TheGrayMouser wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 5:11 pm
My thoughts on some of the above comments regarding draws/ horse armies and possibly the increased use of the “tactic” of forcing a draw:
Get rid of awarding points for draws except when both armies break on same turn.
In the FOG2DL both armies breaking on the same turn is considered a "tie" rather than a draw with both players getting 2 points each. I think that is a perfectly reasonable outcome.
There is really no negative to this, if you want points you need to play to win , not so as: to not lose , and/or play tentively to win at onset but if the odds even slightly turn against you revert to playing not to lose.
If you want to sit in a corner, fine you just won’t get points and your opponent ha every incentive to try to root you out. Same thing when you are blessed with a map that gives you nice terrain. The way it is now, everyone is so damn quick to say “looks like a draw” at the slightest perceived disadvantage
I think awarding no points for draws in all circumstances is too harsh, although I do think we probably need to do something a bit different in Season 3. I have a few ideas that might help to create a shift in behaviour . . .
i) allow players to re-start a match
by agreement within the first two turns if they feel that the map is likely to produce a draw.
then link this rule change to either . . .
ii) players are allowed one point for only the first two draws that they record in any division. The third, or any subsequent draw after that, will score 0 points.
or
iii) players will only score one point for any drawn match if they are able to inflict at least 20% losses on their opponent. This would introduce the differential draw where a match drawn 21-19 would mean one player would get one point while the other would not.
Either of these two options would virtually end the situation where there is an agreed 0-0 draw almost immediately. The number of draws has gone up sharply this season compared to Season 1. I will provide statistics after August 12th so interested players can make a comparison. The draws tend to occur more often in the higher divisions although not exclusively there. I am not in favour of wholesale changes to the existing scoring system as it has worked quite well for nearly six seasons now and I am totally opposed to the idea that we should copy the scoring system used in the automated tournaments. I will not be doing that.
