Board Game Arena

Hi,

there is this thing, I've seen going on and it bugs me a lot: there are some good players (1600+ ELO), creating tables with the restriction beginners only or average players and below & ELO on. For me, this seems quite unfair as it looks like an experienced player is looking for novices, that he can easily beat.

I think being able to restrict tables for less experienced only is a loophole in the system and should not be allowed with the ELO on. With ELO off is okay, as it gives opportunity to teach, but not to take advantage.

Tables with no restriction are okay - as any kind of player can join and less experienced players can take on the challenge, if they feel up to it.

What are your thoughts on this?

This is ELO padding at its very worst!!

My suggestion:

With ELO on, if you includes groups below you, then you must include the group that you are in.

For example: A good player could restrict to good and below, but not average and below.
A good player, who wishes to improve, however, could restrict to expert and master without including good.

This would not stop ELO padding, but if you play a game regularly, you know who is doing it!

Nyx wrote:Beating a higher ranked ELO player, increases one's ELO a lot more.

Of course, this assumes that the player in question CAN beat anyone with a higher rating. In the situations that I have seen, I truly doubt if the player could beat anyone with a higher ranking.

In any system of rules, there are those who will try to find loopholes.

Some people think that this site is a game unto itself, with ELO being the score.

Those that play for ELO will find a way around any rule. Those that play for fun will find a way to avoid those players.

Nyx wrote:This isn't padding the ELO as much as if the person would do the opposite. Beating a lower ELO player only increases one's ELO a little bit.

Beating a higher ranked ELO player, increases one's ELO a lot more. As such, I try to play people with higher ELO's than my own. If I lose to someone with a much lower ELO than mine, my ELO plummets.

Instead of bugging me, it makes me laugh that this person thinks that is the way to get to the top.

Well, he obviously has a lot of time, as by playing 80 games in the past few weeks, he has slowly been crawling up to being in the top 5...

It's not so much, that I care about where he stands (other than I would love to beat his sorry a$$ in the game, which I'm not able to, being above average), but about how this might ruin the game experience for novice players...

I see people doing this too and just think it's kinda sad. It makes me wonder if they're proud of themselves for beating someone less skilled than themselves. I usually assume these people have low self-esteem (even if they appear egotistical) and need to do this to make themselves feel better.

That said, yeah it bugs me too. And yes, I do think they could sneak up their ELO over enough games. I fight with myself over this one, cause while I don't like it and don't think they should do it, I'm always leary of telling people how to play - do I have the right to say they can't play someone under their level? That's an iffy one. Ah, that's another good thing to add to the player comments...

I personally am never going to take those games, so they have to find some other sucker. Although if I ran across a game that I learned elsewhere and was good at, and thought maybe I could beat them, I would take great joy in doing so and screwing with their ELO. But I don't think I've seen those for games I could do that in.