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How many rating points does each Zone player begin with?
Everyone starts off with 1600 ratings points in rated rooms, except in rated Backgammon games. In Backgammon, everyone begins with 1500 rating points.
How are Backgammon rating points calculated?
The Zone uses the rating formulas established by FIBS (First Internet Backgammon Server). The FIBS rating system uses three factors to calculate the rating adjustments after each match:
- The length of the match.
- Each player's experience.
- The difference in ratings between two players.
For the FIBS formula on how to calculate your Backgammon rating points, click Backgammon:Calculating Rating Points.
Do the doubling cube, gammons, and backgammons affect the way a game is rated?
Before play begins, the host sets a point value for the match. The first player to accumulate this many points wins the match. The Zone Ratings only consider whether you won or lost a match as a whole, not the number of match points you won. The doubling cube, gammons, and backgammons increase the match-point value of games within a match. They can help you win a match faster, but they don't affect the rating-point value of a match. You do not get extra rating points for earning more match points than required to win the match.
Are games played with computer players rated?
No. Games against computer players are not rated. You must not add or exchange any players during the course of a game if you wish the game to be rated. Let's take an example where in a card game there are four players and one of the players is a computer player. If the computer player is replaced by a new player, rating points will not be awarded to any players for that game.
What is an Incomplete?
In a rated game, you can get a win, a loss, a tie, or an incomplete. The Zone understands that any player, for various reasons, may sometimes be unable to complete the game, hence the name. You can receive an incomplete in two ways:
- If your connection to the Zone is dropped after the first legal move is made, the game's considered Incomplete. In Backgammon, this means that if you quit or are dropped after rolling a die to see who goes first, your game is considered incomplete.
- If you ALT+TAB from a game and close the game room, the Zone will not be able to record your score, and you will get an Incomplete.
How are Incompletes calculated?
For every five incomplete games, your rating will decrease by the points you would have lost had you stayed in the games and been defeated, plus the average of those points as an additional penalty. So it's better to stay, complete a game, and lose than to leave early. Your rating points will thank you.
Here's the formula:
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Incomplete penalty=
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(cumulative points lost for games 1 through 5)
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+ (the average points lost for games 1 through 5)
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Can an Incomplete be removed from my record?
Yes, every time you complete 50 games (win, loss, or tie), an existing Incomplete will be removed from your rating record. You do not have to complete 50 games in a row, just a cumulative 50. No credits are given toward future Incompletes, however. In Age of Empires Expansion, it's the completion of 20 games, instead of 50, for an incomplete to be removed from your record.
What happens when players have the same number of rating points?
When players have the same number of rating points, players will be ranked by random selection. For example, player A and B both have 1700 rating points. Player A is ranked 3rd and player B is ranked 4th. Players A and B will not have the same rank.
What happens to the game and my rating when a player has not made a move for an extended period of time?
If your opponent does not make a move in the appropriate time given, then you have the option to either leave the game and take a win (your opponent will get a loss) or wait for your opponent to make a move.
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