Achaea's Forums > Newest Announce

Zeyfer

Oct 25 2009, 05:06 PM

QUOTE

ANNOUNCE NEWS #3090
Date: 10/25/2009 at 16:43
From: Tecton, the Terraformer
To : Everyone
Subj: Combat Rankings

I have just put live some major reworkings to the combat rankings
system. As many of you know, this has been in a somewhat dismal state
for quite a while, allowing the system to be easily manipulated. In an
effort to make the rankings worthwhile and a truer indication of combat
prowess, I'm pleased to announce the following changes:

- The rankings have moved from a one month cycle to a three month cycle
- a "season."

- The top three competitors at the end of a season will receive credit
prizes, and the winner will gain an honours line indicating his/her win
(We removed this a little while ago to preserve the integrity of the
honours line with the old system).

- Instead of allowing challenges to anyone within a +/- 200 point
bracket, we have tightened this up, preventing competitors from
"preying" on lower-ranked/skilled opponents. In the new system you may
challenge any one who is within +/- 15 ranks of you.

There may be further tweaks to the system, which we will monitor over
this initial season and adjust as we deem necessary.

There will always be those who wish to abuse the rankings: be warned
that we will be coming down -very hard- on those who attempt this. If
you encounter anybody being shady, feel free to ISSUE, and our dedicated
administrators will look into the matter.

Penned by My hand on the 8th of Sarapin, in the year 522 AF.

Combat rankings have been updated! Discuss

Boz

Oct 25 2009, 05:08 PM

Doesn't mean much to me since I'm a lousy fighter, but anything getting fixed is good news!

Santar

Oct 25 2009, 05:09 PM

If only they had made the game more fun to play before I quit playing it..

Darroth

Oct 25 2009, 05:09 PM

3 months is long.

Mishgul

Oct 25 2009, 05:22 PM

so basically it's a way for the credit whores to get more credits

kazu00

Oct 25 2009, 05:40 PM

I have a guarded hope for this, but I'm worried that people near the top will refuse to spar anyone that could possibly stand a chance against them.

Llyth

Oct 25 2009, 05:44 PM

QUOTE (Santar @ Oct 25 2009, 10:09 AM)

If only they had made the game more fun to play before I quit playing it..

But now it's in a pretty pink dress

QUOTE (Mishgul @ Oct 25 2009, 10:22 AM)

so basically it's a way for the credit whores to get more credits

The same could be said about numerous other things. The fact of the matter is that the present Combat system has so many possible insta-kills that it grants a decent chance for non-Artied against Artied (albeit substansially weighted).

Boz

Oct 25 2009, 05:45 PM

QUOTE (Llyth @ Oct 25 2009, 01:44 PM)

QUOTE (Santar @ Oct 25 2009, 10:09 AM)

If only they had made the game more fun to play before I quit playing it..

But now it's in a pretty pink dress

QUOTE (Mishgul @ Oct 25 2009, 10:22 AM)

so basically it's a way for the credit whores to get more credits

The same could be said about numerous other things. The fact of the matter is that the present Combat system has so many possible insta-kills that it grants a decent chance for non-Artied against Artied (albeit substansially weighted).

I agree that skill is needed, arties aren't everything. Don't most of you laugh at Bleak on a regular basis?

Rynn

Oct 25 2009, 05:46 PM

Wonder what the credit prizes are.

kazu00

Oct 25 2009, 05:48 PM

I figure something like 50, 25, 10.

Llyth

Oct 25 2009, 05:48 PM

QUOTE (Rynn @ Oct 25 2009, 10:46 AM)

Wonder what the credit prizes are.

Possibly enough to crash Achaea 5mins before the season ends.

Bonko

Oct 25 2009, 05:49 PM

Game the system and find out.

Tiax

Oct 25 2009, 05:54 PM

I'm curious as to what the line is for "abusing the rankings". A ranking system like the one used for the combat rankings is very vulnerable to abuse by virtue of being able to choose your opponent. Smart choice of opponent can have a strong impact on your rating. I don't think it's a stretch so say that, given what is probably a close distribution of skill at the top, the prizes are more likely than not to go to those who understand how the Elo system works and choose their matches accordingly. What objective standard is there to pinpoint who is committing abuse, and who is just making good pairing choices?

Llyth

Oct 25 2009, 06:01 PM

Random pairings based on who's in the Sparwho could be interesting, so long as you didn't end up in an Enemy City.

Dinkybarrel

Oct 25 2009, 06:15 PM

Actually, I suspect that most people who sit at the top of combat rankings (without cheating) already have most of the credits they'll ever need/want.

Tsara

Oct 25 2009, 08:26 PM

I assume they want to prevent people from cheating by letting others win on purpose to let them get credits which they can divide later.

Tsara

Oct 25 2009, 11:15 PM

Actually instead of pointing out how to cheat, and there are dozens of ways to do this, let me give a suggestion, not a very original one as it was pointed out in some very old threads about this.

Cheating can be dealt with by letting the players run an organisation which deals with organizing the arena matches.
Before you start thinking, that is too much hassle for the admins, we don't need another church or oakstone monster, all you need is a consensus among a group of top fighters that people should not cheat their way to the top of the rankings. You could use an existing structure like a clan for that. Hell, you dont even need a clan you just need to put up a public post with the agreed upon rules on when you can challenge and when you need to accept the challenge. As long as these rules are backed up by a majority of the people who participate. Of course this is difficult but it's doable if people see the need for them and the rules are simple and make sense.

Soludra

Oct 25 2009, 11:24 PM

QUOTE (Tsara @ Oct 25 2009, 04:15 PM)

Is the Combat Rankings clan still active?

Tiax

Oct 25 2009, 11:36 PM

Unfortunately, I doubt that there are sufficient opponents available at a given time to allow for a system which ensures fair pairings.

Tael

Oct 26 2009, 05:00 AM

QUOTE

feel free to ISSUE

I like these changes, but this line should never be said ever, regardless of circumstances.

rledaman

Oct 26 2009, 05:04 AM

why? The issue command is the direct complaint to the administration button. It is there for a reason, regardless of the new forum persona regarding it is utterly bad to issue. issue is used to mention anything done wrong, cheating on something like this with credit prizes is worthy of an issue. Back off the dogma.

Darroth

Oct 26 2009, 05:05 AM

There should be a formal combat rankings challanege command outside of the arena one. If they don't accept within certain a period of time, they're rank goes down or something to that effect. Surely can only be done once though.

Llyth

Oct 26 2009, 08:32 AM

QUOTE (Tiax @ Oct 25 2009, 04:36 PM)

Unfortunately, I doubt that there are sufficient opponents available at a given time to allow for a system which ensures fair pairings.

There are suddenly 43 'Combatants' that have joined the list within the last day. I'm pretty sure that's more now than were in it all month. There are people in here now who outright refused to spar previously.

As tot he

QUOTE (Dinkybarrel @ Oct 25 2009, 11:15 AM)

Actually, I suspect that most people who sit at the top of combat rankings (without cheating) already have most of the credits they'll ever need/want.

I wish.

QUOTE (Tiax @ Oct 25 2009, 04:36 PM)

Unfortunately, I doubt that there are sufficient opponents available at a given time to allow for a system which ensures fair pairings.

There are suddenly 43 'Combatants' that have joined the list within the last day. I'm pretty sure that's more now than were in it all month. There are people in here now who outright refused to spar previously. 'fair' is dependant on who wins, in many cases.

- Aren't we just hoping to create something like WoW's arenas? Maybe I'm looking at the shadows too closely.

Mishgul

Oct 26 2009, 09:19 AM

Hm well, Cain and Kest and Lothiac are trying to dominate which is proving my theory!

Where are the unartied skilled fighters I wonder.

More importantly, where is my ARENA SETUP arena ARTEFACTS OFF button?

Llyth

Oct 26 2009, 09:54 AM

QUOTE (Mishgul @ Oct 26 2009, 02:19 AM)

More importantly, where is my ARENA SETUP arena ARTEFACTS OFF button?

And why doesn't NoDragonform ever seem to work.

Santar

Oct 26 2009, 12:48 PM

Credits talk.

Spire

Oct 26 2009, 12:54 PM

QUOTE (Mishgul @ Oct 26 2009, 09:19 AM)

Where are the unartied skilled fighters I wonder.

*rustle*

Mishgul

Oct 26 2009, 02:05 PM

RIP Spire

Aliath

Oct 26 2009, 02:30 PM

Bet you 1000 gold someone is caught cheating before the first credits awards are given out.

Rynn

Oct 26 2009, 05:47 PM

QUOTE (Mishgul @ Oct 26 2009, 04:19 AM)

Hm well, Cain and Kest and Lothiac are trying to dominate which is proving my theory!

Where are the unartied skilled fighters I wonder.

More importantly, where is my ARENA SETUP arena ARTEFACTS OFF button?

Pretty sure I would destroy those three without arties. Hell, I destroyed Kest with arties. I can't fight Cain, considering he can crush me five times and kill me or axekick me once and kill me. Lothiac is magi with arties and I'm Xoran monk. Should be obvious. :\

YES PLEASE TO NO ARTEFACTS AS AN ARENA OPTION.

ellodin

Oct 26 2009, 05:48 PM

Well, Kest does one-macro fight, since he auto razes. I also died to damage in the EQ time from putting up a rite.

Manifest

Oct 26 2009, 05:52 PM

QUOTE (Santar @ Oct 25 2009, 06:09 PM)

If only they had made the game more fun to play before I quit playing it..

The game was made more fun when you quit playing. Not a coincidence.

Rynn

Oct 26 2009, 05:55 PM

@Ellodin: That's pretty terrible that he can do that. I feel sorry for people that don't have kai heal.

ellodin

Oct 27 2009, 10:18 AM

QUOTE (Rynn @ Oct 26 2009, 08:55 AM)

@Ellodin: That's pretty terrible that he can do that. I feel sorry for people that don't have kai heal.

How would kai heal save you if you don't get the EQ back to use it?

Sabiru

Oct 27 2009, 02:35 PM

Don't you talk about kai heal like that.

Lothiac

Oct 28 2009, 01:51 AM

why is it that -everyone- thinks I'm artied... all i have is a shield of absorption, a crit pendant, an elm pipe, a collared mount, and a health/mana bracelet. Other than that i'm all grook... I'm not doing 2500 damage staffcasts, or 4000 damage stormhammers... everyone throws me in the catagory of artied magi, but i'd do just as well if i took off my bracelet.