Intentionally Losing Matches

[Bongle]

The highly negative response this thread has elicited is hilarious given that many elite (i.e. the ones we all strive to be) teams will actively score against themselves in years when the rules allow it so that they can have a higher RP.

Every time I see a team scoring on themselves, I think of it as being a fairly mean thing to do. They are essentially saying to the other alliance: "We feel that We have you beaten so badly, and are so confident that you lack scoring skill, that We're going to score for you". There aren't many other ways to interpret scoring on yourself. Sure, they're just trying to climb the rankings and it isn't anything personal, but it does send a message to the losing side. I wonder if that is why the last 2 years have had rules prohibiting teams from being able to score for their opponents.

Anyway, 1281 could have benefited (but obviously didn't) from this strategy at Waterloo this year. An effective lapbot, we ended up 8th alliance captain. Since Waterloo is a quite small regional, we might have been picked 2nd by a not-8th team and had a better run during eliminations than we did getting crushed under the wheels of the 1114/2056 juggernaut in quarterfinals.


I think a good way to make this (throwing games to avoid being a captain) strategy ineffective would be to allow teams to deny their alliance-captainship and just join the pool. I'm sure there are teams that would do it, hoping for a selection by a more powerful alliance. You throw away your guaranteed position in eliminations for a much lower probability of being selected by a better alliance.