Board Game Arena

When the last 'welcome to games' were over, I couldn't leave the games, although they were completely finished and everybody had gotten the points. I got a penalty instead and couldn't start new games. What can I do against this unfair penalties?

ELO point losses are typically not reverted, but they will probably revert your karma loss automatically.

Interestingly, you were actually correctly credited with your victory ELO, it is just that you got a -10 ELO too, for 'quitting' after the game had already ended.

Sunny-Flora wrote: ↑01 April 2024, 22:18 ... and couldn't start new games. What can I do against this unfair penalties?

Being unable to start new games was most likely due to the servers not being available rather than you being penalized in any way.

Unfair penalty for me too.

Yesterday I tried to play Ticket to Ride. I couldn't see the map. All I saw was a big train. I asked the other three in the group to abandon, but someone expelled me instead of abandoning. But it wasn't my fault. It was the interface.

I lost 10 reputation points.

Today a similar thing happened. I couldn't Accept a game. I pushed f5 a couple of times. I still couldn't accept. I don't know what happened with the other three people, but I lost 20 points today because it was right after yesterday's loss.

But both were interface problems, not connection problems. So I'd like to know how to protest a loss of reputation points when it's the game's fault.

Thank you.

EllenCaroline wrote: ↑03 April 2024, 05:33
But both were interface problems, not connection problems. So I'd like to know how to protest a loss of reputation points when it's the game's fault.

You can't. Create a bug report, switch to turn based, look at your connection, etc. But if you get penalties for this you just have to suffer the loss.

To understand why it might be useful to know that there was an abstract player many years ago who would blame any bad move on the interface and try to have every game they were losing cancelled. They got quite unpleasant about it. The behavior was persistent enough it became obvious. If people accepted your (presumably honest) word for what happened on your computer then it would give a green light to that sort of bad faith player.

Sunny-Flora wrote: ↑01 April 2024, 22:18 What can I do against this unfair penalties?

You can try to appeal.
viewtopic.php?p=119756
but frankly in my social group's experience BGA doesn't respond to appeals.

TBH this platform has been gradulayy getting worse for bugs like this,with games hanging whilst in progress, timers ot resetting and unfair penalties. It's why I cancelled my premuim membership last year, and I'm glad I did as it's continuing to decline.

RobertBr wrote: ↑03 April 2024, 07:47

EllenCaroline wrote: ↑03 April 2024, 05:33
But both were interface problems, not connection problems. So I'd like to know how to protest a loss of reputation points when it's the game's fault.

You can't. Create a bug report, switch to turn based, look at your connection, etc. But if you get penalties for this you just have to suffer the loss.

To understand why it might be useful to know that there was an abstract player many years ago who would blame any bad move on the interface and try to have every game they were losing cancelled. They got quite unpleasant about it. The behavior was persistent enough it became obvious. If people accepted your (presumably honest) word for what happened on your computer then it would give a green light to that sort of bad faith player.

If you have no history of abandoning games I would go to the contact us page and email them. I’ve done it before when it was clearly a site issue and not mine. They respond pretty quickly and they did restore karma. That said, you can get back to 100% pretty quickly just by playing a few games.