First of, no this is not a complaint, or impossible request.
I had this idea running through my mind today about an alternative to the FS2NET ranking system. Which at this time isn't working for TBP anyway. The idea is to keep a ranking system for dogfighting, which can be handled with a single thread in this forum. The focus of this ranking system lies on 1vs1 dogfighting, though, if it generates a lot of interest, it can easily be adapted to team vs team. The rules are simple and duels are based on being challenged.
The basic premise is that you can only gain a better ranking if you beat someone who is higher ranked than you. Let's say we start off without any rankings yet and the first fight is between A and B. B wins the fight resulting in the following ranking:
A this time, player A is on the top of the list and can only be challenged. Player B can only challenge A again if he fights someone else... introducing players C and D. Player C and D are added to the bottom of the list the moment they sign up for the ranking system.
- Player A
- Player B
- Player C
- Player D
Player C challenges player A and beats him, and results in player C climbing up the ladder because he beat a higher ranked opponent. Putting him on the second spot, past player B. Player A doesn't drop in the ranking with a loss, only the winner gains a position. Now, player C gets challenged by player D, with player D being the winner. This means player D raises in rank, putting player B on the fourth spot.
- Player A
- Player C
- Player D
- Player B
By not participating into duels, player B dropped down the rankings. Though, the higher you are in the ranking, the fewer people are above you, the harder it is for others to beat someone to take your spot.
Now this is the basic premise, though it does need rules on dogfighting and procedures for being challenged.
I'll start by the rules that I came up with so far:- Players have to fly the same fighter, primaries and secondaries (if secondaries are used).
- The player being challenged has the right to decide on which fighter is used and which primaries and secondaries will be loaded. Ergo, the challenged duelist has the right to forgo on secondaries completely.
- A duel consists of a best of nine duel, so the first to win five bouts, wins the duel. (I think best of nine is a fun investment timewise and doesn't last too long either.)
- Opponents may not face one another in ranking duels consecutively.
- Placement for rule which states which specific fighters can't be flown, or which weapons. (Ships like a Shadow Heavy Fighter with the beam weapon have no place in this. But this would need some input from people who know TBP better than I.)
- The winner of the duel has to be agreed upon by both duelists and the result of the duel, including relevant statistics is to be posted in the appropriate thread right after the duel by one of the duelists.
Challenges procedure:- The challenger has the primary responsibility to being able to host the dogfight. If he... or she... isn't able, it is perfectly all right for the one being challenged to host, but it is not his responsibility if he can't.
- One can only challenge someone with a higher ranking.
- You can not refuse a challenge, though it is up to both duelists to arrange for a time that works for both. RL, fun.. family.. friends, EVEN WORK!, are all perfectly good excuses not to agree to a duel if the challenger doesn't show any leeway in accommodating to your schedule.
Back to where we are, I want to stipulate that this is not a replacement for FS2NET rankings. The idea behind this is to introduce a fun and easily manageable system, wholly based on the art of dogfighting. I think it's a fine framework though it still lacks a few details, like the distance between fighters before duels can start and much more.
What I want to know is whether people are interested in the basic premise. People who saw me fly online know I'm not hoping to pwn some people online.
Though... just wait till I order my joystick...
So please speak up and let me know whether you love or hate the idea, or think the idea has some virtues but that the system sucks.
