Gernot wrote: ↑27 September 2021, 18:53
This is nonsense. If players want to use solvers or other outside help, they'll find a way to do so in any game, whether it's completely solved or not. That's no reason to reduce 6x7 to training-mode only. Those players who don't cheat still enjoy their ELO rating, regardless of whether others cheat or not.
I heard similar arguments elsewhere. However, it's a straw man fallacy.
If a game requires deep and complex programs to solve which cannot be accessed through a minute of internet surf, I don't think it's a big problem.
Theoretically almost all games can be cheated with custom heuristic algorithm, brute force, or whatever stuff, but it's mostly implausible.
For instance, nobody worries about such a cheat in euro or party games, and many of abstract games in fact (of course I don't too).
Also, although there are more than 10 games on BGA with solvers which can be found by a single web search,
I didn't argue to put all of their competitive features down or reset ELO.
So in short, it's a game-specific problem and does not require a universal solution.
dschingis27 wrote: ↑27 September 2021, 20:44
That is a really bad idea. It would mean that I could play standard Connect Four only without time limits? Having the default in Training Mode is not a good idea. Is there any other game on BGA where the usual common way to play the game is only available in Training Mode?
I do appreciate the new boardsizes and the idea to have no Arena competition in the standard 6x7. But to take away the standard from normal mode and to take away the Elo of all players who play the game honestly is far to extreme.
Again, ELO is a competitive feature per se. Competitive 6x7 in BGA has proven to be dysfunctional.
Can honest players crack top ELO ranking of Connect Four (the last top player had ELO around 1200) without solver?
Also, the essence of the game did not change.
Initially it might be painful for few genuine players with enormously high ratings (most of players below 300 will find their rating back soon).
However, without solver influence honest strong players can regain ratings even quicker and end up with higher ranks.
By the way, the first player advantage of 6x7 board size is well known.
6x7 has never been a good board size for competition regardless of its familiarity.