The Best Score should not ignore DRAWS

[A1 Otto7]

Lets compare pros and cons of a draw

Pros:
- Stops the fun-killing when game freezes
- Stops the fun-killing when boring mirrors happen (fat Zhanna, fat Garth, moonstalker, even rush mage mirrors are really boring games. Esp the first 3 are also reeeeeallyyyy time wasting
- Allows guildmates (friends) to not fight vs each other
- Gives the option to avoid shadows of boosting guildmates
- It is not obligatory (duh) so even if someone offers, the other person can always deny

Cons:
- Can potentially be abused by people massively offering draws to avoid as many bad MUs as possible and boost their score and rate
- Cant be proved if u draw to gain profit or u just want to gIn access to one of the pros me tioned above

My opinion
The pros are too many to ignore. The cons are easilly fixed. Here is how:
1) once tags are implemented allow limitless draws vs guildmates
2) apart from those games, for all the rest, implement a cap of X+30%X where X is the median amount of games drawn (MAGD) within game community (or even game community within certain distance from your rate eg MAGD within +-50 rate compared to yours)

Imo that could easilly fix the issue of spamming draw offers and simultaneously wouldnt stop all the profits from draw option

[SEF Mango]

Pros:
- Stops the fun-killing when game freezes

This very rarely happens. I can count on one hand how many times this has happened in this year alone. Likely have fingers left over. If this happens to some, sounds like internet service issues on their end.

- Stops the fun-killing when boring mirrors happen (fat Zhanna, fat Garth, moonstalker, even rush mage mirrors are really boring games. Esp the first 3 are also reeeeeallyyyy time wasting

Not enough Fat Zhanna/Garth or Moonstalker players for this to be relevant. Boring games are part of every card game every now and then. Can not eliminate them. Just play through them.

- Allows guildmates (friends) to not fight vs each other

This one is legit for friends not wishing to affect one another. However, it is also one of the biggest cons as explained in my response to your “boosting” con.

- Gives the option to avoid shadows of boosting guildmates

Not something that can really be proven. Also, is it “illegal?” I do not think so. Just frowned upon and seen as bad form. I see it as a non issue and do not care if anyone does it personally.

- It is not obligatory (duh) so even if someone offers, the other person can always deny

This is not a pro or a con. Just a fact.

Cons:
- Can potentially be abused by people massively offering draws to avoid as many bad MUs as possible and boost their score and rate

True. However, your opponent having a good matchup is likely not going to draw with you. Guildmates will draw though and that can be seen as a form of “boosting” since a draw is better than a loss. I don’t care if people do it anyway but if some worry about it is worth mentioning.

The issue with draws is that it directly conflicts with finding the best player in regards to total season performance. The larger your group of friends and or guild, the more chances you have to face players who will draw with you in a bad matchup to not affect your score. This tilts the scales away from gameplay and into you just having a smaller pool of potential opponents and bad matchups. While those with smaller groups have a larger pool of potential opponents who will not offer that draw in a bad matchup.

This can and does affect the season outcome. This season is not as bad as some in past but the player at number 1 in score currently has a record of, 128-42-71. He is playing a mill Praxix so I doubt he would offer draws to many except for fellow A1. Which we have a ton of active members.

Let’s say though that only 30 of those are A1 (I see that as unlikely but for argument sake) that is still a good chunk of games that could have gone for losses and altered his overall score.

You gain score by winning. You fail to gain score by losing. Why there should be something in between that allows you to escape from a matchup for any reason just makes no sense in a competitive format.

Even in sports, a draw happens after a match is played. So the only draw that should be relevant is a double kill through Nova. Although, I bet there are a few other possibilities I am forgetting at this time. If that happens, I would be ok with no negative impact on either participant.

- Cant be proved if u draw to gain profit or u just want to gIn access to one of the pros me tioned above

You have a very similar point in Pro as well to “avoid shadows of boosting” so I’m confused.

My opinion
The pros are too many to ignore.

In my responses to your “pros” I have shown that really only one is a pro and it actually is the biggest con for the system.

The cons are easilly fixed. Here is how:
1) once tags are implemented allow limitless draws vs guildmates

I already stated why this is a bad idea. You give advantages to those in larger groups by having the potential to avoid more bad matchups through larger group of friends and or guild.

2) apart from those games, for all the rest, implement a cap of X+30%X where X is the median amount of games drawn (MAGD) within game community (or even game community within certain distance from your rate eg MAGD within +-50 rate compared to yours)

Far easier to just eliminate the draw option all together. It forces everyone involved to play the match. You don’t get to pick your opponents. You just play who you are paired up with, win or lose.

That is the way competetion is supposed to be.

If you play sports in amateur level leagues or for fun, eventually you have to play against your friends. It is just the nature of competition. It is not a bad thing. Everyone who engages in some sort of competition knows eventually they will have to face someone they are buds with.

[Gondorian]

I don't think we should take away the option to draw, but instead just have it cost you hugely to do so (so high that most people won't bother). This would mean people may choose not to draw rather than not be able to ever because we took option away.

Here are my other main reasons:

1) I agree with Mango that people with wider circle of friends or influence have advantage in current system, since they are more likely to get draws than independent players.

2) The Best Score Leaderboard is meant to be ultimate measure of skill and performance at the game during that month. By allowing regular draws, then we are missing out on some data! If you get paired with someone then you should play it out to see who wins! Otherwise you are limiting what we can measure!

[Fristar]

I don't think we should take away the option to draw, but instead just have it cost you hugely to do so (so high that most people won't bother). This would mean people may choose not to draw rather than not be able to ever because we took option away.

Here are my other main reasons:

1) I agree with Mango that people with wider circle of friends or influence have advantage in current system, since they are more likely to get draws than independent players.

2) The Best Score Leaderboard is meant to be ultimate measure of skill and performance at the game during that month. By allowing regular draws, then we are missing out on some data! If you get paired with someone then you should play it out to see who wins! Otherwise you are limiting what we can measure!

I agree with this direction.
Make is draws count as part of the 50 wins, and each draw gives like 10 points or something so small if your going for score it ruins it.

[tolerance]

i recently had a win streak (top 10 of that mage hero) but that's with 1 nova draw among them, sounds strange right
even funny is some can offer draw (for whatever reason) to prolong the streak, that's wrong imo, if we're going to do something on best score, the calculation of streak needs to be rectified as well

[Veles]

Game should distinguish draws made via Supernova and similar scenarios, from draws made from "offer draw" option. "Offer draw" draw should be discouraged as much as possible if not removed from the game completely imo. Why I am not completely sold on simply removing it, is because it will bring out wintrading issues and everything negative about it. We could make policy to declare wintrading punishable with a ban for example, but since it can be hard to prove it sometimes it could lead to namecalling and arguments between guilds.

[SEF Mango]

I am not sure how i feel about draws by supernova. lol. It seems that using Nova to escape a loss is still kind of bleh...

I felt that Nova draw should be seperate from "OFFER DRAW" however, maybe it needs to be the same?

I actually have no idea how to approach this. :/

[Cerddorion]

No, draws should not count in any way as far was score or ranking go. Makes draws cost -1 point of ranking and -10 points of score.

[Gondorian]

No, draws should not count in any way as far was score or ranking go.

Makes draws cost -1 point of ranking and -10 points of score.

I don't follow at all. Assigning negative value makes them count.

[SEF Mango]

I guess I would want them to have a negative effect.

I mean, you didn’t win the game by casting Nova.

Some say that this hurts Mage game play but why should we allow one class to have the option to force a draw when others do not?

Again, we want a winner and a loser.

Punishing both players for draw some might not like but you had an opportunity to kill your opponent during the match as well. If you couldn’t get it done in time before Nova wiped you both out, tough break.

Man, I am a jerk with this stuff :P