Adrenaline Pool and the Lechers

I really like to while away some time shooting pool on my iphone. It's relaxing, fun, involves a little skill -- and I'm usually not frustrated by people cheating. Finding a cool pool game is a real bonus for me.

So, I downloaded and have been playing Adrenaline pool lite. Now, I confess to being naive -- I **thought** this was a pool game. As in billiards. As in 8-ball and its ilk. It never occurred to me that this was pocket pool for the socially bereft.

Now, I should have suspected that something was "up" when I went to seek a match for my first game -- there are several criteria to toggle on or off -- the first being "No offensive language". I like that criteria, so I left it toggled on. Who needs to be offended while playing a game for relaxation? Not me. Then I noticed another choice -- one that allowed a player to select female opponents only. Odd. And even more odd that there is not a reciprocal election (i.e. elect male opponents only). Great, a game where the female players are the prey. Not so cool. (Can you tell yet that I'm female?).

So, I play -- and I've logged in quite a few hours playing.. and I like the game itself.. except more than 75% of the time I have some guy trying to hump my leg like a horny chihuahua while I'm trying to play pool. Opponents often quit if I fail to respond favorably to their crude and amateur advances (here's a hint guys -- if your best "game" is "Hi. Age." or "I'm horny" -- then you don't have game). If I try to politely rebuff the lechers (I've tried telling them everything from a polite "hey -- can we just play pool?" to telling them that I'm 893 years old and trying to make a joke out of it). But, I end up with angry guys who somehow think they are ENTITLED to my compliance with their quest for prurient fodder. Meanwhile, their drivel is filling up 20 to 25% of the playing area of the table -- and won't disappear while I'm trying to set a cue ball that they've scratched.

Now, it's not ALL bad -- I've had some pretty cool conversations with people on the game -- male and female. But those are rare (oh wait, that's just like real life too -- my bad).

So, what gives? Is this game really better titled as "Pheromone Pool" and just a thinly veiled bastion of *adult* chat and I didn't know it? Is there an "understanding" about the game that I missed somewhere? Or is it that no matter where you mix testosterone and the internet you end up with males who are on the hunt to conquer something or another? Or is it that I'm just a rare female who doesn't need to spice up their life with titillation with random strangers?

Oh, if I switch my gender in the profile for the game to male, it does eliminate *some* of the issues -- and also eliminates the bulk of the opponents -- who've apparently selected "female opponent only". So, that doesn't help much either if you actually want a decent shot at finding an opponent. As it is, there's already a cadre of players who will only play if its their break (they're trying to artificially inflate their rating by only playing when they break - it's easy to run the table and win -- they quit on you if it's not their break -- and there's no penalty to them for doing so).

So.. is there a better pool game? Or a better way to pour cold water on the chihuahuas? A better caliber of player somewhere else that plays with some sense of sportsmanship?

Oh, and what gives with the darned chat in the game popping up and incessantly covering up the table?

 

893.