MArcomage

I had 1 free slot, somone challenged me, but i can't accept becouse his challenge makes my free slots go to zero (becouse incoming challenges count as a game). that's kinda strange and if I remember corretly it didn't happened before the "host games update".

Before the update, there was an exception when accepting challenges. Now, the system for counting free slots is unified and doesn't allow that. You need to cancel some outgoing challenge or finish a game first.

that means I need at least 2 free slots to accept a direct challenge. Ok, i will remind that.

Wait, that's not right... what you describe makes it sounds like there's an off-by-one mistake somewhere (like, using > 0 instead of >= 0).

Well, it's actually a feature rather than a bug. You see when you have all 15 slots occupied, you are not allowed to accept any more challenges. The system doesn't understand, that by accepting the challenge you will create a game, but you will remove a challenge, so you will not change the number of slots.

Before the update, this was implemented by an exception when counting free slots in this case. Current system has this disadvantage, but it also has advantages. It is now unified and much more transparent, so I think it's a good trade-off.

My recommendation is to always keep one slot free.

But one slot is not enough to accept challenges, I'll try to explain better:
I have 1 free slot, xxx challenges me making my free slots go to 0, I cannot accept xxx challenge 'couse I have 0 free slot. the only option I have is to reject his challenge.

Of course, since challenges also block game slots.

So your recommendation to keep one slot free is meaningless. The player can only send out a challenge with it, so he may as well do just that.

Number_of_free_slots = 15 - (#hosted_games + #outgoing_challenges + #incoming_challenges + #games)

Keeping one slot free means keeping Number_of_free_slots <= 14. So when someone challenges you, you have no problem accepting the challenge.

sorry but I must correct you: 14 occupied slots + 1 incoming challenge = 15 occupied slots. so you can't accept that challenge. try yourself.

The incoming challenges are counted in the free slots evaluation. If the system tells you that you have 1 free slot, then you are surely able to accept a challenge.

For example when you have 13 games and 1 incoming challenge (so 14 slots occupied and 1 free) you are able to accept the challenge.

But that basically means you have to have _2_ slots free, because you never know when you're going to get a challenge.

Please don't confuse the terminology. "Free slots" means this:

Number_of_free_slots = 15 - (#hosted_games + #outgoing_challenges + #incoming_challenges + #games)

not this:

Number_of_free_slots = 15 - #games

I think we just disagree on semantics. When you say:
.
"Keeping one slot free means keeping Number_of_free_slots <= 14. So when someone challenges you, you have no problem accepting the challenge."
.
That implies to me that if I have exactly one free slot, and _then_ someone challenges me, I should be able to accept the challenge, which I think is not the case. You have to have one free slot _after_ someone challenges you (if I understand correctly), which means that if you want to be prepared to accept challenges, you really do have to have two free slot.
Anyways, this really does sound like a bug to me. Even if it's correct with respect to the internal logic of the program, it's obviously not what the user would expect.

I agree that maybe "free slots" is not defined in a most intuitive way, but it is explained in the game manual. I think it is possible to get use to current semantics. I intend to keep current system, since it is much more unified and transparent compared to the previous one.

Ah yes, "transparent" when people only now started asking about it.

"transparent" from the point of view of the functioning of the system. People are asking about it, because the system was changed recently and is not working as they are used to.

And of course, you are writing this site for the system, not for the people using it, dûh...

Sorry guys, but the restrictions on game slots must be kept strict. But don't worry, with the new rating system, you will be able to unlock bonus game slots in no time (you gain one for each 4 levels).

Now for some less sarcastic remarks:

Number_of_free_slots = 15 - (#hosted_games + #outgoing_challenges + #incoming_challenges + #games)

If this prevents initiating your 15th game by being challenged, I think the sytem should deal with things slightly different.
Currently the system checks wheither you can accept a game, by checking weither you have a free slot or not.
What I think would make this more logical is th folowing:
When you try to accept a game, the system should check weither the _result_ of the accept would make your games exceed your max slots.

If this makes it less transparent from anyone's/thing's point of view, Im very curious to the why.

[Whats a better formulation for weither? I hope you get what I mean with it, but my spell-check doesn't recognize it.]