mauvebutterfly
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 720
Registered: 05-03-2015
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This is something I've been wondering for a while and thought I'd finally ask.

When you are 1 move off from the top score in the room, why do you get a 3rd place tie instead of a 2nd place tie? I played a room where the 1st place score was 100 moves. I did the room in 101 moves and got a 3rd place tie. After fiddling with my solution a bit I saved a move and got a 1st place tie.

It seems to be impossible to get a 2nd place tie. I'm wondering what the reason is for this and why a score that's off by a single move gets considered as a 3rd place tie instead.

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106th Skywatcher

Someone Else
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1300
Registered: 06-14-2005
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Well, if there's a 1st place and someone tied with 1st place, the next place available is obviously 3rd, right?

If there's a 1st but no tie, you can get a 2nd place.

mauvebutterfly
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 720
Registered: 05-03-2015
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If 8 people tied for 1st I still get 3rd place tie though.

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106th Skywatcher

Xindaris
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 1531
Registered: 06-13-2015
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Ok, that is strange. My expectation would be either 8 1st-place ties and then a 9th-place tie, or a 2nd-place tie...not an arbitrary-seeming cutoff like 3rd or 4th. Is 2nd place more significant than 3rd in some kind of forum score computation or something?

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109th Skywatcher

Here are some links to Things!

Kargaros
Level: Delver
Rank Points: 58
Registered: 04-06-2010
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I believe it's because there can be only one 1st place in the scoring, so anyone tied with 1st is actually counted as 2nd place in the scoring.
From time to time I have seen "2nd place" pop up in-game, and that has always been in cases where there were no one tied for 1st, so the 2nd place in the scoring system was "free".

In conclusion, when you see "1st place tie" in-game, you are actually assigned 2nd place behind the scenes so that the 1st place holder remains unique.

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95th Skywatcher

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[Last edited by Kargaros at 12-04-2022 09:17 AM]

Nuntar
Level: Smitemaster

Rank Points: 4590
Registered: 02-20-2007
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For those curious, here's a previous discussion of the system and why it works the way it does.

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50th Skywatcher