Bonus Ladder Points vs Ribbon Awards System Poll

[Compass Rose]

The Blitz is in the process of considering a new or modified rewards program for our members.

Currently, per the Blitz Rules of Engagement (ROE) #3 "...Blitz members are rewarded with ladder points for playing, whether they win, lose, or draw. A player can also be awarded bonus ladder points for additional activity at the club (i.e. H2H testing, writing a book review etc…).........etc."

With the current rewards system, points are awarded to members who help volunteer their time and services to the club and these points are added to their total PBEM ladder points, which at the end of each calendar year resets back to zero.

The new proposed Ribbon Rewards System would be awarded in place of the current Bonus Ladder Point System.

Here is an example of the ribbons that would be used.



The ribbons would be awarded in the same manner that the current bonus points system is awarded however, the ribbons will be displayed permanently in a members' profile as long as they are a member at the Blitz.

One ribbon will be awarded with up to four battle stars, which would actually stand for five battle ribbons. After the 4th battle star is awarded, the next time a member is to be awarded the same ribbon again, they would then be issued a new ribbon and the process would repeat itself.

Here is an example of what the battle star ribbons look like.










We would like to know which system would you like to see the Blitz use?

The poll options are:

1. I would prefer to see the Blitz keep and use the currently-in-place Bonus Ladder Points system.
   
2. I would like to see the Blitz adopt the new Ribbon Awards System and do away with the Rewards Point System.
   
3. I would like to see a combination of a Bonus Ladder Points and the Ribbon Awards System used together.
   

Please vote for one of these options in the poll displayed at the very top of this thread. Each member will be allowed to vote for one option.

[PawelM]

I like the proposal to replace bonus points with ribbons and voted accordingly. I am very much on favour of ladders capturing purely competitive side of involvement in the game and other aspects being rewarded differently, eg proppsed ribbons

[Otto von Blotto]

In the absence of a not really fussed option I choose a mix of both systems as a compromise.

Edit : as I think a bit of an explanation is in order. I think modders, testers, reviewers and club officials ect should be rewarded tangibly for taking part and helping out. I am certainly not against a ribbon reward but I think some tangible points towards the ladder should also be awarded maybe at a lower rate ?

I quite like the fact that yearly it's not necessary the best players that take the top a places in a ladder, being a good player helps but being committed counts and should be rewarded with something substantial otherwise you may find some testers that are hard to find as it is spend less time testing, improving and more time concentrating ladder games to the detriment of the games and site as a whole.

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

The ladder points don't actually disappear, they go into your overall total and each year everybody starts at zero. At least, that was my impression. A mixed system would be better as ribbons can be given in both ways, gaming, tourneys, assiting the club in different ways. Points can just stay with the gaming and trivia or just the gaming if there was a different idea for the trivia.

[Boisforas]

Nice idea-combine both the ribbons & the pts. Eric

[Crossroads]

In the absence of a not really fussed option I choose a mix of both systems as a compromise.

Edit : as I think a bit of an explanation is in order. I think modders, testers, reviewers and club officials ect should be rewarded tangibly for taking part and helping out. I am certainly not against a ribbon reward but I think some tangible points towards the ladder should also be awarded maybe at a lower rate ?

I quite like the fact that yearly it's not necessary the best players that take the top a places in a ladder, being a good player helps but being committed counts and should be rewarded with something substantial otherwise you may find some testers that are hard to find as it is spend less time testing, improving and more time concentrating ladder games to the detriment of the games and site as a whole.

Hear hear. I also believe there should be tangible rewards for work performed for the community. H2h testers, articles, AARs, whatever keeps the Blitz an active place for grognards around the globe.

Maybe it should be considered there would be 'a view' for listing players' ladder points based solely on games played too. Then that aspect could be rewarded too, annually.

But the effort put in for the better of the community should be rewarded too, tangibly as OvB said.

In other words, the overall rank (the one based on ladder points) a member holds should give anyone interested a good view of the person it belongs to, and I would consider other activities worth acknowledging too apart from just game results when the overall rank is considered.

Ie. I might suck as a player and never have enough time to play but I am still a Technical Sergeant thanks to my H2H testing etc too, and carry that rank proudly!

But yes, do add ribbons and medals there too.

Just my 0.02, of course.

[Kool Kat]

Gents:

As the Blitz H2H Commander, I believe that our small cadre of volunteers who design and test scenarios, write book reviews, AAR's, strategy articles, and perform a myriad of other tasks, deserve to have their efforts recognized in a tangible and meaningful manner.

IMO, these volunteers' contributions should be "ranked" as they are currently done in our existing bonus system program.

I also believe that the number of bonus points that are awarded for H2H testing should be reviewed. Currently, designers and play testers are awarded 20 bonus points per scenario size modifier. IMO, these point levels are too high and should be reduced back to 10 bonus points per scenario size modifier. I also believe that a bonus point reduction in H2H testing would address any ladder irregularities.

I will be reading your feedback with much interest! Many thanks for all members' votes and input on this important topic!

[burroughs]

Definitely a vote for an incentive to contribute more for the community wellbeing - a good wargamer amuses himself and states a challenge and a nuisance at the same time for his opponents whereas activities that exceede merely digital fighting promote some kind of general development, keep the community alive and inspired and that way benefity anyone interested. Perhaps those interested, given their relatively low numbers, might be given a choice among rewards available so indeed a type of combined system would be applied.

[PawelM]

It seems most people who want to keep point bonuses believe in tangible rewardsas a key for keeping up people involvement. I am not sure on what way the points are more tangible reward than ribbons? As a matter of fact I think ribbons more clearly show up on players profile and slow his involvement in other activities than pure gaming. If you were to look through players profiles you would not find many with ribbons. For me a ribbons are equally tangible and better exposed in the players profile than points which are mixed within normal games. Tribbons are certificates of achievement which are more prestigious than points. So maybe this is why I do not understand argument about thepoints as the only tangible reward

[Gila]

I say anything that helps keeps interest up, is a very good thing!
Yay to ribbons