Board Game Arena

Well then for heaven's sake, someone amend the darn guidelines if it's that easy! Problem solved.

FWIW I'm so glad I set myself ridiculous challenges that make my rankings constantly backslide - it seems like I get to play against nicer people at the bottom end of the ranks.

I gotta say, those of you who jeer and sneer at the idea of having fun and playing collaboratively and shriek in high voices that winning is all that matters are not exactly my kinda people, but, you do you. I'd say go have fun but that's not what you're here for. Go get some meaningless high numbers, I guess...

Well done to whoever edited it so diplomatically - nice one.

SamwiseTheSleepy wrote: ↑10 May 2023, 21:23 I gotta say, those of you who jeer and sneer at the idea of having fun and playing collaboratively and shriek in high voices that winning is all that matters are not exactly my kinda people, but, you do you. I'd say go have fun but that's not what you're here for. Go get some meaningless high numbers, I guess...

I don't mean to pick on you specifically, but I think your post is emblematic of many of the posts/arguments I've seen on here.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions in your post.

You seem to assume that
-people who are ok playing fully within the rules are not having fun.
-people who like to win are not having fun.
-or at the very least, people who like to win don't have fun if they don't win.
I don't feel like any of those are true for the vast majority of people who block/are ok with blocking. I'm not sure why it would be assumed that those things are true. A lot of us have fun by trying to puzzle through the best ways to get points (in any game) within the restrictions set by the rules. It's a fun puzzle for us. We ARE having fun. And I think most of us hope our opponents are having fun as well. I have fun when I win or lose. It isn't about fun, it's about trying to change the rules of the game and expecting others to go along with it.

If you walked into a pick-up game of basketball and got angry at someone for blocking your shot, and they were surprised and told you that shot blocking is legal in basketball... would you make the same arguments about them not wanting to have fun because they block shots to try to win? Aren't they likely having fun by playing the game as designed?

I think they would tell you that everyone is playing a game called basketball, and if you want to play with different rules (basketball with no blocking, stealing, boxing out, etc.), you're not really playing basketball anymore, but if there are enough of you, you can all gather on one of the courts and play whatever you want to call your game. And hopefully have lots of fun. It's just weird to expect basketball players to play by non-basketball rules on a basketball court during a basketball game. None of the players consider it "mean" to block a shot or steal the ball, it's just another element of the game.

This is what's happening here. A lot of you want to play a game that is very close to Ticket to Ride, but isn't quite Ticket to Ride. But you're trying to play it at Ticket to Ride tables with Ticket to Ride players who are following the rules.

I don't think any of us wish you ill will or want you to not have fun. It just seems like a weird expectation to expect others to not play by the normal rules, and then to get mad at everyone who IS playing by the normal rules.

Many of us have given you guys feedback to hopefully make everyone happy.
-Make a group for non-blocking play and use it to start games.
-Post a comment when you make the table that you would like non-blocking.
-Play training only games.
-Play higher player count games.

All of those things will help, although none are a 100% guarantee obviously. But since BGA can't implement non-blocking as the game designer and publisher haven't authorized any non-blocking rules variant, those are your best options.

SamwiseTheSleepy wrote: ↑10 May 2023, 21:23 I gotta say, those of you who jeer and sneer at the idea of having fun and playing collaboratively and shriek in high voices that winning is all that matters are not exactly my kinda people, but, you do you. I'd say go have fun but that's not what you're here for. Go get some meaningless high numbers, I guess...

I would not have fun playing a game
1) with unclear rules (let's say I got to connect Denver-Pittsburgh, but since I know NY is on many tickets and I plan to draw more later I take Pitt-NY in advance since it's usually a quite wanted route and by doing so I block you. Is it allowed or not?)
2) with unclear objective (if it's not to score more than others then what is the objective now?)

Also is very arrogant of you to assume we are not having fun just because you don't understand our point of view.

I guess we are just different and that's fine. What is not fine is to arraign people for playing to win within the rules and/or expect them to play by your house rules. It doesn't matter how many support them, they still are house rules.

SamwiseTheSleepy wrote: ↑10 May 2023, 21:43 Well done to whoever edited it so diplomatically - nice one.

Shoutout to @Qorlas

I wish there was an option to play with either "block opponents" or "non-blocking" games or something like that, although it would probably be tricky to set up. I get why people block in games and I certainly don't blame them for doing it, but I also find it frustrating and it makes the game less fun for me. It would be nice if there were options that let everyone play the game they wanted to

pocketmoth wrote: ↑11 May 2023, 21:35 I wish there was an option to play with either "block opponents" or "non-blocking" games or something like that, although it would probably be tricky to set up. I get why people block in games and I certainly don't blame them for doing it, but I also find it frustrating and it makes the game less fun for me. It would be nice if there were options that let everyone play the game they wanted to

Copy/pasted from above:
Many of us have given you guys feedback to hopefully make everyone happy.
-Make a group for non-blocking play and use it to start games.
-Post a comment when you make the table that you would like non-blocking.
-Play training only games.
-Play higher player count games.

This topic is still ongoing?

If you don’t like blocking play 4p. If you are being blocked in 4p can you post the game link and the move # (if you click replay this game at the bottom the game log has each move)

I would like to see some of these blocks that are angering people.

Just last night in ARENA, the quintessential two player / competitve format, I was called a jerk because I used blocking to try to win the game. My opponent had two 20+ routes and I had two single digit routes.

its literally part of the game to analyse what going on board, and what is better to give you the win.. if i feel blocking is the best choice to give me a win , i will absolutely do it.. i have nothing against blocking if you do in order to win the game..

but personally i am only playing 4 players games , and i feel blocking someone is pretty much never the option because im losing chance of doing points for me while the 2 others players i dont block are gonna get more point than me.

but in a 2 players game , i feel its a good strat to block .. i would not be mad to other.. i would try to analyse what i do wrong.