Home away from home...?

[Morfod]

One of the obstacles for obtaining the Busdriver is when people do not specify a home level.

This thought occurred to me when I was looking at my level performance in Io. Many players do not specify a home level, yet some of those players display an observable increase in performance in a particular level. Sometimes a player may have statistical "second home" where they enjoy consistent elevated success. Perhaps a minor ribbon, similar in concept to the busdriver, but with lower emphasis might be employed.

If we are feeling particularly crass, we might call the award a "Short Bus," but I think a more clever, tactful name could be found.

[Jediluke]

I've discussed this sort of thing with Drakona before....I think it should be explored.

[bahamut]

Yes... yes I like this idea

[melvin]

1- Is that number completely trustworthy? Small sample size and game variants like x4 etc all seem like they could make the +/- #'s misleading. Vamped is not my home away from home, despite what my lifetime numbers may indicate. (i do think it's one of my better levels but I would rather give away a short bus trophy in take2 or black rose where my fighting chances are better)

2- I would feel more inclined to pick a best level rather than a home level, as i dogmatically hold with the old IDL definition of a home level as a place where you are near unassailable. There is, unfortunately, no level where I feel remotely close to invincible. Has that definition changed? On the DCL, does home level just mean best level now? Would it be easier just to make a secondary designation of level competence, a place where you can acknowledge you're at your best but not the best?

3- If you beat someone in their best kills-over-expectation level, I dont think you should get an award if you're in a higher tier.

[Jediluke]

Melvin,

The way I see it is....you are picking the level that you are best in. Not necessarily THE best in. That's a home level...you know...where you feel most at home/comfortable playing well.

Trophies or rewards would likely be for vs same tier only. That's the trend we've begun to set...or perhaps for beating someone in a higher tier in said level.

[LotharBot]

I've never felt like "home level" was a place you were unbeatable (not even on IDL), merely a place that you were an extra-difficult challenge. It was another way of saying "if you want to see me at my best, this is where to play me".

Some people don't really have a level where they feel like they're at their best. That's OK -- you might have above-average scores in level X, but it's not really because you play it well, it's because the people you happen to have played there really don't like it, or you match up well against them, or something like that. (For example, Drakona is a ridiculous +5.8 in Anarctic, not because she's particularly great in Anarctic, but because she's played me there 3 times and she matches up well against me in that level.)

But if you have a level where you think "this is where I'm at my best", please, list it as your home. Invite the challenge. Play people who normally beat you, and pick up some wins or at least some better-than-expected scores. Let people who are evenly matched with you feel the fury. If you don't have a home, don't list one, but if you think you do, put it out there and be courageous.

[Entropy]

Now you make me want to challenge all the Gold pilots to my home level, muwahaha.

[Sirius]

Zenith... the one by Naphtha? That's a pretty complex one, looks interesting.

Fun fact: I've never played a 1v1 in my "home" level, just FFAs. So I'm not really sure it's the right one, but I am fairly sure few people are going to jump at the chance to play it.

[Ashes]

I like the idea of a Short Bus level. My home is Neptune D2, but it's exceedingly hard to find a game in it. I'd like to be able to set a D1 map as my home without losing Neptune D2.

[Jediluke]

Well, i see nothing wrong with a Home level per Descent Game