Repeated "Red Thumbs Down" warnings for legitimate blocking tactics?

[Loin du Froid v2]

Hi everyone,

Today, I received the notification for the second time that I have reached a 10% "thumbs down" rating from other players.

I am really not aware of any wrongdoing. In the games in question:

I did not use the chat inappropriately (and in this cases not at all).

I never abandoned or quit any games.

I did not slow-play or make opponents wait unreasonably long for my turns.

I suspect the sole reason for these downvotes is my playstyle: when my cards or game situation require it, I block my opponents as effectively as possible to win the game—even with a bad hand. This is 100% compliant with the rules and, in my opinion, a completely legitimate competitive strategy.

I frequently encounter players who complain or even insult me in chat simply because their routes get blocked. Frankly, I find that very inappropriate. If someone cannot handle route blocking in a competitive board game, perhaps a model railway hobby would be a better fit than Ticket to Ride.

Is anyone else experiencing this misuse of the karma/rating system for purely tactical gameplay?

Best,

MalteseFalcon62

dont worry about it, i got this notice regularly either. blocking is a part of game, and dont bother about people who dont understand this. just play ur way and have fun. and dont bother what people writting bellow ur post, unless they have +500 elo at TTR. this hollywar about blocking is discussing in every thread here. and even designer said that “blocking is ok”, but unfortunately casuals are not ready to get off from their sandpit.

glhf ggwp

[MalteseFalcon62]

The solution is as usual where the power is. In the rules. The only way to avoid the blocking strategy is if the structure, the rules of the game change, to discourage this somehow, to make this strategy pointless instead of a winning one that it is currently, at least sometimes. I avoid doing it and I am frustrated when others do it, but I don't downvote them, I just stopped playing the game for some time, there are other games after all. But yeah if there was some shift in the rules and this blocking strategy became unviable, I would be happy hehe. I think some of the expansions that are out, like the map of Asia with the bonus for connected cities, help towards this direction.

This game is intentionally designed to support blocking and blocking is in the spirit of the game. There is a reason why both players play on the same board and double routes are disabled for 2-3 player games. If you consistently get blocked intentionally, that is often a reflection of poor play on your part. If you leave gaps, then that makes it easy to block. The best players are often hard to block because they make their routes and intentions hard to guess for the opponent. So it is up to you to prevent yourself from getting blocked. Not up to the opponent. Unfortunately for those heavily against blocking, TTR may not be the game for you.

You are completely right; mostly weaker players complain about blocking, and precisely these weak players often reveal their target routes early on. Furthermore, in my experience so far (and I've been playing intensively on BGA for 15 months), I've only encountered very few players who block purely for the sake of blocking. As a rule—and that's how I handle it too—you block because your cards and the flow of the game require it if you want to win.

I completely agree with you: anyone who dislikes blocking should turn to other games, because blocking is an essential element of TTR.

[Barberserk]

I think you are right, the game wants people to block each other, otherwise all paths would be free for all and nobody would block anyone, or even have two seperate maps, like the Next Station series of games. And I refuse to memorize all the route cards just to simply be able to guess where my opponent is trying to build. I should give Next Station games another shot... I have a different set of gripes with them though, particularly with the scoring. Hehe, anyway, both fun and successful games, they can't please everyone and that's not their mission, it is fine.

[RechifMit]

I play a lot of two player, and blocking is one of the tools in the toolbag that I'm not afraid to use.

I've been called names, told I'm the "worst player ever", told they will never play me again, etc etc.

It's a bit funny to be called the "worst player ever" when you beat someone by 2 or 3x the points lol.

What can you do? There are several other LONG threads on blocking... some are convinced it ruins the game but even the game designer has said it's a good strategy.

[Charlieboy80]

Haha I totally agree! Last Arena series for Noric Countries - I played several games where I got blocked and lost miserably. Instead of crying about it, I had to learn how to play smarter! Perhaps I'll make some enemies on here, but it'll mean that I'm winning!

[Meeplelowda]

Instead of crying about it, I had to learn how to play smarter!

This is the path far too few take.

[Vader300]

Haha I totally agree! Last Arena series for Noric Countries - I played several games where I got blocked and lost miserably. Instead of crying about it, I had to learn how to play smarter! Perhaps I'll make some enemies on here, but it'll mean that I'm winning!

Exactly, and I wish more people have this winner’s mentality. The players complaining about blocking and calling opponents names are the true bad sports. If you are one of these players, I have a suggestion for you: instead of blaming your opponents, reflect on what you could have done better to prevent being blocked. If you get blocked, there is very often something you could have done better to prevent it. Learning from these mistakes and experiences is how you get better.

[yodamus]

Fight fire with fire. They block you. You block them. I would be the opposite. Anybody complaining and whining about being blocked, would get the red thumb. Sore losers. Plus there are other maps to play. And over 1400 different games to play if blocking bothers you that much. So folks. Quit red thumbing the OP.