chromoscope wrote: ↑26 July 2025, 22:48
In Olympic sports, if you need to run to the finish line, then a person runs as fast as possible. If another athlete trips the first player, he is disqualified.
In the game, there is often a situation when the blocking seems intentional, although this is not so, but because the routes coincide. But there are situations and players who get a thrill from a complete intentional blocking out of a sense of revenge for an accidental blocking. I think we need to fight against such players. Because at the moment, such players violate the existing arena rules that the game should be friendly. This is the same aggression, only not through words, but through actions.
Unfortunately, recently there have been noticeably more such players in the Arena.
It is worth remembering that people come to have a good time playing the game, and not to score points!!!
Please refrain from encouraging cheating on BGA. On BGA the community has largely been warm-hearted and shown that the underhanded tactics of anti-blockers is not welcome. In fact, you could compare anti-blockers to the example of tripping at the Olympics. If so, I guess that opens the idea of banning players that try to force their opponents not to block them in rated. It is cheating, and removing those kinds of players from the site would promote a healthier and more welcome atmosphere than before, so it is an idea worth considering I suppose.
But for now, I'm happy with the way the community has handled anti-blockers. It has remained vocal about promoting fair play and not accepting cheating, that players should be able to play by the rules and not have to deal with such harassment or foul tactics. That blocking is just another regular move you make in Ticket to Ride, like drawing cards or completing your routes.
chromoscope wrote: ↑26 July 2025, 22:53
I'll add. I'd like to learn how to play with blocking. It sharpens the mind. But ONLY with players who also want it and are ready for this form of interaction!
Currently, if I block a player because we have the same route, I apologize.
As a solution: add an apology phrase to the standard phrases. This will help reduce the feeling that the block is done intentionally and reduce unfriendliness.
I try to begin my games assuming my opponents are fair-minded and honest players. Blocking would be a nonissue by default. One player intentionally not using blocking on another player is used as a form of disrespect. It would be like one runner in a race giving their opponent a head start, passing them, then stopping at the final stretch until the other runner reaches them before demolishing them in the final stretch. It's used to flex on weaker players or play a handicapped game.
If you want to have an apology phrase, instead have one where a player apologizes to their opponent for not respecting them someone to interact with., instead treating them as a spectator or furniture while the player was busying playing solitaire. Ticket to Ride isn't a single player game, the other players matter, part of the game is respecting them as actual players you need to account for when playing, making sure your plays are safe from their defenses while also ensuring their plays don't surpass your own.