Map Blaster IV: The Pantheon Jihad [See 1st Post]

by **Dazoot** on Thu Dec 11, 2008 1:26 am

Scores updated for all groups as of Dec. 11th @ 0030hrs.

by **danalan** on Fri Dec 12, 2008 7:48 pm

As long as the scoring system awards points for anything less than winning, strategic maneuvers will be able to 'game the system'. The only scoring system you should use for MBV is wins, if you want to determine the best player. Whoever has the most wins, advances. Ties could play a tie-breaker game.

Also, 8-player escalating spoils puts a tremendous amount of chance into the game -- the spoils are too critical. If it takes 8 turns to get your second set, chances are good you're not going to get a chance to deploy that second set. 6-players would be much more fair, from a strategy point-of-view, allowing for much more balanced play. Many small maps work much better with 6 players, and the turns won't take as long, either. Bonus games could be played as before.

If you did 6-player games, with the top 3 win counts advancing for rounds 1 & 2, then top 2 for round 3, etc, you might find the tourney much more manageable.

by **Dazoot** on Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:17 am

Scores updated for Dec.13th @ 0320hrs.

by **Dazoot** on Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:37 am

In my humble opinion the player with the most wins is a very good player but not always the best because of the luck factor and the cards issued or won during the cascade factor. A player that gains the most points by doing nothing is playing a simple stradegy and can be effective if the other players do nothing to stop that player, it's not that he is good it is the other players that can be blamed for poor play that allow that situation to play out. The map blaster series is a seriously great tournament the way it is, the number of players and the scoring system makes for a tournament that takes skill to win not because there are so many ways to win but that the winner not only has the skill to win by either games or points but because he/she can defend against the eight players by out thinking, out playing, and beating the odds over many games to come out on top. All this talk of changing this and that is really unwarranted. The scoring system is known to all so the player that wins is the one who can work the system to their advantage. The player that adapts to everyone elses stradegy is the one who will ultimately win...in my humblre opinion.

by **colson** on Sat Dec 13, 2008 11:40 am

[quote="Dazoot"]In my humble opinion the player with the most wins is a very good player but not always the best because of the luck factor and the cards issued or won during the cascade factor.quote]

I generally agree with this statement. But with over 100 games in a round this isn't a true statement as there are enough games to insure that the cream rises to the top. The sample size of games is greatest enough to where the odds on a poorer player winning because of other factors is reduced greatly. A poor player may win a few games, but in the long run and over 100 games will not win the tournament. Only the best players will.

by **Dazoot** on Mon Dec 15, 2008 2:37 am

Scores updated as of Dec.15th @ 0130hrs

by **brandoncfi** on Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:43 pm

Final Round
Colson
Lisbon101

Wildcard Race
GlobeSmack [wins 72]
brandoncfi [wins 67]
Hath [wins 66]
Jondalar [wins 60]

The first two players (colson and Lisbon101) to make the Finals...It was a close battle and in the end the bonus games decided who moved on...so don't take them lightly if your still in one. GlobeSmack is the front runner for one of the two wilcard spots with 72 tourny wins

by **Dazoot** on Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:22 am

Scores updated as of Dec.18th @ 0020hrs.

by **lisbon101** on Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:40 am

Hi guys, before we started the final round i think that the 8 players should talk about the chance of a great tournament could be won by a neutral player, i can´t see his fun, ok it´s a good strategy, but after playng so many games with excellent players, watching good tactics, good and bad dices, it would be the same to say that swiss was the winner of WWII.
Only my opinion, great job brandoncfi, one last thing, the points would be more fair if u changed from sequential to terminator.

by **brandoncfi** on Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:47 pm

lisbon101 wrote:Hi guys, before we started the final round i think that the 8 players should talk about the chance of a great tournament could be won by a neutral player, i can´t see his fun, ok it´s a good strategy, but after playng so many games with excellent players, watching good tactics, good and bad dices, it would be the same to say that swiss was the winner of WWII.
Only my opinion, great job brandoncfi, one last thing, the points would be more fair if u changed from sequential to terminator.

The votes made the decision there will be no changes for the final...However I recommend some sort of strategy against players that just sit and build armies and do not get cards...it is a proven strategy that will win this tourney if no steps are taken to take that player out early

Map Blaster V will have changes that will discourage this type of play but for MBIV this is still a good strategy

by **colson** on Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:09 pm

That strategy will not win this tournament. I will personally see to it if necessary.

by **brandoncfi** on Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:05 pm

Looks like the votes are even as of right now...I"ll keep the pool open until the first batch of final games have been sent...A tie vote will keep the scoring the same.

by **Dazoot** on Fri Dec 19, 2008 11:11 pm

Scores updated as of Dec.19th @ 22oo hrs.

by **danalan** on Sat Dec 20, 2008 12:16 am

brandoncfi wrote:Looks like the votes are even as of right now...I"ll keep the pool open until the first batch of final games have been sent...A tie vote will keep the scoring the same.

What the hell, might as well change the rules, again.

by **Dazoot** on Sat Dec 20, 2008 1:15 pm

Scores updated for Dec 20th @ 1215hrs.

by **Dazoot** on Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:25 pm

Scores updated as of Dec 21st @ 1230hrs.

by **colson** on Tue Dec 23, 2008 5:01 pm

danalan wrote:
brandoncfi wrote:Looks like the votes are even as of right now...I"ll keep the pool open until the first batch of final games have been sent...A tie vote will keep the scoring the same.

What the hell, might as well change the rules, again.

Shouldn't only those participating in the finals be aloud to vote since it only effects them.

by **Dazoot** on Fri Dec 26, 2008 11:14 pm

Scores updated as of Dec.26th @ 2215hrs.

by **Dazoot** on Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:44 pm

Scores updated as of Dec.28th @ 2045hrs.

by **danalan** on Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:03 am

colson wrote:
danalan wrote:
brandoncfi wrote:Looks like the votes are even as of right now...I"ll keep the pool open until the first batch of final games have been sent...A tie vote will keep the scoring the same.

What the hell, might as well change the rules, again.

Shouldn't only those participating in the finals be aloud to vote since it only effects them.

Actually, I think that brandonfici should make the decision based upon whatever criteria he wants. He changed the rules at the beginning of round 3 without explanation, so he's free to change them again if he likes. It's his tournament, after all.

Clearly the scoring of the tournament was flawed, allowing Psilotum to 'game the system' and advance without really playing. The rule change in round 3 might have been put in place to fix this flaw, but it's hard to overlook the fact that the change increased brandoncfi's odds of making round 4 without affecting the status of Psilotum's advancement.

The rule change did prevent a strategy I was trying to implement in round 3, so I suppose it worked to ensure that the best players advance, rather than whoever had the best strategy in the tournament. It has been educational, for sure. I think that any tournament that awards advancement based upon scoring of some sort, rather than purely rewarding the winner, is open to this type of strategic gameplay.

by **Dazoot** on Tue Dec 30, 2008 8:25 pm

Scores updated as of Dec.30th @ 1925hrs.

by **Dazoot** on Thu Jan 01, 2009 10:48 pm

Score updated as of Jan.1 2130 hrs.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Congrats to Whitetrash67 and Danalan as they will be moving on to the final round from Apple group.

by **danalan** on Fri Jan 02, 2009 1:16 am

colson wrote:
danalan wrote:
brandoncfi wrote:Looks like the votes are even as of right now...I"ll keep the pool open until the first batch of final games have been sent...A tie vote will keep the scoring the same.

What the hell, might as well change the rules, again.

Shouldn't only those participating in the finals be aloud to vote since it only effects them.

In my humble, but now qualified (according to colson) opinion, I think the scoring for the final round should be based on nothing but (round 4) wins. No scoring algorithm to allow someone to 'game the system'. If we have a tie after all the maps have been played, we should (all 8 of us) play single, random maps until we break the tie.

by **Hath** on Fri Jan 02, 2009 5:24 pm

Fairly certain I've locked up one of the wildcard spots...

Either brandon's going to get the second or he's going to have a high enough group score to move in and GlobeSmack will get it...