Tournament Scoring - Part 3: Draw Size Scoring (DSS)

If we're looking to score Diplomacy games based on the rules of the game, there are just three outcomes: a win, a draw, and a loss.  A scoring system based on these outcomes would therefore be based on whether the game was won, or whether it ended in a draw.  These systems are called Draw Size Scoring systems (DSS).

The basic model for DSS systems is:

• The result is based on how the game ends only.
• If you win the game outright (solo), you take all the points in the game.
• If you are part of the draw at the end of the game, you receive the points avaialble in the game divided by the number of players in the draw.
• If you lose the game, you receive 0 (zero) points.

The most basic version of this is the Calhamer Point system, designed by the great and good ABC himself.  If you soloed, you earned a point.  If you drew the game, you scored a number of points based on how many people you drew with.  So a 4-way draw would provide 0.25 points, a 5-way draw 0.20 points.

Other versions use the 100 point total, or even a common multiple of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7, such as 42 or 420, which means that only whole numbers are involved.  Sometimes, players may be able to discount the lowest scoring game (or games).

Evaluation based on objectives

In a previous post I identified what objectives a scoring system should meet.  Let's have a look at how DSS meets these objectives.  Green objectives are achieved, orange objectives are partially achieved, and red objectives are not achieved.

• Players should be aiming to win the game.  The highest number of points on offer is for a solo.  However, because a solo isn't worth more than a specific number of draws, eg two 2-player draws or three 3-player draws, solos aren't over-exaggerated.  Still, some systems will score a solo as being slightly higher than this, or reduce the points on offer for draws.
• If unable to win, players should be playing to (be included in the) draw.  As the system is based on the result of the game, this is objective is also met.
• As far as possible, being able to play each game as you would a stand alone game.  Although the games are scored on results and therefore the objectives of a stand alone game, because more points are awarded for fewer players being involved in the draw, this results in draw-whittling.  This is when players deliberately play to eliminate players to get a better result.  Not how a stand alone game is normally played.
• Within the practicalities of the tournament, games should be played to a natural finish.  Again, draw-whittling means that the game doesn't necessarily finish as it would do naturally, although this is the only aspect that is affected.
• Games should be fun and interesting, not predictable.  This is the main problem with this system. Players tend to play to draw, although the best draw they can get.  Assuming you can be part of a 4-way draw at worst, you can usually guarantee doing fairly well.  Obviously, the fewer players in the draw is better but a draw is usually the best result you can get.  This means that players are not often prepared to use risky strategies, and alliances are rarely broken in order to try for a solo.  The big criticism of DSS scoring is that it produces boring games.
• Players being able to play a game which allows them to play to the scoring system.  It's a simple scoring system and easy to play towards.

Practical Considerations

One of the biggest problems this system has, over a small series of games which is the norm for a tournament, is that scoring will not easily differentiate between players.  Most games will end in a draw and, on pure DSS scoring, it's possible that many players will end on the same number of points.

This often means that tie-breakers are used.  For instance, players on equal points may be differentiated by the number of games they had better results in.  Here's an example:

Pos  Player   Pts     Solos  2-way   3-way   4-way

1.     Anne     100     1         -            -            -

2.     Barry    100      -         2            -           -

3.     Colin    100      -         1            -           2

The problem is that you are still going to get ties, so it may be that bonus points are awarded, and this is often linked to the number of SCs a player has when the game ends.  When this happens, however, it can mean that grabbing of SCs becomes as important as getting a result.

TOURNAMENT SCORING series:

1. Tournament Games are Variants
2. What should a good scoring system do?
3. Draw Size Scoring (DSS)
4. Supply Centre Scoring (SCS)
5. Other Scoring Systems
6. Summarising the Problem with Scoring Systems
7. The Mystery Scoring System Explained
8. Does Mystery Scoring meet the objectives?