Here are some things I am considering for the next season of RPS. Please give me your thoughts. I would like to make it a little simpler, more like a World Cup with Groups of 4/6 teams, play each other once (probably twice or more if you want a longer season or if we have fewer teams). The Top 2 from each Group move on to the knock-out stage. Play would go as it always has with everyone submitting 5 picks of R, P, or S, and compared to your opponent to determine a winner. In the Group Stage, a Loss gives zero points, a Draw give one point, and a win gives three points. Tie-breakers for Group standings shall go in order of Points, Goal Differential, Goals Scored, Head-to-Head match results, and finally a shoot-out match between the teams.
In my opinion, there is a little too much randomness in how the matches are played. Unless you're really good at guessing what your opponent is thinking, then matches can truly go either way. There is little thought or strategy involved to sway the outcomes. So, I'd like a chance to gather your input on some new ideas to bring in some strategy. Here is a list of what I'm thinking about:
Cheats. You earn tokens based on the number of points you score in a match. You can use these tokens later to buy "Cheats". With a Cheat, you would learn something about your opponent's picks, and spending more tokens would give you better information. For example, if you spend one token, I might tell you that your opponent is not using Scissors in this match. For two tokens, I might tell you your opponent's third choice is "R". I might also be able to tell you whether you have won or lost a match and give you the chance to change your picks. These are just some ideas. Obviously I can change them or add more. Your "Cheat" will be random when you buy it, but certainly helpful in some way. I have not decided whether you can buy more than one Cheat per match. Also, I am pretty set on Cheats not being allowed during shoot-outs...you're on your own there, buddy.
Additional choices. Picking from R, P, and S can get a little boring. Why not add a few more to the mix? Did you happen to see the episode of Big Bang Theory in which they played Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock? There are also some other numbers games like Morra or Chopsticks that we could try instead of RPS