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Handicaps
http://ww.one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=25136		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  emperor_thompson [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:33 am ]
Post subject:  Handicaps
I would just like to take a moment to share an idea which came to me some time ago.

One of the things I found from playing against the same group over and over is that, it isn't long before one player finds themselves consistently winning, and games become rather predictable. One solution I have found to this problem is to establish a handicap for each player, where a player's handicap score modifies the number of points you can field. As they win or lose battles, their handicap can be adjusted up or down. Once a player has their ideal handicap, they should win precisely 50% of the time.

This is a great way to keep the better players challenged, and weaker players interested.


There are a few challenges in setting up this sort of thing. First of all, you want the handicap to change as the player's skill develops. However, you don't want it to move too quickly, or the wild fluctuations of the handicap may in fact be a dominant influence on the outcome of the battle.

I will try and describe the system I have developed briefly.

Each player starts with a handicap score of 1000. For every battle you win, you gain 2 points. For every battle you lose, you lose 2 points. If you win or lose by a large margin, the adjustment can be changed to 3 points.

When calculating how many points each player should take into the battle, each player should multiply the battle's points limit by 1000, then divide by their handicap.

So, for a 500 point battle, and a freakishly talented player with a handicap of 2000, you would field:

500 x 1000 / 2000 = 250 points.


If you feel that handicaps move too slowly, a simply workaround is to make the first 5 battles of each year count for 5x the normal number of handicap points. This way, if you have new players entering the group, or a player has been away for a while and only recently returned and it is likely that there is a large error in their handicap, it will help shift the score quickly to roughly where it needs to be.

The ultimate aim of the game would then be to be the member of the group with the largest handicap.
Author:  Draugluin [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Handicaps
It would be MUCH easier to figure out a players handicap (or at least would look better on paper) just to use a %, because your example would just be 50%. So the lower the percentage, the better the player.
Author:  emperor_thompson [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Handicaps
Well, it actually is a percentage (where each point is worth 0.1%), except you are dividing by it instead of multiplying. Either way would be equivalent, it just depends on whether you prefer high scores representing top players, or low scores.

I originally had the idea where the starting handicap was 100%, wins gave you +1%, and losses -1%, but the score shifts too quickly, and so you run the risk of a player having an unusually high (or low) handicap if they get lucky in a few games.

I'd recommend altering the idea to suit your own needs, but I would recommend keeping adjustments small.
Author:  Lord_of_the_nine [ Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Handicaps
Well I had an idea but never tested it though since I didn't have any oppontments to play with.

It's more of an answer to your oppontment instead of a handicap.
If you play for a 750 points match you can keep up to 25% reserve forces of your liking which you can swap between games.

Eg. you play uruks with no pike support and your oppontment plays riders of rohan, in the first game the riders trample your troops.
In the second you bring in the reserve troops by swaping them for something else which proved to be useless in game one and with this you win the game.

This is my idea, never tested though can can test it and give me feedback :)
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