New player positions for 1650

mepbmlist
#1

There are two issues that raise concern about the assignment of new player
positions.

The first is what effect uninformed and/or poor play and position dropping,
all common though not universal traits of new players, has on all the other
people who have paid money to play that game.

The second is what positions give people the greatest opportunity to learn
the game without being trashed by a more experienced opposition. Some may
thrive on this but others leave the game at that point.

Both of these issues can be addressed, to some extent, by restricting the
start up positions available to a new player. In my experience it takes
about four turns for a player to get the gist of the game so any restriction
should be of short duration and not apply to stand byes. As some players
will have a good grasp of the game by that point any further restriction is
unfairly discriminatory.

The main argument against seems to be that new players will be put off
because they feel it is indeed discrimination against them. How many people
playing the game now would have not joined if they were advised that there
is a list of suggested new player nations from which to choose and that once
they have a bit of knowledge they can choose any? With the time it takes to
start new games it seems entirely possible to offer a restricted position in
the next game and offer a free choice in the one following. Not really a
breach of fundamental human rights....

Any system will be flexible anyway as I'm sure Clint will slip that new
player into North Gondor if that is the last position ;). Some strongly
suggested guidlines seem appropriate.

Regards
Chris Courtiour

PS Re poll results, LR requires knowledge of pretty much every rule on turn
one to play well.... How many teams are happy to see the FK SS for two turns
against good FP play?

#2

Any system will be flexible anyway as I'm sure Clint will slip that new
player into North Gondor if that is the last position ;). Some strongly
suggested guidlines seem appropriate.

** That's part of the beauty of the Waiting List system. It enables me to put players in appropriate positions. Eg I get some players asking to play nations next to their friends. Otherwise in broad agreement with your comments.

Clint

#3

** That's part of the beauty of the Waiting List system. It enables me to
  put players in appropriate positions. Eg I get some players asking to play
  nations next to their friends. Otherwise in broad agreement with your
  comments.

  Clint

  RD: And there you hit the nail on the head, Clint. It is up to players to tell you what they want!
  If I say to you, "put me down for the next 1650 game," I would expect my team to comprise a mixed bag of players, some experienced, some new or new-ish.

  But if I said, "Put me down for the next 1650 game, but no newbies please," I would expect everyone on my team to have experience of at least one previous game.

  I could also say, "I don't want to play with anyone with less than 10 years' experience."

  It is up to Clint, in each case, to try to make sure the opposition are of similar calibre, which I'm sure he does, but we players must remember that his information is far from comprehensive.

  Richard.

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----- Original Message -----
  From: Middle Earth PBM Games
  To: mepbmlist@yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Friday, November 22, 2002 3:21 PM
  Subject: Re: [mepbmlist] New player positions for 1650

  >Any system will be flexible anyway as I'm sure Clint will slip that new
  >player into North Gondor if that is the last position ;). Some strongly
  >suggested guidlines seem appropriate.

#4

  ** That's part of the beauty of the Waiting List system. It enables me to
  put players in appropriate positions. Eg I get some players asking to play
  nations next to their friends.
  RD: And there you hit the nail on the head, Clint. It is up to players to tell you what they want!
  If I say to you, "put me down for the next 1650 game," I would expect my team to comprise a mixed bag of players, some experienced, some new or new-ish. But if I said, "Put me down for the next 1650 game, but no newbies please," I would expect everyone on my team to have experience of at least one previous game.

*** I can fill certain games but not others. You have to allow for the fact that players who wait more than say 4 months for a game will very often drop the game. The more "weird" the variant the harder it is to get players for it. So I can run one game of WoTR variant, none of Last Alliance (tried my darndest to get the second one going!), 4 of Gunboat (the most successful variant so far if you don't count 12v12 Grudge games), 1 of 1wk 1650, no 1wk 2950. So putting - no newbies is very unlikely to occur as we constantly get new players join.

So we have to have certain restrictions on game creation and what variants I can allow - just so that the game can get players for it. I am all for players telling me what they want and us finding it for them, but some restrictions on what games we can offer has to be made.

Clint