Voting System - Points From Ties

Author: Mharman

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Mharman
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If you were to count the votes on this debate, you would think con won 14-0. But when you look at the screen, the counter displays that con won 21-7. What the heck?

That's when it hit me. If a voter picks "tie" on any category, it will award points to both pro and con. That's stupid. Please make it so that no points are awarded for ties.
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@Mharman
Yeah, you are not the first one to complain about it, I will fix it at some point, it's just not really a priority at this point. Hopefully I'll fix it this month though. 
Raltar
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Cool. That makes sense to me as well. 

Particularly the "conduct" category. I've seen a lot of debates where I really hated the idea of either participant getting any points from that category.
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I fully agree
3RU7AL
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@Mharman
Since a stalemate is a draw game, in tournament chess or scoring chess, each side would score half a point.
If the point is to encourage debate, it seems that some minimum points should be awarded for a tie.

Mharman
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@3RU7AL
No. It's doesn't encourage anything. It's basically just consolation points for losing.     
Raltar
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Yeah, the points have no effect unless you have more of them than your opponent at the end. So even if you get a vote where the voter says you tied in three categories, but he gives the fourth category to your opponent, that is still functionally a vote for your opponent. From a purely mechanical standpoint, it doesn't actually matter if a tie awards equal points or no points, because the outcome is the same.
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The problem with a tie awarding points to both parties is that it psychologically suggests that both parties did well in that category, but usually when I give a tie it is because both parties were equally bad.
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@Mharman
No. It's doesn't encourage anything. It's basically just consolation points for losing.
Rewarding participation encourages participation.

It takes a fair amount of effort to compete in a formal debate.

If I have no faith in the impartiality of the judges or the fair mindedness of my random opponent, a point for a tie seems a small thing to ask.

Also, a tie is not a loss.
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@3RU7AL
Giving people free points for participating isn't going to encourage anything. No one gets motivated by participation trophies.
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@Mharman
Giving people free points for participating isn't going to encourage anything. No one gets motivated by participation trophies.
This statement is provably false.
Mharman
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@3RU7AL
*Almost no one.