I don't define a game with a CD as ruined, they can still be fun to continue with, but the option would be nice for those of you who hold different opinions.

Another simple solution would be to keep canceled games partially on the record. Show the game in the game history of all of the players involved, but do not count it toward the game statistics of the players involved that voted for the cancel. However, do count the any resigns against players that were not present when the game was canceled.

This would make sure the resigning players get marked for the resign but it doesn't affect the records of the other players at all. It also keeps the history in the game in the record, revealing who played what country and what had happened. I know that some players don't like how the game completely vanishes due to a cancel.

Resigns in general are under-counted. Not only are the resigns from canceled games forgotten about, the resigns that turn into defeats and possibly the resigns that get taken over are not counted either. I always felt that those situations should not be overlooked. I believe the choice to make resigns turn into defeats might have been motivated to ensure that the different outcomes add up to 100%, but I don't see why the outcomes have to be mutually exclusive. I feel that a player should be marked with both a defeat and a resign if that's the case.

"do not count it toward the game statistics of the players involved that voted for the cancel. However, do count the any resigns against players that were not present when the game was canceled. "

I don't think this would work, or at least it would be difficult, with the current database system. Someone who actually knows something about that would be a better authority on this subject though.

I think the same holds true for the "defeat and resign" thing you were talking about. I'm sure a lot of that was motivated by technical concerns of the site. But if you ask me, the failure to count CD's properly is one of the biggest faults of the site.

I was halfway expecting a 'kill the CDer' comment ;)

I don't think this would work. Nor would you actually want it to in all cases.

Imagine you're in a game which is nearing the end. You've got 17 SCs, and another player, who has been a good and challenging opponent to you throughout what has proved a fun and satisfying game, is on 16 SCs. He's built up a stalemate line and you've been unable to get that elusive final SC.

One further player remains in the game, but he's only got 1 SC left, Tunis, where he has an army, isolated and unable to influence things.

You and the other major player are at a stalemate. You both agree that it's time to draw, and you make a plan to help the other player capture Tunis, thus eliminating the third player and enabling you to share a draw.

As the fleets move into position around Tunis, the third player gives up and goes CD. So the two of you vote "draw" and the game ends.

Clearly, this game was not "ruined" by the CD. Why would you *not* want this game reflected in your Ghostrating?

@Jamie and ☺:
1) I think that ☺ was suggesting that "ruined" be a 4th vote option.
2) I disagree with the necessity of a 4th vote option, since I think that cancels should basically include and serve this purpose.
3) My earlier suggestions were on how the behavior of canceling and record keeping could be modified in order to serve better as a way to signal that game was ruined without discarding it's history and forgetting about any resigns. It may be technically difficult given the site's design, but does that mean it shouldn't be done?

Yes, yebellz, was right. I think it should be a vote option.

But I don't think a cancel, and completely erasing the game, is a good option frequently, yebellz, but never for a CD. You can cancel a game for a number of reasons that aren't CD related, and I wouldn't want the game to exist at all after that point.

Perhaps you're right, ☺. A fourth option would provide more options and flexibility. I can certainly imagine other situations where the appropriate action is just to erase the game entirely.

The concerns that I would have about adding the fourth option are:
1) People possibly using it incorrectly (i.e., not knowing when to cancel and when to declare the game ruined), however people would eventually learn.
2) I don't really like so much that the non-CDing players have to have their records diluted by having been involved in abandoned games.

Yeah, I thought about that. But I'd imagine there's no way to both count the CD and not dilute the records with the current database.

And a "ruined" wouldn't necessarily be a mark of shame...

Note that games drawn in the first three years are not counted by Ghost Ratings. So just draw rather than cancel for early game CDs.

@Alderian, that is a very useful observation. It doesn't seem that many people realize this. Early game CDs often just get canceled letting the CDer's get off for free. Many players argue that they prefer to cancel in order to protect their GR, since a large shared draw could hurt them, so it's good to know that that point is moot.

for one, i didnt know about this. i think we need to advertise this a bit more