A LITTLE over my head, but one thing stands out: > From: Andrew Plotkin <erkyrath@xxxxxxxxxx> > I don't have the IGDC#5 ballots in front of me, but I'm positive that > changing them to "unlisted entries tie for last" would change the outcome. What about my "Guestimate" summation method (see the Google spreadsheet, sheet two): http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pqnM2cZcPLm0qxv1F1TILMQ&hl=en In that page, I applied the next-lowest rank to unranked games, NOT last rank. The presumption is that--though equally bad--they are still "tieing" for the next-lowest position in the ranks. > It's not a fair comparison, though. The contest was run under the > instruction that leaving a entry off neither helps nor hurts it. If you > change how you interpret the ballots, you have to tell people in advance; > it changes how they'll vote. Oh, absolutely. This competition is decided, for good or ill (in terms of "perfection" of tallying). This line of discussion is, however, still very valid, because I'd prefer that we use the most "satisfying" or "proper" method of tallying, going forward to Winter 2008 and beyond. In particular if it all is being encoded into a new script that we'd (ideally) use and reference indefinitely. > The solution I'd actually recommend is to say: any game which is listed on > fewer than N ballots is eliminated. An interesting compliment to my (proposed earlier) idea of disregarding any ballots with fewer than, say, half the competitors ranked. Of course, one need only "lump in" the unplayed games in a ranking to fill it out (arbitrarily or by "feel" or based on reading of the rules and immediate interest [Andy]). (hehe... as Doug points out in the next e-mail in the thread!) > From: Doug Orleans <dougorleans@xxxxxxxxx> > > 32 Moon Shot > 30 Zamboni Wars > 30 Penguin Soccer > 28 Geomancy > 25 Pylon > 21 Trip Away > 18 Subdivision > 15 Martian Coaster Chaturanga YAY! I won the Player Interest and Participation Consolation Prize (PIP Prize!) by being ranked on all but, what, four rankings? I am consoled.... ;^) David