Well, the forfeits we've had were people acting under an old IDL rule. That's understandable confusion -- we do try to make it so that if you pretend you're on IDL, you mostly do the right thing most of the time.
But DCL is not
actually IDL, nor is it trying to be. And DCL has actually never had a provision for that style of forfeit. Technically, by our rules, those were falsified reports.
There's a good reason not to do IDL-style forfeits on DCL: they mess up the rating algorithm. The match with you and LotharBot is a great example of that -- your time as gold during Fall 2013 was partly because the ladder thought you could beat LotharBot 20-4 . . . but really, you never did that, it was just a forfeit. It took a while for the algorithm to get the message and overlook what was otherwise a SUPER impressive result.
Historically, you're right, reporting a forfeit was a way to prove your good intentions if something came up and you had to go, but at the same time, a lot of pilots would refuse them -- not wanting that sort of victory on their records. On top of that, we feel that a provision for rage quitting if you don't like how a match is going is disrespectful to the game.
Hence, DCL is taking a different approach to this. Play it out, and if something comes up, be fair to each other. This seems to be how pilots are actually treating each other in the mines these days, anyway -- with a great deal of respect for life's hazards and difficulties, and an astonishing commitment to fair play. I think the above rule is appropriate for the level of trust and respect we have in this community.
And remember, that on DCL, you are not fighting just for a win or loss -- you are fighting for a good score. Even if you know you are going to lose, you don't actually know the
result of the game, yet, and still have something to fight for. This is why it's important to play it out or start over -- the ladder (and medals, and other pilots!) are looking at the final score, not just who won.
If you can think of a reasonable sacrifice for the pilot who is leaving to make, as a show of good sportsmanship and good intentions, that might not be a bad thing to have. But I really can't think of one. Personally, as a pilot, I would not want to get an advantage in continuing a match just because someone did the right thing and went to go take care of his kids mid-game. I would want to work out a fair way to proceed, and my perception is that most pilots feel the same way. Indeed, I have often offered or been offered to discontinue a match, for controls being off, for connection being off, for early discovering something unexpected about a level. As a group, DCL pilots want their victories to be legit.
You cannot gain much of an advantage by abusing this rule, anyway, as the other pilot can always insist that you continue the match from the same score (and the same shield value). And if someone
does try to abuse it . . . well, that falls under the, "Play with honor. Don't make us hold you to it." provision in the rules.
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 11:08 pm