MP Game: How bad is too bad?

[Sombre]

Another thing to consider: What about in a team game? Let's say 5 vs 5. On one team of 5, two of the players are doing very badly due to their low skill level. Does this change things at all?

[Sir_Dr_D]

It would depend on the type of game, and how it was advertised. If the game advertises that it is for experienced players, then yes, it is unfair for people doing that badly to be in the game.

It is equally unfair for experienced players to be in a newbie game.

Games do run best when everyone is of equal skill level.

[Sombre]

If a level of skill is advertised, you would hope that would prevent people of the wrong skill level from joining to begin with.

Would you kick an obviously very skilled player from a newbie game (after it had started)?

[thejeff]

I'd say, especially in the team game, the best thing to do would be to talk to the player. No one wants to let the rest of the team down, so most people would agree to a sub.

[WingedDog]

Originally Posted by Sombre

Had Player A not left, should he have been subbed anyway for his very poor performance?

Player skill should be specified by administrator of the game in the OP of the game. Administrator also should make a selection of players joined. If administrator didn't do all this before game had started then it is unethical to kick someone from the game.
And if player X is pissed off by someone's poor performance in the game - he just should stop joining all are welcome type of games.
I believe people from IRC know each other pretty well and could start a closed invite-only game.

[Sombre]

Originally Posted by WingedDog

I believe people from IRC know each other pretty well and could start a closed invite-only game.

What does IRC have to do with this topic? Anyone can start an invite only game thereby (hopefully) sidestepping skill mismatches.


In the case of a game where the player skill did not match what the admin had specified before starting the game, would a forcible sub out be on the cards?

[WingedDog]

Originally Posted by Sombre

In the case of a game where the player skill did not match what the admin had specified before starting the game, would a forcible sub out be on the cards?

Yes, because it is a clear violation of inhouse rules.

But still, if a person with low skill enters vets only game - it is administrator's fault. He let unknown\unchecked person in. Community isn't that big and all good players are known.

[Squirrelloid]

So, more generally, each person has some skill level s, and the set of players in a game generate some average skill level S. If player 1 has skill s1 << S, should he be removed from the game? How much less than S does s1 have to be before its okay to remove the player?

I would perhaps propose that if s1 >> S its a similar situation.

I see s1 << S as being far less imbalancing than s1 >> S. Sure, there's some localized advantage, but maybe player 1 is playing his first non-n00b game. Yeah, he gets trounced pretty badly, but he *learns* something from getting trounced. In a strategy game that is theoretically a test of skill, requiring everyone's skill to be approximately the same is self-defeating.

[Stavis_L]

I think a better question to ask is:

Is it ever better to sub out a player whose play thus far has grossly imbalanced a game, vs. just restarting?

Obviously, mere "run of the mill" mediocrity will not satisfy the prerequisite to "grossly imbalance" things.

[WingedDog]

Originally Posted by Squirrelloid

but maybe player 1 is playing his first non-n00b game. Yeah, he gets trounced pretty badly, but he *learns* something from getting trounced.

Suppose you are new player. You join newb games -> time passes, you feel confident with newbs -> you join 'all are welcome' games -> you fill confident again -> you join 'no newbs' games -> you feel confident -> you join vets games
This way you wouldn't be trounced too hard at any level and gain experience step by step.

But if you'd say: "Hi, I'm Bob, I just bought Dominions, and I feel I'm ready to face the toughest players, cause I've read Baalz's guides and even got some words. Besides my gaming experience is 5 years and I'm pretty good at Warcraft, and Dominions is about the same", - you'd surely ruin someone's game if admin let you in.

Then again - if it is a vet only game admin isn't supposed to let new faces in, no matter how many "please, please, please, pretty please" they say.