Microgaming Christmas Wish List

[Vesuvio]

Here goes :

1) An increase in the limit of 9999 for the number of hands/spins you can autoplay in one go. Given some of the wagering requirements around at the moment 99999 might be more appropriate!

2) To add a feature so that if you get disconnected from the casino in the middle of using the autoplay it remembers where you were (it's been a long weekend with Nostalgia and Phoenician ). Perhaps when you reconnect to the game it could ask if you want to resume. The advantage for MG casinos would be that players wouldn't have to waste the time of their customer support to find out the exact amount wagered - and they'd also probably wager more, as I know I'm quite generous in the amount I leave off the wagering requirement to take account of doubling and splitting. If I have to contact CS I'll be more efficient.

3) Finally to 'fix' the strategy tables for Blackjack. This is really an ongoing scandal - the leading software company for on-line casinos using a cheap trick to increase the edge on its games. It hardly inspires confidence that they won't try to dupe the player in any other way.

I'm willing to accept the possibility that it was merely a mistake to begin with - someone accidentally programmed in near perfect strategy tables but made subtle mistakes most players would miss . Never correcting this despite all the subsequent upgrades, & perhaps earning the casinos millions in the process, is a disgrace. I know it makes a tiny change in the house edge, but that's what Virtual Vegas was built on .

Just in case Santa can't fit down the chimney watch out for the strategy being set up to split, rather than hit 6s against 7 & 7s against 8. Soft 18 & double 9 are also worth looking at unless you want to be hitting hard 18

 

[Black21Jack]

Here goes :


3) Finally to 'fix' the strategy tables for Blackjack. This is really an ongoing scandal - the leading software company for on-line casinos using a cheap trick to increase the edge on its games. It hardly inspires confidence that they won't try to dupe the player in any other way.

I'm willing to accept the possibility that it was merely a mistake to begin with - someone accidentally programmed in near perfect strategy tables but made subtle mistakes most players would miss . Never correcting this despite all the subsequent upgrades, & perhaps earning the casinos millions in the process, is a disgrace. I know it makes a tiny change in the house edge, but that's what Virtual Vegas was built on .

Just in case Santa can't fit down the chimney watch out for the strategy being set up to split, rather than hit 6s against 7 & 7s against 8. Soft 18 & double 9 are also worth looking at unless you want to be hitting hard 18

I think this is very bad, even though I am really liking MG lately, it is just wrong. If the tables were off in just Vegas Strip then I would be with you in accepting that it was a programming mistake. I just started playing Atlantic City BJ and fixed the charts which is basically the same as Vegas Strip except that there are a couple of instances when you should surrender. The same mistakes are present in the Atlantic City version as well, which proves to me that it is more than a mistake. A new player or someone who does not know BS would have no idea that this is off and would play at the casino using the autoplay feature with the assumption that the game is being played with perfect strategy. I have a real problem with this and I would like to see MG address this. I am going to send an email to MG to see what they have to say about it. I am sure that it would not be a big deal for them to re write the chart and do a version update of the software.

 

[Simmo!]

I agree with your Number (2) Vesuvio - thats a cool idea.

I'd add:

1) User-configured strategy tables - so for example you could choose in Deuces Wild to not hold 4 to a straight with one hole and other boring events like that (so it may affect the ER but hey its more fun watching 5 cards turn, ok!). Plus you could fix your BJ problem!

2) Double Double Bonus Power-Play - 4 hands ...oh yeah

3) An automated line in the code that reads:
if { user = simmo && game = thunderstruck; }
then { 5 rams; 15 rollovers; 5 thors; cashout; }


Oh and on my Cryptologic Wish-list:

1) Auto Play/Expert Mode on the Video Poker


Cheers

Simmo!

 

[Vesuvio]

In turn I definitely agree with your no. 2, Simmo! I'm a sucker for Double Bonus VP at Cryptologic, but having to play with just one hand at a time at MG just takes away all the fun (unless you get masochistic pleasure watching your balance rapidly disappear!).

I also agree it'd be fun if you could alter the strategy by whim on VP - or maybe even to increase/decrease your bet according to weird and wonderful progressive systems!.

You can already change the BJ strategy, so it's not too bad, it's just that most players who aren't experienced bonus whores won't spot the default strategy's incorrect (& as B21J mentioned it seems to apply to all BJ variants).

 

[Vesuvio]

I think Casinomeister already has some variant of: if { user = casinomeister & game = any slot; } then { 5 scatters; 15 rollovers; 5 jackpot symbols; cashout; }

 

[Simmo!]

I think Casinomeister already has some variant of: if { user = casinomeister & game = any slot; } then { 5 scatters; 15 rollovers; 5 jackpot symbols; cashout; }

Ah yes - good point.

Thats just simply: if { user = casinomeister; } { pay(all); }

By the way, excellent idea on the progressive systems thing...i forgot that one. It would be fantastic if you could program 50 spins and dependiing on an event, up the ante or decrease it on the next 50. That would be wicked and lead to some clever strategising.

Reminds me fondly of the hours spent configuring key-binding config files for Quake2 CTF

 

[Petunia]

Here goes :

2) To add a feature so that if you get disconnected from the casino in the middle of using the autoplay it remembers where you were (it's been a long weekend with Nostalgia and Phoenician ). Perhaps when you reconnect to the game it could ask if you want to resume. The advantage for MG casinos would be that players wouldn't have to waste the time of their customer support to find out the exact amount wagered - and they'd also probably wager more, as I know I'm quite generous in the amount I leave off the wagering requirement to take account of doubling and splitting. If I have to contact CS I'll be more efficient.

The thing is, this IS possible, but once it is put in place, let me be the first to tell you that everyone and their cousin is going to say 'the casino stole my information' or the such. They would have to have hardware ID and then USER ID stored and you would have to 'host' some information on you computer... My point is, IF they do that, and SOMETHING mess up, then that particular feature will be blamed and it puts them back at square one. Remember the big boo-haa that was made over some casino 'helping' their clients by 'auto filling'?! Virtually the same technology applies. BTW: Careful what you wish for, you might just get it!

 

[Vesuvio]

I think I see what you mean, Petunia, but couldn't this just be a feature that was available in the software and wasn't transmitted to the casino at all?

Before it's about to decide it's lost contact for too long and has to leave the game it could save the current settings of the autoplay. Actually, thinking about it, the simplest solution would just be for the casino not to close the game you're playing and give you the 'other games you might like' screen. If it just stayed at the same screen despite the disconnection you'd be able to see where the autoplay had got to and carry on without any problem. This would take almost no effort whatsoever from the programmers and would be a great help to players.

 

[Simmo!]

I thought of a new one for the wishlist Vesuvio:

The ability in multi-hand VP to be able to pick how many hands you play simultaneously. 2, 3, 4 or maybe even 5. Thats probably quite an easy one to implement actually.

 

[KasinoKing]

To play Devil's advocate:-
Why would anyone want to autoplay Blackjack?
There can be only one logical answer - to meet a bonus WR with minimum risk, the lazy way!
Why do the casino's help people to "abuse" their bonuses?
(And consequently force casino's to tighten up more & more on how generous a bonus they can offer)

My Christmas wish is for MG to REMOVE autoplay from EVERYTHING except slots.

Baaaah HUMBUG!

 

[Vesuvio]

Lol, Ebenezer Actually, I was expecting some sort of reply along those lines - the thing about the autoplay is we really don't need to feel bad for exploiting it, the only reason MG implemented it is that the faster people can play the games (including BJ & VP) the faster they'll lose money.

It definitely is useful for bonus wagering, but it's factored into the wagering requirements already - I wonder how anyone can wager say $30000 without using autoplay

 

[GrandMaster]

In turn I definitely agree with your no. 2, Simmo! I'm a sucker for Double Bonus VP at Cryptologic, but having to play with just one hand at a time at MG just takes away all the fun (unless you get masochistic pleasure watching your balance rapidly disappear!).

I also agree it'd be fun if you could alter the strategy by whim on VP - or maybe even to increase/decrease your bet according to weird and wonderful progressive systems!.

You can already change the BJ strategy, so it's not too bad, it's just that most players who aren't experienced bonus whores won't spot the default strategy's incorrect (& as B21J mentioned it seems to apply to all BJ variants).

I believe that VP autoplay works by calculating the expected value of all possible decisions, not by looking for patterns such as 3 to a straight flush, so it would complicated to allow the user to change the strategy.

It definitely is useful for bonus wagering, but it's factored into the wagering requirements already - I wonder how anyone can wager say $30000 without using autoplay

I can play BJ at more than 1000 hands/hour.