A better tiebreaker for unfinished Arena games?

[detlefchef11]

As I understand it, all unfinished games at the end of each. Arena season are decided by who has the most time remaining on their clock. The thing is, at least in a very popular setting, that typically is "2 days" for nearly all players. So the tie is unresolved.

At the end of last season, I was well ahead of one player who started obviously slow-playing his turns with about 6 days remaining. We were cruising along nicely, I pulled ahead, then all-of-a-sudden, he's taking nearly a day every turn. I'd play very quickly and then he'd wait a day again and take his. At first I thought that I'd win the tie breaker at least because I was playing so much faster. However, we both had "2 days" on our clocks the whole time.

To make things more frustrating, literally right after the season ended and we tied, he was back to playing quickly. Bush league.

Then I remembered that, at the end of every game, they post what each player's average time per turn was. Wouldn't that be a fairer metric if you're going to bother with time being a tiebreak? I would guess that, provided both players were reasonably timely with their turns throughout the game, one player trying to drag the game out looking to tie a lost game and the other trying to quickly play to get the game finished (which I hope is the desired behavior) would be enough to tilt the scales in favor of the more deserving player. At least far more often than not.

This is even a bigger problem if, like most ties, the player with the higher Arena score actually loses points. Though I'm not sure that's the case.

[RobertBr]

As I understand it, all unfinished games at the end of each. Arena season are decided by who has the most time remaining on their clock.

Perhaps, but the FAQ specifically contradicts this. The FAQ says the player who has used the most thinking time loses, which, if correct, makes what your opponent did, likely to result in a loss.

Its worth remembering the clock is a part of the game in a competition and it is okay to try and use it to win, but the opportunities for this seem quite limited in Arena.

[GTSchemer]

It is important to remember that the clock is not intended to be used maliciously.

As an example, taking time to think about one's move is obviously legitimate. Waiting to see when your arena opponent goes to bed, and consistently making a move 30 minutes after this point to guarantee they keep losing 6-8 hours, is malicious.

[detlefchef11]

As I understand it, all unfinished games at the end of each. Arena season are decided by who has the most time remaining on their clock.

Perhaps, but the FAQ specifically contradicts this. The FAQ says the player who has used the most thinking time loses, which, if correct, makes what your opponent did, likely to result in a loss.

Its worth remembering the clock is a part of the game in a competition and it is okay to try and use it to win, but the opportunities for this seem quite limited in Arena.

so perhaps they're already doing it the way I'm suggesting

[RobertBr]

It is important to remember that the clock is not intended to be used maliciously.

How do you make the distinction? If you cannot make a firm distinction between two actions then its just you trying to impose your personal preferences on someone.

For example in a tournament (rather than an Arena game), where time left is the tie breaker - if you are thirty minutes from the round ending and several hours ahead of your opponent on time, that is a won game - you are perfectly entitled to go and make a sandwich. No obligation to give your opponent an opportunity to win, just as you are not obligated to make bad moves, just as you are completely entitled to clock an opponent in a winning position.

Yes, there are issues with how it works in multiplayer games and with time zones (though playing times can be set for the latter) but f you cannot draw a distinction between malicious and using the clock to win its irrelevant - the clock is part of the game in competition.

[ChiefPointThief]

The first issue here is that these type of games are allowed to start. If op was playing fast and their opponent was playing within their time then the settings for the game shouldn't of been allowed at that point in the season. It just creates more opportunity for people to game the system.

[PaulB-UK]

As I understand it, all unfinished games at the end of each. Arena season are decided by who has the most time remaining on their clock.

Perhaps, but the FAQ specifically contradicts this. The FAQ says the player who has used the most thinking time loses, which, if correct, makes what your opponent did, likely to result in a loss.

Its worth remembering the clock is a part of the game in a competition and it is okay to try and use it to win, but the opportunities for this seem quite limited in Arena.

so perhaps they're already doing it the way I'm suggesting

Think they are - but if the game doesn't finish then no one wins, just that the person who took the most time takes the (arena) points loss.