Board Game Arena

To be clear: they never expire.

However: we will soon forbid beginners to give red thumb (as they can't receive one).

You state

When you play your first game of a new game, you can't receive any red thumb (beginner's protection).

But it goes even further. You can't receive a red thumb for a game in which you haven't won so far. And in some games (like for example 6 nimmt!) it can take quite a long time until you've won your first game.

But now this system allows players who see they will loose to quit shortly before the game has ended (and thus up to 9 players have to suffer for such a behaviour) without having to fear to receive red thumbs over that? And not only once but over and over again in this game until they've won once.

What about changing the red thumb rule so really only players on their first game can't receive reds?

Hi,

The rule is: the protection is only for your first game. Whether you won it or not, starting from your second game, you can receive red thumb.

That doesn't fix a new player leaving before the game completes not being able to be given a thumb. This new system is terrible.

There is a huge difference between "terrible" and "not ideal for every situation." In the case you just presented, the only disadvantage over the old system is that instead of the new player having a red thumb (or possibly several, depending on how many other players were at the table), they simply have a disconnect ratio of 100%. Considering that a disconnect ratio of over 10% is a warning to most players....


Also, remember this applies to one game per account. When presented with any new situation, most people are bound to make decisions that are not what people familiar with the situation would make. These decisions may offend. Newbie protection gives people a chance to make a mistake, and learn from it, without being haunted by it for a long time.

There are other gaming sites that I avoid because there is no grace like this. One example that is coming to mind is someone created an account and joined an open table. They were immediately criticized in chat for not waiting for an invitation, which apparently was the undocumented norm on that site. BGA may have norms which seem weird to people new to the site. We should give them a chance to learn.

Edit --
Of course, there is a way to avoid this. Never join a table where a new player exists. Always kick new players from one's table if one is the administrator. Always refuse to start a game if a new player joins later, and request the administrator kick either oneself or the new player off. One will then never have to deal with not being able to squash someone under their red thumb, and no changes need to be made to the reputation system -- just in how one uses it.

sourisdudesert wrote:To be clear: they never expire.

However: we will soon forbid beginners to give red thumb (as they can't receive one).

But they do expire. You can't go back to a game you played a few hours ago and give someone a thumb either way. So if there is someone really deserving of a red you can't even give one to them when you acquire enough green thumbs to do so. This system has too many limitations.

The "they" that never expire are the green thumbs.

So, if someone has really upset you, and you absolutely need (note the sarcasm) to give them a red thumb, why haven't you given just 5 green thumbs before? It sounds like a simple enough plan. Give 5 green thumbs, then find someone that upsets you. Rinse, repeat. Or is it again where there are not 5 people in the community deserving of a green thumb, but lots of people deserving red thumbs?

No, they do expire. You CANNOT, I repeat CANNOT give a thumb, ANY THUMB to someone after a few hours time. Your pathetically poor use of what sarcasm is aside, you DO NOT know what you are talking about.

What do you do if you feel you got a red thumb not because you were rude, or mean but because you used a tactic that another player did not like. Let it be noted that the way the game was played did not hinder the other player at all. In fact the game ended in a tie. Is using the red thumb in this way proper use of the reputation system? Is it ok to give a red thumb if you "lose" to another player?

Underwearman -- what are you meaning when you say "they" expire?

From what you have said so far, it seems to be that "they" refers only to the opportunity to give someone a ranking. Is this what you mean?