Board Game Arena

Jellby wrote: ↑20 January 2025, 21:22

cavefarmer wrote: ↑20 January 2025, 06:47 Why would any new player want to come to this site to try Arena mode?

Why do you think a new player should try Arena?

Play a game a few times until you realize you like it and you're good enough to win sometimes and learn something when you lose. Then you can consider playing Arena if you want, but you can continue playing in simple mode where you can choose your opponents and the game settings.

Should chess amateurs just choose their opponents because the competitive matchmaking system on their chosen chess website only matches them with Magnus Carlson?

cavefarmer wrote: ↑20 January 2025, 21:54 Arena is the competitive matchmaking mode, no? Is it hard to understand that many players of various skill levels enjoy that concept? See sport leagues, video games, etc. for well implemented examples outside of board games where players are matched against similarly skilled opponents.

cavefarmer wrote: ↑20 January 2025, 21:58 Should chess amateurs just choose their opponents because the competitive matchmaking system on their chosen chess website only matches them with Magnus Carlson?

I see the issue here. The word "competitive" has multiple connotations. Among them, there's:
1) relating to or characterized by competition, i.e., anything involving competition; and
2) as good as others of a comparable nature, i.e., on an even footing with something else.

You were expecting the more narrow connotation 2), but the description of the Arena system is just using the generic connotation 1). I agree that Arena could be described better, but I think the intent behind BGA's use of the word is simply to signal to people that the games are not for casual play (i.e., you may face sharp tactics like blocking in Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride).

So no, Arena does not divide the matching into different tiers by ELO. There's no NHL (or MLB) for high ELO players and a separate AHL (or AAA) for lower ELO. You will have major junior players having to face Connor McDavid (after he finishes serving his three-game suspension).

[Apologies to anyone who doesn't get the North American-centric sports references.]

I do understand the experience of being beaten repeatedly in arena games. It can be discouraging to gain and lose points often having all progress taken away when better players come along. Seems like some ideas here for this site to consider.

You couldn't translate the sports application to Arena either, because if you had the top 20 or so players fenced off, those players would never find a game, particularly in games where Arena is set to higher than 2 players. Also is that really what people want, that before the season begins, most players can't possibly win, because the trophy is gatekept behind a handful of Elite players? Outside of the most popular games, most games do not have the player pool to support splitting the players into groups.

RazorOz wrote: ↑21 January 2025, 10:10 Also is that really what people want, that before the season begins, most players can't possibly win, because the trophy is gatekept behind a handful of Elite players?

They could "win" a minor league championship. But yes, few games can support a completely separate minor league.

Only the OP can speak to what they are looking for. If they simply want to play against evenly matched opponents, this can be had in non-Arena games. So why specifically do they feel they have to play Arena?

Meeplelowda wrote: ↑21 January 2025, 10:31

RazorOz wrote: ↑21 January 2025, 10:10 Also is that really what people want, that before the season begins, most players can't possibly win, because the trophy is gatekept behind a handful of Elite players?

They could "win" a minor league championship. But yes, few games can support a completely separate minor league.

Only the OP can speak to what they are looking for. If they simply want to play against evenly matched opponents, this can be had in non-Arena games. So why specifically do they feel they have to play Arena?

Yes, I mean that's the thing that to find games against evenly matched opponents you are by far best playing outside Arena, because as has been said someone can be Bronze league at Arena and 700 ELO.

Meeplelowda wrote: ↑21 January 2025, 10:31

RazorOz wrote: ↑21 January 2025, 10:10 Also is that really what people want, that before the season begins, most players can't possibly win, because the trophy is gatekept behind a handful of Elite players?

They could "win" a minor league championship. But yes, few games can support a completely separate minor league.

Only the OP can speak to what they are looking for. If they simply want to play against evenly matched opponents, this can be had in non-Arena games. So why specifically do they feel they have to play Arena?

Your first reply to this thread is exactly what I was looking for, thank you. I'm now matching with and winning against similar players, and less commonly matching with under-ranked highly skilled players.

Exotic Dreams wrote: ↑21 January 2025, 03:38 It can be discouraging to gain and lose points often having all progress taken away when better players come along. Seems like some ideas here for this site to consider.

I feel the exact opposite. I don't want to play against weaker opponents for the same reason. When you are matched against an "elite" player with 1300 aes at games with luck factor it is a waste of time and - gain. The system will calculate an incorrect win probability because elo wasn't meant to account for luck and you will have to beat such players at an unrealistic rate to break even.

You have to wonder what the league system is for.
More leagues, and demotion of just 1 league per season seems like a good idea.

Currently, it does not translate to what most people consider a league system to be like, like in sports leagues.

There is a solid idea of the "grind" needed just to get to Elite league in a season. Multiple games are difficult to achieve.

Its strange there is no filter (US map, not arena) to choose my level of users for games