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Skill Ratings and Handicap

Postby Sardonicus » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:42 pm

A couple more questions if nobody minds...

Until recently I had only noticed that it was the bots who had a skill rating; measured by the number of shells in the revolver chamber. But over the last couple days I have seen two separate players with a skill rating measured by numbers... 35 and 75 were the ones I saw if I remember correctly... anyway I was just wondering if anyone could tell me about this? How do I achieve a skill rating?

Also... I was wondering if anyone could tell me about the Handicap setting in the player options menu? What effect (if any) does this have in game?

Thanks!

In game I am usually Trinity, or Bongwater
Maybe I'll see you there
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Postby Biondo » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:49 pm

Hi Trinity. What you've seen was probably handicap.

Handicap makes you more vulnerable and less damaging. Handicap "None" (default) is the best value you can get. Probably all this handicap options should be removed from SG settings, because many players change the default value, or inadvertently (while changing their name) or thinking they can achieve better skills.
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Postby Sardonicus » Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:09 pm

Hey, thanks for the reply Biondo. Much appreciated.

~peace
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Re: Skill Ratings and Handicap

Postby Biondo » Mon May 20, 2013 9:32 pm

Again about Handicap, I have a prayer addressed at developers. Could you please remove "Handicap" stuff from the menu?

It's probably a not frequent problem, but the rare cases when it occurs are disruptive.
Many new players see that "Handicap" setting in their menu and, while tweaking their configuration, they think it's a good idea to reduce it. I can understand their thoughts because this is what I did too when I started to play SG, "Maybe if I play so bad, it's because I have an handicap of 100%. If I reduce it to say 30%, ok, I'll show everyone that I'm not a pro, but that's no secret, I surely get more chances to win. And others would forgive my weakness".

"Handicap", who the hell chose to use that word? Name it "Health" and it makes sense, or remove it completely from menu. If I'd read "Health=30%" I'd knew that I'm playing with an handicap.

I always manage to inadvertently change my handicap EVERY time I modify my name. Can't reproduce how this happens, but it happens. Maybe I press return, I use the mouse wheel, ... don't know, I always end with a bad handicap. But I realize it only at a later time, probably after few games, or many.

When I was admin in Baller, one of my duties was to help people removing their handicap. Not an easy duty with newcomers, that don't remember to have set an Handicap in their settings, that often don't speak English or frequently don't even know how to open the console (or to chat!).

BallerBude made a choice (a right choice, IMO): every player has an handicap of 100% (or better said, NONE). No way to play with an handicap in BB, so no error, no necessity to instruct new players. The problem is with other servers.

So, or all servers will follow BB example, or (better) handicap should be abandoned in the code.
Also today, after 3-4 years playing SG I can't imagine any possible use for it.

Thanks for listening.
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Re: Skill Ratings and Handicap

Postby WASP.Killer » Tue May 28, 2013 7:17 am

Biondo wrote:..."Handicap", who the hell chose to use that word?


Blame id, the creator of the id Tech engines.

-----------

Biondo wrote:...I always manage to inadvertently change my handicap EVERY time I modify my name.


You were an Admin at Baller and yet you still change your name via the Menu and not via binds or scripts? ofc that's your choice but seems strange.

-----------

I'm not belittling your point about noobs and handicaps, it can be a problem and there ought to be a better named and more elegant approach. However, Handicap does serve a useful purpose in more populated and competitive games/mods based on Q2/Q3. Its purpose is for elite players, playing primarily on noob servers, to give themselves a handicap so as not to outright pawn noobs.

Yes, I know there are skilled players who take great joy in owing lesser players but there was a time when that was consider poor form and such a player would never gain admittance to an elite Clan.
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Re: Skill Ratings and Handicap

Postby Biondo » Tue May 28, 2013 7:38 am

WASP.Killer, to me it seems that Handicap penalizes only newcomers that are not used to it. As you say a good player rarely touch his configuration via in game menu (I am a exception, if you consider me a good player).

If I have to give me an handicap while playing with newbies, I can always shoot my feet, reverse my headphones while listening at Frank Zappa's "We're Only in It for the Money" at high volume, remove the battery from my mouse, keep the monitor at a distance of 4 meters, put on sunglasses while darkening monitor brightness until I can see only the white of players' eyes, and rotate it upside down. All this, wearing oven mitts.
:)
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Re: Skill Ratings and Handicap

Postby TheDoctor » Tue May 28, 2013 1:09 pm

Biondo wrote:... remove the battery from my mouse, keep the monitor at a distance of 4 meters, put on sunglasses while darkening monitor brightness until I can see only the white of players' eyes, and rotate it upside down. All this, wearing oven mitts. :)

Hmmm, that explains a lot...

just kidding :wink:
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Re: Skill Ratings and Handicap

Postby Biondo » Tue May 28, 2013 8:22 pm

In the rare occasions when I play against you, Doc, I use the opposite tactic. I put in place my glorious war machine: "The AimDoc". The problem arises when also my AimDoc wants to try oven mitts, and I'm too condescending, I'm never able to say him "No!" ... and he loves oven mitts so much!

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Mitten handcuffs, 1933 (via Modern Mechanix) http://blog.modernmechanix.com/mitten-handcuffs-secure-criminals
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