Q&A for BG Galaxy v2
In this newsletter, we will try to answer all of those questions we have received on social media in the last few days after launching the new version (v2), replacing the old version (v1).
First off, we want to say how happy we are to finally finish the new Backgammon Galaxy version after two years of hard work. This version has been developed alongside the feedback of the community. Especially, I want to give a shoutout to our Discord users; they have been a tremendous real-time feedback resource for intel on what is desirable in terms of features and functionality.
After the first two full days of the v2 launch, we have seen a big increase in matches played. On an average day in v1, we would have approximately 13,000 matches. In the last two days, we have had approximately 18,000 and 20,000 matches in v2! That is a tremendous increase in activity. So far, we can only speculate, but three reasons seem to be:
Automatic matching decreases the average waiting time for a game.
The average match length is a bit shorter, but not much, since over 90% of matches in v1 were 1- to 7-point matches.
Users really like v2 so far, with all the new cool features.
Before answering questions, let's begin by listing what is different in v2 from v1:
v2 is a native app for BOTH web and mobile. This is revolutionary, in our opinion. You can play a game on your computer, go to bed, and review it on your phone or tablet in Analysis mode. It's the same server on both platforms.
v2 has a different rating system, yet very similar. In v1, you would get +0 if you won the match but lost the error rate battle, and +2 if you won both. In v2, you get +1 if you win the match but lose the error rate battle, and +2 if you win both. It's basically the same concept and will converge with the same ranking, but it has more volatility and will always give a reward to the user who wins.
v2 has a different login system; rather than Email, we use Google or Apple login. We will add Facebook and Email login shortly.
v2 has "Play-a-Friend" mode, where you can send a four-digit code directly to your friend, and the match will immediately start. Friendly games are unrated to avoid rating manipulation. This is great for players playing local tournaments using Galaxy since they don't have to find each other in a jumping lobby.
v2 has boards to unlock, either with "winning experience points" or Galaxy Coins.
v2 has avatars to unlock, either with "winning experience points" or Galaxy Coins. Avatars are status symbols.
v2 usernames can only contain lowercase letters.
v2 has automatic matching rather than manual matching in the lobby. For users who haven't tried v2 in the last week, notice that we have deployed the filter system, so you don't have to play against opponents too far away from your rating or coin level.
v2 has "coin games," which is a money game format. Here you can put your coins at stake and win more of them.
v2 has a game currency, Galaxy Coins, which are fun coins that you put at stake in all games. We give them out for free every 12 hours, and you need them to play.
v2 has a new and improved analysis module with arrow indicators, analysis level indicator, and "my errors & blunders."
v2 has dice stats and performance stats.
v2 has Star Membership with premium features. Currently, you can only set up the subscription via the web version with PayPal. It will be enabled when you play from mobile as well.
v2 has click-chat only, to make sure that the app stays kid-friendly. We have no way of ensuring that if we allow free chat to users. Soon, Star Members will be able to type freely in the chat. A subscription payment should be a sufficient filter.
v2 has country-specific leaderboards. So far, we don't have a "Search player" functionality, but it will come.
v2 doesn't have a search player functionality in the match lobby, but it will come soon.
We still have a couple of rare bugs in v2 that most users probably haven't experienced, but they will be solved soon.
Q&A
Can I carry over my v1 rating to v2?
Yes, you can carry over your v1 rating to v2. To do this, please send an email to Hossein at support@backgammongalaxy.com with your old username and your new username. However, if your v1 rating was less than 1700 GR, we kindly request that you refrain from requesting a conversion, as it is labor-intensive for us. We will convert your old rating using the formula: y = 0.4474x + 828.9, where y is your new v2 rating, and x is your old v1 rating. The conversion process may take between 1 to 14 days since we are handling them manually, one by one.
What happens to v1?
We had to temporarily shut down v1 to launch v2 on the domain name backgammongalaxy.com. There was no way around that. In the near future, we will re-launch v1 with all data intact, including logins, usernames, ratings, Tournament Coins balances, etc., but under a new domain name. Our focus will be more on scaling the Tournament Coins and real money action. We are currently working on finding the best way to do this, but please be aware that it will take some months.
Why did we choose automatic matching rather than manual matching?
If we want to scale to 1 million users, and we do, we realized that manual matching would be pretty much impossible. While there is something cool about being able to "choose your opponent" manually, the pros of automatic matching seem to outweigh those of manual matching:
The automatic matching algorithm reduces the average waiting time.
We avoid having a chaotic jumping lobby.
It is scalable to an infinite number of users, and the matching algorithm even improves as the user base grows.
New mobile users prefer to play quickly without overthinking or making decisions.
There can be no rating manipulation; it's simply impossible. This ensures a fair ranking list and saves us from having to spend time policing the community for rating cheaters.
Chess.com, the biggest chess website, has adopted this functionality, probably for similar reasons.
Users have a chance to get matched up against superstar players. In manual matching, superstar players often decline invitations from lower-ranked players.
Automatic match-ups are truly competitive and equal for all in terms of competing for rating points. In v1, there were instances where top-ranked users only played very long matches against their friends.
Why can you only play for 1-3-5-7 points in rating games?
There are several reasons:
To limit the waiting time for the auto-matching algorithm, we need to restrict the choices; otherwise, users would wait forever. As we acquire more users, we can potentially add more match lengths while maintaining a satisfactory waiting time.
In v1, there was a strong bias in the rating formula, favoring those who played really long matches and disadvantaging those who played short matches. Now, it's an even playing field for everybody to compete. The vast majority of matches were played as short matches anyway.
Shorter matches are generally more popular among mobile and web users. Please remember that you can still play up to 25-point matches, but only in "play-a-friend" mode.
Why do we need Galaxy Coins?
Galaxy Coins offer several advantages:
They provide a business model where users can always play for free as Free Members, yet still have an incentive to purchase coins with real money, thereby ensuring a revenue stream for BG Galaxy. With the coin model, users don't have to pay anything upfront, making it the preferred business model for many mobile games.
They add an important layer of gamification. As a user, you naturally want to build your bankroll and win more. You can use the coins to unlock Boards and Avatars, and in the future, probably even more features.
They enable the creation of a meaningful "money game format," which is fun - the Coin Games.
From experience, I can tell you that playing for coins is quite enjoyable, and as you amass a big bankroll, you'll want to play for "high stakes," where the coins actually matter. Grandmasters like Mochy, Sander, Justin Nowell, and Ryan Rebelo also frequently engage in coin games.
How do we set the stake in Coin and Rating games?
The stake is automatically chosen by a formula:
Coin games: Stake = 1/16th of the player with the smallest coin balance, but the minimum stake is 100.
Rating games: Stake = 30% of the coin balance of the player with the smallest coin balance, except for 1-point matches, where it's 20%.
Why can't I choose for myself how many coins I want to play for?
In game design, you typically want to minimize the number of choices for the user. The main idea is to optimize the overall "excitement" across all games. If users were able to choose their own stake and limit, it would decrease the likelihood of other users finding "exciting" games.
We believe we have found a good balance where the risk-of-ruin is greater than 0%, but it occurs sufficiently rarely, as intended, to ensure excitement and provide us with a chance to generate revenue from coin sales. There is also an element of chance in the stake system that we appreciate.
Most users want to gamble for as many coins as possible, while some users prefer to be overly cautious with their coins. By making the stake equal for all, we eliminate their preference from the equation.
However, you can set the minimum filter to avoid low-stakes coin games or rating games against lower-rated players if you have a high rating yourself.
Why did we change the rating system?
The number one most frequent email we used to receive from users was "Why am I not winning rating points when I win?" It was too confusing with the "rating draw." Also, it was a little bit boring when you played a match and there was no change in your rating. We concluded that the new system is simply superior.
Why can I only log in with Google or Apple?
Shortly, we will implement login via your Facebook and Email.
Why do we pay coin rake on Coin-, Rating-, and Friendly games?
Since we are giving away so many coins for free every day, we also have to deduct coins to avoid hyper-inflation. For Friendly games, it's not a rake percentage, but a fixed fee of 50 Galaxy Coins per match length. So, if you are going to play a 5-point match, it will deduct 250 Galaxy Coins from each player.