Board Game Arena

I've released an update to Hand and Foot that includes the ability of the table creator to pick specific team members. This is available under the "Partnership" option. When the game starts, the table creator will be given a small dialog in which they can pick the number of teams (if more than one combination is possible, e.g. for six players), and who is on each team. The order of play will randomized by the game, respecting the team assignments made.

Thank you. This is wonderful.

What does it mean by friendly play, in the description for this preference?

The game doesn't affect the rankings?

tmac1150 wrote: ↑24 July 2022, 18:58 What does it mean by friendly play, in the description for this preference?

The game doesn't affect the rankings?

By friendly play it is meant that the players are typically known to each other, and are not playing to gain ELO (i.e. they don't care about the ranking system). The game result will still affect the rankings. The reason these sorts of options should only be used in a non-competitive setting is because they can otherwise be gamed (i.e. used strategically to end a game early when one team is seen to have some sort of advantage.) Picking team members can be abused by players who are colluding (e.g. by communicating private game details out of band).

I know of a some players that use this method of selecting teams for the distinct advantage to gain ranking.
They were in the 300+ rankings for awhile. They do this here in hand and foot and spades.
In spades, I know they use to complain about having a newbie partner. This option solved that problem for them.
Pairing strangers together.
With their need for ELO status, it wouldn't surprise me if they are communicating during the game.
Since they are seeking to get an advantage in a game to win.
If people abuse this, you should be able to prevent this option for those players.
And it is a way of cheating the ELO system. So a good punishment would to hit their ELO rankings. Like resetting it back to 100.
What they do defeats the ELO system for everybody. Which is why it shouldn't' be tolerated.
I can report them to you, and you can see for yourself.

As I mentioned, this group of players. 2 of which I played against in spades.
It seems in spades that group was found cheating and those two had there ELO reset to zero.
Well those two are in Hand and foot and doing their thing.