[FSPA] Preplays are better

[Daniel Cotter]

Daniel Cotter here, miss you guys. I have been running a couple seasons of a social distance league at the Richmond Pinball Collective that was basically a preplay league. You had the set week to come in while the collective was open and play a set bank of games (solo if you wanted to avoid human contract) and submit your scores, but no actual preplays, if you missed a week you forfeited. My intent was not to remove anyone based on forfeits and everyone would make the finals, so forfeits equaled less points and lower seeding for finals. The aim was just fun and to have some reason to play each week during the pandemic. The first season I did 3 player(or default) groups and didn't like that those forfeits caused to many two player match ups as I felt it skewed the points a bit if it happened to frequently. The second season I went for 4 player groups and this greatly cut down on 2 player match ups and I feel was a good offset for not dealing with preplays. I know this summer season was a kind of fun test the waters so I wanted to share my experience with something similar.

Daniel

________________________________
From: FSPA <fspa-bounces at fspazone.org> on behalf of steve via FSPA <fspa at fspazone.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2021 3:01 AM
To: FSPA main discussion list <fspa at fspazone.org>
Cc: steve <flynnibus at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [FSPA] Preplays are better

Option 1: Prioritize 4 player grouping to minimize risk of 1 player groups.  Consequence, everyone plays in 4 player groups, in preparing to avoid the potential of someone not being there.

(this was actually my pre-season recommendation - but the hate for 4 player groups was too strong)

Option 2: Stick to the 'default' grouping which prefers 3 player groups, and face risks of 2 and 1 player groups more frequently.  Rules account for all the scenarios, so you can just 'play on' w/o extra intervention.  Consequence... you have 2 and 1 player scoring more frequently.

As Matt mentioned, we have discussed and are sticking with #2 with the modification we will have the single player play with the group below them if there is space (or above) so they can play in a group - but we will still score them as their independent groups.

The other options are far more disruptive change and not for something mid-season.  You either change the ladder and movement system, and in turn, the handicapping model used for the whole league, or you use ghost scores of some format.

Personally I think 4 player groups are far less disruptive and provide 'cheap' defense to the problem.. but it seems everyone hates every scoring format but 3 player groups :D

-Steve

On Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 08:58:27 PM EDT, Kevin Stone via FSPA <fspa at fspazone.org> wrote:


I thought dropping 2 scores would be better than preplays, but it is absolutely not. We would have had two 1 actual player groups tonight in first and last group,  but adjusted groups.

2 player groups SUCK.  You can crush a game and still get 1 point for 2nd place.

If you can figure this shit out,  I'm impressed. Edan and I got it re-organized but it was a pain.

[Image]



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