ROAR or non ROAR?

[ecz]

pretty sure this has been never asked so directly:

do you record games played on ROAR?

 

[Honza]

I used to, but I have not played a scenario or normal CG in years. It is all DYO for me at the moment. But if I was to get back to normal play then I would.

 

[macrobo]

Hi Ecz

My 2 cents is
I had done it on and off since 2006 - and never was consistent but then in 2015 I realized that the designers really do appreciate the record of what is played (and all their hard work at design has little recognition other wise), as well commentaries talk about the record. For interest, I have gone from a 0% win record to slowly 20% so you can over time have a personal sense of achievement - come on 50% - up to 360 entries and counting

Cheers

Rob

 

[ecz]

Hi Ecz

My 2 cents is
I had done it on and off since 2006 - and never was consistent but then in 2015 I realized that the designers really do appreciate the record of what is played (and all their hard work at design has little recognition other wise), as well commentaries talk about the record. For interest, I have gone from a 0% win record to slowly 20% so you can over time have a personal sense of achievement - come on 50% - up to 360 entries and counting

Cheers

Rob

Curious enough. I recorded on paper my games even BEFORE the internet era. I did this for personal use only (of course). So it was natural and automatic start to use ROAR as soon as I was aware of it (end of 2003). Only in last few years I understood the importance of statistics for the Designers. I'm asking about ROAR to have a general picture of the use of ROAR and of the number of games played. Theoretically if we have at the end the 80% (for example) of ROAR users, we can figure that the number of playings recorded are more or less the 80% of the effective total of the games played. At least among the active ASL internet community that is the part that really counts.

 

[Philippe D.]

The only games of mine that are not on ROAR are those that both I and my opponent forget to log in - at least since I started playing again in 2016. But my first logged games go back more than 20 years.

I think it's both a nice nod to the scenario designers, and a good way to detect popular scenarios in a pack. I'm not sure it's a good balance indicator, though - there are not so many scenarios where the number of logged games make it statistically significant, even if the players were considered of equal skill (which is extra hard to determine, of course).

 

[von Marwitz]

I record on ROAR since 2010. Additionally, I record the games at the ASL Scenario Archive website:

http://www.aslscenarioarchive.com/

ROAR still has by far the most recorded playings while the ASL Scenario Archive offers more information. They supplement each other well.

von Marwitz

 

[Robin Reeve]

I don't record my games on ROAR very often.
I have doubts that it is a good statistical tool - except that it shows which scenarios are played most.
If a scenario is played past fifty times, the win/loss record can have some meaning.
Now that we have ROAR as a quasi institution for statistical games results recording, I don't think that a better system would have any success, though.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

Solo player, actually more a solo tinkerer, so No as anything I could possibly enter would be highly misleading.

 

[zgrose]

Now that we have ROAR as a quasi institution for statistical games results recording, I don't think that a better system would have any success, though.

A better system, should one appear, could/would read/write from ROAR as well so probably a non-issue.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I post my results on the scenario archive, not ROAR.

 

[Eagle4ty]

At first I almost never posted my win/loss record to ROAR as number one, I didn't consider myself very competent with the game and secondly, I had no real interest in my win/loss record per se. However, I came to realize that the record (and especially the general feeling about the scenarios) were a positive factor to be considered and that ROAR provided a simple basis for evaluation of a scenario's potential for an enjoyable play. It is certainly not the end all, tell all, of scenario evaluation as a detailed review of several AARs would most likely be the better choice, but sometimes the simple is prefered. In this respect I would even disagree with Paul's position that a long time solo player's input would be misleading. As much as he is used to playing with himself over an extended period of time (sorry, couldn't help myself), his outcomes for a scenario and general feeling of such would hold as much weight as as any FtF/VASL playing in my book. Of course as always, JMHO.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

An equally interesting poll would be to see who uses the archive (or ROAR, or both) to help in pre-selecting a scenario. I certainly do, as unfair as it may be, and tend to go for ones that have lots of plays and tend towards even split of winners between attacker and defender.

I came to realize that the record (and especially the general feeling about the scenarios) were a positive factor to be considered and that ROAR provided a simple basis for evaluation of a scenario's potential for an enjoyable play. It is certainly not the end all, tell all, of scenario evaluation as a detailed review of several AARs would most likely be the better choice, but sometimes the simple is prefered.

 

[Eagle4ty]

An equally interesting poll would be to see who uses the archive (or ROAR, or both) to help in pre-selecting a scenario. I certainly do, as unfair as it may be, and tend to go for ones that have lots of plays and tend towards even split of winners between attacker and defender.

Yes, I too use Scenario Archive as a tool, but not quite to the extent that I utilize ROAR, a quick and easy resource that provides just about enough information to be useful. We're all pretty intelligent and astute people in this hobby and can readily assess the usefulness of the data provided as it pertains to our perceptions. That is to say a scenario with very few logged playings and seemingly imbalanced towards one side, but having a good "playability" rating can safely be considered a decent scenario to pick, though indications are you had better bring your "A Game" to take the non-prefered side. Whereas a scenario with a large number of playings that is seriously imbalanced towards one side, but still having a "good feeling" with the play of the scenario may be a candidate you'd pick when the players are far apart in experience or one player is very rusty in regards to the other. Picking that scenario with the more experienced player having the non-prefered side, would possibly result in both players having to bring a pretty good game to result in a positive competitive experience. (NOTE: Prefered side in my context=side with most wins recorded).

 

[Doug Kirk]

I ROAR everything I play. I use it as a back up or duplicate of the spreadsheet I keep. ROAR is easy, I play a scenario and immediately put it on there with my phone. The spreadsheet is only updated every few months.

I rarely use ROAR to pick scenarios or any other website or medium. I thumb thru the scenario book and if it looks interesting, I play it. I might check ROAR before a tourney, but that is about it.

 

[Robin Reeve]

A better system, should one appear, could/would read/write from ROAR as well so probably a non-issue.

A better system would include much more data, so retrieving ROAR uncompletd stats would be useless.
Anyway, such a system won't see the light of day.

 

[ecz]

Solo player, actually more a solo tinkerer, so No as anything I could possibly enter would be highly misleading.

in the Italian forum an ASLer said that ASL is like sex. You can do it solo somehow, but it is a very different thing.

 

[dreenstra]

I don't record my games on ROAR very often.
I have doubts that it is a good statistical tool - except that it shows which scenarios are played most.
If a scenario is played past fifty times, the win/loss record can have some meaning.

Not picking on Robin because I think this sentiment is shared by many, but I wanted to make the point that this seems to me to be a bit of a catch 22. That is, you don't record your games (at least in part) because you doubt the statistical validity of ROAR, but at the same time recognizing that, if a scenario has more playings (50 or more) ROAR gives a better read on the balance. This is exactly why I try to report all my games. If a scenario has less than 50 playings, it at least tells me what others are playing and gives the designer some kudos and feedback. Over 50 and I can begin to factor ROAR's balance results into determining what I want to play.

 

[Nadir_E]

I agree with Dave above - if we use the tool, it becomes more effective than if we don't. I record every game I play, including using "John Doe" when my opponent isn't set up on ROAR. I also check ROAR ratings when selecting scenarios to play.

-N

 

[Robin Reeve]

Not picking on Robin because I think this sentiment is shared by many, but I wanted to make the point that this seems to me to be a bit of a catch 22. That is, you don't record your games (at least in part) because you doubt the statistical validity of ROAR, but at the same time recognizing that, if a scenario has more playings (50 or more) ROAR gives a better read on the balance. This is exactly why I try to report all my games. If a scenario has less than 50 playings, it at least tells me what others are playing and gives the designer some kudos and feedback. Over 50 and I can begin to factor ROAR's balance results into determining what I want to play.

I indeed find a slight value in ROAR, as a vague indicator that a scenario is played a lot or not.
I could record my playings just for that reason, but in reality, I don't look up ROAR before I play a scenario ; because I play only recent designs - and even then I cannot follow the rythm of the publications.

 

[rdw5150]

never........ But the person I play ASL with 90% of the time records all our games, so they get posted..........

If I would have started recording from the beginning of my ASL career, I'd be more apt to report, but I did not.......

Peace

Roger