[red shoes]

would appreciate if BBO could add some software to prevent stallers from "passively" getting an Average Score--in lieu of guaranteed bottom board; and the opponents losing top board. perhaps a 2 minute timer per partnership and if overtime, penalized, and if repeated, banned for a period of time... or anything effective thank you

[Rain]

Welcome to BBF redshoes. Yes this is something we've been trying to think about recently. But we have not figured out a solution to this problem yet.

The fastest fix would be something like using "Tourney Completion Rates" again. If you are unfamiliar with it, BBO tracks 2 ratios for everyone. Tourney Completion Rates (TCR) - how often players finish normal tourneys, and Main Bridge Club Completion Rates (MCR) - how often players finish their normal table games.

Those using the new BBO to create tables or tournaments can choose to filter out players with lower TCR or MCR than they desired. They can only filter out those with as high a TCR or MCR as they themselves possess. (ie, someone with MCR of 85% cannot ask that everyone at his table have an MCR of at least 90%) This is an optional filter, and table creators and TDs need not use it if they don't want to.

-------------------------------------
Sorry for the slight digression. We started out by imposing TCR in free tourneys like the free version of Express tourney. The idea being that we wanted to keep out those who dally too long and cause an unpleasant experience for others. But this method still doesn't solve the problem of those who are deliberately trying for the better average score, and it was hurting players who don't play enough to qualify for a good TCR, or any TCR at all.

So this restriction has been removed from all the house free tourneys right now.

We also increased quite drastically (recent improvement) the number of free Express tourneys, but apparently it led to potential bailers having more opportunity to play the next free tourney, so it kinda provided a disincentive to stay(!)

If we were to use this as a crude solution to the automated tourneys behavioral problems, the solution can be implemented very fast as the code is ready and in place.
But I think what we're seeking is a better way, which is why it's taking so long to come up with anything. And for anything that involves tracking "time taken" by a player, this will take too much resources to produce.

My current thought about this is that we should do something slightly less crude (along the lines of TCR) so that it can be implemented faster, yet still be a bit more effective at targeting the problem. Something like, track players individual no. of AVE scores or AUTO ADJUSTED boards. When it gets above a certain threshold, then we block it. This would require the tracking of some factor that we can already do, and not require coding something extra like exact time. Still trying to fiddle with the idea though, and suggestions are appreciated!

[Bbradley62]

Rain: Are you able to easily tell us roughly what percentage of all boards in these events get AVE? Thanks.

[t28]

Agree that this is frustrating and aggravating!
Suggest software is modified to reduce time allowed by 1/2 after warning already received on same hand; then reduced again by 1/2 after 2nd warning.
Each new hand starts with clean slate; know from personal experience of connection problems that you are unaware that you are "not there".

[md4778]

Suggestion.

why not start a new Express free tournement automatically when previous is full?

So always will be available a tournement and always competion will be fully human at start