Matrix, I'm tired of PBEM Deadbeats! We need a ladder
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:14 pm
Matrix, please start a ladder. Or at least sponsor one with somebody like theBlitz.org
PBEM is great, much more fun than playing solo. From Matrix's business point of view, having a strong stable PBEM community must be good for business...after all you need somebody to buy those expansions...
But it really sucks when the person you are playing with just drops out for no reason. This has happened enough to me now that I am getting a little gun shy about starting new games. Seems to be a particular problem in multi-player games.
I think the only way to fix it is a ladder system. Why? Because posting messages that try to get people to follow some simple rules does not work. Things like: dont start a game if you are planning to move out of the country.... Frankly the only people reading these posts anyway are not the ones who have a problem.
I don't think a blacklist works. After all, as can be seen by previous attempts, they quickly degenerate into a series of opinions about "so and so", and they start sounding like a witch hunt. Plus, it only takes one opinion to get somebody on the list.
Ladders work because they are like ebay ratings. Everyone gets a vote, but only by putting "skin in the game". On ebay, one transaction, gets you a vote. On a ladder, the "vote" is the game result. People who drop a game, lose. The winner moves up the ladder, the loser, moves down. At least the player who sticks in there gets something out of it. You can even create a "win by default" category, that lets people know the loser did not finish. After a while, you can start to see players who default alot.
Players who play alot, also build up a broad set of "votes" from different players. Somebody who has many games under their belt is not likely to drop suddenly.
Sure there are disputes. But these are only over ove "vote" / game result. I have been playing on theBlitz for years, and have never had any real issue.
Anyone else getting fed up?
PBEM is great, much more fun than playing solo. From Matrix's business point of view, having a strong stable PBEM community must be good for business...after all you need somebody to buy those expansions...
But it really sucks when the person you are playing with just drops out for no reason. This has happened enough to me now that I am getting a little gun shy about starting new games. Seems to be a particular problem in multi-player games.
I think the only way to fix it is a ladder system. Why? Because posting messages that try to get people to follow some simple rules does not work. Things like: dont start a game if you are planning to move out of the country.... Frankly the only people reading these posts anyway are not the ones who have a problem.
I don't think a blacklist works. After all, as can be seen by previous attempts, they quickly degenerate into a series of opinions about "so and so", and they start sounding like a witch hunt. Plus, it only takes one opinion to get somebody on the list.
Ladders work because they are like ebay ratings. Everyone gets a vote, but only by putting "skin in the game". On ebay, one transaction, gets you a vote. On a ladder, the "vote" is the game result. People who drop a game, lose. The winner moves up the ladder, the loser, moves down. At least the player who sticks in there gets something out of it. You can even create a "win by default" category, that lets people know the loser did not finish. After a while, you can start to see players who default alot.
Players who play alot, also build up a broad set of "votes" from different players. Somebody who has many games under their belt is not likely to drop suddenly.
Sure there are disputes. But these are only over ove "vote" / game result. I have been playing on theBlitz for years, and have never had any real issue.
Anyone else getting fed up?