Git Yer Stats Here! Hot Popcorn! Beer!
bonHomme
Join Date: 2002-12-03 Member: 10424Members
Join Date: 2002-12-03 Member: 10424Members
Hey All,
Because I read a lot more than I write on these forums I've noticed a lot of anecdotal experiences used to argue a claim.
Par examplar: "DOOD fades SUK because I lost 3 times to them last night!!!!!!"
Now I'm new to this whole new forum thingy--I'm old darn it-- maybe that's just the norm. But that don't sit well in my craw. I went to college darn it, and in college they teach you the power of STATISTICS.
The only people that use anecdotal evidence to argue a point are either Ancient Greek (I.E. really dead), or religous fanatics (I.E. really crazy). Anecdotes play to the emotion not the intellect. If you need to scream and yell about one side being better than the other, vent elsewhere. Go yell at your mom. It's tough being a kid I know, but don't burden me with your whiney skulk sorrows unless there's a percent sign somewhere to back it up.
It's statistics that win the argument people. It's the numbers that win the election, just ask G.W.
What I'm asking for are posts, who present straightforward numbers. Most important with any results you post-- keep your opinions to yourself. If you're going to take a side, let your numbers --not your adjectives-- do the arguing. Let the intelligent forum members that we are make our own judgements. And let the rest go vent to their Moms.
They don't have to be your posts. You can link someone else's. Just reply with mature un-anecdotal posts or links that you found supremely helpful.
Please don't respond to the validity or accuracy of any of the posts herein. If your going to flame, flame the guy who creates a new post based on crappy data. I'm hoping this will become a library of numbers. And as in any library, Crappy Romances and Classics both get shelf space.
AGAIN: DON'T FLAME OR PRAISE IN THIS POST! JUST POST THE NUMBERS!
<a href='http://www.geocities.com/kitsune/ns-stats.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.geocities.com/kitsune/ns-stats.htm</a>
(Sorry Kitsune, I couldn't find the original post. If anyone can, please reply here with it.)
Now Gimme your digits!
bonHomme
--Edited some grammar and spelling screwups. I'm a fuddy duddy--
Because I read a lot more than I write on these forums I've noticed a lot of anecdotal experiences used to argue a claim.
Par examplar: "DOOD fades SUK because I lost 3 times to them last night!!!!!!"
Now I'm new to this whole new forum thingy--I'm old darn it-- maybe that's just the norm. But that don't sit well in my craw. I went to college darn it, and in college they teach you the power of STATISTICS.
The only people that use anecdotal evidence to argue a point are either Ancient Greek (I.E. really dead), or religous fanatics (I.E. really crazy). Anecdotes play to the emotion not the intellect. If you need to scream and yell about one side being better than the other, vent elsewhere. Go yell at your mom. It's tough being a kid I know, but don't burden me with your whiney skulk sorrows unless there's a percent sign somewhere to back it up.
It's statistics that win the argument people. It's the numbers that win the election, just ask G.W.
What I'm asking for are posts, who present straightforward numbers. Most important with any results you post-- keep your opinions to yourself. If you're going to take a side, let your numbers --not your adjectives-- do the arguing. Let the intelligent forum members that we are make our own judgements. And let the rest go vent to their Moms.
They don't have to be your posts. You can link someone else's. Just reply with mature un-anecdotal posts or links that you found supremely helpful.
Please don't respond to the validity or accuracy of any of the posts herein. If your going to flame, flame the guy who creates a new post based on crappy data. I'm hoping this will become a library of numbers. And as in any library, Crappy Romances and Classics both get shelf space.
AGAIN: DON'T FLAME OR PRAISE IN THIS POST! JUST POST THE NUMBERS!
<a href='http://www.geocities.com/kitsune/ns-stats.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.geocities.com/kitsune/ns-stats.htm</a>
(Sorry Kitsune, I couldn't find the original post. If anyone can, please reply here with it.)
Now Gimme your digits!
bonHomme
--Edited some grammar and spelling screwups. I'm a fuddy duddy--
Comments
I've got 2 digits for you, one from each hand <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
<jk>
/ Wheatevo
There's your numbers <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Thank you, bonHomme.
You know, Mark Twain once said that there were three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned lies, and Statistics.
(And yes, I realize the irony of using an anecdotal quote to argue this point, thank you. =P)
But statistics can be manipulated all sorts of different ways to make it SEEM like one result or another is the most common. Whether intentionally or by accident, statistics can be skewed in any number of ways.
If you ask people to report their own numbers, you will get an inacurate picture of NS players because:
<ul>
<li>Only people who use these foums will respond. (You won't get data from noobs, nor from players who didn't happen to see this thread.)
</ul>
<ul>
<li>People will only respond if they feel like it. (People who believe strongly that the game is either flawed or balanced will be more likely to speak up.)
</ul>
<ul>
<li>People who respond may exagerrate or lie outright. Especially if the only people replying are those who feel they have something to prove (see avove)
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Plain 'ol Human Error (People try to be honest, but forget about half their battles/games, or remember things differently from how they happened.)
</ul>
Now, I heard a rumor that Flaya was planning on adding some automatic statistic-gathering code to NS that will record such things as marine/alien win ratios, number of times a structure gets built/used effectively, what weapons cause the most kills, etc, and report all the information back to a central server, and use THAT in conjunction with player feedback top determine what needs to be nerfed and by how much.
This would be a highly accurate way of gathering statstics, provided that lamers don't find a way to abuse it. (I.E. starting a match with a group of friends who do nothing but spawn as marines and let a fade kill them over and over, or even worse writing scripts that pretend to be NS and send false data back to the server.)
Oh, and I eat at Popeye's.
This would be a highly accurate way of gathering statstics, provided that lamers don't find a way to abuse it. (I.E. starting a match with a group of friends who do nothing but spawn as marines and let a fade kill them over and over, or even worse writing scripts that pretend to be NS and send false data back to the server.)
Oh, and I eat at Popeye's.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This would be a damn good idea... As many people like to exaggerate things to get something changed. (coughFadescoughcough)