let's hope enough people will get to 1900 level so this won't happen too often.
Definitely thid is an argument against 2100 level table, where vary few people can play and can start punishing the new players joining their exclusive club.

to defend myself (and the others). from what i recall of that particular game:
four players left. one slightly stronger than others, one slightly weaker. bakunin was the weaker. i was one of the middlemen. me and the other middleman allied against the table's strongest (this is good tactics and never frowned upon). at this point, we had him outnumbered. everybody expected bakunin would ally with the strong guy, since they had good position with each other. after a couple turns, the two middlemen (myself included) started winning against the strong one. then bakunin decided to join in the fight, but instead of allying with the strong, he decided to jump on the allied bandwagon, and clean up the strong guy. the three others of us thought this was very cheap of him, trying to take advantage of the one who was fighting and losing. so we agreed we should finish bakunin off first since we considered it a table sin (yes, a table sin).

our reasoning was: the two allied deserved better finish than bakunin, since we were initially allied, and never allied with him. the strong guy deserved better finish than bakunin, because he put up a valiant fight, whereas bakunin tried to parasite his way to 3rd or higher.

anyways, thats my $0.02

If you know that players are teaming up before the game or are letting their friends off easy, post it on their personal pages.

The only way to police is through reputation.

...and I would quickly delete said comments...

Really there is no way to control pre-game alliances. And there is nothing wrong with them. (IMO)

I played several games with all of these players and i am not suspecting them of pregame alliances.

I guess this is an ethics/moral problem + good diplomacy by the formerly strong guy.

You are right Bakunin, there is some friendship sometimes on 1900 which can be annoying if you are not in. This is part of multi player aspect of kdice.

There is also some basic code of conduct. However, if a player achieves to convince two other players that the fourth player is evil, i would not call that friendship or pre-truced but excellent diplomacy.

It is frustrating getting owned by a three-way alliance. I agree.

Iv played with 'Monte Carlo' so many time, most games I play with him he has a pre-game alliance..... Its to the point where if you see him in a game you will decide to leave as you know someone else at the table is supporting him in a hidden alliance. Well thats all i got to say.....Hutchy

<blockquote>If you know that players are teaming up before the game or are letting their friends off easy, post it on their personal pages.

The only way to police is through reputation. </blockquote>

I post it in my own page, that way it never gets deleted. Plus my memory sucks, so I check it when a name rings a bell.

I agree with this setiment Bakunin -- it takes a while to break into the social network that exists @ the 1900's table. And there is no doubt if I'm looking to attack one of two players... say... Hart vs MrNoName, I will tend to attack MrNoName. I think that the scoring change will actually encourage "unofficial pre-trucing with people you know and like" since mid-game trucing's effect is now minimized.

Even if we went to the extreme scoring method where only 1st place wins, you'd still see unofficial pre-trucing "round robin" partnerships whereby players A, B, and C who all know each other would help each other win "their fair share" of games... No system is perfect, the new system is better than the old, as I've seen the "good ol' boys" actually *asking* to be killed early by their buddies.

"If you know that players are teaming up before the game or are letting their friends off easy, post it on their personal pages."

people can delete comments from their personal pages.

wow, why am i having to defend myself so much? maybe i am a pregamer?

CURB_STOMPER is one of two people that out and out hates me in this game. he plays with the name hutchy2 i believe? there were a series of four games where i laid into him hard, and he got pissed that thats how it worked out, which i understand. the last time i played with him, i made sure to take others out before him, but apparently that gesture meant nothing, even if he said thanks at the time.

but i have worked hard to make a reputation of being a fair player and an encourager on the table. i feel this thread is giving me an unfair reputation. will any acquaintances stand up for me? (thanks alg).

but it is fun sitting down at a table with hutchy2, i always alert the table that there is a pregame enmity on the table, haha. its fun to see him so suicidal-bomber-like.