Slitherine

This subject crops up on the forums every so often, and I notice that things seem to improve for a while.

Then, I guess, newcomers join who don't know the informal niceities of MP play.

There are a few areas like saying hello at the start, but the big one of course is resignations without so much as a "by your leave". I have never resigned and probably won't ever, as I feel it is ungracious given that the other player is investing time in the game. But if someone really has to, surely a courteous note saying why isn't too much to ask for.

In today's resignation, the other guy had only lost 13 BP lost out of 29 (and I was 6 down out of 25), in an open and interesting game, which could have turned round easily. Totally beyond me.

I don't believe in "naming and shaming", that is an ugly path, but I think some form of reminder is needed.

Thoughts?

Not sure it would help any.

The whole format of the open challenges almost guarantees that it'll happen every once in a while.
In any given group of X people, you're bound to wind up with Y nitwits.
The good news is that these people usually lose interest in the game after a short while.
I haven't played a lot lately, but one thing I noticed is that it is still the same people (more or less) who are posting challenges.
Which also explains why the problem seems to come in waves.

Second, while I don't have numbers to back me up, I'm reasonably sure that the number of players regularly visiting the boards is a minority to say the least.
So a sticky that people won't read in the first place might not have the desired effect.

Having said that though, it certainly couldn't hurt.

Cheerfully

EDIT: Typo-corrections.

valid points - just so frustrating!

What I'd like to work towards is a way to rate your opponents for reliability/gamesmanship. We can also automatically track hwo many games they have started and completed and start reporting this info to players. Then you'd see who was a good guy to play and who to avoid. The main purpose of this is that it woudl encourage people to behave in a way that made their stats look good, rather than to puniush them for the behaviour.

It wont be happening for some time but this is the kind of thing I'd like to make avaialable.

I like this idea - bit like an ebay score.

Seconded.

Though it doesn't get rid of the problem of 'unwanted' players accepting your challenges, unless you can set some sort of threshold for who can accept.

One way would be to have people in divisions (much like the LoEG), and thus be able to set a parameter saying 'Division C+ only' for example.
Exactly how you'd move up and down in the divisions is something to ponder.
Also, there's the issue of avoiding 'elitism' within the system such as has happened with the TW series.
Just a loose idea, haven't thought it through yet.

Cheerfully

Now someones having a laugh - 2 resignations in 2 days! Promise I won't complain anymore

There is a very good player, that I really enjoy playing against, but once in a great while he will resign. He did say why, and though I did not agree with his assesment, It was no big deal. I have played him many times since. I have beaten like 3 or 4 times total out of 25 or more games.

In that case the resignation was no big deal. I have had 1 or 2 other resignations, that were hard to understand, and had no comment. Thems the breaks, I just go back and issue and/or accept more challenges. You can't control how other people think or how they act. I don't worry about it.

I have resigned four or five times but I usually ask permission to do so first (only one of my opponents said "no" and carried on massacring me! ). I don't mind opponents resigning if they give a reason - I just take it that the enemy has routed because of poor morale or because they felt they were completely outmatched. The only problem I have is when a player resigns with no explanation - it has only happened to me twice in a couple of hundred games, I suppose.

I am happy to say that this has never been an issue for me.

A few players have resigned but always with an explanation, and to be honest if they feel they are in that bad a position that the game in untenable then how much fun can the game really be for either player?

I would like to add my +1 to rating a player for sportsmanship and how well you enjoyed the experience of the game ( not the result, as l have been beaten one way up the field and down the other and still had a good time) but l think we need to be cautious of forming "eliteist" behaviour.

john2471 wrote:I am happy to say that this has never been an issue for me.

........ to be honest if they feel they are in that bad a position that the game in untenable then how much fun can the game really be for either player?
.

I think they miss a chance to improve. My two pennies - don't resign but set yourself a target of points not to loose by and learn how to fight a tough corner. It can still be fun.
I believe it is great practice for future games and a good way to learn how to get the best out of outmanoeuvred or outclassed or badly deployed or just plain unlucky troops.