I'd like to see added the ability for us to rank the games that we have in our requested list. Being able to list them in order of the ones we want the most (similar to the Queue that Netflix uses) would allow for a little more control over what games we receive. That way if there are multiple games on our list that have matches, it will match our highest ranked games first. Probably not as important for those who have really high feedback and can trade a lot of games at once, but for newer people it would be a nice feature IMO. Not sure how much work it would be to program though.
I find the "On Hold" feature very usefull for keeping game requested and not loseing my spot in line while only having the games I really want "Active" means I wil only get the game I truely want. I go thru games thid way. Get one activate another, Unless I'm Low one points or trade credits, then I only hae a couple "active"
Give this a try, it is not exactly like ranking but will help out a bit.
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Yep, I use the "on hold" as well but I think having the ability to list a ranking queue would be a better overall solution. It might be too hard to add but if not I think it would be an improvement worth making.
I know we talked about that before in some thread, but the bottom line is this - the likelihood of two games coming available simultaneously is ... uh ... pretty near nil if my math is correct
I honestly think that the 'on hold' is a much better way of doing things - I have been doing this more and more. I have a pretty large amount of points available so I was just letting everything fly but got a couple of marginal games for way too many points recently so have rethought that whole thing.
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When you have lots of trades open, it's not an issue. But take my case for example. I have only 3 trades available. I have 2 games that have been shipped, leaving only 1 trade open. I have maybe 15 games that I'm interested in. Right now I have to put all but my top 2 or 3 choices on hold and wait to see if any of my top choices will get a match. Then start adding a game from my hold list one or two at a time until I get a match if I want to have much control over what I'm receiving. There's really no way to know how many of the 15 games that I want I could get a match on so the only way to control it is pretty tedious for those of us who are pretty limited in trades available. If I just stick them all on the activate list, then who knows which one I'd get with my one open trade spot. So yes, the hold list helps but I really don't think it's the best way to do it. Of course, that's just my opinion and I'm sure others feel differently.
But what would the ranking actually *do*? That is my concern - would it see that you have matched your #5 game, but are next in line for #2 and then wait for X hours / days to see if it goes through before matching? I get the Netflix analogy, but in their case they control the inventory and can deal with dynamic predictions and so on. Unpredictable supply causes real issues for demand.
Well if it were my design, I'd still have the hold list but the activated list would be ranked according to which games you wanted the most. Everytime an open trade came available, it would search for a match according to that ranked activated list. If you have a bunch of open trades, then it's not going to make a difference, but if you're in a situation like I described above it will try to match your higher ranked games first. It may not be successful, but at least it's going to look for those games before matching with one of the lower desired games. Hope that makes sense.
Not to toot my own horn, but I have a ton of points, enough trade credits, and because of my good works, all the trade spots that I can ask for...so I do admit that I don't truly understand the wants or needs of someone who is new here to Goozex.
But I was once a noob here....and the solution is an easy one. Much like you do with your checking account, or at least what a responsible person would do, bank enough so that there is always a surplus. Cover yourself. I understand the mentality behind ranking games, but
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bjbarnett:if you're in a situation like I described above it will try to match your higher ranked games first. It may not be successful, but at least it's going to look for those games before matching with one of the lower desired games. Hope that makes sense.
I understand the concept entirely, but not the mechanics. Perhaps it is the engineer in me, but I'm looking for the solution, not the problem.
OK, you have one slot and five games you want. Game #4 comes available. What does the system actually *do* - look to see if #1-3 are ready for trade? If they were, why wouldn't you have matched already? Or, if it takes rank into account in generating a match - in other words if your #1 came available but someone else was ahead of you in line but the game was their #5 should you get it first? That sounds like a solution fraught with its' own problems.
I don't necessarily oppose this, I just can't see the solution.
I do understand that there are work arounds with the hold list and over time any advantage of a ranking list kind of disappears when you get to a certain level of trader greatness. ;)
I was making this suggestion as a way of improving things for new members and giving them at least some small degree of control over their game requests. I don't think it would have any negative affect for anyone and I think it would be appreciated by newer members. It's always important to make a good impression on new members so they keep trading and the site continues to grow.
txa1265: bjbarnett:if you're in a situation like I described above it will try to match your higher ranked games first. It may not be successful, but at least it's going to look for those games before matching with one of the lower desired games. Hope that makes sense. I understand the concept entirely, but not the mechanics. Perhaps it is the engineer in me, but I'm looking for the solution, not the problem. OK, you have one slot and five games you want. Game #4 comes available. What does the system actually *do* - look to see if #1-3 are ready for trade? If they were, why wouldn't you have matched already? Or, if it takes rank into account in generating a match - in other words if your #1 came available but someone else was ahead of you in line but the game was their #5 should you get it first? That sounds like a solution fraught with its' own problems. I don't necessarily oppose this, I just can't see the solution.
Here's how I see it working. Yesterday I had three games shipping to me. 0 trades available and 15 games in my list. Then I got a game yesterday and gave feedback. I now have an open trade available. Goozex would look at my activated request list and try to match game 1, then game 2, then game 3, and so on until it finds a match. As it is right now, I have no idea which order it looks for games. That's all I'm suggesting is being able to tell goozex what order to look for games to match when a trade becomes open.
Now in your case, it's not going to matter because you have plenty of open trade spots and as soon as any game becomes available that activated it's going to match it. It doesn't matter if there's a ranking list or not. But for us lowly new traders, it would be somewhat beneficial in at least knowing that before it matched game #12, it at least looked for a match of the first 11 games.
What you must also consider is the fairness to the sender and to Goozex, as a business. It is in Goozex's best interest to provide the greatest number of successful trades for the largest number of people...not just to satisfy those wishing to send and receive the most popular of games. And the fairness to the sender is just as equally justified, no? Again, I understand your frustration....but just be patient, be judicious in what you "want", and once you are an established member here...you will come to better understand why things are the way they are. Of course, there is room for improvement, but I don't think that this is one of those areas.
Lurknomore: What you must also consider is the fairness to the sender and to Goozex, as a business. It is in Goozex's best interest to provide the greatest number of successful trades for the largest number of people...not just to satisfy those wishing to send and receive the most popular of games. And the fairness to the sender is just as equally justified, no? Again, I understand your frustration....but just be patient, be judicious in what you "want", and once you are an established member here...you will come to better understand why things are the way they are. Of course, there is room for improvement, but I don't think that this is one of those areas.
Please don't get my wrong. I'm actually not complaining. This is the suggestion forum and I saw something that I felt could be improved. I really don't see how this could be unfair to anyone, the only thing it's doing is giving some definition to the order in which the program searches for matches.
Sorry if I gave the impression that you were complaining. I was providing what I thought was an objective rationalization.
So the only way that this could *ever* happen is:
- You have multiple games in your list and no open trades.
- You are the only requester - or the first requester in line when points / trades open up for more than one game.
Am I correct? Do you realize the confluence of events needed to make that actually happen?
Anyway, let me just assume that it does happen and that the Goozex staff wants to implement it. What will the average new person assume when ranking their requests? They will assume that they are telling the system the order to ship them stuff as if they were on Netflix. This will end up causing more confusion than it would help people, in my estimation.