Map of the Week

I propose the following: each week, it could be designated a "map of the week", and, for that week, the games on that map would give extra tokens (x1.5?) and extra points (x1.25?). This way more people would try different maps, and maybe the live games lobby wouldn't be filled with 10 different world classic games.

I also propose that the maps could be chosen like this: The system would randomly choose 5 of the maps on the site, then assign a chance depending on the number of played games on that map. An example:

1. The system randomly chooses World Classic, Falkland Islands, Westeros, Korea-Japan, Mediterranean States.

Falkland: 1895 games
Korea-Japan: 1079 games
Mediterranean: 5696 games
Westeros: 1136 games
World Classic: 82055 games

Total games on these 5 maps: 91861 games

2. The system sums the total games and throws a random number between [0 and 91861). Then if the random number is

0-1894: Falkland Islands out.
1895-2973: Korea Japan out.
2974-8669: Mediterranean out.
8670-9805: Westeros out.
9806-91860: World Classic out.

Repeat 2 until there is only one map left which would be the map of the week.

After a map is chosen as map of the week it can't be randomly chosen in the step 1 for a long period of time (say 15-20 weeks).

What do you guys think?

That's quite a bit of coding. If you saw the programmers to do list then you would know that the only way this would get done is if a coder was really interested in this idea. Personally I would never spend my time on it. I would rather just choose the map of the week myself and spend 2 minutes on it.

The extra points incentive doesn't feel like a good idea to me and the extra token incentive seems too small to make a difference.

I think a better way to promote a map is to use it in a tournament. If players have a good experience on the map then they will be more likely to choose it.

I like the idea of promoting the less used maps and I think we should brainstorm ideas for doing so. But please keep it simple to program.

Then please change the topic title accordingly.

Well it could be an idea to select one map each week, and at the end of that week, the X players (depending on the map size) who got more points on that map qualify for a final game which would give an honorific title of 'Map Dominator' or something like that, then some extra points/tokens to the winner. It would incentive the players to use the least popular maps, as long as those are the chosen maps.

Love the idea. Tokens or tournements work pretty easily. I hated Saturn (let me finish, vexer) until Clarke made me play caps on it then realized it is the most balanced evenly matched caps map possible and now I love it. (See, totally worth finishing)

I even think it would be cool to have another map similar that somehow divided by 12 or even 24 so 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 cap games would be perfectly matched. But that's off topic. The point is, the tournament did exactly what Vexer proposed.

I think the general idea is alright. Writing the selection algorithm you described is not a lot of work at all, I think (I should be able to write that in 30 minutes). I am however not sure about the actual results of a map being map of the week. For long term games for example this also wouldn't make sense, because they usually already go on longer than one week.

If you can come up with some cool "perks" for the map of the week, I might just implement that, but I have one or two other things I'd have to do first and it is hard for me to make some time to program for DXII, as I also have another (programming) project going on which is 20+ hours a week on average and I need some time off as well

Maybe the idea can be modified... If the bonus are given for every game, the game could be labeled when it starts so the bonus apply even when the week is over for a long term game. If we want to get a ranking of those maps (for a final game or something), it should be announced with enough days, so long term players can qualify. Otherwise, live games players would have a big advantage.

Perks? There aren't too many things... the only possibilities I find are extra points (a small bonus for the winner of each game and/or a big one for the final winner/s), extra tokens (a small bonus for the winner of each game and/or a big one for the final winner/s), participation in a final game/tournament, and a new special rank. Personally I think that small prizes for each game will attract more users, because the chance of getting them is much higher.

Every game on the map of the week that finishes in the span of that week results in 40 tokens instead of 20 tokens.

That takes care of the timing, and gives a huge incentive to those trying to buy rank, mainly the newer members who haven't played many maps, which is the target for this I would assume.

Then on the create game (new one, wouldn't even mess with this on long term games, if they end in that week, good for them haha) - Put the map of the week at the top of the list with (map of week) in parenthesis like (beta) is for Solar System now. The badge image for the map of the week in the live game lobby could be changed for that week. Give it a yellow or red border indicating map of the week.

Personally I would give the bonus based on the start of the game time because this way long term games can also get it easier.

Psymon, the program for tokens and points awarded I believe is all done at the end though.

Another idea, if the map is premium make it accessible to all for that week at no token hit.

Yes, but if the game is labeled upon start, then checked at the end, it's pretty simple to double the tokens then, and fairer for non live players.