Player count specific statistics

[JonChambers]

I do think playing my own game to completion in testing mode should count as my "1 game + 24 hours" requirement before posting. Anyway, a quick game of Yahtzee, a good night sleep later, and "hello everyone!" (I lost the game of Yahtzee in case you're wondering.)

The 2 player version of my game is almost finished. Just a few little features and bugs to figure out. And the statistics...

There are lots of exciting things I'd love to track, but "add everything up from all games and get the average" doesn't seem to cut it.

For example, in the two player version, what's your win rate when you trigger the end of the game vs your win rate when you let your opponent trigger the end? That's an awesome stat to track, because it really is the central question of the game. Sure, I could just create 4 Booleans or one categorical. But the trouble is these win conditions aren't even available in the 3-6 version.

I'm genuinely considering creating 2p and 3p-6p as a completely different version just to solve this issue, but even then, all the numerical interesting things to track scale by player count. Highest possible score in 3 players is 8. Highest possible score with 5 players is 21.

Also, numbers on their own aren't interesting. What people want to know is if they should aim to make the numbers higher or lower, and it's only possible to determine that by relationship between statistics!

Or should I just give up on including statistics?

[Tisaac]

Or should I just give up on including statistics?

Yep. Basically the current stats system is not powerful enough to track what you want so dont bother too much.

[JonChambers]

It's the same as my frustration with dojo. I don't need things to be simpler, I need them to be out of my way.

I don't need more features, I need the features PHP already has to not be gated off. Let me write my own methods of evaluating statistics! There's more to life than "sum / n"! Grr.

[Tisaac]

It's the same as my frustration with dojo. I don't need things to be simpler, I need them to be out of my way.

I don't need more features, I need the features PHP already has to not be gated off. Let me write my own methods of evaluating statistics! There's more to life than "sum / n"! Grr.

What's the matter with dojo ? Dont use it if you dont like it.

[JonChambers]

I still use it for the buttons, because them is the rules. You have to use it for the buttons.

Also the "dojo declare" business in the template, I still don't fully understand but I use it anyway.

But other than that, I don't touch it. Haven't yet found a situation where I need it.

[Tisaac]

I still use it for the buttons, because them is the rules. You have to use it for the buttons.

What do you mean ? Are you talking about this.addActionButton ?

[Een]

I do think playing my own game to completion in testing mode should count as my "1 game + 24 hours" requirement before posting. Anyway, a quick game of Yahtzee, a good night sleep later, and "hello everyone!" (I lost the game of Yahtzee in case you're wondering.)

You mean you decided to develop your game on BGA studio without having ever played a game on BGA?

The 2 player version of my game is almost finished. Just a few little features and bugs to figure out. And the statistics...

There are lots of exciting things I'd love to track, but "add everything up from all games and get the average" doesn't seem to cut it.

For example, in the two player version, what's your win rate when you trigger the end of the game vs your win rate when you let your opponent trigger the end? That's an awesome stat to track, because it really is the central question of the game. Sure, I could just create 4 Booleans or one categorical. But the trouble is these win conditions aren't even available in the 3-6 version.

I'm genuinely considering creating 2p and 3p-6p as a completely different version just to solve this issue, but even then, all the numerical interesting things to track scale by player count. Highest possible score in 3 players is 8. Highest possible score with 5 players is 21.

Also, numbers on their own aren't interesting. What people want to know is if they should aim to make the numbers higher or lower, and it's only possible to determine that by relationship between statistics!

Or should I just give up on including statistics?

It looks like you are talking about meta-statistics, and thinking about BGA like a single monolithic application rather than a framework running ephemeral modular games. I just answered another developer on the same subject, that post may shed some light: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=21657&p=90532#p90532

[JonChambers]

Correct. I made a perfectly functional game from start to finish (the two player version with no animation anyway) without playing a single game on BGA. Which apparently means I don't qualify for asking questions on the developer's forum, but losing a game of Yahtzee is the trial by fire that proves myself worthy.

[JonChambers]

Oooh! Null isn't counted for averages!? Okay, this might be useful after all! My game is going to throw a lot of null statistics then.

2-player win after triggering game end: null
2-player win after not triggering game end: null

Yeah, that's going to be at the top of every 3-6 player game.

Null not counting for averages changes EVERYTHING!!! The possibilities are now endless!

If that's a bug, I hope it's never fixed.

[JonChambers]

Correct. I made a perfectly functional game from start to finish (the two player version with no animation anyway) without playing a single game on BGA. Which apparently means I don't qualify for asking questions on the developer's forum, but losing a game of Yahtzee is the trial by fire that proves myself worthy.

Come to think of it, maybe the system does work. I had a lot of stupid questions I wanted to ask before I played Yahtzee, but I've figured them all out on my own now.