Alex: Proof that FTA is huge and needs addressing now, and how to fix it

[Ravernoth]

The World Cup tournament that Awpertunity is running is an ideal test for FTA.

Players play 2 games, one as P1 and one as P2 against each other on the same map, usually simultaneously.

So far we've had 81 competitive symmetric games across all the maps (match results). Not all pairs of games are complete but it shouldn't affect the result much.

81 games played
P1 = 59 wins
P2 = 22 wins
59:22 = 2.7:1

P1 is two and a half times more likely to win than P2

I think you'll agree for a 2 player game is a huge problem - it's probably like starting each match of tennis with 1 player a set up.

IMO something this fundamental has to take priority over other items like new teams or maps.

So let's say we all agree on the extent of the FTA - what's the fix?

The Change: P2 starts with 8 wits for the first turn.

This is better than P1 starting with 3 wits, as P1 retains the same options he had with 5 wits, but P2 gets additional wits to even things. It's also better than fundamentally changing the game setup by giving P2 additional units.

Proposed setup

Small map (1 bonus wit space)

Code:

Turn           1   2   3   4   5

P1 Total Wits  5   5  11  11  17
P2 Total Wits  0   8   8  14  14

P1 Advantage  +5  -3  +3  -3  +3

Large map (2 bonus wit spaces)

Code:

Turn           1   2   3   4   5

P1 Total Wits  5   5  12  12  19
P2 Total Wits  0   8   8  15  15

P1 Advantage  +5  -3  +4  -3  +4

Compare this to the current setup

Small map (1 bonus wit space)

Code:

Turn           1   2   3   4   5

P1 Total Wits  5   5  11  11  17
P2 Total Wits  0   5   5  11  11

P1 Advantage  +5   0  +6   0  +6

Large map

Code:

Turn           1   2   3   4   5

P1 Total Wits  5   5  12  12  19
P2 Total Wits  0   5   5  12  12

P1 Advantage  +5   0  +7   0  +7

It's clearly a very big improvement.

I've heard an argument against this - P2 shouldn't be able to get a special on the first turn etc.

But this is effectively already implemented - if P1 skips his turn he starts as P2, but with 10 wits.

Yet no P1 skips his turn, so by implication the current setup offers P1 an even greater advantage than being P2 with 10 wits.

The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle, and it's very likely either 7 or 8 wits for P2.

It's a simple fix, and my guess is it would bring the odds closer to 55/45 i.e. 1.2:1 which would be a huge improvement to the game.

Side benefits: Reducing FTA by that much would also go a long way to addressing other issues such as P1 stacking, turtling, and possible autowin strategies in one swoop.

If you want to be cautious and test it, give us the user option in the settings, and if Awpertunity agrees, we can use that setting for World Cup II and see the results.

There may be problems I haven't thought of. It's still being roughly correct i.e. 1.2 to 1 rather than keeping things precisely wrong at a 2.7 to 1 FTA.

Please do this for your game and community. Would appreciate everyone's thoughts!