Player Elimination VS Fighting For Third Place

Ken B. wrote:

My big thing with people ranting about player elimination is this...


The complaint is always, "People eliminated and have to wait and watch for several hours!"


But #1: People who don't like player elimination don't play games that last several hours

#2: No modern multi-hour game features player elimination as a common element. Sure, it's *feasible* to get eliminated in TI3, but it's not even remotely common.

And #3: eliminated players can play Mario Kart while they're waiting for the next game.

Michael Barnes wrote:

The complaint is always, "People eliminated and have to wait and watch for several hours!"

Oh, that's just one of the anti-elimination arguments. Other good ones are:

"The eliminated player will have to spend the rest of the evening fetching chips and drinks for the other players" (my all-time favorite)
"The eliminated player will have to go home early _thus wasting their entire evening_" (this is true- THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION)
"Who wants to be eliminated from a 4 hour game in the first hour?" (note to those players- PLAY BETTER)

What are you talking about, Barnes? These are all TRUE and show us exactly why player elimination is so awful.

Didn't you read section 42 of the Titan rules?

42.1 - No playing other games after you are eliminated. Even once a second player is eliminated, you must sit quietly and wait for Titan to be finished.
42.2 - No socializing with the other players after you have been eliminated. Do not even think about helping run the game by serving a GM/referee role, helping book-keeping, etc. while socializing with your friends. Sit quietly and wait for Titan to be finished.
42.3 - You may only break the silence demanded by 42.1 if it is to ask the other players what they would like to eat and drink. You must fetch it for them if they are asked.
42.4 - If you don't like the preceding paragraphs, feel free to hang your head in shame and go home. Remember to tell your wife/dog/couch that you are a loser.

Mad Dog wrote:

And really that's what Player Elimination does best. It adds a level of tension so that not only are you trying to win, but also trying harder not to lose. You will fight for second place because anything else means you're out of the game.

This is really why elimination is sometimes so perfect. It gives the actions you are taking some weight because you don't want to die. I think there is a lot of mental baggage associated with the concept of being actually eliminated vs still "playing" but being totally unable to actually do anything meaningful. You fight harder to stave off death.

I'd say in most cases I'd much rather be brutally slaughtered in a blaze of glory on my way out than reduced to dicking around meaninglessly with no power to even come close to victory.

One other thing that player elimination does is allow you, the eliminated player or players, to either

1) Do something else while the other players finish each other off

or

2) Fully focus on the strategies that better players use to become better at the game. If you are half azz dorking around with no chance to win but you still are forced to play until the end you are likely less focused on what the other players are doing well.