2015 Find League Opponents Thread

Juan and Roboto - consider yourselves officially added to my hitlist.

Hi Bold, you are also in my hitlist…  :mrgreen:

I will finish my current games vs JWW and Gargantua, and then decide if my 8th game is vs an Elite like I believe you will be, or I post a no show win that I have allready vs a Tier 3. I will also decide if I play more than 8 games this league (will like to play Gamer again and others but not yet sure).

Juan, how could you possibly finish all your games for the year in say Jan, then sit around waiting for November?  I assume with the goal of making the playoffs… that doesn’t sound terribly sporting!  plus, even if you made the top 8, you would be super rusty having not played quality competition for 10 months.  no, i think you should reconsider and take the route of trying to play throughout the year, taking on lots of tier 1 and tier 2 players and earn that playoff spot!

cheers, and here’s hoping you make the right decision.  i think you are probably just joking because i don’t see you going from 66 games to 8.  66 to 26 maybe.  :-)

JDOW, you’re number 1 buddy - you up for a league game yet?

@Boldfresh:

Juan, how could you possibly finish all your games for the year in say Jan, then sit around waiting for November?  I assume with the goal of making the playoffs… that doesn’t sound terribly sporting!  plus, even if you made the top 8, you would be super rusty having not played quality competition for 10 months.  no, i think you should reconsider and take the route of trying to play throughout the year, taking on lots of tier 1 and tier 2 players and earn that playoff spot!Â

cheers, and here’s hoping you make the right decision.  i think you are probably just joking because i don’t see you going from 66 games to 8.  66 to 26 maybe.   :-)

I will explain it, I know it seems strange.  :-)
Perhaps you are right Bold and I will play some more when I finish those 2, not yet decided, because even with 2 losses, I might average > 4,00.  :mrgreen:
I think what I am doing is sporting, last year my target was playing a lot because I had a lot of time for it, and energy in this new gaming experience for me, it was a good way to learn, and perhaps a target was setting a games completed record (I admit it…), this year, once learned the league rules, and following them, I designed a strategy to lead the league for the longest time possible and if possible, at the end (allthough the rules changed once the league was initiated with the Elite level  :-o , and that reduces many chances of success for my strategy).
We discussed last year on options to make the league increase in number of games (motivating players to play more with incentives for number of games + helping beginners to join, most Tier 1,s avoided me when I joined and I avoid beginners now), but the system is other (which is really really good by the way, with different targets).
This year I have less time for playing + want to play other new stiles (created a league with friends with other rules, will play XDAP2 and may be other kind of tournaments).
Cheers

Sounds good Juan to each his own.  I was a proponent of being required to play a certain amount of tier 1 competition to be playoff eligible so someone couldn’t beat mostly tier 2 and enter playoff against tier 1 players who had been playing each other a lot.

Regardless I think gamer we should possibly look closer at the E level.  An eplayer losing to another elite gets only 3 points and losing to a tier 1 gets only 2 points for the loss…  which means probably that beating an elite should be more than 7 or losing to an elite should be more than … Not Exactly Sure But It Seems Some Additional Work On Weighting May Be useful.  Gaming the system is still possible in other words… not that it needs to be eliminated but…

Additionally under these weights o e could beat an even mix of tier 2 and tier 3 players and be at 4.5 or elite level.

Gamers system works great when players spread their games around amongst the tier they are at and a tier above/below.

First, I don’t think that a loss against one “class” of player should ever be worth more than a win against another “class” of player….

Any rule that discourages play between us all should probably be looked at.  It’s a shame that one of the top players wants to just sit on a lead – seems very counter-intuitive to why we are all here, doesn’t it?

I’m now having a hard time getting games because of my early experimentation that has me currently at Tier 4.  I’ll be back to Tier 2 by the the end (like I always am) I have a feeling.  But, it’s actually been hard to find games – I haven’t turned one down, regardless of level.

So, my only worry about “E” status is that it will make possible games against top players even less likely, which is the real reason why I wanted to play league… :(

@DizzKneeLand33:

First, I don’t think that a loss against one “class” of player should ever be worth more than a win against another “class” of player….

OK, it’s not.  You get 3 for losing to Elite, you get 3 for beating tier 4.  It’s not more.

Any rule that discourages play between us all should probably be looked at.  It’s a shame that one of the top players wants to just sit on a lead – seems very counter-intuitive to why we are all here, doesn’t it?

This is Juan’s problem.  Also, he revealed more of the story.  He was going for as many games as possible last year, this year he is trying to be ranked as high as he can, but he is also interested in doing league with his friends and playing in XDAP tourney.  Juan’s behavior and decisions should not be used as evidence that the system is flawed.

I’m now having a hard time getting games because of my early experimentation that has me currently at Tier 4.  I’ll be back to Tier 2 by the the end (like I always am) I have a feeling.  But, it’s actually been hard to find games – I haven’t turned one down, regardless of level.

Just tell people this.  I don’t believe you’re having problems getting games because you’re currently tier 4.  I want to play you.  I said tier 4’s need not apply, but I know you won’t stay there.  Besides, the reason I didn’t want to play tier 4 is because it would not be competitive at all.  I know you’re not really a tier 4, and won’t be once you’ve had a few more games.

So, my only worry about “E” status is that it will make possible games against top players even less likely, which is the real reason why I wanted to play league…. :(

Again, I will accept your challenge.  I am the defending league champion, and looking to repeat.  You can play me, right now.  No one has accepted my challenge yet.

@Gamerman01:

@DizzKneeLand33:

So, my only worry about “E” status is that it will make possible games against top players even less likely, which is the real reason why I wanted to play league…. :(

Again, I will accept your challenge.  I am the defending league champion, and looking to repeat.  You can play me, right now.  No one has accepted my challenge yet.

How does “E” status make possible games against top players less likely??  Am I the only one playing for fun here, and not for points?
Dangit, the point system is to help us all know how good we or the competition are.  I suppose there will always be people who look at it as a high score and want to see how high they can get, as if it’s a pinball game or something.  Give me a break.  Just play each other and let the system rate you.

By the way.  518 games were recorded during 2014.  We are currently on pace to eclipse that, on pace to complete 657 games.  Apparently somebody likes the system.

I just don’t understand this - people won’t play me because my tier is too low.  I wish everyone would report to me by private message every time they are denied a game because their current ranking is too low.  There are plenty of people to play within one tier of yourself, even when you are tier 4. 
Tell me again why I should be spending hours of my time playing someone who has absolutely no chance of beating me?  And I play them anyway, sometimes.  I know others don’t, but don’t they have the right?  It’s not the system that’s to blame, you would have great players denying games to terrible players anyway, no matter the system.

Sorry, on the first part I was referring to Bold’s statement of making losses to Tier E worth more – under the current system that’s not the case, which is why I like the current system.  :)

As far as Juan is concerned, it’s true that is his problem.  I just hope others don’t do the same thing.  Of course, this is so much better than it used to be – I mean, didn’t it used to be something like 4-0 and you were in the final round or something?  I can’t remember exactly now, but I’m so glad that it’s not that!  The current league/Gamer’s system is great – and anything that encourages play is I think what we are all looking for…

Juan will just miss out, I guess.

On the other hand, I won’t.  :)  I will gladly accept your offer for a game – the best way to get better is to play the best!

Did you want me to bid here?  I’ll start the bidding at 23, but you can PM me from there if you like (either way is fine with me, just don’t want to spam the thread here any more than I already have lol)

We could bid here, but PM makes sense.

@DizzKneeLand33:

Sorry, on the first part I was referring to Bold’s statement of making losses to Tier E worth more – under the current system that’s not the case, which is why I like the current system.  :)

Oh!  Thanks for the explanation - I didn’t understand.
Bold, you know how to find me.  Please stop roiling things up on the boards.

Elite status is going to be a fun and exciting thing for everyone.

You should understand that pretty much everyone’s PPG will be a bit higher than last year as a result, because everyone who plays elites will get an extra point for each game, and each person who plays a player who played an elite will also benefit, and so on.  Players at 4.50 or above will also ride the wave as a result.

40 days into the year, the rankings are starting to take a little shape.  It’s fun to watch, and I am eager to get a result or 3 of my own in there.

i was not trying to criticize the system at all, i think it’s doing a fantastic job.  i don’t think it can really be improved for the intent it exists for, which is really to encourage gameplay and help find the right competition.  inevitably there will be those who intentionally or unintentionally game the system and you are right dizz, it’s to the detriment of those players really.  if someone plays mostly tier 2 and 3 and makes the playoffs, they will simply be embarrassed and what’s more, they are holding back their own improvement.

Agreed, thanks for the clarifying comment

The system as I started saying, is really really good, + the time that Gamer spends to make the experience possible and the support he gives for our games is just amazing. I am sure I speak for all when stating this.

Speaking again just for me (my 2 cents as you say…):

I like what Bold proposed as enhancement: having to accept a minimum of games from your Tier players and 1 below. In the league my friends and I created, everyone plays 2 rounds (Axis/Allies) with everyone and no one can refuse a game (like a soccer or other sports leagues), this is difficult to implement on a league with many players like this, but something can be done.

I am Elite now, but players I played/are playing are not weak at all Bold, in fact Karl is a robust Tier 2 and now ranked 4, and I think at least 4 of them have chances to be Tier 1´s at the end.

Perhaps I would satisfy the new requirement + the issue with the enhancement proposed that way Bold, is that the control of it may be difficult as Tiers may move in the very last moment.

Another possible option to avoid the strategy I am following and sharing with you all, is simply penalizing your Points earned with 1 point, each time a player refuses a game with a player of the same Tier and Gamer is informed (in example if when Bold or Gamer reach E, I am still E, and if I refuse the game with them at that time). What I don´t like in relation to this idea, is that Gamer cannot implement it in the automatic formulas so means extra work for him.

Regarding the beginners, last year I proposed 3,5 for the win vs Tier 4,s to avoid Tier 1 being lost by a win and facilitating those games to happen, but I understand the point of Elites, and proposing 4,5 for a win vs Tier 4,s is just too much, so barriers will exist and they are not bad understanding the philosophy of this system, it is the role of people that joined a few months before and are ranked 3/4 to teach beginners as I did last year with a lot of them and Roboto, Karl and others did with me + you will need practice to reach playing the strongest, which is not bad at all as a system.

Regarding the number of games played, I still think an incentive for completing more is not opposed to the rest of the league rules and philosophy, may be + 0,1 in PPG each time you complete 10 games? Just another idea for discussion. It seems simple to implement in the automatic formulas. That makes a mid Tier 2 with >50 games to reach lower Tier 1 barrier, in example.

Juan

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Juan
System will stay as is for now - bad enough that I had the one late change, as you correctly pointed out

I don’t care if you do game it - that’s part of the reason the playoff takes top 8 and not top 2 or top 4 - to help make sure deserving players get in.

Juan u up for a league game?  I must be one of the few you haven’t played.