Typically good players do not earn many Experience Points(XP) for playing against a weak player. The handicap system addresses this, allowing players to make "bets" as to under what difficult conditions they can beat someone, such as:
- Quick: Win in less then 15/12/10 minutes.
- Life-Saving: Lose less then 12/8/5 units.
- Confident: Your units have -15% / -30% / -50% fewer hitpoints.
These bets can be configured and combined based on how hard players want to make life for themselves. The harder the game, the more Experience Points(XP) they can earn. This allows mediocre or weak opponents to become a real problem, because they have to be fought at a disadvantage.
Weaker player might lose a "normal" match, but in a handicap match they might have a shot, because their goals and their opponent's goals are not the same. There might also be bonuses, such as a weaker player starting with more units or more resources in their base.
The system suggests bets based on player ranks (or more precisely an internal "player skill level"), but players can adjust bets any way they want or even get rid of them entirely.
