Re: Owls and Voles --- Rankings

I welcome a ranking system for groupings players into interesting
games.  I agree that we should be careful about altering incentives.
Thus I recommend making punctuality in handing in orders and
communications a big part of the score: Because we actually want
people to alter their behaviour so as not to NMR and to talk to their
fellow players.  This will also blunt the impact of whatever choice
you make of how to value solos vs draws vs survivals vs eliminations.

Just limit the points you get for talking to one message to each
surviving player per season.  Players should of course write more of
that in general, but they shouldn't flood their fellow players just
for the ranking.

Also, when announcing the score, make explicit that it is about
grouping players into enjoyable games, and not a judgement about
skill.  To drive the point home, perhaps keep a second ranking, that
only includes game results and not punctuality and press.

For the good-person-to-play-with ranking, you might even ask players
who they'd like to play with again at the end of a game.  Just don't
weight that too highly in the final score to avoid a popularity
contest.

What do you think?


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