There are 3 main parts to this summary:
1. Global Ranking Suggestions
2. Global Ranking Example Computation
3. Hall of Fame Suggestions
1. GLOBAL RANKING SUGGESTIONS
As currently implemented, the existing GR is illogical and faulty in the extreme... both mathematically and in common sense... because a new player can NEVER overcome the "penalty" of being a newbie. The bias is a permanent. And it reeks.
Veteran players are ridden hard and put away wet if they dare miss a GOTM, or (heaven forbid) try a lower-scoring strategy like OCC.
The fair (and stunningly self-evident) solution is to institute a sliding window of games that are used to compute the GR.
The Sliding Window is simple and professionally accepted (in the corporate, academic, government, and military worlds). It merely averages the highest X in Y scores. A good model to use is take the top 3 GOTM results of the last 5 GOTMs offered, and average those 3 to obtain the Global Ranking (GR). This means a player can miss a game, get a low score, try a new strategy, even lose a GOTM in spectacular fashion, and not blow their GR. This system emphasizes the players best efforts, and discards the worst results. And the history is never older than 5 months, which means any results from 6 or more months ago are stale and no longer used. This is excellent news for player that are improving (they are not stigmatized for life, like the current system does).
With this mathematically fair Sliding Window method, I favor using 0 for the score in a new player's unplayed games. However, those zeros are rapidly erased as the new player finishes a 2nd and 3rd game. At the 3rd and later games, a new player is on equal footing with all Good Ol Boys.
I am
opposed to using ANY score that a player did not actually earn (like Zero or Median in the current, flawed GR method)!! HOWEVER,
if using a Sliding Window (best 3 of 5), it is OK to use Zero for the newbie's unplayed games...
until the newbie either plays 3 future GOTMs, or plays the current one and the two immediately prior GOTMs (results used for that player's initial GR only; the player's "catch up" games would not affect concluded GOTMs in any way).
2. GLOBAL RANKING COMPUTATION
1. Consider the last 5 GOTMs. GOTMs older than 5 months will not be considered anymore.
2. Determine the player's highest 3 GOTM scores.
3. Use straight mean on those top 3 results ("mean" is a specific mathematical method of averaging).
4. For newbies, 0 will be used for unplayed GOTMs.
====== EXAMPLE ========
For newbie, here is month one (assume GOTM of 60): (0+0+60)/3 = GR of 20
Month 2 (assume GOTM=90): (0+60+90)/3 = GR of 50
Month 3 (assume GOTM=75): (60+90+75)/3= GR of 75
===== END EXAMPLE ======
As you can see from my example, I actually do think the "fair" way is to use zero for new players, but only in a best 3 in the last 5 method (not in the current GR method). Zeros are replaced as the player submits completed GOTMs. In Matrix' faulty system, a player never rids him/her self of the unfair influence of the
"Good Old Boys" penalty for not discovering and playing GOTMs from the very start.
Fair. Simple. Flexible. Questions?
3. HALL OF FAME SUGGESTIONS
Cornmaster has an awesome point, and excellent idea, which can be easily tweaked. Using a point system properly will add credibility to the Hall of Fame, and encourage a variety of gameplay, like OCC and Fast Finishes, even if such strategies do not gain the highest GOTM score.
Thanks, Cornmaster, for "thinking outside the box" and pointing the way!
This system is primarily based on Cornmaster's awesome idea for the HOF rankings:
HOF Points (for computing the HOF standings):
1 - Star
2 - Bronze (two Stars equals a Bronze effort)
5 - Silver (it takes three Bronze surpasses a silver effort)
11 - Gold (need three silvers to surpass a gold effort)
HOF Star Categories:
1. Fastest finish.
2. Highest score.
3. Fastest OCC finish (New!).
4. Survivor Award (New!).
5. 1500 AD Retirement (New!).
6. Lo-Boy (New!).
7. Player's Choice (New!).
Notes on #3 (Fastest OCC finish):
- Since the purpose of OCC is to finish in the earliest possible year, an additional category fo high scoring OCC award is not necessary
Notes on #4 (Survivor Award):
- This is for the best "Survivor" (highest non-victory score) in a given month.
- Players must survive until 2020!
- If the AI eliminates a player, they are not eligible for this award.
- This will primarily be a consolation award for those who cannot win via a Spaceship or Conquest by 2020.
Notes on #5 (1500 AD Retirement):
- This is for those that cannot or do not choose to finish a GOTM.
- If someone submits a game in which they retired in 1500 AD (exact year, not approx), they are eligible for this one-point Star award.
- A 1500 AD retirement is not eligible to win any other category or medal.
- A player cannot submit a 1500 AD retirement plus some other game ending; it is one or the other.
- The purpose of this is to recognize, in some small way, the efforts of those that wish to play fast and furious, and get it done quickly.
- A 1500 AD retirement is not treated as a victory, and such a GOTM score is still officially computed using 2020 AD.
Notes on #6 (Lo-Boy):
- This is for the lowest-scoring player who still achieved a standard victory with more than one city (landed SS or conquered world) in a given month.
- Players must achieve a Civ II Victory!
- If the AI wins, the player is not eligible for this award.
- If the AI lands a SS first, the player is not eligible for this award.
- The player must have more than one city; this is not an OCC strategy award.
- This will primarily be a consolation award for those who can struggle to a win, but do it with a LOW score!
Note on #7 (Player's Choice):
- All of that months GOTM participants can vote on their favorite 3 saved games of another player.
- Voting period for 14 days after the zipped .SAVs are posted.
- Other Star/Medal winners ineligible (?)
- Can consider a player's included text narration (.TXT or .DOC file with the .ZIPs)
- This category could be expanded to Favorite Narration, Closest Call, Most Impressive Comeback, etc.
- Player's Choice Award(s) would be one Star (one point for HOF)
