Backgammon Online

26-Feb-2010
10:34 PDT

So, what was the decision, and the results of the poll? It would be interesting to see if those who are convinced miraculous rolls can be expected will actually bet on them.

26-Feb-2010
16:15 PDT

I still have difficulty with doubling cube story.

According to current rating calculation system, if I beat someone (of equal rating for example), I get +5 points.

If we play using doubling cube and I beat the same person in a 128 game (when we double up to 128), how much rating change should I expect?

In yahoo, it's around +20-25 versus +2-3 of single game.

01-Mar-2010
18:21 PDT

Nobody cared to answer my question, so...

ZE staff, could you please do it for me?

Thanks

03-Mar-2010
00:32 PDT

Ratings need to be buffered somehow.

At the moment, a backgammon is capped at 3x rating. Any change more than this would throw the rating system completely out of whack.

Suggestion:

How about limiting the dice to 2, 4 and 8 only, and then adjusting the rating by 2x and 3x the same way as gammon and backgammon are currently dealt with...

I think limiting the dice to 2, 4 and 8 only would be a good compromise between those wanting the dice and the logistics of rating changes etc.

04-Mar-2010
10:08 PDT

Please refer to FAQ #14 for a more detailed description regarding this question. But, the basic idea is that "winning against a player with the same rating and the final cube value at 4 yields the same rating increase as winning a non-cube game against a player with a rating 200 points above yours". When you view a player's profile, there's a new section showing how much your rating can change when playing against that player (the most it can change is +/- 10 points).

04-Mar-2010
10:50 PDT

I like that we can now estimate rating change by going to another player's profile - very useful feature.

However, with this change normal games and gammons are practically the same now! By winning a gammon you gain significantly less than 1 extra point - which barely makes a difference!

Winning a backgammon, which is absurdly difficult and requires a huge amount of luck, now gives slightly more than a measly 1 extra point, in most cases. Not at all fair, in my opinion...

In some positions, being able to estimate the gammon chances when making a decision is an important part of a backgammon player skill, and now it's gone.

It also makes it a mistake in almost all cases to refuse a cube, since the fact that the game is doubled barely makes a difference anyway.

Maybe if instead of 50 rating per multiplier unit it was 200 or so it would be more balanced, I guess...

04-Mar-2010
11:21 PDT

I'd like to second Rafael's comments and add one more...

While I can understand that some players may not want wild swings in the ratings if, for example the cube gets to 16 and then someone gammons you, but without a stiffer penalty (like it used to be) for the gammons and backgammons, I agree with Rafael's point of view regarding the accepting of the cube.

One minor tweak I'd like to see is that if one person has the doubling cube and has not offered it, the other player should not have to click the button to roll. Can that be automatic as it is now for other games?

Overall, I like the addition of the cube!

04-Mar-2010
12:26 PDT

That's true,
Earlier this week, by winning a gammon against Rafael, I could get 10 or 11 points. Now it's just 6  
The multiplier should change for sure.

04-Mar-2010
14:18 PDT

The way the current scoring is worked out means that it's not worth playing with the doubling cube! I really thought this would add an extra element of excitement but seeing the measly rewards I think I'll just play normal games. Very disappointing!!

05-Mar-2010
02:51 PDT

I think rating should be a reflection of playing strength, and should not fluctuate wildly due to passing the cube too many times.

Perhaps the ladder system (or a new ladder) could be set up to works on points, rather than ratings.

Then, a player could have a stable rating, but points could fluctuate wildly, allowing a player to move up and down the ladder. This way, the dice would add excitement to the ladder, while, at the same time, players could have a reasonable idea of their opponent's strength.

Clarification: A player would then have two variables - rating, and ladder points.