Fw: [pbmserv-dev] ratings in multiplayer games

["David J Bush" <twixt@cstone.net>]

Sorry, I should have directed this to pbmserv-dev:

| | By the way, has there been any consideration to my
| | suggestion (in two player games) to simply make any
| | game in which the effect of a win would be to lower
| | the winning players rating, simply unrated?  This
| | would allow people to play teaching games without fear
| | (though I believe this only affects provisional
| | players, as it has been noted some games are a lot
| | harder to complete 20 of than others).
| 
| In order for the ratings to have value, they should
| represent an accurate statistical measure of the player's
| performance. eliminating the effect of provisional player
| wins against lower rated players, would arguably lead to
| ratings inflation.
| 
| However, as has been pointed out, under the current
| system, provisional players can lose rating points even
| when they defeat HIGHER rated players. This is because
| of a bias towards some median value, 1720 I think.
| I'm not sure what the statistical justification of this
| bias is. It applies only to provisional players.
| 
| There are other rating systems; Glicko for example, which
| does not have a separate provisional system. I don't
| think a player can lose rating points for a win with
| Glicko. Please correct me, if I'm wrong!
| 
| David