Spartan discipline or easy-going friends?

[Finsfleet]

So, what kind of tournaments do you like? Do you prefer tournament organizers to be flexible and tolerant, allowing players to bend the rules just a little bit in order to have the tournament run smoothly, as long as it doesn`t give them the advantage over other players? Here I`m thinking of switching teammates during the tournament, entering games after the time period set by the tournament rules has lapsed and things like that.

Here`s what made me write about this. I`m currently playing the tournament, it doesn`t matter which one. It`s a simple, best-of-3 elimination tournament. My freemium partner and I are currently in the semis and when the games began, he had only 2 spots available. Both of us asked him politely to extend the deadline for joining the games, but he refused and we had to forfeit the third game. Now what happens? We have finished one of our games, and the other semis are still in the second round. If we would start the third game now, we would probably finish it before the other couple have and the tournament wouldn`t have to wait a little bit.

Disclaimer: I know how hard it is to organize the tournament. If you do not follow the rules strictly, it often becomes much harder. I hold nothing against this particular organizer, I don`t want him to let us play the third game or something like that. I just want to see other people`s opinions about this matter and how they like to play/run their tournaments, that`s all.

[jpcloet]

If the rules stated up front that all freemiums must have 3 spots open, then this is fair. If your friend went freemium (from premium) then you should replace your freemium friend and he then becomes ineligible for a medal should you win.

[amazzony]

I would have given extra time for joining. Simple as that.

[Finsfleet]

Like I said before, rules did say that he should have 3 spots open. He didn`t, and we were punished appropriately. I`m not trying to bash anyone.

But if I were my opponent, I would be willing to wait a little bit more, so noone can say that my win is undeserved. Win is a win, someone might say, but I feel much better if I win at the battlefield then if I win any other way.

But that`s just me.

[amazzony]

Rules are meant to be broken No, but seriously, my persona opinion is that tournaments shouldn't be run under strict schedule because they are supposed to be fun for everybody and forfeit wins aren't fun IMO. Of course, I understand that there are people in this site who only care about winning what ever means neccasery and therefore, when being an organiser, they don't give extra time for joining games but I think that any reasonable organiser gives extra time for players who need a bit more time. Overall, actually, I think neither side is wrong, I'm just trying to say that some tolerance and understanding is the way I roll and at the same time there are people prefer to keep it strict so things would be under control and nothing cuold shake their ground and bring up situations where they have to make a decision.

/blab

[Finsfleet]

Rules are meant to be broken No, but seriously, my persona opinion is that tournaments shouldn't be run under strict schedule because they are supposed to be fun for everybody and forfeit wins aren't fun IMO. Of course, I understand that there are people in this site who only care about winning what ever means neccasery and therefore, when being an organiser, they don't give extra time for joining games but I think that any reasonable organiser gives extra time for players who need a bit more time. Overall, actually, I think neither side is wrong, I'm just trying to say that some tolerance and understanding is the way I roll and at the same time there are people prefer to keep it strict so things would be under control and nothing cuold shake their ground and bring up situations where they have to make a decision.

/blab

Thank you, exactly what I was thinking, but you said it better.

Another reason I started this thread is that I`m running my first tournament and I am a little flexible with these things. So I`m just wondering if what I`m doing is wrong, I don`t want to piss someone if that`s not how most of other tournaments are run.

[denominator]

Strictly speaking as a tournament player, seeing as I have never actually organized a tournament, I think that there is a fine line to be walked between being too strict and too flexible. I've won many games by forfeit (even though I gained no CC points out of the win), and I've lost a few due to forfeit, and I've also seen deadlines extended both for myself and my opponent.

In my opinion, extending the deadline for players to submit information (in tournaments where it is more than just winning - like amazzony's Starcraft) or for joining games should be allowed and done when it won't hold up the rest of the tournament. If, like you said, the other semi-final is still ongoing, then go ahead and extend the deadline, because the team that wins by forfeit is now going to have to wait for the "legitimate" games to end. If, however, the other semi-final had ended and yours yet to start due to someone not joining, I would see fit to remove the team holding up the tournament from the tournament.

I feel like I did a poor way of explaining that, but there it is. If you're not holding up the tournament, I would hope the TO allows a bit of extra time. Like I've said before in many different places on the forum, CC is a hobby we all share, and we all have real lives to live outside of it. So if you find someone taking CC a little bit too seriously, I would suggest hanging around different people.

[Lindax]

Another reason I started this thread is that I`m running my first tournament and I am a little flexible with these things. So I`m just wondering if what I`m doing is wrong, I don`t want to piss someone if that`s not how most of other tournaments are run.

Speaking as a TO and not as a TD:

In most of my tournaments I am pretty flexible. I also build the flexibility into my rules, for example:

Once the invites for the games have been sent, you have 48 hours to join your games. If you fail to do so, the game may be registered as a loss for your team. If you need more time to join your games, please send me a pm and I'll see what I can do.

This leaves me the option to forfeit the games or give more time, depending on the consequences for the tournament.

In a tournament I'm running that is big and complicated I am much stricter, otherwise it would become a chaos very quickly.

Lx

[Qwert]

in mine rules,fremium need to have at least one free slot. Ofcourse if he need time to free slot,and rule of 48 hour time limit to join a game expire,after player Pm,where he say that need time to join, then i Pm hes opponent,to see if he want to waith. Many time opponent agree to waith.
But if you have strictly writen rules,then you can eliminate opponents who dont join a games.

[barterer2002]

I run things a couple of ways. First off, things come up in RL. If someone drops me a note asking for a day or two I almost always grant it. CC is not supposed to be so all consuming that your life runs around it (although it can seem that way at times). The later in the tournament the more likely I am to do that. In the finals of one we had both players go out of town and paused the whole thing for 3 weeks til they were both around to play (rather than having sitters play out the finals which could have been done). I've granted extentions for players who ahve dropped to freemium while they re-upped and if the wait isn't too long (48 hours or so) until they have freemium space left over.

On the other hand, those who just ignore the game invites and don't bother to PM me get replaced.

Now, in tournaments where I require certain things (like 2 slots open or 3 slots open) I will send out the invites twice. In a case like the one described above the tournament indicated that freemiums would need to have the slots open and from where I sit, knowing the requirement going in that needed to be enforced. If its just a matter where your freemium partner didn't bother to keep the required slots open then I'd be inclined to forfeit that third game on you, if there are other circumstances involved that I don't know about but which you may have told the TO I may be more flexible.

I guess really I take things on a case by case basis and in this case I look at is as your partner's fault (unless I'm missing information) since he know he needed 3 slots and didn't hold them. Whether it be mistake or willful isn't an issue I'm inclined to try to discover and I'd forfeit him out as well.

[VampireM]

if i understand fins correctly now all the teams are in the semi-finals? i think its unfair that u are rushing ahead and u are not allowed to either wait to start ur series or start the third game late.. i have only taken over one tourny but have played in many, and i find it most smooth and best to start all rounds together when all are ready and done... just my two cents

[Kinnison]

Hmmm, it's not a format I've run... but *I'd* run 2 of the 3, and only start the third if necessary. You're Eliminated and an number of other best of 3 tourneys use that format.

In my tournaments, I have allowed extra time when asked. On the flip side, I had someone drop premium and try frantically to get it back in my last one (league-style). Now I was out of reserves, but It DID hold things up... if I'd HAD a reserve, I'd have replaced the individual sooner, admittedly. But with things already held up scrambling, there wasn't much point in punishing the player further.

So far, my tournament s have REQUIRED premium, which annoys me slightly... I want to run a freemium tournament with a prize, but I can't come up with a format I like... I prefer baroque and complex things. Yeah, not a good choice for freemiums, I know. :/


Basically, if it won't HURT the tournament, I try to cut folks slack. If it's going to cause a notable delay or problem... *shrug* Time to put the hammer down. Now, I'll make an exception to that if *I* screwed up, or didn't explain things clearly... but that's why I over-engineer my tourney posts.