Thoughts/Ideas on Tournament Format....

Martin Mayers

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What are peoples thoughts on preferred structures for tournaments?

Straight knock out (random draw) ?

Straight knock out (seeded) ?

Individual league structure (matches within randomly drawn/structured) ?

Multiple mini-leagues (seeded/unseeded?) to semi final then final ?

Any other ideas ?
 

Vinnie

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I was impressed with the multiple mini straight knock out style at aslok. Groups of 8 plsying 3 scenarios i a day. It is intense and needs effort from the irganiser to make it happen.
The knock out format ensures that casual play will occur as well as tournament.
I like the non seeded nature but I would want the draw to be done so I did not play any of my regular opponents. I don't want to travel 300 miles yo play the guy I see every week.
Scenarios in advance or on the day doesn't bother me. I don't take the time to do more than look over them. I don't care enough to go all out to win.
 

Martin Mayers

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I was impressed with the multiple mini straight knock out style at aslok. Groups of 8 plsying 3 scenarios i a day. It is intense and needs effort from the irganiser to make it happen.
The knock out format ensures that casual play will occur as well as tournament.
I like the non seeded nature but I would want the draw to be done so I did not play any of my regular opponents. I don't want to travel 300 miles yo play the guy I see every week.
Scenarios in advance or on the day doesn't bother me. I don't take the time to do more than look over them. I don't care enough to go all out to win.
To clarify.....it has to be based on one, full, single tournament (not multiple minis - even though I love them). There is a very good reason for this.

Thank you for the comment about regular opponents....that's something I had not thought of. That would be a real challenge. Perhaps some kind of regionalisation to keep regular oppos apart ?? Hmmm. That might lend itself to multiple mini league format....but then you could still end up playing a compadre in a semi or final....hmmmmmm :)
 

Ganjulama

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Straight knock out (seeded) ?
This is what we use at the Bitter Ender 32/16/8/4/2 over 3 days. We use AREA ratings for seeding and it has worked out well.

I don't want to travel 300 miles yo play the guy I see every week.
We do reserve the right to tweak the seeding so this does not happen. Changing from a 16th to a 17th seed does not make much of a difference and it insures players who play regularly are on opposite sides of the bracket, so they won't meet until later rounds.
 

Vinnie

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Just get a list from people who have regular opponents. I'd only do that for the first round. Only happened once since Pete did not realise that Ian Steve Tony and I had all come down together. It was our first visit so there was no reason for him to have thought that.
I'd imagine that Mark and Craig would want to be apart for the name season is not like to play Steve in the first round.
 

lightspeed

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Double One's format (separate divisions for the main tourney) is excellent. I'm guessing it's because the minis are on Friday and
there are only three rounds in the main event.

At the Canadian tournament (more or less) everyone plays in every round. The winner of a scenario gets 10 points plus one point
for every victory their opponent had up to that match. I think it's called Swiss style.

indy
 

RRschultze

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Use the “randomator” it’s the only way! Works well for the FA Cup!
 

Ganjulama

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The Swiss style is the format at Grenadier. I like it.
My only issue with Swiss is if one of your opponents leaves the tournament early, you loss those points. It usually does not make a difference but the possibility is there.
 

Craig Benn

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If you have sixteen entrants (as seems likely), have the final on the Saturday night rather than the Sunday morning. The final can be a longer game so a better test of skill and if it overruns it can be finished Sunday morning. Then you don't have the situation a few years ago when the final didn't get finished and the players met up later to determine a winner.

I like the mystery scenario in Double One, but this should only be for one round. It's handy publishing the rest of the rounds in advance not so the top players can shark (everyone who is arsed can prep) but so you can play without people spending ages on set up (and other people sitting round doing nothing). Plus people bringing a small travel kit need to know what to bring. In fact a max time limit to set up may be in order (30mins?45mins?)

For the scenarios, variety is key. A bit of this and a bit of that. One PTO round with 2 PTO and one other scenario - so the people determined not to play PTO can escape if they meet a like minded soul.

I prefer a completely random draw for all rounds. Seeded vs lower-seeded may be objectively justified but I think it discourages the lower seeds who can dream of a favourable run to the final...instead of expecting to get knocked out in round one.

You don't have to be too radically different - the key is picking good scenarios.
 

MajorDomo

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Playing previously unknown scenarios leads to mistakes in setup, VC understanding, SSR understanding...

No fun to play a scenario where one side has gacked setup. A waste of time.

Rich
 

Martin Mayers

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You don't have to be too radically different.
Don't have to be....but want it to be.

This thing is going to be a test and challenge, for a prize which is quite expensive, unique, one of a kind, and which people want to fight to win.

It will be very different....but a total blast I hope

Thanks for everyone's input thus far. It has re-affirmed that some of my thinking is right, and also given me some really useful ideas.
 

lightspeed

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Playing previously unknown scenarios leads to mistakes in setup, VC understanding, SSR understanding...

No fun to play a scenario where one side has gacked setup. A waste of time.

Rich
Hey Rich,

Agreed 100%. I think a way to mitigate it is to have a discussion with your opponent about all of those things before anyone sets up. It doesn't have to be a
long discussion. I'm sure it's what a lot of people do in non-tournament play, so it's easy to port to a tournament. But maybe I'm wrong in believing most people
do this.

I played Age Old Foes (ages ago). It was a nail-biter that came down to the last roll... We're putting the stuff away after the game and figure out we had the
boards in the wrong orientation.

indy
 

Martin Mayers

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Hey Rich,

Agreed 100%. I think a way to mitigate it is to have a discussion with your opponent about all of those things before anyone sets up. It doesn't have to be a
long discussion. I'm sure it's what a lot of people do in non-tournament play, so it's easy to port to a tournament. But maybe I'm wrong in believing most people
do this.

I played Age Old Foes (ages ago). It was a nail-biter that came down to the last roll... We're putting the stuff away after the game and figure out we had the
boards in the wrong orientation.

indy
An idea...

What's stopping a Tournament Director from getting everyone in the room for one minute pre-scenario and saying "be mindful of the VC's, be aware of the importance of SSR2, and pay special attention to where the reinforcements enter" ?

Ideally with a flip chart, a British uniform, a stick, and a Polish guy who says "vot about the Germanssh"
 

Mister T

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What's stopping a Tournament Director from getting everyone in the room for one minute pre-scenario and saying "be mindful of the VC's, be aware of the importance of SSR2, and pay special attention to where the reinforcements enter" ?
Nothing. It was done at Copenhagen when the secret round featured completely new scenarios. The TDs made a pre-round briefing, explaining the main features of the three scenarios to choose from, using if i remember well a projector/beamer.
 
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