This is my review for Satoshi Auction (part of
this campaign).
Chapter one: some thoughts while exploring the website and the game.First contact: looking up the rules and also a little into actual and older games. And the
first bid.
I will not say much about the UI, such a game doesn’t really need a too sophisticated one, still, a nicer UI (i.e. more colors, maybe some animation) should make the website more appealing for the potential players.
...But maybe it’s already in the ToDo list. For now it looks more like a proof of concept than actual place for gambling/having fun.
The rules are not clear.
There’s “the prize” and there are bids. But:
* maybe I need one more coffee, but I needed to read the rules twice to see that all the bids (OK, 98% of them) become part of the prize, being added to ther starting 10k satoshi
* it’s not clear what could be the minimum bid, and I would not be surprised some will try to send even amounts smaller than the dust transaction; it could help to state a minimum
* it doesn’t state what happens if I make a bid, then I send again from the same address (is it added to my bid or is it another one / is the input that matters or the address?); this should be cleared, else some may try and abuse this (with or without success, equally bad) --
LE / update: from following the game, only the inputs are counted as bids; somebody has tried to deposit a small amount from same address and it was not added to his max bid // this clearly needs to be stated
* deadline is not clear – is it the last block when I can send or it’s the last block when it has to be taken into account. That’s 6 blocks difference, if I understood it right.
* what is “confirmed block height”? - one more thing that would be needed into the documentation: a clear definition of terms (I understood later, you work with current actual block height–6 to address the 6 confirmations, still, I recommend documenting better).
* Since the closing times for a game were getting close to an end, I was afraid to bid (because of not 100% clear block rules); luckily somebody else's bid was about to get confirmed and I waited to bring the (too) generous
time blocks increase.
Then I've made my bid.
Second day and following the game...
* I am not sure how can somebody win this game against one or more determined opponents. Of course, it’s good for the bank, as fees, but maybe a hard limit could spice up the game. Maybe even a hard limit as time, not as block number (just imagine if we’d play for time… my first confirmation for my first deposit came after ~45 minutes
)
* after the first counter-bets people are already complaining that each new bet makes the game too much longer and I agree, it kinds spoils the fun, maybe the blocks increase after each bid should be lowered?
* since we cannot realistically expect people bid really big amounts, maybe the 6 blocks confirmation is a bit of overkill… just saying…
* I think that my (first) bid was credited only after 7 confirmations, but maybe I didn’t read the (block) numbers right
* automatic refresh of the auction page could be nice, at least after a confirmation of a related deposit is detected.
* I think that even
a smaller bid prolongs the game with 144 blocks. I strongly believe that this is a bug, not a feature.
* I've made some bids on another games too, I see no good reason bidding more and more and making game 32 end forever.
Third day* Game 32 has ended, expectedly, I've lost
* My other games ended and my strategy paid off, I've shared the win with somebody else instead of fighting for it. The coins soming in have unconfirmed parent, maybe this could be optimized.
Chapter two: something between an actual review and conclusionsThe website looks more a proof of concept than the actual game. The UI needs to be nicer. The documentation lacks clarity and also some things are missing (eg minimum amount to bid or what happens attempting to make smaller bids than the current max or when attempting to "add to a bid").
The gameplay is simple, but it can last forever, especially between determined players with big wallets. I guess that this is the aim, but I don't know if this will actually ever happen.
For now the game is somewhat boring and the lack of adrenalin may not make it appealing enough for the gamblers (and if it's so for small ones, the big ones won't come either). It's nice to try to win, but it can easily become a game of "who give up first or forgets to bid more". I advise fine tuning and decreasing the times in a way or another.
Also a determined person could just try to collect all the new games as long as there’s not too much interest from the potential players. Hence I think that there should not be so many new games or, I don't know, something to be done to limit the use of this game as some sort of (fat) faucet.
Unless some big change is done in the gameplay I fear that there won't be too many players willing to bid more than the house's prize, hence for now it looks like the house is always losing. Not good for the owner.
PS. I could add images and say what the others also said in the days while completing this, but imho that doesn't make much sense, so I stop here.