Policy Change: How Blocking Works in Domino!
Background
Last year, we implemented blocking - the ability to block a player that was being abusive in some fashion - for instance, verbal abuse through chat was a common complaint.
When you blocked a player, all games you were playing with that player were immediately voided, and that player would never be allowed to start a match with you again.
Unfortunately, unsavory players began to abuse this system, playing random matches and blocking anyone that was beating them - artificially enhancing their own stats while abusing a system we had put in place for the protection of our players.
How we dealt with this: "Muting"
As we roll out more features, some of them will rely on stats to rank players or appropriately match random players with each other based on skill levels. Being able to game the stats had to end.
Starting immediately, the way blocking works will change.
- Blocking a player will continue to block that player's ability to challenge you to a game, or be connected with you in a random match.
- Blocking a player will "mute" any existing matches - you will no longer see their username, and chat will be disabled. The match will not be automatically voided.
- EVERYONE WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE ALL MATCHES, OR RESIGN AND TAKE A LOSS.
- In a new update due out soon, you will be able to unblock players you had previously blocked.
This effectively ends the ability to game the system and artifically inflate statistics. The playing field is once again level.
However, blocking retains its function of removing abusive interaction with another player, by hiding an offensive username, disabling offensive chat messages, and so on.
We expect two things to come of this, both of which are positive:
- Players who used this feature to game the system will find their losses begin to mount, and will leave the game in frustration.
- Once they are muted, abusive players will discontinue games and take a loss. They too, will hopefully see futility in their attempts to be abusive, and leave the Domino! community in peace.
We take abuse of Domino! and players seriously
We did not come to this policy change lightly. Protecting our players from unsavory characters is one of the things we take most seriously.
"Gaming the system" by blocking winning players and artificially inflating statistics is as much abuse of the Domino! community as any other method of abuse or intimidation, and we have put an end to it.
Addressing your concerns
If you have further concerns about abuse in Domino!, please contact Domino! support at abuse@flyclops.zendesk.com and we will address your concerns individually.
As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We would be nothing without such a strong, dedicated community, and for that, we thank you.
