I don't want to go into further analogies, since there will always be aspects where the cases being compared differ, but I think my main point here is pretty clear.GhostFrog wrote:
The triathlete analogy is subtly flawed - a swimmer is not a triathlete and if a swimmer one day decides to go for a short bike ride and then for a run, he is still not a triathlete. If you play any of the 4 osu! game modes, you're an osu! player.
You can categorise everyone as an "osu! player", but it doesn't change the fact that the 4 game modes are distinct games on their own, bundled together. An osu! standard player is completely different from an osu! mania player. And as you said, if an osu! standard player decides to play some others mods too, it still doesn't make him an all-mode player and should not be included in the same ladder, since their efforts are not comparable.
Yes playing one or more games included in osu! connects them, but that's not more relevant for the sake of rankings than playing games connecting people as being "gamers".
Every game mode is a legitimate part of osu!, but they are different games and they have their own ladders. Not everyone is interested in playing different games apart from the one of their choice, so yes it is unfair to compare someone who only practices one game mode with someone who is interested in all of them. Ranking an osu! standard player together with an all-mode player is not much different, than trying to rank an osu! standard player together with someone who plays stepmania and sound voltex and some standalone taiko game too. Playing different games within osu is optional just like playing separate rhythm games, and not a necessity of being a good "osu! player", thus no ranking should indicate otherwise.GhostFrog wrote:
the most common objection to an overall ranking (or perhaps the only objection aside from concerns over implementation details) is that it's unfair for players who only play one mode to have a bad overall rank listed on their profile. I honestly can't see how that's a problem unless people seeing every game mode as legitimate is a problem