Post 19 Feb 2013, 15:00 by Categoricus
POINT 1: In this case, longer games end with the same result as short games. Furthermore, the small difference in skill will get bigger as the game proceeds, since the better player has more workers, more production etc. And these more workers and more production results in even more workers and stuff. Thus the better player will only grow its advantage as the game gets longer. Thus for a less skilled player, shorter game is more likely to end with a victory.
This point easily fails on running out of iron. Maybe a player like me isn't fast enough to set up a huge city that provides worthwhile iron crafting, but once I have survived the enemy's iron rush with towers and wooden units, circumstances change a lot: I mean, by that time I'll have had pretty much time to establish my iron production, and if relatively few of it is available, this can give an advantage to me for the remaining time of the game.
I think it would be good to play matches against equally matched opponents and let the game facilitate this.
If you add a censor method checking for word "noob", you're welcome to add features like that. For me personally it's definitely derogatory to get assigned to a newbie after 14 years of experience in KaM, even if I assume that my multiplayer skills are stuck at a lower-intermediate level. Without any offense, there are many talented players calling names on less talented ones out of their first impression, who were likely farting into the sandpit those times when I was first trying to solve TSK mission 1 in 1999. As far as I can remember, I never typed "noob" into the chatbox, I simply have no need for it, not that I haven't played with people having, to say, incomplete knowledge of basic features.
Primus Christianus Hungaricus Categoricus
