You are George Bush the Third (and, with the middle initials WWW, also known as 'Dubya Dubya Dubya'), direct decendant, successful Oil Baron and President of the USA (thanks to your previous campaigns).
Under the secret codename 'Crusades', a high level meeting takes place in the Pentagon War Room to discuss strategies for the War on Terror.
Afterwards, your chief 'adviser' asks you to follow him. He takes you into the top secret 'back' war room, explaining that this is the hub where highly classified surveillance of potential adversaries and traitors takes place. He goes on to tell you that that most of the war cabinet do not even have security clearance to know of the existence of the room, let alone the plethora of agents and operations directed from there.
Your adviser gestures towards a series of complex maps and screens of confusing technical data, informing you that the Irakstanis have developed a new, even more lethal and subversive Weapon of Mass Destruction: the Crayons of Mass Destruction! There may be sleeper agents out there with them now!
"As you are Dubya Dubya Dubya, you are champion of the Internet and IT. So we have created a new simplified interface of the back war room in your home office ....."
"You are Commander in Chief and with your new interface you can strategically direct the war on terror yourself without need to be accountable to the war cabinet ...."
As he is about to leave, he reminds you: "Remember, boss, you have the authority to nuke 'em."
He extends his right arm in the air with a straightened hand, the secret salute of The Chosen, "God Bless America and The Holy Land!"
In Phase I, 16 players will be split into 4 groups of 4 competitors, with 2 terminator battles.
The winning competitor will score 2 points. All players will also score 1 point for each termination.
The top 2 competitors* from each group will progress to the next round.
Final Stage
In the Final Phase, 4 competitors will undertake 3 terminator battles.
Points scoring will be as above (points are reset to 0).
The competitor with most points will be declared the Winner.
In the event of competitors finishing with equal points, a tie-break battle will be played.
* If necessary competitors will also be compared on the number of terminations, then number of rounds survived in the phase in question. If this does not prove to determine qualifying competitors then a tie-break battle will occur.
Competitors must have a 97% attendance record, have played a minimum 25 matches, and not have dropped out from one of my tournaments previously! Premiums only.
Competitors will have 24 hours to join their battles from when the joining invite is sent. Failure to do so will result in a reserve being sought (harsh, I know).
All reserves will be sent a PM when an opening occurs. The first reserve to respond will gain a place.
For the first stage, reserves will be drawn from the reserve list.
In the second stage & final stage, reserves will be drawn from competitors eliminated from the previous stage (initially to the competitor finishing 4th in the group from which the missing player came (in the case of play-offs), or from the first losing play-off competitor to respond (in the case of a group stage), then from the first competitor finishing in 3rd or 4th place to respond, then from the first of any knocked-out competitor to respond).
If a player misses a turn then he cannot score any points in the game in question. If a player deadbeats at any stage then he will be ejected from the tournament.
Competitors must inform the tournament organiser if they have a regular partner or opponent that is also featuring in the tournament. The organizer can then ensure these competitors do not play together to avoid any potential claims of foul play by other players.
If reports of suspected foul play are made and the competitors in question have not declared that they are regular partners / opponents then they will be both be ejected from the tournament without question or the need for irrefutable evidence.
Where fog of war is present, the competitor who goes first in round 1 must either wait 10 hours before taking their turn, or inform their opponent(s) in game chat of any regions conquered during their first move, and who from. Failure to do either will mean the competitor in question is unable to score any points in the game.
"1. Communication. The team that communicates well is successful. Whether you use in-game chat, live chat, PMs, IMs, Skype, or what have you, every team member needs to know the game plan. Whatever works."
Thanks for helping to get rid of the idea that one should have six or seven chances to join. Twenty four hours, yeah!! Unless one contacts the TO ahead of time. I am with you and I don't think it's harsh at all.