Chess clocks at ASL tournaments, feasibility, thoughts, experience

The Purist

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Lol well we usually played on the floor and had the coffee cups on the table. Just a couple contrarians apparently
Well,... to each his own. For my part, since opening the original box of Squad Leader in 1978 not so much a droplet of cola, coffee, tea, Doritos dust or Cheesy powder has touched my kit. 🧐 ;)

I have, on occasion, arrived at the table with a bag of Doritos nearly finished but always washed up thoroughly before laying a finger on another player's game components. Gotta treat other's kit like you would do your own. On the few occasions where I have had to ask someone 'clean up' it's always been done politely and, so far, respected.
 

Actionjick

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Well,... to each his own. For my part, since opening the original box of Squad Leader in 1978 not so much a droplet of cola, coffee, tea, Doritos dust or Cheesy powder has touched my kit. 🧐 ;)

I have, on occasion, arrived at the table with a bag of Doritos nearly finished but always washed up thoroughly before laying a finger on another player's game components. Gotta treat other's kit like you would do your own. On the few occasions where I have had to ask someone 'clean up' it's always been done politely and, so far, respected.
Spoken like a true gentleman Sir.

We mainly used one of Fish's many kits so the occasional bifurcation of a board or alternative use of a box was his doing. I don't think we spilt much coffee. I do remember the feeling of queasiness and dread that Sgt Kearney was going to knock over his spit cup. I have a strong stomach when it comes to smells, puke, feces and urine but I think that would have been too much. 🤮

Maintenance story. My one coworker was rather a hillbilly, super nice guy but he was always massacring the English language. Catalytic converter was Cadillac converter. Ammonia was pneumonia. You get the picture. One day we were working on some college students toilet, not the cleanest I've ever seen. Due to the small bathroom it meant having to get down and dirty, literally. Laying on the floor with your face practically pressed against the base of the pee and poop spattered commode. As he started the job he said " well I guess it's time to get down in the peces " !! I laughed my ass off as it was such an appropriate description. 🤣🤣🤣
 

bendizoid

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My experience is that the attacker takes more time in ASL, unlike chess.

Also, as already expressed here, the slower players will refuse to use clocks, which defeats the purpose.

It is a dilemma as slow play is increasing and the reward is that you play better if you take more time before moving each counter.
ASL is not an endurance contest, but sometimes it is. Start early and go fast when you can.
 

Jazz

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My experience is that the attacker takes more time in ASL, unlike chess.

Also, as already expressed here, the slower players will refuse to use clocks, which defeats the purpose.

It is a dilemma as slow play is increasing and the reward is that you play better if you take more time before moving each counter.
Of course the attacker takes more time, and they usually have more time on the clock due to having more units.

Agreed that slower players will refuse to use a clock and if forced will actively try to make it fail.

Strongly disagree with your implication that making slow opponents play fast is the only purpose for the clock. Turns it into a different and more exciting game even between two quick players.
 
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RandyT0001

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Maybe Mister Pardoe should play first person shooter games on the computer if he wants a quicker game.
 

Carln0130

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The way I have seen it most effectively handled is if a game is going too slowly, you adjudicate as the TD. The way we work the in person Nor'easter is we have short scenarios in the morning that can be concluded easily within the time allotted. Bigger in the evening where there is less of a time crunch.

However, as I stay until the last game is concluded when TDing, I have adjudicated a few where the counters seem to be stuck to the players fingers. Very few games have really required that overall though and normally we get through a year without having to resort to adjudication.
 

Actionjick

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The way I have seen it most effectively handled is if a game is going too slowly, you adjudicate as the TD. The way we work the in person Nor'easter is we have short scenarios in the morning that can be concluded easily within the time allotted. Bigger in the evening where there is less of a time crunch.

However, as I stay until the last game is concluded when TDing, I have adjudicated a few where the counters seem to be stuck to the players fingers. Very few games have really required that overall though and normally we get through a year without having to resort to adjudication.
Seems to be the most reasonable approach. As long as th TD and attendees are aware of the potential problem and solutions all should be good.

Thanks for taking on the task of being a TD, to you and all the other TDs out there. It can be quite the rewarding experience as I always felt it helped to improve my understanding of my game.
 

Jazz

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The way I have seen it most effectively handled is if a game is going too slowly, you adjudicate as the TD. The way we work the in person Nor'easter is we have short scenarios in the morning that can be concluded easily within the time allotted. Bigger in the evening where there is less of a time crunch.

However, as I stay until the last game is concluded when TDing, I have adjudicated a few where the counters seem to be stuck to the players fingers. Very few games have really required that overall though and normally we get through a year without having to resort to adjudication.
And again, a chess clock is NOT a good or even viable solution for slow players.

I do hope people are understanding that.
 

Actionjick

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And again, a chess clock is NOT a good or even viable solution for slow players.

I do hope people are understanding that.
Exactly so. I didn't really start this thread to disparage slower players or suggest that they should be compelled to use a clock. I was curious how clocks were used, the nuts and bolts of their usage and if players who used them liked their experience with the clock. 🤔
 

Old Noob

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Apologies, misspelled Napoleon's name. (No, I will not go to Elba or St. Helena)
 

jyoung

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Not having played in a tournament before, I wouldn't want that kind of pressure from the clock, although I'm sure I'd be feeling it anyway. I'm keen to give the chess clock a go (I've managed to enable it in VASL, but not yet tried it, seems to need an active opponent to work) just for fun as a practice tool to speed up my play, and to see if there's any difference in results between my rapid intuitive moves and my slower thought out moves. I rather suspect it will show not, i.e. the former couldn't be any worse than the latter :D.
 

Jazz

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Not having played in a tournament before, I wouldn't want that kind of pressure from the clock, although I'm sure I'd be feeling it anyway. I'm keen to give the chess clock a go (I've managed to enable it in VASL, but not yet tried it, seems to need an active opponent to work) just for fun as a practice tool to speed up my play, and to see if there's any difference in results between my rapid intuitive moves and my slower thought out moves. I rather suspect it will show not, i.e. the former couldn't be any worse than the latter :D.
I would be curious to see how you enabled a chess clock in VASL? Is it an extension?
 

jyoung

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I would be curious to see how you enabled a chess clock in VASL? Is it an extension?
I was just curious about it so did some uninformed hacking, it's available in the newest VASSAL releases (3.5.x), start VASSAL and from there instead of opening your VASL module (e.g. 6.6.1), right click it to "Edit Module", a VASSAL Module Editor Window will open, then right click on the highest entry on the "tree" (VASL [...), scroll down to "Add Chess Clock Control", then save and close. Both you and your opponent would need to have completed these steps. This at least gets a chess clock button to show up in VASL, but like I said I'm not sure if it's actually functional in VASL yet, as I haven't managed to try it with an opponent. I think there is a separate thread on this, with @BigAl737 or @DougRim musing about putting it into the next VASL release.
 

Steed

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I was just curious about it so did some uninformed hacking, it's available in the newest VASSAL releases (3.5.x), start VASSAL and from there instead of opening your VASL module (e.g. 6.6.1), right click it to "Edit Module", a VASSAL Module Editor Window will open, then right click on the highest entry on the "tree" (VASL [...), scroll down to "Add Chess Clock Control", then save and close. Both you and your opponent would need to have completed these steps. This at least gets a chess clock button to show up in VASL, but like I said I'm not sure if it's actually functional in VASL yet, as I haven't managed to try it with an opponent. I think there is a separate thread on this, with @BigAl737 or @DougRim musing about putting it into the next VASL release.
I also did this but could not actually get it to work in VASL. It works fine when you're modifying the extension, but when you actually load the extension into VASL, it doesn't work.
 
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