Why is there an alpha player problem……”Because I Said So!”. This is, maybe, an extreme example of a problem that often plagues cooperative games. One player can dominate the game and try to control the direction of the game, which is usually only fun for only one person, the Alpha Player. The other players can experience everything from mild annoyance to outright anger. Some people consider this a fault of the game, while others believe it’s a problem with the game group. Regardless of who’s fault it is, it’s a problem which must be addressed and I believe I may have a solution.
I believe the problem isn’t so much that there is an Alpha player, it’s more about who takes on that role. In order to keep the game flowing, decisions must be made amongst differing opinions, and sometimes these decisions are arbitrary. The game must carry on and a dominating player will occasionally step in to attempt to break a stalemate. This problem is even more likely to occur when one player is more familiar with the game than the others. Pushing through a decision is a necessary function for any group task, but it doesn’t have to be performed by the most dominant or aggressive member of the team. Why not elect an Alpha player who is fair and whose decisions will be readily accepted by the group. Players can elect one member of the group as the “Alpha”, who will make the final decisions whenever the group reaches an impasse. This player doesn’t necessarily have to be the most experienced player, just the one who can make the most impartial and fair decisions.
The players will hold a simple election before the game begins. Each player will pick a first choice and a second choice. (A player cannot pick themselves as a first choice.) The votes are tallied and the player with the most total votes is elected “Alpha”. In the event of a tie, then the one with the most first choice votes will be the winner. If it is still a tie, then the winner will be determined randomly. The “Alpha” will have the final word whenever the players cannot agree. This might help to alleviate the Alpha player problem.
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