Online gaming has created something called esports. This is where a
group of people complete head to head in online games such as
Battlefield 3, Call of Duty and other titles. There are some big prizes
that can come along with winning and sponsorships etc.
To make esports better they are pushing for the makers of the games to
include "Spectator" mode where they can choose who to watch so that
others can watch and then drawn into the competition itself.
These people are serious gamers and the ability to show off the game
just brings more players into the game. Players commonly stream their
game play on sites such as Youtube or Twitch.tv and they have lot of
viewers.
I think the contesting community is missing out on a grand opportunity
to show off our SPORT because many of the top tier competitors are
fearful someone might glean some piece of competitive data from the
scoreboard. If the Esports community has rallied around spectator mode
where there are real prizes at stake, is there really any reason we
can't work on something similar for contesting where egos, and plaques
are the are stake.
My question to the top dogs in contesting are you really interested in
promoting our sport or are you more concerned about your own
accomplishments?
Can you imagine a web page that might be showing the real time logging
and video to go along with the contest. A page that is listing the top
10 rate ops, top ten scores, top 10 mults,etc and be able to check out
other participants in your neck of the world. I realize that not all
ops will want a camera stuck in their face for 48 hours. In a CW
contest it would be fun to hear the comments of N2IC or K5ZD, K3LR ops
etc as they work a rare one or just reeled off a great run.
If your competitor is watching you, they are flat out losing.
I think this would be a load of fun for those not as competitive and
might encourage others sitting on the fence to jump in make some contacts.
The opportunities to sell our sport and hobby are endless, if people
will start to embrace things like the scoreboard.
Mike W0MU
On 2/24/2013 7:15 AM, Gerry Hull wrote:
Stan,
Getscores has been up for more than five years, and the Russian site has
been up for a year or so. No contesting authority has made any restriction
against the sites, and I don't think they will.
If you are using the score posting site to make decisions about what to do
in a contest, you are not a player at all. In the best case, they can
provide motivation. They can provide some indicator of strategy, but you'd
better have your own strategy if you want to place well.
It is the option of the poster if they want to send their band breakdown.
If they don't, it's pretty difficult to make any type of strategic
decision based simply on a score. What it does do, however, is motivate
people to try harder and stay in the chair.
Those who use the scoring sites comment that it makes the whole process
more interactive. For those who won't place in the top ten, they
typically "battle" with another local, and have more fun!
I find Skimmer and the RBN excellent for testing what my signal strength is
around the world during a contest. For example, from the east coast,
within one minute of working my 1st station in EU (when the band opened to
Europe on 40m Staturday afternoon), I could see my signal strength come up
on the RBN.
Stack skimmer spots and work em? What's wrong with that (in Multiop or
Assisted)? The idea here is to encourage MORE participation in contests.
Evidence says that is happening. For traditionalists, that should make
them happy -- more people to work. If you don't want to operate that way
-- cool, more power to you.
My hats off to Pete and all the RBN crew -- it's an excellent network.
They are doing things to improve the accuracy. None of what they do
prevents "man and his radio" operation.
73, Gerry W1VE
8P1V next weekend, "man and his radio" mode, with Score Reporting to
www.getscores.org.
On Sun, Feb 24, 2013 at 6:51 AM, Stan Stockton <wa5rtg@gmail.com> wrote:
We posted our score to the RU site in the last contest for the first time
and, although hesitant about doing that, I'll admit it was fun and
entertaining. Can't say I would have felt exactly the same if N3RS had
been posting his score while trouncing us by about 8%.
I assume, but am not sure, that the only reason for using these sites is
so you can look to see how you are doing compared to the competition. I am
not sure about this but It makes sense then, to me, that single ops who are
posting their scores are looking at that site - otherwise why post (for
everyone else's entertainment?
It also makes sense that if you are looking at the site that you see
others who are posting their scores and since you can see where the QSOs
are racking up you know when and what band the other stations are running.
Although not a HUGE problem at the moment with the number of stations
posting to these sites, it occurred to me that as it grows and even being
suggested by NQ4I that it be required (probably not going to happen) that
single op unassisted entrants are actually assisted since they can know
when and what band a juicy multiplier they need is running.
Take just a little bite at a time and 10 years from now it could become a
scheduling process where the stations are programmed to jump around the
band working everyone with computer interfaces. If there are new
participants they will like it all in the name of technological advancement
and the old guys will still be complaining.
Next little bite, in my estimation, is getting Skimmer to copy and stack
the call signs in a pile up to be picked off one after the other. Surely
this has been tried? Just saying...
73...Stan, K5GO
Sent from my iPad
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