Board Game Arena

I have to vent my anger here about the stupid way BGA constantly lets me know that more than 10% of my fellow players don't want to play with me again. Yes, that is the case - but, so what?

I'm sure that almost all the red thumbs I get are from people who - sleepy as they are - join the tables I've opened without "Friendly Robber" (but with "Easy Start") and are then annoyed that I actually play without Friendly Robber.

Because these stingy freeloaders don't like the announced rules I - as a paying member - play by at the tables I start, BGA feels the need to moralize me and tell me to be nicer to people. This is sick and a nasty kick in the butt for a player who supports BGA with their money.

I don't mind being notified of red thumbs, but the moralizing tone is obnoxious. I'm also not upset if someone wants to avoid my tables because they only want to play at tables with Friendly Robber - but BGA should definitely be nicer to paying members instead of trying to make them think they're not nice people.

I also wonder if the number of Red Thumbs has any effect on my ELO. It regularly happens that after the end of a game I can hardly believe how few points are added to my ELO when I've won hands down, or how many are deducted when I've lost narrowly.

Are there any findings or "official" announcements in this respect?

desertman wrote: ↑21 July 2024, 23:22 I also wonder if the number of Red Thumbs has any effect on my ELO. It regularly happens that after the end of a game I can hardly believe how few points are added to my ELO when I've won hands down, or how many are deducted when I've lost narrowly.

Only win/loss matters for elo, not if it's 10-0 or in the tie-breaker. Same as e.g. tennis tournaments or ranking points. If you hover over your elo when a table ends, you can see the details about how the change was calculated.

I personally also don't enjoy playing with friendly robber and only do it in arenas to not get teamed up against. I am used to the competitive nature of Catan being a zero sum game and believe that if you don't want to get robbed you should strike a deal with others before you place your first house and promise to stock rare resources that they need for a special 1:1 trade only for them in exchange for temporary peace - if there's no agreement on peace then peace isn't deserved. I wish BGA shows who has you red thumbed so that I could red thumb them back.

Just posting in support - I also set up all my games without FR and it’s their bad if they join and expect it. Tbf this has been easier to justify since it actually became an option - previously I felt each game needed a discussion at the start, in which I was often the “bad guy” for vetoing and asking for normal rules.

But I rarely got a red thumb just for that. Perhaps there is/was more to it, for example if the chat turns frosty as a result? Sometimes it’s about how you handle the situation. Generally if you stay nice and polite about it, you can avoid thumbage.

How do you know if someone give you a red thumbs down? Is there somewhere I can look on by reputation page?

gajor4 wrote: ↑24 July 2024, 19:37 How do you know if someone give you a red thumbs down? Is there somewhere I can look on by reputation page?

There's no direct way to tell. There are indirect ways. For example, certain information such as a user's active turn-based games and I think their online status are not visible in their profile if they've red thumbed you.

But this is not what the OP is talking about. They are talking about the notification BGA gives you once your proportion of red thumbs reaches a certain level. That doesn't tell you *who* red thumbed you or why.

DVC wrote: ↑24 July 2024, 00:37 Perhaps there is/was more to it, for example if the chat turns frosty as a result?

If someone asks a question or makes a comment about the Friendly Robber option at a table that I have started, I post these texts as an answer (with a break between the two parts):

"The “Friendly Robber” option is NOT enabled at this table. If you only want to play WITH it, it is better to only play at tables where it is enabled. If BGA selects your opponents automatically, you can configure your settings so that you are only placed at tables where FR is enabled. Good luck!"

"To make the beginning of the game a little easier, the enabled "Easy start" option does not allow any robberies in the first two rounds of the game. I like this better than the "Friendly Robber" option."

I don't think that's offensive or frosty. Apart from that, I rarely chat, even when others complain. (Some games also have very nice and friendly chats that all players, including me, participate in.)

I understand that the easiest thing for some people who want to play with Friendly Robber is to give me the red thumb and not see me again. That’s not a problem for me. I just don't like what BGA is doing with it.

Is easy start the default position set up? So the island layout and the initial buildings are always in the same place?

If so, I'd drop that option. I've never played friendly robber and honestly don't really know what it is. But no one fusses or causes drama when I whack the robber on them in the games I play.

4- player is where it is at, random island, shifting harbours and the circular number set up so you don't get ridiculous number clumping.

absolutely agree

Jontia wrote: ↑01 August 2024, 19:54 Is easy start the default position set up? So the island layout and the initial buildings are always in the same place?

No, "easy start" means that for each player's first two turns (not including initial settlement placement), sevens are rerolled.