Conquer Club

Issue 63: 03/03/09

Old issues and old threads regarding various newsletter things.

Moderator: Community Team

Issue 63: 03/03/09

Postby Gozar on Thu May 28, 2009 7:03 pm

Issue 63: 03/03/09

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Hello tournament fans. This week the News Hound and Limelight takes a look at a lower ranking side of things.
As always, if you have any ideas or just want to help out, drop us a line.

Thanks, and enjoy!
Gozar


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Image Newsletter Poll
Image News Hound
Image Fun Facts
Image Currently Taking Signups
Image Tournament Updates
Image Coming Soon
Image The Tournament Roll of Honour
Image Tournament Limelight
Image Interview with stahrgazer
Image Next Issue
Image Notes
ImageStaff

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A new poll is now up: Should a medal be given for each and every tournament won?
Please stop by the Suggestion Thread and vote.


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Cooking Up a Few Good Gamers
by stahrgazer


"Train a cook today battle an officer tomorrow! Making good players great"

On Tuesday February 24, Twill announced: Society of the Cooks opens its doors. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=78708&view=unread#p1867343

“The Society has long been running training for low ranked players as a usergroup but today, they hit the mainstream. With the launch of the Training Grounds viewforum.php?f=340 (which will also see Strategy and Q&A moved in), Conquer Club is looking to make an easier to use space for new and old players alike who are looking to improve their game (...and admins who need some serious training help).”

The last is a reference to the Whac-a-Mod games, specifically the battle against the generals you might have read about in the last newsletter. While for many, signing up for training or teaching is voluntary, new cadets will get a special pm invite to come in for training. For teachers, the first requirement is taking the training themselves. The training consist of basic strategy, especially as applies to terminator type games.

Asked whether the Society of Cooks intends to sponsor tournaments to give its trainees that sort of experience, co-organizer wacicha laughed, “We will have our hands full without doing tourny's!!!!”

What are you, some special forces guy or something?

No, I'm just a cook, just a lowly cook. Image

Oh My God, we’re gonna die! (Under Siege)

Members willing to sign up as Society Teachers are asked to contact wacicha or gloryordeath.



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Tournament Hall of Fame Reorganization! Check it out!

Whac-a-Mod
Mods have been defeated 228 times by 94 members so far, although 132 participated.

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Here are the tournaments that are currently taking signups. Just click the title to visit the thread.

Teams Tournaments

Credit Crunch
Organizer: Pedronicus

JR’s 4 v 4 Challenge I
Organizer: JOHNNYROCKET24

MLS 2009
Organizer: Forza AZ


1 versus 1 Tournaments

Around All CC’s Maps: City Mogul
Organizer: HighlanderAttack

Luck or Skill
Organizer: conquerAce


General Tournaments

Midwest League
Organizer: blacky44

American Idol Season 8
Organizer: Tupence

Map Blaster V: The Wrath of Agrona
Organizers: brandoncfi, Dazoot

It’s A Super Mario Galaxy!
Organizer: Gilligan


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Here are how some of the currently ongoing tournaments are progressing. Just click the title to visit the thread. Want your tournament listed here? Use the form at the end of this letter!


Trippel Trappel
Organiser: PaulusH
Using a 6x6 windmill setup
All people started to play Poker, also a nice game :-^
Planned End Date: 5 May

Mac Dinner Date
Organiser: PaulusH
Using a 5x5 windmill setup
Everybody is getting someting extra at the McDrive
Planned end date: 10 October

Bar Double Dutch
Organiser: PaulusH
Using a 3x3 windmill setup
Some people stopped drinking beer and currently outside the bar. Better not to take a look there
Planned End Date: 14 April

European Speed Cup
Organiser: DJ Teflon
Speed 1 v 1 (best of 3) to take place over several Fridays (flexibility built-in). Premium required.

Discworld Terminator
Organiser: DJ Teflon
Quick tournament with 4-player terminator games. Freemiums welcome.

King of Europe
Organiser: DJ Teflon
Final Match just started, how exciting.
6-Player Freestyle Tournament with Fog Of War, Played on European continent maps. Nationality-based tournament. Started Dec. '08.

Around the World in 80 Days
Organiser: stahrgazer
The pilots are almost ready to launch onto World 2.1. The triples team of Humrlmo/dustin800/littlebrother2k7 will select another player to round out their quad. Will it be negoeien/Lindax/David Hoekstra picking a fourth for these final aerial battles? Or will darin44/xerro/tdans be able to salvage their flight over the British Isles in Game 4327095?

ppgangster's WHITE GOLD Tourney
Organiser: ppgangster
Status: Registering until March 4th
For White Gold members only 3 Rounds, Classic Art, Siege!, KoM, 4 players game
Prize=3 Month premium Prize

The Legend of Tor Na’Mit
Organizer: Gozar
Round Nine winding down.


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Here are some tournaments that noted tournament organisers are planning on running soon.

From PaulusH using a 4x4 windmill setup- Puzzle Mix will need 16 doubles teams

From keiths31:In keeping with the "Musical Chairs" theme there will be:
Musical Chairs: Mini Maps
Musical Chairs: USA Map Pack
Musical Chairs: Island Tour

Tournament ideas from the mind of barterer2002 in the New Year
Kaplowitz's Unrelated Tournament
God of Godds
Night Sticks and Stones
Down and Dirty V
Brothers in Arms


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Here are some recent tournament winners.


"Escalators II" -Outsiders
"Battle of the Hemispheres" -Sun Tzup
"No Attack Tour" -Blitzaholic
"Champion of Scotland Tournament" -HighlanderAttack
"Mixed Maps" -Natascha & Wilco
"School's Out for Summer 2008" -Tripitaka
"Super Smash Brothers: Singles League" -White Moose
"Championship Series: CCU" -BaldAdonis
"Royal Flush Tournament" -gordito
"JR's 1v1 Challenge V" -tyler197802198
"Art Attack!!!" -torresgerrard
"Last Man Standing: Classic" -odratsab
"Cooks and Cadets" -HollowMan85
"Gilligan's Bracket Tournament V" -knighthawk
"Master of the Third Age" -Alexinho
"Olympics Part 2: Altius" -CandaVespin and bamage
"Reincarnation" -ronc8649
"8 Thoughts Tour" -dustin800
"Championship Series: Centerscape" -Lucifer4o
"Qwert Bracket Tournament IV" -Natewolfman
"Poker Night at the Club" -lhcguy
"The Grand Oasis Tournament" -IronWood
"City Trip" -inos
"You've Been Hired to Kill that King" -slickstick
"Championship Series Charleston" -BaldAdonis
"Championship Series: Archipelago" -Gilligan
"Map Blaster IV the Pantheon Jihad" -Lisbon101
"The Champions League Tournament" -dustin800
"Ultimate 1v1" -sailorseal
"Super Quick Tourney Season 4" -JOHNNYROCKET24
"Halloween Doubles Tournament" -Lokisgal and Agonzos
"Master of the Second Age" -acores2005
"Conquerman Triangle" -Tisha, Mattastrophe, Sdin15
"Conqueror Crusoe, Ruler of the Islands" -dustin800 and sam02
"Last Man Standing Classic" -odratsab
"Band or Die 3" -Goggles Paisano, Vexx, PaulG, Easy n Dirty
"JRs 1v1 Challenge IV" -killmanic
"Conquer the New World" -Phr34ky
"Quick and Painless Tournament" -banana_hammocks
"Alliance of Feudal" -enterprise74 and WoWaholic


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by stahrgazer

This week we limelight a tournament hosted in January by psychobkrazy that seems in line with the grand opening of the Training grounds. Cooks and Cadets was open only to low-ranked players, those with less than 1000 points, just as the name implies.

“I choose the score of 1000 because that is what you start off with when you join Conquer Club. As for the name Cooks and Cadets, I thought it just rolled off the tongue, kind of like Conquer Club... I wanted to attract players that were, for a lack of a better word 'afraid' to play in tournaments. I thought it would not only help boost their scores, but confidence as well,” said psychobkrazy.

Cooks and Cadets

Creativity 4

Enjoyment 3

Organization 4

Timeliness of games 3

Updates of Status 5

Overall 4
Rated by 20% of the participants

Some of the players were concerned with the choices of map, wishing more variety and difficult maps, although they noted that they understood the reason “Classic Shapes” was selected. The Training Grounds is also using “classic type” maps and multi-player games. In the case of this tournament, games were all 4-player, “winner take all” standard, chained, sunny, and escalating.

Organizer psychobkrazy noted a few issues: “I think there were two main problems with this tournament. The games seemed very slow, with the longest taking nine days to complete. I still can't figure out why because it wasn't due to missed turns and the spoils where escalating. The second problem was the requirements themselves. I called for players ranked 1000 or below and said if you meet the requirements when you sign up, you will stay locked in if your rank goes up. I thought this is/was fair, but it still is hard to let someone that shoots up to a Sergeant to join a 1000 or below tournament.”

True, all of the comments received stressed that the length of the games reduced player enjoyment. The winner may have the answer that so puzzled the organizer regarding how long it took for the games to complete. Hollowman85 said, “I think we had to wait for a while for one of the people to join. But then, most Cooks are freemium, so that's probably why.” Low rank might also be a concern just as psychobkrazy pointed out; Hollowman85 noted that he has gone up several ranks since the tournament.


It appears that psychobkrazy is incorporating lessons learned.
“I currently am running Cooks and Cadets 2 which is running a little more smoothly. This time around only one of the four first round games are taking a while.”


If success is measured, not by stars earned or mistakes made, but by achieving what you set out to do (and I believe it is) then psychobkrazy's idea to sponsor tournaments aimed at newcomers and lower ranks who might not otherwise join the fun is a rip-roaring success.
Hollowman85 wrote:I think it was pretty cool to have a tournament geared toward lower ranked players. I know from my personal behalf that it's a little confusing to start out. We were all more or less on the same level though.

As a final thought, psychobkrazy mused,"And even though no one has complained to me, the rank requirements might have to change if I make a third one."

Cooks and Cadets 3? We’ll look forward to it...maybe we should encourage psychobkrazy to open a franchise!



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This week we had the chance to talk with one of our new staff members, stahrgazer. All the questions in the interview are based off input from newsletter readers. Next week's interview is with Woodruff, new to the organising scene. You can get your questions in by posting in this thread.

Now, on with the Interview!


Q: Hello, stahrgazer.

A: Greetings, Gozar, but please, call me stahr ;)

Q:What makes you interview worthy?

A: um.. I was here when you needed to interview someone? Hehehe Actually, I probably represent a ‘different’ segment of the population, as I’m a li’l ol’ lady with a flair for fun. There may be quite a few men my age around CC, but I suspect few women.

Q:How did you find this website?

A: A very close friend from Holland, who’s also visited me here in Florida, thought I’d enjoy it. He was right. (He knows me so well *KiSS* Domantic)

Q: Why did you join CC?

A: To rejuvenate a passion of my youth. I grew up playing board games; had a next-door-neighbor who enjoyed the war-type board games. Not just Risk, but Chess, Stratego, the little octagon-type games that represent various scenarios. Then he went to college, I moved to Florida, and alas, no more playmates. Hey, Chuck B, my late-70’s sci-fi and war-gaming pal from Glassmanor, if you’re here on CC, call me! I’ve missed the nearly-3-full-decades of no gaming. Awwww.

Q:Why did you start to play tournaments?

A: Initially, because some people I knew had joined them. Because I knew these people, I figured it could be good gaming, even if I felt quite out of my element, being unfamiliar with some of the maps, and not very good at the maps I did know.

Q:What made you want to start running tournaments?

A: I was reading the tournament newsletter, others’ ideas for creations and an idea based on my own past and likes just sort of “popped” into my head. No one else would have this idea, I figured. Initially I was going to “give the idea away” but darn it, it was mine! lol

Q: How long have you been organizing tournaments?

A: Since late November. Hehehe, I’m new at it.

Q:What tournament did you first run?

A: Same one is ongoing. Same two, actually. “Around the World in 80 Days” and its spinoff, “Around the World in 80 Days – Reservists”.

Q: Where did you come up with your tournament ideas?

A: My past/preferences. As a kid I was really into stars; loved Star Trek, etc. In 3rd grade my first oral report was on the launch of Sputnik. In high school, AFJROTC, we learned the history of flight. My teachers knew me as “the Trekkie;” my buddies knew me as “space cadet”. Later, and until layoffs in 2002 my career was in aerospace, jet and rocket engines. The tourney title is based on the movie title because the movie did have a balloon flight in it, and balloons were man’s first flights. They began in Europe, and so does the tournament, which then progresses around the world. Maps were picked to cover continents without duplicating until the final matches on World 2.1 which, per the tourney ‘story’ represent space flight (seeing the entire Earth from up there). Instead of Yuri Gagarin the cosomonaut, or Space Shuttle astronauts, CC will end up with a team of Conquernauts.

Q: Who do you look to for inspiration when organizing your tournaments?

A: Experts and friends. On realizing I might have a catchy idea, I read Optimus Prime’s tournament handbook. Then I went to bounce my idea off a few higher-ranks I knew, those that had participated in tournaments before. Night Strike and Steelhorse probably got sick of my pestering before I felt I had enough to continue with. OP reviewed the scenario and offered suggestions as well. Some ideas I took, others I left. What I found the most interesting was, what one person loved about my idea, another hated, and so on.

Q: Describe the experience of your first tournament ran, and first played in.

A: First tournament ran... I wouldn’t have gone through with it had nemrehs1 not offered right off to help as co-organizer. I was afraid to “take the plunge” despite it was a relatively small tournament (16 players in sets of 1v1 to eliminate 4 players; then 12 players in dubs and trips to reduce 4 more for the round of 8-player quads for the title). So, nem was my safety-net and game-creator. “Reservists” got started because once word spread, I had far too many reserves, and one of them asked, “will you set us some games up just for fun?” With a few, but not many, modifications, I did. I set it up as a different tourney for CC records accuracy, and some aspects did change. Reserves has no premie prize, nor did it have a min rank limit like the original.
The first tournament I played in, I knew I was out of my element; it was on the various Realms maps, and some of the players are swift on that! But, you don’t succeed if you don’t try. I was thrilled to make it to round 2, and not surprised that I was out by round 3. Then again, that was a “single loss elimination”. That experience is actually what decided me to make my tourney rounds of “best 2 of 3” but to prevent boredom, each new game begins on a different map. Not because I lost round 2, but because my win in round 1 eliminated a player that probably would’ve won the tournament except I got so darn lucky right off!

Q: How many tournaments have you run already, and do you have a goal in mind for how many you want to run in total before you "retire"? How many are you running right now?

A: Just the two previously discussed. I have no plans to count; if an idea hits I’ll do something about it when I have time. I’m not going for a record of tourneys run.

Q:What tournaments have you organized?

A: As mentioned: Around the World in 80 Days and its spinoff for “Reservists”.

Q:What is your favourite tournament you have run?

A: I think I’m liking the original one more, maybe because it was first, or maybe because of the premie prizes that I’ll be giving away soon.

Q: What is your favorite tournament you’ve played in? Why?

A: I haven’t played in all that many, so there’s no broad field of reference. I enjoyed winning the Realms match, but I think I’ll enjoy the Global Gridiron Showdown more. It’s a team setup, and erazor and I had fun picking our ‘football team’ name: Quasimodems. Plus, we pick a home map and play on away maps as well.

Q:Do you prefer to run or enter tournaments?

A: Usually play is more fun than work. Then again, watching your creation prosper has its rewards. Watching others enjoy what you started is a thrill as well.

Q: Is there a specific type of format that you tend to gravitate towards? Why? Is there a format that is your favourite? What about other peoples' tournaments?

A: Non-speed sequential, no ‘tend’ to it. My ‘puter won’t handle speed or freestyle games without freezing up (if you’re shopping for a new ‘puter, avoid Acer with Vista). I find “unlimited forts” far too “first turn” oriented so I avoid those when I think to, in regular or tournament games. I also tend to prefer flat or no spoils, although I’ll play escalating. I prefer team games to group gropes.

Q: Do you find it easier to choose tournament settings yourself, or to let the players customize them?

A: hehehehe it’s definitely easier to pre-set the settings. Against advice, I offered opponents the chance to agree on alternate game settings prior to their matches; it was a coordination nightmare for all involved. The “home map” “away map” scenarios I’ve seen is probably the best of both worlds.

Q: Overall, are you playing a lot in tournaments? If not, then why and where do you find your games to play?

A: I wouldn’t say “a lot” but a few. Because of my ‘puter issue, I cannot participate in freestyle or speed tournaments and sometimes I just don’t like the maps being used on this or that tournament. I find games through my clan, pm’s to/from friends, and on Live Chat Callouts.

Q: How excited were you with your first CC win?

A: I was discovering ‘puter issues so I think my first win (which was my very first game on CC) was overridden by that irritation. Plus, I did not know the player. I then had a losing streak on a variety of strange maps – “I want to try them all, NOW” mode – but then I got into a game with a player I’d met on chat, 4-player, another new map, but I won. Knowing that player made me know “this was a good win” so then I was excited!

Q:Have you ever won a tournament?

A: Not yet, but I have time.

Q: What is your most disappointing tournament loss to date?

A: A Civil War tournament; not the loss, but the reason for it. I knew the map, my chosen partner did not, but we had a strategy issue on one game. The next game, he had foelisted me before joining, then played...not well for that map. I cannot prove he deliberately played a losing game out of spite, but foelisting your partner and then joining the game is rather nasty. I got a new partner, but by then “my team” had already lost so many matches I knew the tournament win was out of the question, despite we’ve played a couple more games since.

Q: In your mind, what makes a successful tournament?

A: Completion. Players sign up for a tournament because they want to see it through. If they get to do so, then that’s “success”.

Q: What do you consider to be the most successful tournaments you've seen run?

A: The Rule of Realms was good because its organizer set up a spiffy table right in the forum, making it so easy to see the progression of people through the rounds. The Civil War tournament is a different sort of success, though; its original organizer had to cease (parental discretion removed him from most CC activities) but another organizer stepped right up to help. I’ve been in a few other tournaments, but those two stand out for those reasons.

Q: What is the best Tournament that you think has been underestimated?

A: Every new organizer’s tournament is underestimated.

Q:Have you ever been disappointed in a tournament you have run? What about one you entered?

A: In mine? Not so far, and I hope I won’t be; it would take failure to complete it, or some major fiasco, to disappoint me. In one I entered? Yes, though it was not the organizer’s fault. Someone tried to start a clans-teams-only tournament, but CC Admin disallowed it, I’m not privy to why.

Q: What makes a successful organizer?

A: Attention to detail and willingness to keep at it.

Q: How do you attract players to your tournament, and what aspect (besides a reward of a premium prize or something like that) of a tournament do you think appeals to a lot of players and why?

A: Not everyone reviews Tournaments forum callouts on a daily/weekly basis, so spreading the word through friends can be important. I announced mine in Live Chat, pm’d friends, and posted the link in my clan forum.

Q: Is there anything in particular that you dislike about tournament organizing?

A: Yes. I dislike having to send all those pm’s because while our pm forum is good, it does not allow for distribution lists like emails. I also dislike having to find a last-minute replacement when somebody doesn’t show up for his match.

Q: For you, what is the best part of being a tournament organizer?

A: The pm, wall comment, or gamechat remark “I’m having fun, thanks for organizing this!”

Q: What mistakes do you see tournament organizers make the most?

A: Easily fixed but common: making games to the wrong settings.

Q: With experience comes the wisdom of knowing what mistakes you've made in the past so you can avoid them in the future. What mistakes have you made in your tournaments that you are sure to avoid in future tournaments?

A: hehehe and I WAS warned! I will never do another, “As your game approaches, you and your opponents can try to agree on alternate game settings.” It was a mass-pm nightmare for me and for the various players. By round 2 they’d stopped suggesting alternates, and by round 3 I’d stopped asking if they wanted to.

Q:What is your opinion on organizer neutrality? Should organizers be allowed to place themselves against their own clanmates in tournaments? Should organizers be allowed to join their own tournaments at all?

A: From the “other side” I thought it was a tad unethical if an organizer joined his or her own tournament. Now that I’ve experienced “this side” of the fence, I realize about the only thing an organizer could do to “set up” his own win, is to carefully select his opponents in any round. Well, we play games all the time where we pick specific opponents, so there is no real difference, and “picking opponents” is no guarantee of a win. As for the clan thing, most clans have inner-clan matches, and respectable clans require that each member will try to win, rather than throw a game. “Points dumping” is against CC rules, as are “unannounced alliances.” So, yes, organizers should be allowed to battle clanmates in their own tournaments.

Q: Do you use a "schedule" for updating your tournaments, or do you just wait until they need an update?

A: For my tournaments, which are small, I tried to check daily, especially the 1v1 games. I keep an Excel file, and there were a few times where I noted a game completion there but waited to update the forum until later. The most I went without updating was a week, though, when I sprained my wrists. For larger 1v1 tournaments I’d probably check a few each day and make one massive update once I’ve gone through the entire list. Larger team games usually take longer, so a check every week to ten days is probably sufficient.

Q:Should “question marks” be allowed to join tournaments?

A: Provided the tournament has no games a ? cannot join; and provided the organizer retains the right to set minimum requirements, then, yes, I don’t see why not. Oh, I know there are concerns about multis, but hey, if a ? joins a Waterloo speed tournament, I’d think the multi-hunters would go sniffing. I might not join a tournament that allows new recruits, but I know one high-ranker who won’t join a tournament that discriminates by rank, so it is simply a matter of preference.

Q:Do you feel it is better to give a bye to players whose opponents deadbeat the tournament, or to use a reserve?

A: Deadbeating sux, but it’s a sad part of CC gameplay. It’s the risk we take with any game on here. Missing a single turn can lose the game but is not considered ‘formal deadbeating’. As an organizer, I would remove a player who showed a habit of missing turns or got kicked from a game in a “formal deadbeat,” but the game result would stand as part of the tournament. I also believe other organizers should have the option to call a rematch using reserve players.

Q: If you could change one thing about Conquer Club in general, what would it be?

A: Establish a “clan challenges” game selection; like tournaments, with each clan as an option instead of tournament names, but separate from tournaments and under discretion of clan leaders/co-leaders rather than Tournament Moderators.

Q: If there was something that the Conquer Club administrators could implement into the game to make tournaments easier to manage, what would it be? Similarly, is there anything you would like to see taken away from Conquer Club to make running tournaments easier?

A: I would like to see: the “join a game” page show whether the game is standard or speed; a requirement that each organizer also have a co-organizer, responsible to continue the tournament in the event the main organizer has to disappear – eliminating deadpool and minimizing delays; a “named distribution list” creation option in the pm forum to make contacting players easier.

Q: If you are thinking purely on balance of tournament games is there anything you would want changing?

A: Yes. I’d like organizers to be able to set up some “clan only” tournaments. Not necessarily for the new ‘tournament medals’ although it would be nice if CC would also enable each clan that wants to organize a tourney, to establish its own medal to be awarded to winners.

Q: Is there anything that you would recommend to encourage new tournament organizers?

A: Ask for help, and you’ll get it. Go for it, use that idea, you’re the only one who can implement it, but do try to get a co-organizer set up, someone with maybe a little more experience than you have in case you start to trip. Otherwise, all it really takes is your willingness to keep plugging along at it.

Q: List your top 5 biggest tournament headache's to this point

A: Fortunately, I do not believe I have five. 1) Finding replacements for sudden dropouts. 2) Re-creating distribution lists to announce games/status. 3) The “have to” doldrums.. moods where it’s time to check and update games status, but “I don’t feel like it.”

Q:How much time does CC take from your day?

A: That varies. Taking game-turns rarely takes me more than an hour. Today I was on all day, researching for upcoming newsletter tidbits, doing this interview (twice; the first time I did it in forums and when I hit send, found out I’d been logged out so lost it all); playing around with two new tournament ideas.

Q:Are you a member of any clans or usergroups?

A: Yes. Newly admitted to competitive clan: The Imperial Dragoons (GO DRAGOONS!); social group Blade Runner; Tournament Newsdesk; recently asked to be trained to help out in the new Training forum.

Q:What is the best competitive clan?

A: Oh, okay, I’ll say it louder: GO DRAGOONS!!!

Q:What attributes do you find attractive in a clan and just what does a clan mean to you?

A: A clan should be fun and frolic with an understanding that to enjoy things the most, one needs a high ethical standard, an agreement to be good neighbours as well as good players. Some clans disregard social aspects, but I believe encouraging good behaviour rather than just “let’s win games together” should be a clan’s responsibility to CC. A clan is a group of people who’ll put my best interests above some stranger’s. In our forum one of the members was lamenting a sudden drop in points. We’re teasing, but encouraging him, and some are pointing out types of games he might avoid, as well as types of games that historically he does well in, if he wishes to reverse the trend. A few of my mates are dragging me into maps and game-types I’ve avoided in the past, so I can learn an increased variety of play.

Q:Who are you?

A: A 46 year old with 15 years as an aerospace propulsion engineering assistant behind her and a talent for analysis and critical thinking still with her. A Leo/Virgo cuspid born in the year of the tiger – ready smile, dimples and a purr OR ready claws, fangs and snarl depending on which side you walk up on. Very female, with a long tawny “mane.” To some I’m the good witch, to others, the bad witch and with some, I’m not a witch at all.

Q: Why did you pick the name stahrgazer?

A: I didn’t pick it, it was picked for me back in high school, but it fit, was prettier than “space cadet” and so it stuck for 3 decades now. The unusual spelling is a phoenetic of the way my mother –with her thick Mississippi drawl - said my nick.

Q:Where are you from?

A: Washington, DC originally. Florida, now.

Q:Favourite play colour?

A: That really depends on the map.

Q:Favourite and least favourite map?

A: Europe is probably my ‘standby’ favourite, although I go into swings; this week it’s Waterloo. Least favourites: Op Drug War and Prison Riots. I’ve refused to join tournaments that offer those as any part of the selection. Has to do with the names and ideas behind them, rather than the maps themselves.

Q:Favourite settings?

A: Standard, chained!!!!! I think unlim. forts gives too much advantage to the first team/player, and I so seldom play adj. that when I do I sometimes forget that it’s not chained so mess up my plans. Also, I generally prefer flat or no-spoils over esc.

Q:Freestyle or sequential?

A: Must be seq. non-speed or ‘puter freezes (I HATE THIS ACER!!!)

Q: Any tournaments planned for the future? What are they?

A: Ayup. TVLand Tourney coming soon! Based on a ton of old shows that were reruns when I was growing up or that I grew up on and are now reruns. Another I’m helping Gilligan cement, but I’m not sure if I’m “organizing” or just helping him plan it.

Q: Any parting shots?

A: GO DRAGOONS!

Q: Thank you for your time.

A: *smooch*


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Interviews Interview with Woodruff


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Notes

If you want your tournament included in a future issue, please PM Gozar using this form:

----------------FORM-------------------
Tournament Name: (with link)
Organiser Name:
Status:
Brief description or update:
Rough estimate of percent complete/signed up:
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You can also write articles to submit for publishing, I can't keep this running by myself, I need YOUR help!

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Editor in chief- Gozar
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Lieutenant Gozar
 
Posts: 2534
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:15 pm
Location: Nova Scotia (G1)

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