MP Game: How bad is too bad?

[Squirrelloid]

So, more generally, each person has some skill level s, and the set of players in a game generate some average skill level S. If player 1 has skill s1 << S, should he be removed from the game? How much less than S does s1 have to be before its okay to remove the player?

I would perhaps propose that if s1 >> S its a similar situation.

I see s1 << S as being far less imbalancing than s1 >> S. Sure, there's some localized advantage, but maybe player 1 is playing his first non-n00b game. Yeah, he gets trounced pretty badly, but he *learns* something from getting trounced. In a strategy game that is theoretically a test of skill, requiring everyone's skill to be approximately the same is self-defeating.

[WingedDog]

Originally Posted by Squirrelloid

but maybe player 1 is playing his first non-n00b game. Yeah, he gets trounced pretty badly, but he *learns* something from getting trounced.

Suppose you are new player. You join newb games -> time passes, you feel confident with newbs -> you join 'all are welcome' games -> you fill confident again -> you join 'no newbs' games -> you feel confident -> you join vets games
This way you wouldn't be trounced too hard at any level and gain experience step by step.

But if you'd say: "Hi, I'm Bob, I just bought Dominions, and I feel I'm ready to face the toughest players, cause I've read Baalz's guides and even got some words. Besides my gaming experience is 5 years and I'm pretty good at Warcraft, and Dominions is about the same", - you'd surely ruin someone's game if admin let you in.

Then again - if it is a vet only game admin isn't supposed to let new faces in, no matter how many "please, please, please, pretty please" they say.