Hi.
Not sure if this is the correct place for feedback on the challenges in general and the May challenge in specific, but here goes.
I like the challenges. - Especially the fact that they introduce me to maps and settings that I might not otherwise have tried out. - Also that it "forces" me to play enough to actually learn a map and settings options (better).
Not all the challenges have been playing to my strong points. That is to say a couple have been with maps and settings where I show even less talent than I usually do on the site, while especially one was playing more to the point of an undiscovered stronger point with me as well as providing enough luck for some good results.
Im finding that most work for (and against) me in the manner much like the May challenge: that I join a smaller or greater stack of games depending on time and interest. Then I make a bunch of mistakes, lose a lot of games, but slowly I learn some ins and outs of the map, improve some timing and the results start climbing some. - Sometimes even to a point where the stop being completely embarrassing
I like that part too. I think it does expand my horizons and my experiences in the game, and I think Im not the only one.
I get the feeling its somewhat of a work in progress, where different angles are tried out. One thing I would like to see explored is the points system. - Specifically in regards to the level of effort and skill required to get the medals.
To my mind effort is all well and good, and I do think that a ratio of 1 point for joining a game and 10 for winning one is a good ratio. - If it should be changed, I might up the points a bit for winning or lower them a bit for joining, but thats not a main point.
I do however think that there should be more focus on skill than on (simple) effort (i.e. joining vast amount of games and playing them with reasonable effort) - especially for the "hardcore" medal.
* 1) Im thinking that taking the may setup as the working example, a max cap on bronze join tokens could work well. Depending on the balance you wanted to achieve, it could for example be max 40 bronze tokens. - The medal would then require one win on top of joining 40 games, which should be achievable for everybody. - And if not, possibly a medal isnt deserved then?.
11 wins would then be required for the hardcore medal, which seems apt(er), as that will require skill and if the skill is limited a lot more effort.
To clarify, the max cap would be on the tokens, not on the games joined. - You could still join 1000 games and thus statistically up your chances of winning enough games. - You would just get a max of 40 points for joining and the rest of the points would have to come from winning.
Personally I would prefer tweaking it a bit harder still and max capping the join points at 20. This would signal that a medal should be achievable with 20 games as playing games with people of equal skill should average you 3 wins (3,33) with 20 games and thus the 50 points required. - The hardcore medal is then actually hardcore, though its still possible to put in a lot of effort and join massive numbers of games to get enough wins.
*2) Alternately or even added to the setup, you could do a star prize or even a medal for the player that met each medal criteria - or just the hard core medal criteria with the fewest games. For the may challenge, a normal medal could be taken with 5 games, a hardcore medal with 14. Skill and luck required of course, and you would have to go for that challenge instead of the most points challenge. - I dont think you could put it in as simply counting the games in by number to see who got it first as that is open to and perhaps even invites manipulation. (A player could setup 100 games with passwords and only invite players to the last ones, only starting the earlier games if he wasnt happy with the win-ratio).
Still, I think the choice would be appealing to some even though it would mean that for some challenges you would only join the number of games required for a perfect run, then add one game each time you lost. - It is of course also possible to have a try at it and then if someone sets up a run that you simply cant beat, then join a bunch of games and get in play on the regular scoreboard.
Youve probably considered or are considering something along those lines already. Just thought Id put it out there.
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