The games relevant to advancement are done, the final 4 are in. Big round of applause for Nariziss, Drvumad, Daviddesj and LEiss! Ok, now the "bad" news. The patch is coming a week from today -- that is an official announcement -- and it is going to have balance changes. I do *not* know whether games started pre-patch will be impacted. Absent this info, we need to wait a week and play with the new rules, since having them change mid-game is obviously a no go. It is not viable for you to be stuck with the old version of the game for possibly several weeks - Drvumad would likely actually go mad. I'll ask on the RE forums. My hope and guess is that games that are in progress wont be effected, in which case we can get started. Please use this forum to hash out a format you can all agree on. So far, I think David and Drv have expressed a preference for one last round robin, but perhaps I am misremembering.
Confirmed that once you update, the balance changes impact games in progress. Accordingly, Round 3 will start on Wednesday or Thursday, post update. Dwarves are off limits, and if you get the new map, delete and start the game again. The balance changes, however, we are stuck with since its not reasonable to ask folks to refrain from updating for several weeks and thereby be ineligible for League play. Discuss the format for Round 3 below -- we have a week to talk
Another week wait?! sheesh! I like to think i'm as patient as the next guy, but group A dragged round 2 to nearly 3 weeks and now we are adding a 4th by default! I for one could manage to hack out round 3 and luck willing round 4 before the update! Lets go!
I'm fine with it, if you guys are fine with it. I dont want the rules to change mid-game though, that would cheapen it, so if we start, we dont update. How about a 4 person round robin with 2 games with each person, top 2 advance? Or head to head match ups of 3 games, we'll decide who goes first randomly, and I'll pair you by order you qualified (1 plays 4, 2 and 3 play).
The difficulty here is maintaining some consistency throughout the tournament. We started the tournament with a certain version of the game, but it seems that at least the final round (round 4) will have to be played (realistically) under the upcoming patch. I suggest that we either wait for the upcoming patch or we start round 3 but if we start round 3 then perhaps we should also start every potential game of round 4. That way round 4 will have secured pre-patch games, but the problem with this approach is that it would require us to start a bunch of potential games, and I don't know how many games round 4 will require between the top two. Alternatively, we can just start round 3, and refrain from updating I guess. Basically, if round 3 begins tomorrow, there would be six days until the patch, which will require about 9 moves per day per game to just about finish all games. The problem is thus: if your games extend for two weeks (which is possible at 4-5 moves a day with a 60 turn game), that means that you will probably be shut out from any non-tournament games for a week (since you won't be allowed to update). I don't mind waiting until the patch to prevent any accidental updating. I'd like to hear the opinion of the two other final four. Btw, what exactly will be the format for round 4?
Ok, we are short on time, and not everyone has wayed in, so I am going to make an executive decision. Round 3 is to begin immediately. Players may not update while the round is in progress. This will be a 4 man round robin, play everyone twice. Clear first wins the tournament. If there is a tie for first, there will be a playoff/Round 4 - i.e. the winner of the head to head match-up in round 3 will not automatically win. I will PM all four players. Good luck!
I figured the priority would be to wait for everyone to weigh in (or at least say that they are present but have no opinion), and if they hadn't, that this would mean that waiting would be the default option. But alright then, let's do this. Btw, is someone going to update the google docs excel sheet and add a new round? that thing is wonderful.
Round 3 Game 1 invites out. Feel free to invite me back for game 2 if you are up for both at the same time! I've copied the original spreadsheet and updated the round 2 results and added a tab for round 3 here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlY-gLOYNibZdFdSWUxaeGN6WjFRUl8zWGJkSXc3cVE
Btw, it should be a requirement that all games be started immediately. That way all games can take place under the current version of the game, whether or not they are played out immediately.
David previously suggested round robin, and LEiss said that he has more free time and doesnt mind playing 6 games, so I'm not completely power drunk. Maybe just a little Seriously, I just found out the update would impact in progress games, and I felt like I had to make a decision. Drv was the person I was most concerned about, because, being very active in the League, I didnt want him stuck with the old version of the game. On hearing he was willing to risk it, I figured it was go time. The spreadsheet is a H_ngm_n speciality, and, given how much less work it will be this time around, I'm sure he'll be willing to create it for us when he has time.
Looks like Drv already took care of the spreadsheet, so you're all set! Good luck to all! Also, just wanted to make sure everyone understands what the rush is since Narziss's last post seemed unaware of the underlying problem. Staring all games pre-patch will make no difference. The devs have stated that if a player applies the patch, all of his in-progress games will be affected by it right away (and if only one player applies the update, strange things may happen). In order to secure a steady playing field, all games must be started and finished before any of the players apply the update.
I don't really care about not updating if that's what people want, but I'm not going to do some sort of manic Chinese fire drill and I don't want to hear a lot of complaints from people who wanted to hurry up and start if, because of that, they have to avoid updating for a full week or two after everyone else does. And I think there's a pretty good chance we'll have a big mess where someone accidentally updates in mid-game. So those are my concerns. I'm not even confident the game will keep operating properly under the old version of the rules after they push the changes, even if people avoid updating, although if they explicitly promise this then it gets somewhat more likely.
I'm sure you can get the games done in a week and a half at the outset without a Chinese fire drill -- but yeah, there could be a few days when folks cant update. Action reports, with pics if you have a way to link them, would be great.
I'm not pushing for some "manic chinese fire drill" but there is no reason to drag this tourney out any longer. I can't speak for everyone in this regard but my average game lasts about 2 days. That being said I don't think it's unreasonable to finish round 3 by early next week for the 4 of us. Not trying to sound like an insensitive jerk, but I am sure it will come off that way anyway.
Sure, you just have to understand that I play much slower than you do. I consider that a reasonable time for a game is 2 weeks, not 2 days. There seems to be some others who got this far and don't play at your rapid pace either. If you are expecting these games (at least with me) to go faster than that, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Alternatively, I could drop out, if the view is being presented that we should all rush to finish six tournament games in four or five days. There's just no way I'm going to do that, I want to be clear right now. I will play at least a round a day in every game (with occasional exceptions when traveling), because that's what we committed to up front. I can't promise to play any faster than that.
We also committed to not delay everyone else. 2 weeks for a single game is completely over the top, and I fully intend to upgrade and make purchases when the patch hits, tournament be damned. Personally I feel that ArtNJ was far too forgiving in allowing round 2 to drag on as long as it did. Round 1 (40 players) was finished in under a week. Round 2 (12 players) took 3 weeks. By that logic Round 3 (4 players) should take all of 3 months. I'm not saying we need to bang this out in 2-3 hours (although its possible) but all of us here knew we were committing ourselves to making time to play the game. Lets get it on!
Fine, if DrvUMad's attitude is the way it is, I quit. Congratulations on your victory. I signed up for a tournament with certain rules, if expecting to play that way is unreasonable then I'm no longer interested. I don't know what you do in real life, but I've got seventeen things to do in the next week that are a higher priority than Hero Academy....
