Board Game Arena

I play many games where in arena it is 1v1.

What some people do is to avoid the better ranked players by intentionally blocking/avoiding them. Meaning that I can play 30-40 games and never being matched with the current top player because they intentionally block out the possibility of ever matching with them. So they will always match against someone that they think they can easily beat to either maintain their ranking and score, while never facing against the next few players in rank below them in order to get pulled down while the others gaining. Basically trying to avoid a loss and/or a double whammy of losing to your next best opponent.

Please change this and prevent this abuse. You should not be able to avoid players in arena. Its like teams playing in a league but you get to pick and choose to only play the bottom ranked teams and then win all your games and be crowned champions.

If a player is rude/abusive, then the player would already been sanctioned by the developers.

If a player hate the guts of another player, then mute them in order not to hear from them.

This is not a new idea and hasn't been implemented by BGA, so it's unlikely it ever will be.

The Arena matchmaking system is ripe for abuse, and players manipulate it to their advantage. Thumbing should have no impact on the matchmaking process.

In a game like Tichu with a small pool of Arena players (<100), it prevents players from being able to get into games. If I try to enter the queue while a player who has red-thumbed me is there, I'm blocked from entering the queue at all. It used to be that after some time, I would be allowed to enter the queue as a "non-preferred" player. Now, I can't get in at all.

It is an easy fix and should be addressed.

KenH wrote: ↑20 December 2024, 17:37 The Arena matchmaking system is ripe for abuse, and players manipulate it to their advantage. Thumbing should have no impact on the matchmaking process.

In a game like Tichu with a small pool of Arena players (<100), it prevents players from being able to get into games. If I try to enter the queue while a player who has red-thumbed me is there, I'm blocked from entering the queue at all. It used to be that after some time, I would be allowed to enter the queue as a "non-preferred" player. Now, I can't get in at all.

It is an easy fix and should be addressed.

Agreed. Like I said, it's not like this abuse has not been previously raised (and one BGA admin even used the word "abuse" in connection with it). The problem is that there are legitimate reasons for someone to red thumb another person. Until BGA allows you to block the chat of another player (which currently can only be done with 3rd-party extensions or other unofficial modifications), they are not going to revise the system so that you can be paired with someone you blocked for being abusive.

The problem is there is no way to look at any given red thumb and tell whether it is a strategic red thumb (to avoid competition) or a red thumb for another reason.

What’s a “fair” reason to red thumb someone with regards to arena matchmaking? For me I’ve blocked one player only.

They are not a top leaderboard player, but they have a very low reputation and have a habit of rage quitting games either by early conceding or just abandoning games. I don’t want to play against someone that behaves like that because of their behaviour, but also because they are manipulating their ratings. I would likewise not want to play against an obvious alt or smurf account.

BananaHarambe wrote: ↑30 December 2024, 05:18 What’s a “fair” reason to red thumb someone with regards to arena matchmaking?

The problem is that no one can say for sure whether any specific red thumb is "fair," no matter what definition you use for it. Fairness for red thumbs is a flawed concept anyway, because red thumbs can be given literally for any reason or none at all (in the case of a "private" red thumb). So with the current framework either all red thumbs must be allowed for Arena or none. BGA is going with all, and I don't see that changing.