New QRC Tourney Format?

[reynier]

I'm not a fan of the 'might earns the right' attitude toward champions' tourneys.    Instead, I believe a champion should be an exemplar and servant to his respective community, coronet, and crown.    Moreover, I feel that they should show how all elements of our game are important to our individual games

Comments

[snotblossom]

Those seem like sound ideas. I do agree that being the QRC should be about more than technical expertise, and I think you're on the right track. Two hours is an awfully long time for just one round of a tourney though, and not just for the fighters but for everyone at the event. Can you achieve the strategy and pacing in a shorter amount of time? You'll also need to determine ahead of time if peers are allowed to endorse more than one fighter. Depending on who's entering, there may be several people I'd be willing to endorse, but you also don't want someone whipping those things out for everybody just to mess with your system.

[reynier]

Given the feedback so far, I'm thinking I might be lenient and go with one hour ;) For the idea of affidavits, I don't think there should be any limitation on how many affidavits a given peer can sign. In fact, I was giggling as I wrote it, thinking that three or four peers might line up by the eric and sign the things en masse, asking some entertainment in trade. Sure, that defeats the core purpose, but it exposes a fighter to a peer in a friendly light, and while that should've happened aeons ago in their SCA experience, it's not always the case.

[zippydclown]

if the queen allows it
it is the new queens tourney and she can have run however she so chooses
but the affidavit thing here are my concerns
it makes it sound like without those affirmations
someone may be unworthy
everyone should have the opportunity to defend the queen
if someone lives in an area without even a shire and knows no peers
are they excluded?
or do you find them peers to sign that day?
and if you do that doesnt that nullify the whole point in the first place

that is also a lot of fighting
a 2 hour bear pit alone is significant maybe 30 min bear pit
not trying to be discouraging
have fun
zip

[reynier]

Hmmm - the location issue hadn't occurrred to me yet. On the one hand, you're right that everyone should have the opportunity, regardless of how much access they have to social circles within the SCA. I'm also not looking for "who do you know" so much as "are you a decent, respectable person," so the affidavits are a bit off in that respect as well. On the other hand, we play a social game, and I'd like to somewhat nudge the fighters in that direction, and to be open to all circles of the SCA as well. At the baronial level (as Wyllym notes below) they give a quiz and allow the B&B to hand out favors to their choice of the most graceful fighters. Vallawulf pointed out that this could be horribly discouraging to some fighters and cause some to turn up their nose and walk away, which I agree with slightly.

Obviously, this part is where I'm applying the biggest break from tradition, and I'm far from decided.

[dverning]

Hrm. I have a few thoughts on this one... but mainly that I think you're on a good track.
I've never won a QRC. Got to the semis several times, but... yeah.
I'd point to the current BTY Captain tournament. It's not perfect, but it tries to do what you seek. It's also a case where it was changed exactly as you propose.

We'll have to talk/brainstorm at some point.

[snotblossom]

I was absolutely thrilled to have the honor of awarding a token and a card for the poker hand in the last two tourneys. Just sayin...

[weavedancer]

Instead of endorsements counting as victories, how about incorporating it into the introductions? Sort of like speaking for a candidate for peerage? "I, blahblahblah, would like to contend for the honor of being your Champion." "Is there anyone from the right noble peerages who would like to speak for this fighter

[reynier]

Good points. There really is no command element to the title, come to think of it, and so I think I will be removing that bit. Part 3 timeliness: I can see the virtues in both options, but I like double-elim because it pits the fighters against a wider range of opponents (no lucking out based on the ladder). Lastly, I like the idea of having a call out for spoken recommendations before Part 3 or 4. That does create the same issue Sir Zhygmun pointed out, but I might poke a few peers to watch rapier that day and keep their eyes on the better fighters in the bear pit.

[snotblossom]

The poke a peer idea is a good one. Zippy's right that not everybody has had the opportunity to have a positive interaction with a peer, and if you poke the right ones, you can go a long way toward making sure those opportunities happen. As a non-peer that happens to be friendly with some, you can gently guide both sides of the equation into a good mindset by reminding peers that they can be scary and should be nice, and reminding non-peers that most of us aren't that scary and it's cool to approach us.

[dverning]

I really like the idea of giving peers and other spectators a chookie that they can award a fighter for whatever reason. It not only means more people watching the fighting... but also more fighters knowing they are being watched. Doubly so if the award is for honorable conduct.

[redokapi]

Haven't been around the SCA much lately, but here's my 2 cents anyway