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 Post subject: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 11:12 am 
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Well, hell. Not that long ago, another frequent user of this board posed something along that line to my FB page. At that time I chose not to answer. After further review, though, seems like this could be a decent topic for those of us here to toss around.

One specific issue that I kinda sorta understood - are better players having such an adverse impact on other players to the point where they get discouraged, stop playing at their home sites, resulting in said home sites discontinuing their subscriptions? As much as I would prefer *not* to give myself that kind of credit :roll:, it would not be much of a surprise if that were the case here in NTN Buzztime's Site-Poor Backyard. :(

To other players here...

Have other players, seemingly frustrated at not being able to outscore you, openly called you out with such like "YOU'VE SEEN THE QUESTIONS BEFORE, YOU CHEAT!!!!!" or "WHO THE FUCK IS THIS FUCKING [your name here]?????"

Have other players not gone that far, but instead quietly gave you withering looks of resentment as they left or walked by?

In my twenty plus years of banging away at these games, I can guarantee that more than a few times I've been subjected to that sort of whiny, crybaby, rotten sportsmanship. For the most part, I didn't respond to that shit. My guess is that some others here would have called out (or, *did* call out) those losers back - hopefully all hell didn't break loose. :lol:

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liljol, still residing in a humble lil abode in Buzztime's Backyard, San Diego County, in The Horribly Site-Poor Golden State, California...

<--805 NTN Buzztime sites visited as of 11/13/2018...

F CUBS!!!!! FBOSOX!!!!!

FPDRES!!!!! FCHGRS!!!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 11:41 am 
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Himself Fodder

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Sure that's happened, probably has to many here. Nothing much a good player can do about it, some players are just poor losers. In a perfect world the good player would be polite to the loser and explain he/she has played trivia for tons of years and has gotten quite good. Perhaps give some tips and encourage them. But of course it's much easier and fun if they are pricks to tell them it's not your fault that they completely suck at trivia!

Personally, back in the day when I was playing every day, I never worried about it. Considered it a badge of honor when players quit under those circumstances.

No, better players do not ruin BT. In any competitive endeavor there will be good players and bad players. Otherwise why keep score?


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 11:47 am 
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-BO- wrote:
Sure that's happened, probably has to many here. Nothing much a good player can do about it, some players are just poor losers. In a perfect world the good player would be polite to the loser and explain he/she has played trivia for tons of years and has gotten quite good. Perhaps give some tips and encourage them. But of course it's much easier and fun if they are pricks to tell them it's not your fault that they completely suck at trivia!

Image Image Image Image Image

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liljol, still residing in a humble lil abode in Buzztime's Backyard, San Diego County, in The Horribly Site-Poor Golden State, California...

<--805 NTN Buzztime sites visited as of 11/13/2018...

F CUBS!!!!! FBOSOX!!!!!

FPDRES!!!!! FCHGRS!!!!!


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:14 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:54 am
Posts: 1665
I think of myself as a decent player, but nothing great. However, looking at averages for the state of WV, I found out that I'm pretty much the average leader in the games that I play...which doesn't say much for BT play in Hillbillyville.

There are few full time players at my site, and most of them dislike me for a variety of reasons, 99% of it stemming from trivia. I encourage people to play and help them if log in problems and such. NOFLY is only in town every other month and we play together. One other guy will multi-box with me to get a bar score, but that's about it.

The rest of the trivia people avoid my key playing times, not logging in until I log out to go home. They just sit there with a PM. The other regular I sit with is a THe player, so I've been playing more poker than trivia, which sucks. I really miss playing the folks at Backyard Grill and the Winchester crowd...they were cool people and good competition.

When I visit certain locations, the regulars there quit playing if I win the first game or two.

Like BO stated, I tell people that I've played a long time and that my job as a special education teacher requires me to know a little about every subject taught in school at the high school level. People still think I cheat somehow. It doesn't help when a question pops up with one of my handles as an answer choice...EGADS!!!

But like most of us here, we just keep plugging away because it's something we like to do and if others can't handle losing, there's always GOLF! ;)


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:34 pm 
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No, better players aren't ruining BT for others, per se. The issue of people not playing if they can't win would exist regardless of the level of expertise of the local top dog.

Now, can a truly outstanding player discourage average players from thinking they have even have a chance ? Yes, and if they choose to give up, their choice, but it's not "ruining" anything. I still like to bowl a game or two, and I never will have a 300 game, but if I bowled a game with a pro bowler I don't think I would quit if I couldn't beat him.


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:45 pm 
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Maybe I'm weird...but I enjoy seeing where I rank compared to other players both nationally and if they are in the same bar. If they are better, I keep trying. I'll usually congratulate them if a player has a higher score at the bar I'm at. I've made a few friends from trivia. Of course, it's always good to see if the usual suspects are up on the leaderboard after the games...though I only seem to get out on Sundays for NASCAR since Buzztime shut down SIQ.


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 12:47 pm 
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Sir or Dame Postalot

Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:09 pm
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If Buzztime cared about not discouraging players, they wouldn't have questions like last night's Showdown Final.
XT


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 2:58 pm 
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Lord of Scaratings
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I'm not sure why, but when I first read Liljol's post, Atlas Shrugged came to mind..


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:09 pm 
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Sir or Dame Postalot

Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2012 2:14 am
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Quote:
Have other players, seemingly frustrated at not being able to outscore you, openly called you out with such like "YOU'VE SEEN THE QUESTIONS BEFORE, YOU CHEAT!!!!!" or "WHO THE FUCK IS THIS FUCKING [your name here]?????"


Nothing like that, but there is a trio of players I beat for two hours straight, two days in a row. Since then they've either played at my location when I am not there, or played when I do but at another location. Admittedly there isn't enough data to draw conclusions yet, but I am keeping my eye on it.


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:10 pm 
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I used to respond with, pick something you're good at, I am better at 'that' than you are as well..

What has ruined Buzztime is their shit-brained ideas to improve player participation, the split is the final nail.

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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 5:17 pm 
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Location: The Gloriously Site-Rich Valley of the Sun Devil - FUofA
The lesser players pretty much have to want to get better. No one likes to get beat on a regular basis, some people look at getting beaten as a challenge & others just give up.

When I played Disc Golf as an amateur I found that I would play better with pro level players because I wanted to be at their level of play, eventually I made it to pro level play.

If someone gets upset because they get hammered on the trivia boards, its their problem to solve, not yours.

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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 7:29 pm 
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Great question!
If I ever beat anybody at trivia I'll let you know how it goes.


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 10:29 pm 
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spotes wrote:
Great question!
If I ever beat anybody at trivia I'll let you know how it goes.

You still haven't beaten me one on one, bub!!! Image Image

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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 10:58 pm 
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-BO- wrote:
But of course it's much easier and fun if they are pricks to tell them it's not your fault that they completely suck at trivia!

A story I've told before.....

~1996, our 5 person Spotlight team was arguably the best on the network. (keep in mind that there was less high level competition in those days) We decide to visit a huge site with 50 boxes. Arrive early to play several CD's prior, each player running 2 boxes. We win each and every CD game nationally, the site gaining credibility quickly. Apparently the 10-15 regulars pounding away weren't happy with us and complained. 2 minutes before SL a manager comes over and tells us we can only play 1 box apiece. I ask if they have run out of boxes, he says no. Naturally I then ask why we can only play 1, he says the regulars are complaining they can't make the first page of the board. While trying not to laugh I point out his site has won the last however many games thanks to us. He does not care, we can only play one box. Pleading one last time I mention that the upcoming game is the biggest game of the night and most important to us. He couldn't care less.

So while he is gathering our second boxes I politely and calmly inform him that it's not fair to us that his regular completely suck at trivia. The look on his face was probably worth losing the boxes. I probably told the regulars at the bar the same thing.

There was one other location over the years that took boxes away for the same reason, I told that manager the exact same thing. We never visited either place again.

Thing is, in those situations, it's not like the regs are never coming in again if they get their clock cleaned one night. They might get pissed off, they might leave for that night only, but they will come back. But perhaps management wanted to make sure we didn't come back no matter how much publicity we garnered for the site.

I miss those days, I need to venture into some high traffic site soon and see how much trouble I can get into.


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 11:09 pm 
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Lord or Lady Postsalot
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Location: RTO's, Mesa AZ
There was a player at my local site that used to play all the time. We were usually neck and neck when it came to trivia. But one day after I had passed him in players plus points, I had congratulated him on winning a game, and he responded with a not so pleasant "YEAH.. WHATEVER". He has not played much since. Probably just a sore winner/loser. I enjoy the game for what it is, a game. If I happen to be able to outscore someone, then that's a bonus.

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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 1:33 am 
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Between Normal Sigmas. %!

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liljol wrote:


To other players here...

Have other players, seemingly frustrated at not being able to outscore you, openly called you out with such like "YOU'VE SEEN THE QUESTIONS BEFORE, YOU CHEAT!!!!!" or "WHO THE FUCK IS THIS FUCKING [your name here]?????"

Have other players not gone that far, but instead quietly gave you withering looks of resentment as they left or walked by?

:lol:



I ran into that quite a few times, mostly at my local TGIF (which dropped buzztime years ago)
The first time I beat the self-appointed 'King", I could see he was throwing a temper tantrum. (I never heard exactly what he was upset about, it was obviously directed at me). At first, I didn't play there much as there were many alternatives. Then as most of the other locations in the area dropped out, I ended up playing there a lot more. Most of the times, things were OK but sometimes people said stuff. The story that I had some "system" of getting the answers in advance never quite went away. It was also said I had an unfair advantage because I played sober. I'd laugh it off -I didn't want to argue with them as it would only brought me down to their level. I heard after the fact that some "regulars" got tired of me "winning too much" and would leave when I started playing. Eventually, we got a small group that played together on Saturdays, but by then management seemed to lose interest and when the new corporate took over, they pulled the plug right away.


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:58 am 
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Sir or Dame Postsalot

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Location: Montgomery County MD
Obviously, the folks in other parts of the country aren't raising their kids right. Out here in Merryland, it's a different dynamic altogether. One recent Thursday, I believe, a bunch of us were doing our thing at the local BWW, mindless of the short-attention-spanned kids who would pick up tablets on the other side of the restaurant and answer a few questions. I had just gotten a local win, and moments later, a parade of 4 or 5 boys aged 13 or so came by our group wanting to know who KEN K was. I thought I might need to break out a pen and start signing autographs. The next game the local winner got the same VIP treatment from them. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce our next generation of trivia champs!

As for people who may be getting upset that we are beating them over and over, we explain that we are playing team ball in an effort to make the national boards (and preferably the top spot), and we may invite them to sit with us and exchange answers. Some accept, some don't. Over the years, we've assimilated a few people into our group that way.


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:44 am 
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Lord or Lady Postsalot
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Back in the days when you could legitimately FBomb an individual, I was F Bombed often.

I remember one trip I was travelling in Michigan, asked for a playmaker and sat in a corner and beat the "king of the bar". I was playing under my old handle at the time. He said Who the ____ is TR? I want to kick his ass for taking the number one spot on the leader board.

As I walked out, I said I am TR have a nice day.

I play with people for bar scores...

I do not think better players are ruining it,I thin that the minions do not learn from the questions and read...

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And the answer is......4?? 42....the answer to life, the universe and everything


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 3:58 pm 
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Well, according to the latest press release Scar posted, Buzztime certainly seems to think better players are ruining Buzztime. With regards to their new "Jackpot" trivia: "With its inviting modern approach to trivia for everyone, not just know-it-alls, this latest generation of trivia broadens the audience for bar owners." (My emphasis.)

And maybe they're right. I've seen my share of apparently new players quit after a couple of games when it was clear that they weren't scoring nearly as high as our table (or even just me, when playing solo). I've had strangers angrily tell me that I shouldn't be allowed to play as I'd obviously "seen all the questions before". And I've experienced a rather surreal afternoon when, for 4 or 5 games in a row, the one other guy playing would simply give up once I got about 1000 points ahead of him and stop playing until a new game started. (He never did complete a game.)

Whether it's poor sportsmanship, or simple discouragement, it's undeniable that many would-be players are going to be put off playing if they think they're out of their league, and I guess BT has to address that. That said, I'm not sure that dumbing the game down (also from the press release: "... includes a pop culture set ranging from Beyoncé to Big Bang Theory, sports topics such as NASCAR, and geek culture subjects that include Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Star Wars and video games") to the point where everyone wins all the time is going to improve their player numbers by much.

&


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:06 pm 
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Lord or Lady Postsalot
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I think the theme here is a lot of people want what they give grade school kids today. A trophy just for showing up. In today's society, nobody wants to work to be good at anything.

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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:47 pm 
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teverett wrote:
Back in the days when you could legitimately FBomb an individual, I was F Bombed often.

I remember one trip I was travelling in Michigan, asked for a playmaker and sat in a corner and beat the "king of the bar". I was playing under my old handle at the time. He said Who the ____ is TR? I want to kick his ass for taking the number one spot on the leader board.

As I walked out, I said I am TR have a nice day.

I play with people for bar scores...

I do not think better players are ruining it,I thin that the minions do not learn from the questions and read...


There's something in the water up there, I tell ya.
The first time I went to Michigan I nailed the first 55 questions in a row for 1K before YANKEE showed up at the bar.
Luckily, no one else was playing that afternoon so I didn't need to explain any strange blood stains on my clothing to him...


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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:45 am 
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I seem to have similar stories to several here. Once, long ago, I was playing solo at the BW3 in Bowling Green, OH. A friend of mine was boasting that he held the single-day points record for that location, so I went there early with the intent of one-upping him. I played every game throughout the afternoon, and although there were not a whole lot of others playing, there were two handles that seemed to be pretty consistently behind me at #2 and #3 through the late afternoon. After one game I took a bathroom break, and as I'm standing there the door crashes open and two people storm in, one of them yelling "WHO THE F*** is ANON?" (He pronounced it "AN-un"). When I realized they were not talking to me, I smiled quietly to myself and went to wash my hands, during which time the first guy insists he's going to stay there until he beats ANON, and his buddy telling him that it's no use, because he had heard that ANON knows someone at NTN and knows the questions in advance. They played one more game and then left.

On the other hand, when I started playing at a BW3 in Toledo not long after, it turned out that the guy who had been the cock of the walk there (emphasis on the first part) was hugely unpopular to the regulars, and they actually welcomed me there whenever I showed up because they liked seeing him get beat consistently.

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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Sat Apr 04, 2015 12:11 pm 
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This just happened to me two weeks ago. A visiting player came up to me after a late 15000 perfect countdown. He asked "What do you do?". I thought he was being friendly so I assured him I was no PHD. His next question was "So you ve seen all 15 of those questions before?". Without waiting for my reply he stormed out the door. I was a little stunned at first then realized it was quite rude and insulting. I love playing with players who are better than I am both to learn from them and to post better site scores.

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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 11:42 am 
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It's an interesting dynamic. There are only two guys that sometimes come in and play when I do. One's above average, the other average. Early on,they figured out me: I wasn't there to compete against others as a kind of counting coup, but against myself. I don't care if I win a game, I don't care if I medal, all I care about is getting the maximum score possible that leads to the highest average possible (which also leads to the informal rule of no sharing answers at least from them). So for those guys, they don't mind at all and play with me whenever they get the chance (yeah, it helps also that we have the same interests in sports and politics as to why we hang around), even if they know they're very likely to lose and very likely if scoring well to get aced off the national boards because I'll go better and unlikely to crack the month's top ten unless they can go close to perfect. They're kind of like me in that they see this as an exercise in maximizing their own performance regardless of who else is there, not some vainglorious exercise in ego-boosting (as it would seem more than a few people, according to these anecdotes, regard the game).

By contrast ... there is one guy who some months puts up a score or two that will survive on the LT or CD top ten that likes to lecture other players on the night shift/weekend crowd (they tell me, those who sometimes come by in the afternoon) about why a certain answer is correct, etc. Rarely I see him when I'm there, and when I do, he never plays.

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 Post subject: Re: Are better players ruining Buzztime for others??
PostPosted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:28 pm 
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While I was much stimulated by RHINO's complaint regarding pop culture questions, and the ensuing debate regarding confirmation bias, I believe this thread, initiated by LILJOL, is the most important thread on NewScaratings. What have we learned over the last two years?


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