skeptical:I don't get the relation "if players are forced to finish ranked games, the game can't be kept free".
What is the point in that?
Really don't get it.
Explain please.
Chipsalot: Where's the correlation between forcing a conclusion to a multi-player game and keeping the game free?
Be happy to do so, guys. The very reality of a 'free game' is that people can come and go as they please. They can choose to participate financially, should they so desire, to better equip themselves for the game, but it is not mandatory or compulsory. When you start putting restrictions on people, i.e 'making' or 'forcing' them to play something that they do not wish to, they are not going to come back.
When people start refusing to come back, the player population diminishes. When the population diminishes, the profits from those who CHOOSE to financially support the game diminishes as well. When those profits are diminished, WGT will be set with a choice; pay to play, or close up shop.
For example.... I have opened a store that gives away free lemonade. I have the option to buy beer, should you wish, but it's not necessary. I am going to have a line out the door and around the block. But, now because my free lemonade is being wasted by some, I am going to make sure that everyone who comes into my store for free lemonade HAS to finish all of it before I will sell them a beer. What if my lemonade tasted like turpentine? How many customers am I going to have for my beer? Not as many as I would have if I allowed them to dump that nasty lemonade. So, I am just going to charge everyone who comes in for a beer because they don't want the lemonade.
Weak example, I know, but I hope you see the point. The swing meter is not fool-proof. It's going to ruin someone's game. When that game is ruined they leave. There are 1001 different reasons for leaving a game.... whether it's computer related, score related, spouse related, idiot playing partner related... whatever... people are going to leave.
And it does not make any sense, in a business, to drive (possibly) paying customers away.
Chipsalot: Quitting is a problem for some. It's not an issue for most. "
I have no idea where the heck you got this idea from?
This one is much easier, Chipsalot, to explain.
The forum population is, at last glance, less than 1% of the playing population. I know that's a bit hard to take for someone like me with numerous posts, but it's true. People will complain when they don't like something, of course, and they come here to do it. Granted there are about a dozen new 'quitter' posts a week, but that adds up to a very, very, very small minority of the player base.
Yes, I will agree with you, as in my post I linked above, that quitting is an issue. But, it's not WGT's main issue, nor should it be. Yes, it annoys you, and that's understandable, but I stand by my assertion that for the majority of the PLAYING population, it's no big deal.
So, if you really hate quitters that much, there are groups of people guaranteed not to quit. Join them. The ladders are a blast and, from what i understand, Crazyman has done a yeoman's job on the GolfSeeker site... tourney's with real USGA handicaps. You can't do any better than that.
Gentlemen, enjoy the game, play with like-minded people and have fun. There are thousands of players here that won't quit and are looking to be your friends. There are multiple thousands who quit for multiple thousands of reasons and that's just they way they play.
Play your game and let them play their's.
I hope I have explained my position. Please note: there are some who will be looking for sarcasm, satire or 'bully-tactics' in my message. I have tried to include none of these and hope that you can take this very long post in the spirit in which it was intended. I'll be happy to explain further if I need.
Peace to you both.
Ps....
Chipsalot: Some players do have to quit games for genuine reasons, I've done it myself, but there's no reason why I and others should not be forced back to finish the game before being allowed to start another one
Chips, I've been here 18 months and I've quit exactly 2 games. One was caused by a playing partner who was disrupting the Multiplayer game with max shots and max time, spamming the chat window... and the other was just yesterday when my spouse and eldest daughter needed the machine I'm on for something fairly important... while I was in a CC tourney game. I forfeited and gave my friend the game.
Should I be penalized for either of those two?