Bad Metrics

Since the start of my successful SNE pursuit in 2009, and probably dating back into mid-2008, I've used VPP count as pretty much my only metric for "effort" at the tables. I really don't have a very large gap between playing my best and my worst relative to other people (this isn't necessarily a good thing), so I rarely feel like I have played particularly well or particularly poorly on any given day. Thus, what remains to feel good about is how much work got done, and VPP count was an inaccurate but seemingly meaningful way to measure that because they were worth something.

With the changes to the VIP system introduced this year combined with the state of SSFR, VPPs suck. I'm getting around half the VPPs per hour I was in 2009, probably even slightly less. Obviously, the VIP changes are costing me money. In total, I'll likely be out around 15-20k on the year compared to what I would have earned had 2011 VIP policy remained. What bugs me though isn't the money, but because VPP generation was a metric I've used for so long, it almost never feels like I'm putting in a respectable effort according to that VPP number, even when it feels like I'm working hard.

Obviously, I need a better metric. It isn't that I haven't adjusted by cutting tables and relying much more heavily on pure table winnings for profit - I have, and that started in 2011. But as a short term metric, profit is an even worse choice than VPP count for the obvious results orientated reasoning. All that leaves me with is hours, which is what I probably should have been using in the first place - but hours don't get turned into bonuses worth several thousand dollars, which causes a notable lack of appeal.

Anyway, I finished up a play through of another classic SNES RPG last week, that being Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals. It was as great as I remembered it, and isn't far off from the holy trinity of Square SNES RPGs in quality.



In fact, the experience was so much fun I've spent some time the last three days messing around in C# throwing together some bits of an RPG engine for the XNA (XBox/Windows Phone) framework. I'm actually really thrilled with my progress so far - maybe it just feels good to write code again - but who knows, perhaps I'll release an indie retro RPG for PC/XBox in a couple years.