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Prussian Havoc

PDXCON 2019 ~ MechWarrior of the Year
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May 12, 2017
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With Valhalla's Tournament of Champions (VToC) drawing to a close, I'd like to announce the next tournament I'll be holding ~ Ragnarök's Year End Tournament (RYET)

Ragnarök is a Single Elimination CHALLONGE Tournament. Ragnarök will also be held annually, just like Valhalla. Where Valhalla will begin each year on the anniversary of BATTLETECH's Launch, Ragnarök will kick off this year and each year hereafter on the Release Date for FLASHPOINTS, BATTLETECH's first expansion game.

Ragnarök will be using Tide Bay, FLASHPOINT'S Multiplayer Arena Map. Turn Duration is 90-seconds.

Players have 10 rounds to position themselves around Tide Bay's central Volcanic Caldera and be within Radar contact of one another. From then on out the Caldera is a possible Victory Condition that MUST be given due consideration.

There are two ways to win a Ragnarok Tournament match, the player who eliminates his opponent's BattleMechs wins the match.

Also, the player who takes the Caldera (by locating a Mech on the Caldera) and can provide a Round-11 (or later) No-Radar-Contact screen-capture, wins the match. In this way, even though Tide Bay is a very large map, a combat presence MUST be maintained at the Caldera. Moving to the edge of the map to gain map edge advantage will result in a loss. Also the potential for map edge grieving is eliminated as a Round-11 (or later) screen-capture submission will win the match for the gamer who claims the Caldera. If anyone has any questions about this Tournament Rule, plesse raise them in thread or in a PM to me as soon as the question or problem arises. Than you in advance for your cooperation in this matter. :bow:

image.jpeg

(*my ever-appreciative thanks to @SpOoKy777 for the above Work of MechArt / DeviantArt / Patreon)

The Tournament Format will be as follows:

1.) "Matched" players will meet in the Ragnarök Discord Channel and roll the channel's virtual DICEBOT ("!d2" each player picking 1 or 2, prior to the roll). Winner is Player One and will host the match.
2.) Player One picks a BATTLETECH Mech. ANY BATTLETECH Mech.
3.) Player Two then picks a BATTLETECH Mech.
4.) Player One then picks his final BATTLETECH Mech.
5.) Player Two then picks his final BATTLETECH Mech.
6.) These FOUR Mechs will be the Lance that EACH player in that match will use.
7.) Both Players are free to pick whichever MechWarriors they desire, to pilot that match's Lance.

This process will be executed for each and every match in the tournament. It is quite possible that the Tournament Winner will never game with the same Lance twice. One match it might be a well-distribute Lance of a Light Mech, Medium Mech, Heavy Mech and Assault Mech. The very next match might see both players pilot 4 Locusts into battle. And the next, command a Steiner Scout Lance of 4 Atlases into tournament combat.

Here is the link to Ragnarok's End of Year Tournament Challonge Site. Ragnarok's End of Year Tournament will have a Discord Channel on the HBS BATTLETECH Unofficial Discord Server. Additional Tournament specifics will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead and leading up to FLASHPOINTS release on 27NOV. : )


TOURNAMENT CONSIDERATIONS (derivative of):
1.) Please treat everyone with respect. This is a game.
2.) Please be responsible for your actions and words. This is a game.
3.) Please be welcoming and keep it considerate. This is a game.
4.) Have fun and be kind to one another! This is a FUN game.
5.) If within a week, you and your Bracket Opponent can not come to match resolution. Please decide between yourselves which will move on to the next Round and submit the appropriate Challonge.com input.


IMPORTANT NOTES: I would once again like to express my appreciation of @Dog Solitude and the MWT tournaments he organized for us back in the day. Thank you Good @Dog Solitude. :bow:

And secondly, if we do get sufficient interest and participation in this Tournament, just as I did with Valhalla's Tournament of Champions, I will ask Teams HBS and Paradox for permission to accept our Ragnarök Champion into Valhalla on BATTLETECH's forum.


CHALLONGE registration for Ragnarok's End of Year Tournament will begin on 13NOV, two weeks prior to FLASHPOINT's Release on 27NOV. This registration period will continue until 11DEC, 2-weeks after FLASHPOINT's Release. This will afford more than enough time to test a Tropic Multiplayer Map for tournament suitability, should such a map be included with FLASHPOINT at release.

All together, the 4-weeks of tournament registration will allow us to get the word out to the BATTLETECH Community, hopefully reaching both Gamers-new-to-BATTLETECH as well as returning BATTLETECH-Launch-Gamers. With FLASHPOINT's release on 27NOV hopefully there will be a significant "bump" to both manner of BATTLETECH Gamer, Gamers-new-to-BATTLETECH as well as returning BATTLETECH-Launch-Gamers. :bow:

All comments and questions are welcome.

And as ever, good luck and good gaming!
 
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Just update me when we need to tag it as [Open] for sign ups.
WILCO.

Making use of the new Tropic Biome and timing it with FLASHPOINTS' release was just too tempting. For me, it really ramps up the excitement and anticipation for both! : )
 
I like this format!

It reminds me of old MAGIC tournaments where you get a starter pack, have an hour to trade with other competitors and then play with what you've got.

I'm in!
 
@Prussian Havoc

If I may make a suggestion: Ranked battles in games like League of Legends or Defense of the Ancients, where teams take turns picking, it starts by a pick to lock out a selection.

Before the first mechs are picked, each player would lock out a mech. So pre-match would go like this:

Player 1: Locks out Firestarter
Player 2: Locks out Atlas

And then they pick mechs, except for the mechs that were locked out.
 
"Lock Outs" are an interesting and intriguing possibility. I'll add this to Tournament Format and Management Considerations as we move forward. Thank you, Good @Zakhodit. :bow:
 
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Due to family and personal issues I had to step away for a time, but this tournament falls right in line with when I should be getting back into the swing of things so sign me up :)
 
You're most welcome. Wouldn't want to upset any Asatru-believers, now would we? :bow:
Truly not. I had not even considered that. My mistaken original spelling had "auto-completed" of its own accord when I first began typing out the OP.

Ah well, it is now corrected.

Thank you again.
 
The below are my current thoughts on those BATTLETECH tournaments I organize, as we all look to move forward with HBS and its continuing development of BATTLETECH.

"Over the past few months I have often considered the question of how BATTLETECH expansions will impact the tournaments I organize...

...and have chosen to keep all Tournaments I organize, like the upcoming Ragnarok Year End Tournament (thanks again @stjobe! :bow: ), at the cutting edge of BATTLETECH Development. This year's Ragnarok Tournament will see the inclusion of the Hatchetman, Crab and Cyclops BattleMechs. This year's Ragnarok Tournament will be fought on a Tropic Biome Arena Map (pending of course such an arena map being included in FLASHPOINT.)


To me the question is much larger than this next expansion to be released in 5-weeks. I am already deep in planning the 2019-iteration of the Valhalla's Annual Tournament of Champions ~ considering carefully whether I should commission a Work of Mech Art from @SpOoKy777, as the "Prize" for the Valhalla-Ragnarok series of annual BATTLETECH tournaments.

Such a series of annual BATTLETECH "Prize" Tournaments will span the inclusion of more than just the FLASHPOINT episodic expansion. For example, It is quite my hope that our 2019/2020 Ragnarok Tournament will be fought on an Urban Warfare Arena Map (hint, hint and please, please Good @HBS_CaptKerberos :bow: )

While Team HBS has yet to provide us with the specifics of how BATTLETECH Multi-player will move forward through future BATTLETECH expansions, I am eagerly awaiting the release of this information from Team HBS. In the meantime, and to best manage tournament expectations, I am establishing upfront that the most recent episodic expansion will be the centerpiece for those tournaments I organize in the future. Utilizing the very latest in new Biome Arena Maps for these tournaments, is a key means of communicating the requirement for tournament participants to stay current with BATTLETECH expansions. And while we saw 91-participants in the last tournament (2018 Valhalla's Tournament of Champions) it is my hope the upcoming and post-FLASHPOINT-release, Ragnarok End of Year Challonge Tournament will see an even greater level of participation.

I understand that not everyone will agree with my decisions here, that some may be excluded from future tournaments.

But like HBS is only developing a single game, I only intend to require tournament participants to run the latest version and expansions to BATTLETECH...

...rather than have to revert back to Launch-version/Earlier-version of BATTLETECH every time a tournament match is required. Also, encouraging tournament gamers to invest in the latest BATTLETECH expansion, is something I quite readily accept and embrace. :bow:



And those, Good @Nichino, are my thoughts on this topic. As Team HBS shares with us expansion impacts to BATTLETECH Multi-player, I will of course revise the above plans accordingly. : )

Any and all constructive comments, questions and criticisms are welcome via below comment or PM. And as always, good luck and good gaming to one and ALL!"


Anyone have have any constructive comments, questions and criticisms?
 
I have no problem with the tournaments being run on the most up to date build. Everyone has access to it and that is the build we play on.

I do suggest cation in running the tournaments on the newest map biome.

For one, there may not even be a new biome map. If not, problem solved. If there is a new map, is it actually good for multiplayer? Half of the current multiplayer maps are not very good for tournament play. They are not balanced well for both starting points. The new map may be horrible for a tournament. Or it may be brilliant. It may be the best multiplayer map ever.

Either way it shouldn't be the map we play on.

We already have a tiny population of MP players. Your tournaments, @Prussian Havoc are the only I've seen that draw players outside of the multiplayer community. Why impose an "entry fee" by requiring the most up to date expansion to participate in? I would like to see as many players as possible enter these tournaments. $20 to play one, maybe two matches is really steep.

Obviously they will not have access to the newest Mechs that are in the expansion. But that will not keep them from participation. Not having the map will. My hope is that the next Valhalla tournament has more than 100 players enter. 200 would be what I would expect if every one who we've seen on discord enters (ISW included) Why not shoot for 400?

But that number will fall sharply if they have to pay to play in the tournament. Don't gate them out because of a biome. Let the map be one that all can access. Allow them to decide if they want to purchase the expansion for the new mechs.

For full disclosure I've already purchased the season pass. I have 800 hours of skirmish practice. I've invested too much time to not pay into this game, despite the fact it will likely not become the Solaris 7 dream we all hoped for.
 
I have no problem with the tournaments being run on the most up to date build. Everyone has access to it and that is the build we play on.

I do suggest cation in running the tournaments on the newest map biome.

For one, there may not even be a new biome map. If not, problem solved. If there is a new map, is it actually good for multiplayer? Half of the current multiplayer maps are not very good for tournament play. They are not balanced well for both starting points. The new map may be horrible for a tournament. Or it may be brilliant. It may be the best multiplayer map ever.

Either way it shouldn't be the map we play on.

We already have a tiny population of MP players. Your tournaments, @Prussian Havoc are the only I've seen that draw players outside of the multiplayer community. Why impose an "entry fee" by requiring the most up to date expansion to participate in? I would like to see as many players as possible enter these tournaments. $20 to play one, maybe two matches is really steep.

Obviously they will not have access to the newest Mechs that are in the expansion. But that will not keep them from participation. Not having the map will. My hope is that the next Valhalla tournament has more than 100 players enter. 200 would be what I would expect if every one who we've seen on discord enters (ISW included) Why not shoot for 400?

But that number will fall sharply if they have to pay to play in the tournament. Don't gate them out because of a biome. Let the map be one that all can access. Allow them to decide if they want to purchase the expansion for the new mechs.

For full disclosure I've already purchased the season pass. I have 800 hours of skirmish practice. I've invested too much time to not pay into this game, despite the fact it will likely not become the Solaris 7 dream we all hoped for.
@Zakhodit, you have an excellent point about vetting any tournament map. I'll be doing just that post-FLASHPOINT release, during Ragharok tournament registration. Such is noted in the above OP. :bow:
...As a matter of fact, Ragnarök will be making maximum use of FLASHPOINTS Tropic Map, selecting its Multi-player map as the official Tournament Map. (Pending of course an actual Tropic Biome Multi-player map being released with FLASHPOINT, and it being suitable for use as a tournament arena map.)...

Also of note, Kiva mentioned in the last FLASHPOINT Reveal Livestream, that Connor is working on a Multi-player Arena map. There was no indication if or when such a map might be available. It could be in any of the upcoming episodic expansions. But I hope it is part of BATTLETECH Free Update 1.3 ~ If it is I will consider it too for use in Ragnarok. Though tournament gaming in and among the Spore Clouds of a Tropic Arena Map is something that has quite captured my imagination at the moment. : )


In my role as a tournament organizer, I take interest in a number of FLASHPOINT-related, Multi-player Tournament considerations for Ragnarok and Valhalla:
1.) I don't want to see FLASHPOINT-owners having to load an earlier non-FLASHPOINT version of BATTLETECH in order to play a tournament match against someone without FLASHPOINT.
2.) I am interested in ensuring as level a playing-field as possible. I want to see all participants have FLASHPOINT's new Mechs to pick and choose from... even if they choose to use not a single one of them.
3.) I want to both highlight and celebrate the hard work Team HBS is doing to bring us new Biomes and new Maps. Use of the very latest Arena Maps would do just that.
4.) If my tournaments are just that little bit extra incentive to get even the barest few gamers to invest in all the Big and Stompy goodness that is FLASHPOINT... yeah, I am good with that.
5.) FLASHPOINT is just the first blush of what is shaping up to be an impressive and much anticipated array of both episodic and hoped-for, more Epic "Major Motion Picture" expansions to BATTLETECH. Establishing upfront, here with FLASHPOINT, that Ragnarok and Valhalla will stay at the leading edge of BATTLETECH Development (making use of the latest arena maps, if they are found tournament-suitable) both clears the air and sets very clear expectations as we all move forward through the BATTLETECH Post-Launch Timeline:

BT_timeline Source_191008 (1).png
 
EDIT: FIXED

Let me preface the following with this: You have my full support.

I do want to bring up some arguments more in the manner of devil's advocate.

In my role as a tournament organizer, I take interest in a number of FLASHPOINT-related, Multi-player Tournament considerations for Ragnarok and Valhalla:
1.) I don't want to see FLASHPOINT-owners having to load an earlier non-FLASHPOINT version of BATTLETECH in order to play a tournament match against someone without FLASHPOINT.

If I understand how this works correctly, FLASHPOINT owners will not have to revert anything to play someone who is not on 1.3. In the same way as Valhalla Level backers don't need to change anything to play someone who is not a Valhalla Level backer. This will require testing, and maybe we get a lovely surprise and find that even if you didn't purchase FLASHPOINT you will have access to the new mechs in the skirmish without FLASHPOINT installed. This leads us to #2.

2.) I am interested in ensuring as level a playing-field as possible. I want to see all participants have FLASHPOINT's new Mechs to pick and choose from... even if they choose to use not a single one of them.

The players can choose to use those mechs by simply buying FLASHPOINT. I don't want to go deep into the tournament value of the included mechs. (That's another topic all together) A commander may choose to not use any of them in their lance. If none of the new mechs are used, buying FLASHPOINT is not required. On the other hand, if you want to use the new biome if suitable, then why not also require that any lance in the tournament have at least one of the new mechs? I would rather see the option left to the player rather than dictate what is required. The player can choose to buy the mechs or not but is not forced to buy just to enter.

3.) I want to both highlight and celebrate the hard work Team HBS is doing to bring us new Biomes and new Maps. Use of the very latest Arena Maps would do just that.

Again, with this goal in mind should not each lance be required to take one of the new mechs? OR a set lance for the tournament, All three + a Locust? The catch is justifying the need to use the map with out the need to use the Mechs. Again, to highlight another point of view, why not use a set lance? I think one of the largest challenges during the Valhalla tournament was the meta of lance creation. Some of those lance builds were viewed with distaste by some. In some respects lance building was a skill more important than commanding the lance on the field of battle. This alone could steer people away form the tournament.

A set lance is more friendly to those new to multiplayer. Or, as you have planned, a mech draft. Why not start with a Crab and a Hatchetman, then allow the contestants to each pick any one mech from the list. Player 1 chooses a Firestarter. Player two chooses an Atlas. Their match is played with both players using Crab Hatchetman Atlas Firestarter. Again we are showcasing the new mechs and at the same time allowing any of the mechs in the stable to be used in the tournament. Something we would never see in tournament limited by a cash cap.

4.) If my tournaments are just that little bit extra incentive to get even the barest few gamers to invest in all the Big and Stompy goodness that is FLASHPOINT... yeah, I am good with that.

As am I. My arguments may only affect one player to change their mind. We are such a small community that one player can make a big difference. This is the only reason I petition strongly to allow as much inclusion as possible. At the same time I will enthusiastically argue why the cost of FLASHPOINT is worth every penny. (Especially if you get it on sale)
Because if you are going to be active in multiplayer, you are going to have to get the expansions.

5.) FLASHPOINT is just the first blush of what is shaping up to be an impressive and much anticipated array of both episodic and hoped-for, more Epic "Major Motion Picture" expansions to BATTLETECH. Establishing upfront, here with FLASHPOINT, that Ragnarok and Valhalla will stay at the leading edge of BATTLETECH Development (making use of the latest arena maps, if they are found tournament-suitable) both clears the air and sets very clear expectations as we all move forward through the BATTLETECH Post-Launch Timeline

And here's hoping that somewhere in that timeline, Solaris VII is one of them.
 
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@Zakhodit, you've given me a lot to think over. Thank you. More to follow in time...
 
With FLASHPOINT release set for 27NOV, preparations for Ragnarok's End of Year Tournament are proceeding full steam ahead. Here are two updated excerpts to the above Original Post:

"Here is the link to Ragnarok's End of Year Tournament Challonge Site. Ragnarok's End of Year Tournament will have a Discord Channel on the HBS BATTLETECH Unofficial Discord Server. Additional Tournament specifics will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead and leading up to FLASHPOINTS release on 27NOV. : )"

and

"CHALLONGE registration for Ragnarok's End of Year Tournament will begin on 13NOV, two weeks prior to FLASHPOINT's Release on 27NOV. This registration period will continue until 11DEC, 2-weeks after FLASHPOINT's Release. This will afford more than enough time to test a Tropic Multiplayer Map for tournament suitability, should such a map be included with FLASHPOINT at release.

All together, the 4-weeks of tournament registration will allow us to get the word out to the BATTLETECH Community, hopefully reaching both Gamers-new-to-BATTLETECH as well as returning BATTLETECH-Launch-Gamers. With FLASHPOINT's release on 27NOV hopefully there will be a significant "bump" to both manner of BATTLETECH Gamer, Gamers-new-to-BATTLETECH as well as returning BATTLETECH-Launch-Gamers. :bow:"


All comments and questions are welcome.

And as ever, good luck and good gaming!
 
Registration for Ragnarok is now open: https://challonge.com/tournaments/signup/67Kx3ojLoz

This registration period will coninue for four weeks, until 11DEC. The tournament is scheduled to begin at MIdnight on 11DEC PST (3:00am EST / 9:00am CET).

My intent is for this to be a Free Update 1.3 and FLASHPOINT tournament, utilizing the 3 new BattleMechs and hopefully a Tropic Biome Multiplayer Arena map (Good @HBS_CaptKerberos willing and having had time and opportunity to have completed such. :bow: ).

Final Tournament Map selection is pending FLASHPOINT release and my subsequent testing and evaluation of the Tropic Biome's Multiplayer Arena (again, if indeed we are so fortunate to have such an arena.)

As Good @Zakhodit mentions in an above post, I too hope all gamers (those who purchase FLASHPOINT and those who do not) will be able to game with one another seamlessly. We will no doubt gain some clarity from HBS on how this will work as we approach FLASHPOINT release.

I fully understand that if arena testing and evaluation finds the FLASHPOINT Tropic Biome Arena Map suitable for tournament-play (terrain doesn't over-advantage Jump-capable BattleMechs with the presence of Severely Restricted non-Jump "No Go" areas), that some gamers may be excluded from the tournament, if Tropic maps are not available outside of FLASHPOINT.

Going forward it is my intent to highlight and incorporate just as much of HBS's latest expansions into my tournaments as possible. In the case of this first Ragnarok that expansion is FLASHPOINT. Future Tournaments will serve to highlight future expansion.


All comments and questions are welcome.

And as ever, good luck and good gaming!