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Scoring changes

Posted: 12 January 2025, 05:08
by hudony
I was wondering...

Is it me or the changes brought to the standard scoring system in AN from BGA changes the whole scheme of things?

When using the rulebook rules, one must balance the conservation points and the appeal points but when using BGA scoring, one can almost focus exclusively focus one or the other and still get a very descent score.

Am I missing something?

Thanks!

Re: Scoring changes

Posted: 12 January 2025, 05:28
by Chivvy
Its you :D. The score is the same just with a +100 to make people less unhappy with negative scores. They made the same change in later printings of the physical game.

Re: Scoring changes

Posted: 13 January 2025, 21:29
by hudony
I fully trust you but somehow, I still don't get it lol.

Seems to me that with the basic rules, you would be penalized if you only focus one: appeal or conservation but using the new rules, since a spread is not calculated anymore, you wouldn't be.

Re: Scoring changes

Posted: 13 January 2025, 21:48
by Jellby
As far as I remember, the rules say that appeal and conservation must "meet". They don't say they must meet close to the middle. So increasing any of them makes them closer, no penalization involved.

If the goal is A+C = 100, you can get it with A = 50, C = 50, or with A = 10, C = 90, or with A = 90, C 10...

Re: Scoring changes

Posted: 13 January 2025, 22:39
by Meeplelowda
hudony wrote: 13 January 2025, 21:29 since a spread is not calculated anymore, you wouldn't be
As said above, but maybe it will help to say it differently, a "spread" is still calculated, they just add 100 to it. If you prefer to think in terms of a "spread," subtract 100 from the score you see. It will be identical to the other scoring method. Shifting everyone's score by 100 doesn't change their position relative to each other, so there is no difference. Anyone who you think was "punished" under the other scoring system is punished by exactly the same amount.

Here's a thought experiment: try to create a scenario under the old scoring system in which player A is "punished" for focusing too much on appeal and loses to player B's score under the old scoring, but wins against player B when they are both scored under the new scoring. Forcing yourself to see that no such scenario exists should help you understand.