are selected, HMFAG will not work for you.

[Antraxxx]

I tend to think the fact people do flicker in and out of empty tables I sit in should strongly suggest that the option wasn't selected, but I do promise to double check, as well as jiggle the cable and reboot my computer.

[Antraxxx]

One point that I probably should also mention is that my preferences do specify the relaxed bridge club as a preference, which seems to mean I always get placed there. It's very possible the problem is only existent for the relaxed club and not anywhere else. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier.

[georgeac]

the relaxed room during off hours is much much less likely to fill than the main bridge club.

[Antraxxx]

Was this implemented? Become the problem was greatly alleviated, and I'm wondering whether it's a coincidence

[diana_eva]

Antraxxx, on 2011-February-12, 02:04, said:

Was this implemented? Become the problem was greatly alleviated, and I'm wondering whether it's a coincidence

I tried to replicate and had no difficulty in finding a game in Relaxed at any hour ... As far as I know nothing has changed.

[DougOut]

I think that waiting a little while for a better fit of players is a much better idea.
I would very much like to have a more intelligent choice of partners.
It should be possible to register a table as "Advanced players and above" or "beginners only"
or players that can play sayc only (or precision, or 2/1 or what ever)

The current alternative to take me to the first seat available is almost impossible to use. Once you find a table you want to join it is gone.

It is a partners game, maybe make people pick a partner before they are assigned a table.
1) find me a partner
2) find my partner and I a table to play at

This gives you a chance to configure up some more intelligent windows for selecting a partner.

[Rain]

I'm glad you don't see the problem as much anymore.

No changes done to HMFAG recently. It's really just the volume of players using it that determines how fast your seat fills. This is never a problem with MBC, but relaxed or MP settings could encounter problems during off peak hours.