Why is the problem report system such a bad joke?

[Negone]

I was in a game, playing my turns faster in average than my opponents and going way better than them in points. Suddenly, my Internet just failed, and it took me not more than 2-3 min to try some connection requests to my home's wifi networks and change it to my phone wifi sharing option. I got back to the game just to realize I was kicked out of it.

Then, I got the message about the lost karma, and if you select "I had a technical issue", the only thing they say, after stating their system was performing ok, is: "the reputation system measures your overall capability to play a game until the end, and this includes the stability/reliability of your computer and internet connection", and then they recommend to troubleshoot your connection. That is all you can do.

I suppose that losing internet for a couple of minutes in years means your connection is non-reliable, then. But using that truly ocasional and short duration event to kick someone out of the game to avoid yourself losing a game is a fair strategy, instead.

Nice job, BGA.

[Jellby]

Whenever you run out of time, for whatever reason, other players are allowed to kick you out, for whatever reason. Period. That's the "rule" of the games in BGA.

[Negone]

True. But rules can be right, or wrong.

Even if the rule would be right, it is so morally blameworthy not allowing a small margin to someone who is playing fast and properly, and just had a disconnection, a couple of minutes of courtesy to solve it, as it can happen to anyone. Using that in your benefit to avoid losing is childish.

And if you get a karma penalty, which is the true point here, and you want to justify that, do not tell people "it's your fault for not having a reliable connection". Thanks, but it is not that case. Too much effort to include some allowance for ocasional or iuncidental and short disconnection.

[Tisaac]

You do realize there is no way to check whether you really had an internet issue or you are just lying and werent focus on your game, right ?
When the whole website is having issue, then sure, admins will remove any penalty, but otherwise I dont see any other good way to handle time limit for playing in real time.
In addition, you are not considering the fact that maybe other players had commited only for a very specific time window and that going past that would mean that they are the ones that will suffer for penalty for leaving. If I am joining a game with a specific speed, I know how much time it will take and I know if I have enough free time in front of me or not. If someone else is going past their time, whether it's for a "good reason" or not, then sometimes I dont care and I just want to finish the game before going back to work / picking up kids from school / ...

[Negone]

Yeah, I do realize. But the website is able to know that, as it records many other data. It is so easy to identify whether or not you are having disconnections on a normal basis, or just exceptionally. And would it be so easy to just let people report it was an ocasional situation.

The time window is not such a valid excuse. In a game like that, you are not able to now from the start if it is going to last for 60 or 80 minutes. And you should have enough time window for the whole game. Also, regarding time use, you can just give a better defined time allowance for players. If I am taking fast turns and having to wait for slower players, why should I not be allowed to use that spare time in one critical moment? At the end, the time that matters is the whole time you used. Why does the system make you lose, but indeed be able to keep playing if you reconnect?

Also, I insist, the focus is not as much in other players being childish by winning in "dirty" ways, as how insulting it is when it shows you the options to report what happened.

How should I fix my "unreliable" network which failed once in two years for a couple of minutes?

[RicardoRix]

How should I fix my "unreliable" network which failed once in two years for a couple of minutes?

You don't, but you do just have to take it on the chin, however frustrating. It's only a partial dent to your reputation, that is all.

If they open a loop-hole, then you can bet that a lot of annoying users will take full advantage and abuse the system.

If your connection is reliable then you won't have to worry about it happening again.

[JoysJoy]

Bro, you just gotta let this go. 1) Don't sweat the small stuff. 2) Everything on this website is the small stuff. This is supposed to be a fun/ relaxing thing. You are stressing over a nothing.

You still have 90%/ Excellent Karma. You were not really injured. The other players have no way to know why someone disappears. A few minutes go by, I boot, too. There are often 16,000+ people playing at once. No one can expect to be individually looked at, on a website run mostly by volunteers, for little things that go wrong.

Karma rebuild fast. Play a few rounds of Lucky Numbers or Cant Stop and you'll bo back at 100 in no time.

I would suggest you go to turn based if your internet in your area is unreliable. Then you don't have to worry.

No on judges or looks down on a 90% Karma score here.

[Jellby]

Most of us have had connection/browser issues and have been expelled from games. If it happens once in a while it's no big deal, no permanent damage is done. Now, if it happens regularly and your karma starts to stay below 60% and you behave like a raving lunatic (generic "you", not saying you personally did), then there may be consequences.

[Negone]

You still have 90%/ Excellent Karma. You were not really injured. The other players have no way to know why someone disappears. A few minutes go by, I boot, too. There are often 16,000+ people playing at once. No one can expect to be individually looked at, on a website run mostly by volunteers, for little things that go wrong.

I totally agree with you on that, no worries. My point was -which it is not incompatible with what you are saying- that if you are going to send a warning message with some options, please avoid all them just being "we are doing perfect, you just need to learn how to manage your stuff". This can be easily achieved by the same website system/team with no effort. I have been managing a non-profit boardgame association in the past, all runned on vluntary work, so I know what it means and I appreciate it, but when managing something, there is the need to avoid sitting yourself in a golden throne.

There is a made-sentece in my country which states something like "right doers pay for the sinners".

[JoysJoy]

I totally agree with you on that, no worries. My point was -which it is not incompatible with what you are saying- that if you are going to send a warning message with some options, please avoid all them just being "we are doing perfect, you just need to learn how to manage your stuff". This can be easily achieved by the same website system/team with no effort. I have been managing a non-profit boardgame association in the past, all runned on vluntary work, so I know what it means and I appreciate it, but when managing something, there is the need to avoid sitting yourself in a golden throne.

There is a made-sentece in my country which states something like "right doers pay for the sinners".
[/quote]

I agree sometimes the language choices used can seem offenstive. I am not sure if it is a translation thing because the website is from France or if the people who wrote it were pandemic-frazzled and crabby and just wanted to bite back at endless complaints. There are zero ways on BGA to get help with problems. All things like the report system you are discussing have banal answers that go no where and are kind of insulting at times. French people have that sterotype in US of being like that. I thought maybe it is due to the way their phrases sound translated. Rude and condescending in English. Perhaps they do not come across that way in French?

And even if you find an issue that is really big for many- like the dude from the Russian Federation who is allowed to ruin literally 1,00'0's of games by joining every tournament out there and then not coming back online for months. Nothing is done as he single handedly pisses off thousands of players and makes them boot others like you for being gone a few minutes. If you have played a tournament here long, this player has dissed you by ditching games and ruining your events. If you dare to complain and try to get it fixed, you get banned for awhile.

There is no way to make most things better on BGA. You have to choose if you want to play games or not, since there are no other sites like this one with real life peolpe to play so many games. And affordably play them. You just have to find ways to avoid the bad and let other stuff go. I had to pretty much quit tournaments because what I think of as a tournament is not what BGA has set up. Facing reality, I decided games with friends is still fun enough to come here. Tournaments that FWF will surely ruin are not worth the stress in my life.