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by stackghost 548 days ago
>The win or loss is ancillary to the experience for me.

Maybe because I primarily play sports and not chess but this attitude is completely foreign and mystifying to me.

Don't you feel bad when you lose? Why would you purposely engage in an ELO system that results in you feeling bad after 50% of games, and never gives you a sense of progress?

Isn't that profoundly discouraging?

Do you think Tiger Woods or Leo Messi wish they won fewer matches? Like I just can't get myself into a headspace where you're out for competition but are satisfied with a 50% win rate.
2 comments
lupire 548 days ago
The ELO system does give you a sense of process. Continuing to beat up weak players does not give you progress. It makes you the one eyed king of the blind.

Do you think professional athletes like Woods and Messi are stupid because they could be playing in Farm League and winning every time against scrubs?

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stackghost 548 days ago
>The ELO system does give you a sense of process.

By definition it does not, unless your definition of progress is "number go up".

>Do you think professional athletes are stupid because they could be playing in Little League and winning every time against kids?

So let me get this straight: are you seriously suggesting that you don't understand the difference between e.g. the format of the NHL or the FIFA world cup, and playing against literal children to pad one's win rate?

Because I think you're probably not arguing in good faith with that last comment. Time for me to duck out of this conversation.

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Retric 548 days ago
Progress is in the quality of the games not just an irrelevant number.

If you have a major skill gap, games become boring. Try playing Martin bot for 3 hours.

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refulgentis 548 days ago
I honestly don't understand your point and do understand his, and definitely don't understand why you took it so aggressively.

All he's saying is it's boring to win all the time.

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hn3er1q 548 days ago
It feels bad to loose but you also need the wins to feel good. Beating a low ELO player is about as fun as beating small kids at basketball or something. For me it’s not the win/loss that drives me but making fewer mistakes. If I loose a game where my opponent punished a minor mistake, fair enough, that took skill and I’ll learn from it and I don’t feel bad. But if I loose because I made a blunder (obvious tactical error) that sucks and I hate that.
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