VanHalenLover: What about the guy who joins and has a configuration issue, and attempts 10 rounds before finding the forums and getting help? He then fixes is issue, and has to go 30 rounds with no issues, just to get back to 75%
Not a scenario to lose sleep over VHL. You assume someone who joins....
1st-has a config issue that causes the game to lock up or have severe meter or loading issues. OK, granted that unfortunately happens.
2nd-jumps right into multi-player games. Not likely. He's more likely to try CTTH or single stroke play. Condition #1 will very likely happen in single play first. Remember being a newbie? It was weeks before I felt confident enough to try multi-player. But for the sake of discussion lets say there is a brave and uneducated new player who joins a multi-player group before trying CTTH, before trying single play, before finding the forums, and before reading the FAQs.
3rd-Assuming his config allows it, Newbie Hack finds himself in the game lobby with at least one Master, Pro, or Am who has at least a few games under their belt. Newbie introduces himself as just joining 10 minutes ago. What would you do, as a Master, in this situation? Yeah, probably what I'd do, try and talk him out of playing multi player or cancel the group. But, say Newbie Hack bluffs his way thru the intros and they tee off.
4th-On the 1st tee, Newbie Hack's game locks up, he clicks on the "X" to close the window.
5th-Being a persistent sort, Newbie Hack clicks "Play Now" again and tries to join another group.
6th-But now, if properly implemented, Reputation Tracking will stop him from beginning any new game until he completes his previous game, which by definition will be impossible. Rep Tracking will also offer him the choice of suffering the consequence of a lowered reputation by forfeiting the opportunity to complete the round.
Under your scenario, Newbie Hack will need to complete steps 2 thru 6 ten times! And by his uneducated choice will have dropped his reputation 10 notches. That's a definition of insanity right there.
VanHalenLover: You will be punishing many who disconnect for valid reasons
As you can see from the above dissertation, those who disconnect for valid reasons will have the opportunity to complete that round and not have their reputation marred. If they so choose not to complete the round, their rep will take a hit. But it will have been by their own accord.