Conquer Club

Hello.

I have recently started as a student in the SoC. I have played 2 games there so far, of which I was able to win one. I decided that in order to attract more people to the SoC, and to show everybody how it works, I would do a turn-by-turn report on a game.
every turn I will share the map of the current turn, my thoughts on the current situation and how it's different from the last turn. I will also share the plans I will send in to the SoC teachers, and their comments on my plan. At last, I will share the outcome of that plan.

Hope you'll enjoy!

StubbsKVM


Turn 4


StubbsKVM=yellow

Thoughts
Cyan seems to be making plans to attack red as well, reinforcing his North America stack. Green and purple are way behind on troop number
My Plan
Spoils to turn in: Johannesburg(b), Dakar(b)
Next spoil set value: 4
Do you have a set of spoils? no
Your Plans:
1 on F1, 2 on A9
Attack A12 from A9. Move 0
Reinforce 0
keep the pressure on red?
Teachers comments
I would attack A4 or A8 instead. That way your paths stay clear if you do want to make an all out assault.
Execution
Good point by the teacher, I was too focused on weakening red. I'm taking A8: lost 1 troop

Hello.

I have recently started as a student in the SoC. I have played 2 games there so far, of which I was able to win one. I decided that in order to attract more people to the SoC, and to show everybody how it works, I would do a turn-by-turn report on a game.
every turn I will share the map of the current turn, my thoughts on the current situation and how it's different from the last turn. I will also share the plans I will send in to the SoC teachers, and their comments on my plan. At last, I will share the outcome of that plan.

Hope you'll enjoy!

StubbsKVM


Turn 5


StubbsKVM=yellow

Thoughts
No big changes, everyone seems to be happy taking a card.
My Plan
Spoils to turn in: Johannesburg(b), Dakar(b), Berlin(r)
Next spoil set value: 4
Do you have a set of spoils? no
Your Plans:
2 on E5, 1 on N4
Attack E2 from E5, move 0
adv 0
Teachers comments
I could not get in touch with the teacher in time this turn, so I had to stick to my plan. There probably weren't going to change my plan anyways.
Execution
Success without loss of troops

Hello.

I have recently started as a student in the SoC. I have played 2 games there so far, of which I was able to win one. I decided that in order to attract more people to the SoC, and to show everybody how it works, I would do a turn-by-turn report on a game.
every turn I will share the map of the current turn, my thoughts on the current situation and how it's different from the last turn. I will also share the plans I will send in to the SoC teachers, and their comments on my plan. At last, I will share the outcome of that plan.

Hope you'll enjoy!

StubbsKVM


Turn 6


StubbsKVM=yellow

Thoughts
Damn! Cyan has taken out my force in North America. I don't understand why he did that. I'm still average on troop count, but losing those troops will make it harder to make a kill.
My Plan
Spoils to turn in: Johannesburg(b), Dakar(b), Berlin(r), Anchorage(g)
Next spoil set value: 4
Do you have a set of spoils? yes
Your Plans:
don't cash.
2 on E5, 1 on A9.
Attack E4 from E5
no movements.
Teachers comments
Looks good...go for it.
Execution
No losses again. Next turn I'll have to use my cards. Hopefully I'll still be around!

The Scum Insider

Newbie Help

Want to get into the Mafia scene, but don't know how to play or even what it is? Consult these threads: Mafia Information, Mafia and You, and Rules and Terms of Mafia.
Too much work? Too lazy to read through everything? No worries, you can always jump right into a game and ask for other players or the game runner to help guide you.

What is "Mafia"?
Mafia, for those of you that don't know, is a game that generally takes place in a town, where the townspeople have to determine who the mafia (or "scum") is and lynch them via a majority vote during the day and the mafia try to kill everyone at night and bluff their way out of getting killed by the town.

Mafia News
rishaed has started a thread asking about any [Official] mafia games that may be in the pipeline. Although we currently do not have any setups ready, the mafia mods (pancakemix, strike wolf, and myself) would be open to any setup submissions for balance checks. Shoot one of us a PM if you are interested in modding!

Mafia Callouts
Calling all players interested! Some mafia games need some filling:

Sign-ups:

• Summer vs. Winter Mafia by jonty125
• Newbie Mafia: Space Theme by DoomYoshi
• A Darker Shade of Black Mafia by rishaed

Seeking Replacements:
Consult the Replacement Thread to see what games are in need of reserves/replacements.

Now get out there and investigate Mafia for yourself: http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=213

Advanced Roles and Strategy by safariguy5
A discussion of the mafia win condition is presented.

The 50% Win Condition

What is It?
Normally, the mafia faction wins if they equal or exceed the number of townies remaining. However, there may be certain situations when the mafia faction may not automatically be awarded the win. These situations are usually up to the moderator as to the proper way to proceed.

Example
There is a mafia goon and a bulletproof townie left in the game. Although mafia equals the number of townies, neither can kill the other and a draw should be declared.

How to Use this Strategy
The 50% rule is useful for not wasting time in most games. However, if there is a town doublevoter and a mafia goon left in the day phase, town should probably win the game. Interesting endgame thought experiments like 4 mafia goons and 3 town vigs may warrant playing out the game a few extra phases to see if town can pull the numbers back in their favor. In general, it is up to the moderator to decide how to proceed should there be a possibility for town to win the game on equal or less numbers with mafia.

Q. How have you, as an Administrator, had to accustom yourself to the changes in administration over the past 9 months? (yikes, that long already!)

Different personalities, different people but all have the same goal - to make Conquer Club continue to live on. Everyone is helpful and doing their part. With that, regardless of how different the new system is, it's easy to adapt with the new administration. We all strive to make CC better.
Q. King A, how did you come to get involved with CC in the first place? Have you ever regretted it?

Lackattack employed me. I think he wanted to try a new face at the time. He accepted me and stuck with me ever since. I never regretted getting involved with CC as this website has taught me many things like making me aware that there are so many different personalities and cultures out there. Diverse people with different characters. CC has greatly affected me in how the way I see things in my life. When it comes to CC, I need to keep an open mind, help people when I can but also make sure that rules are followed.
Q. What do you think of Team Assassin games?

Maybe good for big maps.
Q. Would you actually remember if I (DoomYoshi) asked you a question from the 60th Dispatch?

Maybe.
Q. Has there been a noticable difference between the management / running of the site from days of lackattack, and the new el jefe group?

Let me put it this way. Lackattack is more of a programmer while El_Jefe is more of a manager/administrator/director. By that alone, obviously they work differently in how they achieve their goals.
Q. What's the most positive change that you've seen?

Updates are being done faster since there are more people working on the programming side and are more focused in doing that line of work.
Q. What is the funniest e-ticket you have ever done?

I can't really remember but I know there have been one or two that made me laugh in the past. Really. Next time I get a ticket that makes me laugh, I'll take note of it.
Q. Why didn't you believe me (plurple) and my multi in our e-ticket?

What account is that again?
Q. What question would you most like to be asked?

Any question that is about the game or how the mechanics works, and as long as the person is not angry about something (that he feels he has been cheated).
Q. From the issue 60 interview:
you describe yourself as -
"I'm just a boring, simple, regular person."
Why do you describe yourself like this? What makes you boring and simple?

I don't know. I imagine that all of you are always on the go, always have something to do and somewhere to go every day and night.
Q. You mention the flaming sword avatar as your favourite, so why have you gone for a grumpy old man from Up as the most recent one?

I get feedback from some people that my choice of avatars creeps them so I'm leaning on "friendlier" ones. I even chose the face when he looks friendly.
Q. You mention that Classic and Midgard maps being your favourite ones, is this still the case?

Yes. The Classic map will always be one of the best maps out there and I like Lord of the Rings.
Q. Answer the question you answered for Serbia.

Example questions: How can I join a clan or a usergroup or how does Trench work?
Q. E-Tickets, on an average day, how many do you receive?

No specific figures. Sometimes there are few, sometimes, many. Sometimes, we get 20, 30, 40 or 10 a day. Sometimes more.
Q. Do members ever thank you for the job you do?

I think so. Yes, there have been a few and they brighten my day a lot whenever I do get one.
Q. What do you believe your reputation is based from the members reactions?

I think I have a mixed rep. Some people like me while some, are pretty mad at me. Upholding rules is not meant to please everyone.
Q. Why did you stay when Lack and Andy left?

I was waiting for them to go "wicked".
Q. Which mod would you beat in arm wrestling?

I think Evil Semp is the closest to my age so maybe it would be him. Hopefully, he is also out of shape.
Q. Which mod do you think is most likely to get so drunk that he pees himself?

Serbia (bollocks?)
Q. Which conqueror is your favorite?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snKve2bAt3I
Q. What issue on CC has caused you the most stress?

I don't like it when a mod gets into any kind of issues.
Q. Which former mod would you like to have back on the team?

All of them. If you are referring to a particular ex-hunter, I don't have a specific name. I am always grateful that they have become a part of the C&A team.

Q. rdsrds2120, how many sexual favours whilst sober did you have to give out to get this interview(0 is a number, only if that is the truth). Many more worthy CC luminaries have not had a turn in the spotlight as yet. Please share your cue(queue to English speakers) jumping secrets. Have heard an ex pack member(well known for his indiscretion, and the pomposity of his name)who has also been interviewed by this once great newsletter, speculate on how many tongue piecing you have. Please for the record.
- Is your tongue pierced?
- If your tongue is in fact pierced, how many piercings, and the type of fittings please.
- Do you feel your tongue pierced or unpierced had anything to do with you being selected as an interview subject.

Firstly, I favor no one . As for my place in the candidate queue of interviewees, I guess being a new Admin might have something to do with it, or perhaps it's because I'm a robot...(Domo Arigato, Mr Roboto!).

My tongue pierce status will remain a mystery so that I can forever hold you over with the wonder of always wanting to know more. More.

Q. Is it true you were forced to resign from your Society of the Cooks teaching post over several indiscretions with students, including SexyLips69 and LOLOLita?[



Whoa, whoa! Don't jump to anything like that. As, well, I did not have relations with anyone of those users.

Q. Of all your many regrets over the course of your short life, how many times a day do you curse saying YES to GLG, uh, I mean El_Jefe's offer to become the CC au pair?

Curse it? Sometimes, I suppose that this position has it's lows, but the curse of CM comes with many more blessings than curses. All of my e-mails with GenLee El_Jefe are pleasant and he's really a great boss. So, to give an exact amount, perhaps 0.1 times per day (1 time per 10 days) because every 10 days I have to do some boring stuff .

Q. Do these pants make my (macbone) rear look too fat?

No gurl, neva! Well, at least for now. Don't take it from me, but as time progresses, they make pants smaller and smaller .

Q. What are your top five favorite Little Golden Books?

Top 5? I don't know that I ever had many growing up, but I do remember being fond of "The Little Red Hen" and "Three Little Kittens." Despite my robotic appearance, I'm pretty attached to animals, so those ones I especially remember. Besides little Golden Books, I was always a fun of this little critter:



Various Bernstein Bears,



and I could often be found reading Shel Silverstein (even sometimes today).

Q. Besides dead beetles and Ringo Starr, what other things do you collect?

Bed deetles and Singo Rarr.

And MtG cards (gasp!). And I'm pretty darn good! I've been featured on TCG a few times and have made an amount of money from what I originally picked up as a hobby.

Q. Can I (macbone) borrow five bucks?

Have them back by 10. I don't need any wrongdoing, ya hear!


Q. Should I, Tfo (NOT TEFOO), become a belly dancer? If I did, would you belly dance with me?!

Do whatever you want with your body, but I suggest that if you're going to try and get business, you should move to a very populated/liberal city.

Would I? Well, this is the closest thing I can do for a belly dance:



Q. If I (Dukasaur) get a six month forum ban, will you publish the newsletter?

If I had to, certainly! Though, I'm pretty sure there'd be someone from the Media Team able. Perhaps you could have an article about being banned with a constant report of what it's like on the outside world. "A Reign of Terror: Conquer Club Out-prisonment"

Q. Yo?

Back, pirate Santa!



Q. Heyhey rdsrds,, what'swhat's withwith thethe repetitionrepetition??

I used to have a username that I used that was very representative of who I was (name, etc). RdsXXXX seemed boring, and I like the flow of 'rdsrds'. It always sounds like someone is hollering at me twice to get my attention, haha.

However, for the sake of not being too repetitive, I made the last four digits be "2120" instead of "2020" which was going to be an ironic reference to my bad eyesight (nowhere near 20/20)! Furthermore, "RDS" is my initials.

Q. Also, Y?

Well, this question isn't E-Z to answer, but A B stung me and since then, I've O'd it to myself to C it through Z end.

And this is where I collapse on all of the bad puns!

Q. How do you think you will improve CC by becoming administrators?

There's a bit more responsibility that's been assigned to the CM position than in the past, but lately as new features and brainstorming has become a regular part of Conquer Club's development, they fold in nicely. As you're all well aware, though, we need to get the implementation down! I don't know that I'll ever live up to the remarkable AndyDufresne over his years of service, but it's something I aspire to while giving me own personal twists to the position in an attempt to reflect my sincerest sentiments to the site as a whole. To actually answer your question, though, I try to be as freely available and approachable as possible, yet stern where it's called for (key word: try)! I'm hoping that the stern, yet fair approach can push us as a Community and site towards greater aspirations than ever before.

Q. 8 months in, how are you liking the role you have?

I'm loving it! Our team is great, and things are always happening (like it or not, haha). It can be stressful at times, but my net enjoyment of the position is in the positive, so expect me to be here a while =).

Q. On a scale of 1 -10 (1 being bad, 10 being good) rate yourself in these areas:

running a large team of volunteers
communication with players
communication with other moderators
job satisfaction
ability

Running A Large Team of Volunteers: 6-7

• There aren't too many issues concerning the volunteers themselves, it's my own response time I need to work on! I receive so many PMs now that it can be easy to lose track of which ones I've read and still need to follow up on (especially map updates)

Communication With Players: 7-8

• I'm in Live Chat pretty frequently, and I'll PM players if I notice something amiss. I developed that habit in my time as Global Moderator, and old habits die hard.

Communication With Other Moderators: 5-6

• There are just so many! I know, mostly, that I need to communicate with the Tech Team more about pending updates and scripts, though the addition of blakebowling may take that from me. Due to a lack of hands, leading the Discussions team had become difficult (as I hadn't been able to assign a new Global to lead them during the switch), but I think that'll be changing soon so it can get the full attention it deserves (as do all departments!

Job Satisfaction: 9-10

• What can I say? I'm satisfied with my work!

Ability: 10

• Even if I fall short in performance here and there, I definitely trust that I am able to do everything required of me. I'm strong willed and want what's best!

Q. If you could leave yourself a rating per CC guidelines, what would you give yourself? What four tags would you give yourself?

Hmmm...for games, probably a 3. I'm mediocre since I hardly have time to fully strategize like I used to be able to do, but that's fine. I'll stick to games/settings that I'm used to and any invites I get so I don't get overwhelmed.

My four tags: Quick (I breeze through turns), Friendly (I'll help new players), Good Teammate (I loveeee doubles games), Reckless (sometimes I just go for it. It can pay off here and there, but every now and then it goes for the worst )

Q. What will the next five major updates to the site be?

1. 12 Player Games
2 thru 5. Secret

Nice try, though =)

Q. Are there any plans to ever update the XML with the requested updates that have been in the suggested XML update thread for 4+ years? Stuff like Conditional Autodeploys, the perma-fog and fog lifting updates, Decay to Neutral? There's a pile of other useful updates in that thread as well which would make maps much more interesting, but those four strike me as being pretty easy to code and would add some nice twists to map making.

Plans for ever? Well, certainly! The problem with CC isn't that we don't have new maps for people to play on, but that the site has long-standing issues with new player permeability, which, the numbers show, is our least successful venture. As for XML coding: I can't comment on how easily done any of them can be (as I'm not a programmer), but changing the way that the game engine reads XML files with new features, etc, sounds like it may be difficult (but don't quote me on it!) Beyond XML updates, a new feature to give mapmakers something to play with could be 12 Player Games. I'm all too excited with what we might see in the months ahead as 12 Player Maps are created in junction with Supersized Maps!

Q. Have there been any improvements you really wanted when you were a non-admin, but now that you're an admin, you realize they aren't feasible/possible/as easy as you thought?

What a great question, and yes, there are a few things like that. The biggest one that seems really unfeasible was the "Limit Signature File Size" suggestion. It would be a huge strain on the server, apparently, so it would have to be enforced manually, which is even harder! There is some hope, though, so we wont' move it to Rejected Suggestions. Another one is to include Default Neutral Values in map images. Once I saw how the map tool works with the thumbnails, etc, that would be a ton of work!!

Q. Are there any updates you've pushed the coders to implement, or do you let them work at their own pace?

It's a bit of both. There's a queue of projects that they have to do that El_Jefe and I work out, and from there, some of them are rated on priority, and some projects come up so urgently that they have to be done in a day.

Q. If you had to eat your right hand or left foot, which would it be?

Left foot! I need both of my hands for this job. Otherwise, typing would be the most cumbersome part of my day, always.

Q. Do you sometimes paddle yourself just because you can?

Haha, it's funny because I had to once to test the paddle's "note" function. From my own permanent record:



Q. When I (DoomYoshi) refer to you in short as "rds", is it the first or second rds in your name to which it is shortened, or is it some combination like the first r and the second ds?


Left, right, in between. It's whatever. I like the first 'r' and second 'ds' though because I own a DS. A cool Fire Emblem one, actually:

Q. Which Zelda game is your favourite? Why?

As much I'd love to stick with the classics, I finished Skyward Sword and it was absolutely stunning. The graphics, the plot, the gameplay. It was simply one of the best games I've ever played.

Q. Which Zelda game is my (DoomYoshi) favorite? (not an impossible question, there are clue(s))

Hmmm....I want to say Majora's Mask. Am I correct? Do I win a medal?

Q. Quo vadis?

To the Moon...


Q. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

The guards guard each other as well.

Q. Can you deliver us from evil?
If so, how and what evil do you refer to?

I'm sorry, but if you're in the reaches of Evil Semp, there is no help for you now .

Q. What is the funniest thing to happen over the last 9 months related to CC and to you personally?

Blakebowling's signature! I was having a great day making lasagna (my favorite homemade dish) and celebrating something with a few pals (you celebrate with lasagna, right guys? It is spaghetti-flavored cake, after all) and I had a typo or something with blake that I immediately attributed to the lasagna and it being a "CRRAAZZZYY NIGHT." I think it's one of those things that you had to be there for, since I took him by surprise with my...cheesy joke.

Q. What is your biggest disappointment and/or frustration with CC?

The disconnect with the developers and I. Alas, there must be some problem in any position (nothing's perfect!), but the frustrations of all involved usually sink back to me, so it can be wearing sometimes to be the medium of unpleasant exchange. On the plus side, I'm the channel for positive exchanges as well, so I take the good with the bad .

Q. What side of the bed do you sleep on?

All of it. I move around and sprawl all over.

Q. Have you ever taken your clothes off for money?

Does a high-stakes game of Quelf count?


Q. Would you ever take your clothes off for money?

As in, prostitution? Nawh. I make enough, and not many could handle a robot. Leaky oil? Yikes.

Q. What's the strangest pick up line you've gotten?

"Heavy penguins" followed up with, first, a pause, and then "Well, something had to break the ice!"

I admit I thought it was pretty clever at the time, haha.

Q. Would you rather be 500lbs or marry someone who is 500lbs?

Hmm....I think marry, in this instance. I'm pretty independent in relationships and think that we'd both best acclimate to me being the busy-body.

Q. What's the lowest amount of money you would reached into a soiled toilet for?

Hmm...$50, I suppose. I mean, that's 2 days of food for an extra shower that day! Though, maybe it's three as I would no doubt end up swallowing my dignity and tears along the way.

Q. Have you found it difficult to separate the admin rds from the player rds? Do you wish you would have been better at hiding your real identity before becoming a "face" of CC like Andy did before, or are you glad that you have been mostly transparent since starting?

I often wonder whether I'd have been better off being more impersonal from the start, but then I remember that it's how I came to be on Conquer Club. My transparency is fueled by me being my interpersonal self. Pros and cons, of course, but I digress that I enjoy the pros more. I really like the idea of that "campfire-like" Conquer Club feeling that the original Community Guidelines point us to, and I feel that in my case, it was optimal to be more open with myself (as, really, I have nothing to hide!)

Q. When and why did RDS become BMO? some sort of closet secret?

I plan to change it to a nice little cartoon character yearly (as part of the Anniversary celebration). I don't distance myself from things that like (even if Adventure Time is targeted for kids!). The character, BMO, was by far my favorite so I made it my little persona for now. More to come on that, though =).

Q. Can I (TeeGee) have a payrise?

Look at your new color -- you already have!

Q. How did you get all andy's banana peel stains out of your office?

I refurnished! The hammock wasn't really for me, and the humidifier was always on! I prefer carpet over grass and business professional over the bamboo desk, so there wasn't much cleaning .

Q. Grand Marnier or Triple Sec?

I don't drink, but if I imagine what they each taste like, Grand Marnier looks more like my style.

Q. No Curacao? Cointreau?

Same as last question, but this time Curacao sounds better (I love citrusy things).

Looks like we're done here; have a great one!


BMO

Only LOW left undefeated in Premier League. First Defeats for KORT and IA. Big surprise are WAR who play very good and manage to score wins against TNC, AFOS and IA. In round 10 expect big derby-KORT vs IA.


Second League brings a match between MM and OSA who are left undefeated.


Nothing new in Third League ,HH still hold first place, and DYN are behind. Quite a big jump achived by UM8, who got shut out in the first 3 rounds, and then in next 3 rounds achieved all wins, bringing them up to 3rd place. In Round 9 UM8 will face HH.


Game setting statistic for finished games (in %)

Premier League-finished 244 game

Spoils
escalating--38.13%
flat---------4.51%
nuclear------2.41%
no spoils---54.95%

Reinforcement
chain-------91.02%
adjacent-----2.87%
unlimited----6.11%
Fog of War
yes--------72.16%
no---------27.84%

Second League-finished 321 game

Spoils
escalating--34.41%
flat---------6.20%
nuclear------2.17%
no spoils---57.22%

Reinforcment
chain--------96.72%
adjacent------0
unlimited-----3.28%

Fog of War
yes-------81.09%
no--------18.91%

Third League-finished 287 game

Spoils
escalating-17.85%
flat-------33.50%
nuclear-----0.35%
no spoils--48.30%

Reinforcement
chain-----96.50%
adjacent---1.05%
unlimited--2.45%

Fog of War
yes--85.05%
no---14.95%

“The leader must not be the better player, but be dedicated to the clan and his members.” – QuikSilver (LHDD)

For the third installment on Clan Togetherness, I asked leaders where they think their greatest responsibilities lie and provided them with the following options.

Facilitating Recruitment
Creating War Threads
Sitting for Clanmates
Acting As the “Face” of the Clan
Frequenting the Clan’s Forums
Frequenting All Forums
Being the Clan’s CD&F Representative
Settling All Discrepancies (whether between clan members or clans)
Commanding with an Iron Fist
Allowing Clanmates to Run Daily Operations
Other – Please explain

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

How a leader chooses to settle discrepancies (whether between clan members or clans) can have a serious impact on things like clan image and intra-clan relationships, which is why it was at the top of the list for many leaders like BlackKnight_6 (TNC), Genoke (ATL), Uckuki (FOED), and mcshanester29 (VVV). As Uckuki points out, these off-the-field scruples can escalate abruptly and offset any achievements made on the battlefield, which is why it’s best to handle all disputes quickly and effectively. Mcshanester29 facetiously states, “I just let [co-leader Mint-Murray] take care of it because, if you get on his bad side, he will take care of it the Scottish way.”

There are ways, however, to ward off potential drama—recruiting more seasoned vets, for example. Genoke notes that, the more mature players a clan has, the fewer the disputes.

Often times, the behind the scenes issues can make or break a clan just as easily as the outcomes of the battles on the ‘front lines’. QuikSilver (LHDD) also believes in putting extra effort as a leader into keeping clanmates happy, treating them like they are part of something. “We are here for each other,” he says. “To help gain a medal, discuss strategy for a special map, etc. Playing games together is just one aspect of being in the clan.”

Saving Face

For Freakns (OTP), settling discrepancies is just an extension of acting as the face of the clan, which is one of the most important roles. “No one in our clan is allowed to take any confrontations regarding clan world outside of myself. It’s important to be fair to others, being sporty and everything.” Freakns explains that, as the leader, he’s the one who takes any ‘heat’ directed at his clan and the one who will respond to anything that requires a response. In that way, their clan’s message can remain consistent and well-articulated. As Freakns puts it, we often forget we play against other people—not against the computer—so we need act responsibly. TheMissionary (MM) agrees, saying, “Sometimes it’s very hard to set the example.”

Take the Keys

Given the time consuming aspects of leading a competitive clan, it’s no wonder that many leaders have opted to allow clanmates to run daily operations. PeanutsDad (MYTH) and IcePack (FALL) both believe in delegating many responsibilities to clanmates who volunteer to ensure everything is accomplished and all voices are heard. “We like to reach out and get ideas, discussions from all our members on certain topics such as recruitment.” Having more active members participate in leading the clan “makes life easier,” as Gunn217 (PR) puts it. “People who can run events, run threads, get practice games together are essential parts of a successful clan.” For Vid_FISO (FISO), having other clanmates help run wars takes a lot of pressure off the leader.

In the end, delegating tasks frees up time for other activities: “Knowing that you have trusted members that can take care of the day to day things allows me to work with the CD’s more to help the entire clan world on CC,” says PeanutsDad.

It’s Just a Game

“I think the greatest responsibilities are attentiveness and being open minded,” says Gunn217. He highlighted the ability to know when the clan needs motivation and when it is in need of a break as well as how to keep people interested in clan life. Gunn217 cites one example where he maintains a war board in the Pig Renter’s forum that keeps everyone updated on where they are in certain wars. For him, the little things like that that keep people engaged.

Benga (OSA), who referenced his clan’s motto Respect, Enjoy, Improve, is a proponent of a laid-back approach to leading. The environment created within OSA is one of easygoingness with no egos and where everyone takes on as much as they can. “We aim to enjoy the game,” says Benga. “No one is pushed away from their real life duties, but we also strive to compete versus the best and, hopefully, we will beat them all…well in the long run.

My Way or the (Internet) Highway

An ‘Iron Fist’ may have been too strong a metaphor for presiding over a group of people on an internet gaming site, but many clan leaders also acknowledged the necessity of keeping some responsibilities between leaders. IcePack says, “By definition, we should be leading the clan in most aspects, such as activity, discussions, representation, and overall leadership and guidance to the direction of the clan (with input provided by the membership).”

Establishing rules and enforcing them helps prevent errant clanmates. “As a clan leader you need to make sure that you follow all the rules yourself, then make sure others follow them, and there should be no exception or situations where rules are not to be followed,” says Freakns. “You don’t need to be dictator…but you also can never allow total democracy in your clan, it will turn out pretty messy.”

A Good Sitter Is Hard to Find

Sitting for clanmates is a good example of being a solid leader, says PeanutsDad. He expressed how missing turns are game killers and how reliable leaders can work to eliminate them, or at the very least, make them a rarity. “In emergencies, there is always a way to get a hold of one of the 3 of us [leaders] to get coverage. This alone in my opinion can be huge factor in choosing who want to lead your clan. Can they be trusted to not only be around all the time, but to also follow the rules, be honest, and not take advantage of the trust given to them?”

What does the variation in responses mean? From what I can gather, many clan leaders seem able to work best when they strike a balance between offloading tasks and accomplishing others that are deemed "sacred" to leadership, ones that absolutely cannot be delegated. It goes without saying these leaders are all passionate about what they do and who they represent. It's what they chose to focus on with their energy and devotion that often differs from leader to leader.

John Aarson is one of the newer Tournament Organisers on CC, but he has already impressed a lot of people. He has 14 completed tournaments now, and 21 more on the go. I decided it would be interesting to have a word with him.

DK: John, what do you find attracts you to take on the task of organising tournaments?

JA: From a young age i've always been attracted by the various sports league systems. The more complex, the more I enjoyed them. Always tried to put in practice the crazy league schemes I've invented. Either in football (soccer, to my fellow americans ) with my friends or, being a long time fan of Championship/Football Manager, playing FM2010 and FM2011 (since the 2010 version you can create different league systems - and that's AWESOME ).

When I registered in CC, I realized immediately the potential to create the various types of tournaments. From then on, I realized this was "it". Conquer Club was the place where I could create at my own will my crazy tournaments and interact with the people within them. I've created more then 30 tournaments since February - if I'm not mistaken - and people actually joined, were almost always full of sportsmanship and very nice and many enjoyed them very much. That still astounds me to this day.

I saw your first few tournaments and they were all Freestyle, so for a long time I ignored you. But I notice that with your more recent endeavours you are using Sequential more often. Did you have an epiphany about that, or is it a response to popular demand?

Well, it depends. "The Random Battles", "Major League Feudal War", and "Doodle World Cup" were some of my first tournaments and were sequential. In my tournaments I like to use sequential to 1vs1 games and freestyle when there are more players involved. And I don't think I've made many n-player (being n>2) tournament games using sequential, to be honest.
I know most people don't like very much to play freestyle games. But the truth is I don't remember ever having complaints. And I like to play freestyle in games with many players. It's faster. And it's an amusing experience playing at the same time as the other players.

You've also managed to run a Speed tournament. How did that go?

"Managed to run a speed tournament"... hum.. my "management" of this tournament was very poor, I must admit. The Idea was to make 100 games that the players could join in each Sunday for four weeks. With only 20 people. Of course that couldn't go well - now I see that - but at the time it seemed a good idea. Also, adding to the effect, I couldn't be online on time to send the password of the games in the first 3 weeks. So: the games didn't start on time, there were very few players actually interested in competing and also I was getting my ass kicked in most of the games. Things were terrible. Luckily, in the last week of this game I had DJ Teflon's and your help, Dukasaur and, honestly if it weren't for you guys adding more people to the tournament and giving me advices, it would never reach at least 16 players. And that would have sucked big time.

I try to learn from my mistakes and I want to organize some day a good and successful speed tournament. But not for now. In the next few months I don't plan on making many tournaments and don't think any of them will be speed.

Personally, I'm glad you did it, and I wouldn't be too hard on yourself. These have historically been the most difficult tournaments to arrange.

Which of your tournaments has been your proudest achievement?

Oh, thank you! It's difficult to choose a tournament I'm more proud than any other. Mostly because my longest tournaments are still ongoing. But maybe Major League Feudal War was the one I liked the most in terms of structure. I asked the players to choose a sports team, randomly placed them in six divisions named after the six Feudal War castles and placed the divisions in an eastern and western conference. It was an amusing tournament to organize and when it was finished I looked at the results and really felt like a real sports competition was made. The only thing that sucked in that tournament were the settings. No fog + no spoils in Feudal War can produce a lot of very dull games. I was very n00b when I created the tournament. In the future, I hope to make a Major League Feudal War Season 2, but with different game settings.

You've got an interesting variety; tourneys of every different type. Do you see yourself as a Renaissance man of sorts?

"Renaissance man"... love that expression!
If I see myself as one? Not at all. I'm quite ignorant in most common fields of knowledge. I do have many interests. From the physical sciences (I'm a Sciences Bachelor in Astronomy), to history, philosophy, psychology, literature... but i'm also very, VERY lazy. And that can screw up the whole "I'd like to get a little bit more cultured today!" thing that I'd like to have.
I've got some basic knowledge about various issues, but I'm an expert (or even good enough) on absolutely nothing.

What are your major goals and aspirations on CC?

Well... as for "ultimate goals" in CC, I've never really gave it much thought. I'm aware that I'm very far from being a great player. Only two or three times I have crossed the 2000 point barrier. Never had a rank higher than Major. And if we're talking about my goals in tournaments... maybe in time I'll be one of the TOs with most tourneys. But I don't really mind if I do reach that level or don't. Quantity is nothing without quality. I would say my ultimate goal in CC is to keep having as much fun organizing tournaments and playing games 10 years from now as I have nowadays.

Hopes for the future? I would like to have time to keep logging on to CC everyday, make my turns and continuing to run my tournaments without making the participants wait several days or weeks between rounds. That is something that I don't know if it will be possible to do on a daily basis as from September/October. As many people nowadays, I'm planning to leave my country soon to work overseas and I won't be certain to have a reliable internet connection at all times. Hopefully yes.

What would you change in the tournament world, or on CC in general?

Things I would like to say about the tournament world? Actually, nothing comes to mind now.
**grabs a cigarette**
**poses like a douche-baggy pseudo-intellectual being interviewed and thinks for a while**
Firstly, I would say that there is nothing much to change in the tournament rules. I feel we, the TOs, have full liberty to project our vision of a great tournament here whenever we feel like it. And that's what really matters, in my opinion. The tournament participants are usually great and full of fair play and almost every time accept (and like) the crazy rules we sometimes apply. Who could ask for more?
**realizes that the keyboard is full of ashes from the cigarette**


I would not change much in CC. I'm still relatively new in the website, so I'm still a very n00b player. I don't feel that it is my place yet to complain about a game that I'm new to and that gave me so much fun over the last few months.
OK, maybe the possibility for the freemiums to play a little bit more games at the same time. I mean... come on! Only four slots?

Any closing thoughts?

My final thoughts in this interview: I'm still astonished that I was asked to do an interview, to be honest. I'm only one of many TOs and I think I'm far from being one of the best. But I'm glad I was. I thank you, Dukasaur, for giving me the chance to talk about myself and my projects to the CC community. I also apologise for some mistakes I must have given or expressions I misused during this interview. It's pretty clear by now that English is not my native language. Lastly, I must admit it was hard not to put a smiley after every single sentence, like I usually do (still used them some times during the interview, though - they're addictive, it's stronger than me!). It would not look very professional on my behalf.

Thank you very much for taking the time to speak to me! (And there's nothing wrong with your English!! But then, modesty is one of your qualities! I chose you for an interview because I've seen a high degree of creativity in your tournaments, and I definitely was not disappointed in speaking to you!)

This article is a continuation of last issue's piece about the way I am managing the 7-up tournament using Excel. I created two lookup tables of Teams and Maps and a table of the round robin matchups.

These were brought together on a seperate worksheet as shown:For round 3 the matchups are copied as per the table in column labelled "3". There are then lookup instructions from the Team lookup chart to bring the 2 team titles and the players into the table. Note that the map number is used to bring the relevant map name from the "Map" lookup table.

There are 6 sets of data for the 6 types of games and the games can be created in sets of 9 and the numbers pasted into the spreadsheet (as shown for the part of the spreadsheet with the five sets of singles game numbers):I have explained before that, when creating games and pasting the game numbers into the spreadsheet, I paste the highest number and then the following cells have the formula =(Previous cell number -1) so that, if the games were created sequentally, all I had to input was the original number. However, since there are usually other games created whilst I am creating mine, I have to check the sequence and amend as necessary. Rather than leaving the formula in the game number cells I always (if I remember!) copy and Edit/Paste Special/Values back into the cells so that if one game number changes it does not affect other game numbers.

Now all is required is to put in the formulae to invite the players. For the quads this is;for the teams in position 1 and for the 2nd teams. These appear as Bigroo4601 & aaronvollrath & seechster & patrickaa317: Game 12579144 (Auto-Join Game on Team 1)
and DaveH & arno30 & Will Lee & aalii: Game 12579144 (Auto-Join Game on Team 2) for the two teams respectively.

Similarly for the trebles, doubles and singles, the codes are: These look like:
tintrumpet & spitemalice & shoop76: Game 12579135 (Auto-Join Game on Team 1) (Triples Team 1)
greenoaks & Bolt Sarakai & knowman: Game 12579135 (Auto-Join Game on Team 2) (Triples Team 2)
Bigroo4601 & aaronvollrath: Game 12579124 (Auto-Join Game on Team 1) (Doubles Team 1)
DaveH & arno30: Game 12579124 (Auto-Join Game on Team 2) (Doubles Team 2)
shoop76 vs knowman: View Game 12579095 (Auto-Join Game) View Game 12579086 (Auto-Join Game) View Game 12579077 (Auto-Join Game) View Game 12579068 (Auto-Join Game) View Game 12579059 (Auto-Join Game) (Singles)

That's almost it; though rather than copy in the next set of round data I use the following code to automate it:I then copy and paste the invitation code from the previous round and all that is left to do is send the invites.

For updating the thread, rather than write separate code I have simply copied the invitation code into a separate spreadsheet; find and replace the "tot" with "game"; take out the password and team number and then paste into the tournament thread.

(These "tips" started off as ones that I used to make it a bit easier in managing my own tournaments. Now, I am looking at other types of tournaments and scoring systems by all you innovative TO's out there. So, if you have a unique scoring system that you would like me to have a go at automating, please let me know and I'll be pleased to try and assist. Any queries on the above I'll be glad to respond to of course. Please note that I use Excel 2003, so there may be variation in the menu instructions if you have other versions of Excel)

TPA Season 2: State of Play The final game in Benga's Major Escalating Fog: Killer has finished with silversun6, benga and jug68 sharing first place. The leader board is now swifte 5,715; dowian2 4,572; barterer2002 3,437; arno30 3,304 and uckuki 3,292. Can anyone challenge Swifte now?
The final 8 tournaments still to finish are A History of Europe, Bracketology, CC Golf Match Play Season 2, CCSOP, MC's Master's of 6, MC's World Terminators, Sonic goes Back to School and TheMissionary's Quads Showdown.

TPA 2 Standings



TPA Season 3

Five finished tournaments this issue!

• McShanester29's "MC's First Quads Tournament...Yes Really!!" tournament has finished with Nola_lifer, loutil, bigballinstalin and napoleontanerite in first place.
• Greenoaks "I Suck At This Map" has also finished, with osman76 winning over ttblanch. SirJohn13 was in third place.
• Silly Knig-It's "Preserve Your Rank" tournament has also finished with Dillybarr, Marshallbobby, Peteee and Theldin in the first four places.
• Chapcrap's "Chap's Ultimate Random" has lanyards, overlander, sundance123 and Ishihara in first place
• Sempaispellcheck "Sempai's Graduation Medal Hunt!" has waauw winning from Grandilof, allinpoker and general cod.

These scores moves Aussie02 up to second place and the leader board reads uckuki 5,657; aussie02 2,818; swifte 2,763; mviola 2,475 and theldin 2,380.

TPA 3 Standings
Link to Individual Scores
The thread for the TPA3 details is at:
http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewto ... 9&t=175675

And now for our regular look at a selection of the tournaments in sign-ups! As we're still in the midst of the summer break, the number of tournaments getting started up is still lower than usual, though slightly more than before. Since I'm sure most of you guys would prefer to keep your game load low during this period, this edition features only Freemium Friendly! tournaments, so you can keep your game load nice and light!


Osman's Don't Lose Your Three Lives Tournament by osman76 - Freemium Friendly!

Play against your opponents on their home maps and yours. Lose on your home map and you lose a life; win on your away map and you kill your opponent. Lose three lives and you're out. The thing is, while killing your opponents will certainly increase your chances of winning the tournament, it isn't the key to winning, as staying alive yourself is far more important! As such, make sure you choose your home map wisely for this one! This tournament also features a General Achievement Medal for the player who makes the most number of kills.


Prison Break [Doubles] by PaRKoN - Freemium Friendly!

Can I just say: I love tournaments with a storyline. We continue to have many tournaments with innovative gameplay concepts, but tournaments with storylines are increasingly rare these days. But I digress. This doubles tournament has a simple single elimination structure, and has pairs trying to find their way out of prison, and fighting against each other for the finite number of tickets out of their predicament! So, if you want to be imprisoned and attempt to break out of prison, find a partner and sign up for this one!


b00060's Assassin Tournament I by b00060 - Freemium Friendly!

This tournament is incredibly simple. The first 2 rounds are winner-takes-all Assassin games, with the winner advancing to the next round, and onward to the Finals. In the finals, the first of the 4 finalists to clock in 2 wins will be crowned the champion of the tournament. Yep, you read correctly - just 4 wins in 4-player Assassin games to take home a shiny new Tournament Achievement Medal. What's not to love?


These are my picks, but if you don't like any of these go to the Create/Join a Tournament forum or Tournaments Tab and take a look at the many others waiting to be filled.

If you're craving tourney action now, check out the Requests for Immediate Players section of the tournament forum. You can be playing very quickly after signing up as a reserve.

If you would like your tournament to be featured in the next edition of the CC Newsletter, please PM anamainiacks with the details of your tournament.

Melting Pot: Map IdeasHighlight on some up and coming maps.
Phantasia Altitudinis by Koontz1973
Q*quer by dolomite13

Drafting RoomWhere maps start life. But like all new babies, this is where they need the most attention.
5 Lands of Shannara by Blakkrose
Bering Strait by lanyards
Democratic Republic of Congo by Avapocalypse
Gallic Wars by waauw
Homeworlds by dolomite13
War Of The Roses by Aleena


Map FoundryThe main block of work is done here.
Baltic States by Bruceswar
District of Alaska by Seamus76
Ethiopia by cairnswk
Krazy Kingdoms by dolomite13
Rail S America by cairnswk
Research & Conquer by isaiah40
Ring of Fire by vaughn03
Spanish Amarda by cairnswk
Stronghold (GCCM Winner) by ManBungalow
WWI: Gallipoli by cairnswk

Leonardo da Vinci might well be the master of hidden images and symbols. He once said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication", which is true, but take that a step further, how sophisticated is it to simply hide things in plain sight? Pretty amazing in my opinion. Many of his works within the Sistine Chapel alone can be said to have "hidden" symbols and images that take the art from simple to Divine. And while there is more to art, and life, than meets the eye, can the same be said for Conquer Club maps? Have you ever looked at your favorite map and thought maybe there was a vaguely familiar image in the background, or a symbol placed in a certain way to indicate another level of thinking? Well maybe it was, and maybe it wasn't.

I've asked some of the best mapmakers about their maps, and in the coming issues I'll let you know a few things that just might blow your mind, and have you looking at the same maps in a different light. Be sure to follow CC on Twitter (@ConquerClub) for some opportunities to get clues, hints, and maps to look at more closely. You want to try, Circus Maximus = Where's Waldo? Can you spot him?

"Man this kid can draw better than me. Wit, where have you been the last 6 years?"
Mas Sue67
Unofficial CC Map Reviewer