I don't think it would make sense to nullify point loss if you don't get a turn. First, I think it's relatively rare for this to happen. I'm sure it does happen, but unless you've really pissed off a bunch of people, I really doubt it would happen much.

But even if you put that aside, if you made that change, with some collusion / friendships people could game it to their advantage. Like folding after the ante in poker, people could look at their initial dice and ask the board to eliminate them before their turn. You might say "that would hardly ever happen", but if the problem itself is rare, why introduce a new potential problem to solve this?

Finally, I really don't agree that this is a problem at all. If your initial layout is so bad (and you are late enough in the turn order) to be eliminated before your turn, then you could argue that someone who gets contiguous territories with big stacks shouldn't get points for winning. There is a good deal of randomness in this game, which might be frustrating when you're on the wrong end of it but over the longer term that same randomness helps you just as much.

Even if there are problems, I still think you should be able to hold losses deep when you get a bad start. <br/>
That could be done by setting a bet after seeing the start situation (eg say that you will play 30 points). All the points that have been set could then be reditributed. The wins and losses could then be distributed in some proportion to how much you have set (as well as to your rank and whatever is taken into account now)<br/>
like that cowards wouldnt get anywhere, because if you never set something youll never win musch, the system couldnt be exploited, and people who can read the games start positions could dose their wins and losses.

I was just having adiscussion about this and a similar topic of having bad starts and what not. I kow ther is a risk in sitting down, but why play if the point loss is that detrimental? GorillaMonsoon pointed out to me that if you lose so much, why sit down? It's so much like a gambling situation(thank you for your contribution, Gorilla M.) For example, I was over 1700 this morning. I have been playing a while, and I have an idea of good strategy, and have been utilizing basic ones(i.e. connect territories at first) to de well. But, today, after losing a game to get 1698, I was sick of this limbo crap, and headed for the pheonix challenge (JDizzle). I understand stupid people can mess with your game, and luck may be on your side,but, there is some sort of concern if people start losing interest. I am frustrated with the rollercoaster of 1700+ to 1500's. I also have no idera, after i've plaed over twohundred and fifty games (Mozzer, this one goes out to you) and still be stuck with 1790 something as my highestunofficial rank. I remember once when I wsa in a game where there were two sets of allies, ficghting amongst each other, while I was solo, and I won in the end. And I wasn't too big to start with (at least that I can remember). Not many of you who vote for this may read what I'll say about this, or anyone else who comments here, so I'll end this soon. I've realized the pointlessness of my dream of 2000+ (ever since my good luck at the beginning of my "career" got me into the game). Now, I have an idea of strategies and such, and still get kicked down by stupid things that don't go my way, a.k.a bad luck/voodoo, and I guess I've just lost interest. Anyway, there should be an easier way to cope with loss/ less loss. That's what Me(JDizzle/Agro Crag) and GorillaMonsoon think, respectively.

I apologize for the gross misspelling and untidyness of my complaint. ;)

"there is some sort of concern if people start losing interest."

20 people sign up everytime one loses interest. People lose interest, it's the way of the internet. The problem comes when you can't replace the people that have lost interest.

How about starting at 0 after 1st turn, then increase the point ranges per turn until 10th turn?

How do you expect me to PGE with this crap applied???

If you are good you win enough to compensate for the occasional surge of bad luck. If you are not you will lose those points soon enough anyways.

Cyber-Darwinism at work; a lucky poor player will always place far behind a unlucky good player, in the long run.

when someboby attacks you are already playing :)

No, you are just waiting to play even if you joined the game already. You are waiting for other people to finish off their first turns.