Ratings Available

Well, where we certainly disagree is on what kind of accomplishment you get if you get the raw data from SOM or get something from someone like myself. Winning a ring is a great accomplishment either IMHO. I know you disagree. No problem.

I've being playing FTF for 35+ years so I too can look at a card and make an evaluation, not everyone has spent the time to learn how to do that. And, I would argue, it's easy to miss the finer points of a card. OTOH, you can also pick up the finer points of a card.

In any case, I think it's live and let live. Everyone has a way of evaluating players (or they should) and if it's working for you, my services aren't for you.

I have found, however, that many appreciate that a lot of the "grunt" work is done with the ratings and they can get on to team building which is its own challenge. Not everyone wants to pour over the cards or count them as Steve is pointing out.

Not sure we're ever going to agree, but it's an interesting conversation!

Well, where we certainly disagree is on what kind of accomplishment you get if you get the raw data from SOM or get something from someone like myself. Winning a ring is a great accomplishment either IMHO. I know you disagree. No problem.

I've being playing FTF for 35+ years so I too can look at a card and make an evaluation, not everyone has spent the time to learn how to do that. And, I would argue, it's easy to miss the finer points of a card. OTOH, you can also pick up the finer points of a card.

In any case, I think it's live and let live. Everyone has a way of evaluating players (or they should) and if it's working for you, my services aren't for you.

I have found, however, that many appreciate that a lot of the "grunt" work is done with the ratings and they can get on to team building which is its own challenge. Not everyone wants to pour over the cards or count them as Steve is pointing out.

Not sure we're ever going to agree, but it's an interesting conversation!

It has been an interesting conversation, and I've enjoyed it...despite Radagast's ill-informed intrusion. Don't sell yourself short, however, by calling evaluating/rating players "grunt work." As I've said before, in evaluating/rating players for people who buy your guide, you're doing the most important work of the game, the very work that enables their team building.

And, since I have great respect for players who can actually evaluate players on their own, I respect both your evaluating abilities and the quality of your endeavor...and I hope to see you in a league soon.

Ah, don't diss Radagast.

As for the grunt work. Once you get a formula of some sort, I think it *is* grunt work. The hard part is figuring out how to turn your evals into a good team!

Both parts are important.

Cool stuff.

Ah, don't diss Radagast.

As for the grunt work. Once you get a formula of some sort, I think it *is* grunt work. The hard part is figuring out how to turn your evals into a good team!

Both parts are important.

Cool stuff.

I wasn't "dissing" Radagast at all. What I said about his post was absolutely true; it was an ill-informed intrusion. Radagast erroneously told me "you made your point, you do not need ratings from everyone else." This statement was woefully ill-informed because, as you yourself know, my not needing ratings from everyone else was not my point at all. My actual point--which I cogently expressed in three posts--was that evaluating players is a major part of the game, so those who evaluate players by using an outside ratings guide achieve less in winning than those who evaluate players for themselves. Thus, "ill-informed intrusion" was not a "dis" at all, but an acutely accurate evaluation of Radagast's unfortunate post. Radagast just needs to put more effort into his reading other people's posts and more thought into his thinking out his own.

And yes, both parts--evaluating players and team-building--are important. However, we still disagree on whether evaluating players or building teams is more important. As I've said before, you can't build a team well without the right pieces, and since evaluating players gives you those pieces, I consider it a greater, more important challenge...the fact that many need ratings guides to play speaks to that challenge. And it is so far from "grunt work." "Grunt work" denotes tedious, thankless work, while evaluating players gives you the rewarding challenge of exploring/analyzing/deciphering new cards and of honing your card-reading abilities.

Anyway, cool stuff as always. I truly look forward to playing you in a league soon. With your considerable player-evaluating abilities, you should be a formidable opponent.

For me the most fun is in evaluating the the players and drafting teams.

the actual simulation and results
not so much

considering the cost of dinning out or a movie
a team in strat brings far more hours of enjoyment.

For me the most fun is in evaluating the the players and drafting teams.

the actual simulation and results
not so much

considering the cost of dinning out or a movie
a team in strat brings far more hours of enjoyment.

What a great point!

Yeah, don't dis Radagast Brown, ah just kidding. But thanks for sticking up for me Joe!! I will definitely be in touch about your ratings service. Good luck to all you guys!

For me the most fun is in evaluating the the players and drafting teams.

the actual simulation and results
not so much

considering the cost of dinning out or a movie
a team in strat brings far more hours of enjoyment.

What a great point!

Absolutely! Now I just have to convince my wife of that!

For me the most fun is in evaluating the the players and drafting teams.

the actual simulation and results
not so much

considering the cost of dinning out or a movie
a team in strat brings far more hours of enjoyment.

What a great point!

Yeah, I completely agree with the Ghost of Roger Maris on what the fun parts of the game are. I also agree with him on the value of a strat team. Fortunately for me, my wife drank the Strat "kool-aid" long ago.

For some of us SOM is a lifelong hobby. I stopped playing in my 20s but I always knew I wanted to come back, when I found the on-line gaming I was in heaven. Two months of fun for 20 bucks is a bargain, especially when you can win free credits, make new friends, and get old friends back into the game.