Welcome Comrades to the 66th edition of the Dispatch
Supposedly Sully is having internet problems, but I am of the firm belief that he's just fallen off his chair and is trapped under his desk with the modem cord wrapped firmly around a foot! I'm sure it was an accident and other than that I'm saying nothing!!
Well, there's lots to be proud of here - from the roasting of Master Fenrir to all your favourite divisions. The result is an issue too big to bring to you in one posting!, So we've split it into two parts! Furthermore, for the first time ever, the interrogation itself exceeded the maximum size allowed for enclosure in spoiler tags, so the interrogation itself has been split into three parts!
So, without further ado ... enjoy!!
[player]thehippo8[/player]
Foundry Executive
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Welcome back readers, hope everyone had a good leap day. An interview with Master Fenrir awaits you all as he delves into the lycan side of him.
We're debuting the Dear Enrique column, so meet our mysterious new writer.
[player]safariguy5[/player]
Freestyle Executive
Ask A Mod! by Victor Sullivan
Dear Enrique by Enrique Alvaro Espionsa Padilla Peñaloza de la Vega
JD's Hot List by Jdsizzleslice
The Scum Insider by thehippo8
[spoiler=interrogation of master fenrir part one]Q. Hey, MF, how much longer before I (chapcrap) come off your foe list? Just get that Random Gold already!!
Fenrir: Tell me about it. I think the counter is broken, because I should have it by now. Once I get it, I plan on sending out a PM to everybody letting to know that you're removed from the foe list as well as including several good deals from Groupon.
Q. What the hell, dude? Really?
Fenrir: Apparently, I'm kind of a big deal.
Q. Why have your Hard Balls been absent from the newsletter?
Fenrir: A couple of months ago I fell into a general CC malaise. It got to the point where everything that I read and every game that I played led to an irrational amount of irritation, so I decided it was best to pull back on everything before I lost my frosty. You know what it's like? You ever have a relationship that lasts for like 3 years and then for some reason you realize that you'd rather run blind-folded and naked through a razor blade factory than spend another moment with that person? I hit that point with CC.
Q. If a Twilight marathon was running on TV, and you had no DVR or recording device, which movie would you choose to miss in order to take your CC turns, and why?
Fenrir: The one with all of the angst.
Q. If you could gift premium to one member of KORT, who would it be, and why?
Fenrir: Just one? I'd buy it for...Bruce. But only if he understood that it was a symbol of my undying love and affection for him.
Q. Do you have a weakness to silver bullets? Or just attractive women?
Fenrir: I tend to steer clear of bullets made of anything more firm than Nerf foam.
Q. Would you describe yourself as too big, too strong, too fast, or too good?
Fenrir: Oh snap! A Stacey King-ism! I'd described myself as Chicago's finest brew.
Q. Can you recommend a good Sake for n00bs?
Fenrir: Imported sake can get a bit expensive. There's this one domestic sake that's pretty good...dude, I actually saved the bottle last weekend so that I had the name to answer this question and now the bottle has disappeared.
Edit: Found it! Sho Chiku Bai
Q. Who is the worst player you've ever played with?
Fenrir: Probably dazerazer, if she's taking her own turns.
Q. Does this game rank in your top 5 ever played on CC... Game 5452149? How about this one....Game 5380965?
Fenrir: Nope, but they're both close. That Feudal game was crazy. That was some of the most genius shit I've ever seen and we still lost.
Q. What are your 5 favorite games played?
Fenrir: In no particular order:
Game 5756476 This game looked doomed, but an extremely high-risk move got us the win.
Game 5106581 Insane escalating wipe that for a while was the CC record for most regions taken in a single move.
Game 9326897 First team to beat Josko on that or with those settings.
Game 7221307 That's what a game should be. An epic battle where one tiny mistake means a loss. Pity we made the tiny mistake, but that was a fantastic game.
Game 6971977 An epic battle with some heated words in chat. I miss [player]General Mojo[/player]. He was always a great opponent.
Q.
, for fun just go read the team chat in this one again dude...Game 5382195...my how things have changed since then.Fenrir: They haven't changed that much. I'm still a noob at Feudal.
Q. Any major regrets in life?
Fenrir: One. A few years back I spent a summer in France. I started out in Nice (bring sandals, rocks on the beach are brutal) and on the second day there I met my first love. I was in a store called Galleries Lafayette and I went up to an employee and asked him "Ou est-ce qu'il y a une toilette, s'il vous plait?" (Where is there a bathroom, please?) He looked at me and asked, in English "You American?" I nodded my head. He continued "It's up the stairs to the right." My French is pretty good, so the fact that he did that pissed me off and I must have made some kind of face. She was nearby and caught the entire exchange and went into hysterics laughing. She was gorgeous, so I started talking to her, and it went from there. I did eventually find the bathroom.
We spent every day together after that for the entire summer and it was pretty incredible. You could probably make a shitty movie out of it. I'm not really a sentimental guy and I don't really keep many keepsakes from my past, but my oldest possession is this little wooden hand-carved and hand-painted turtle that she bought me from some little shop in Marseille because she thought it was cute. Every now and then I come across it when I'm cleaning out my "stuff" drawer and I consider tossing it, but for some reason I can never bring myself to do it.
Anyways, the summer eventually ended and I was headed back to college and her "life plan" was that she was going to eventually inherit and take over her father's cafe. I didn't really see her leaving that and killing her father and I had my own plans, so I tried to be a realist about the situation and I just considered it an excellent summer and came back. She asked me if I could stay longer, but I figured that would only make eventually leaving more difficult. If I could do it over, I'd have stayed longer. I doubt it would have all worked out, but so what, you know?
Q. What is your definition of "greener pastures"?
Fenrir: A place where teammates don't miss turns and cost me tourney wins. Know what I mean?
Q. What the f*ck is up with the dice in your opinion? Can CC be salvaged?
Fenrir: Sigh...you know, the problem with saying anything about the dice is that when dealing with "random" dice, anything you experience can be explained by, "Well, you randomly got those dice." Any outcome is completely feasible.
Additionally, you have the problem of the way your mind works. The brain is set up where it tries to recognize patterns, to the point of where you'll begin to see patterns that aren't even there. It's just your mind's way of trying to make sense of what it's processing so that you don't lose it. So, when you combine the nature of our "random" dice with the flawed way your mind works, what you have is a lot of untrustworthy observation.
With that said, every couple of days I'm seeing stuff happen that my brain has trouble processing.
Game 10506171
2012-02-08 17:20:05 - Game has been initialized
2012-02-08 17:51:51 - PUPPYFTW got bonus of 2 troops added to 100.1 FM Slaydio
2012-02-08 17:51:52 - PUPPYFTW received 2 troops for 1 regions
2012-02-08 17:51:56 - PUPPYFTW deployed 2 troops on 100.1 FM Slaydio
2012-02-08 17:52:26 - PUPPYFTW assaulted Wulff from 100.1 FM Slaydio and conquered it from neutral player
2012-02-08 17:52:29 - PUPPYFTW assaulted Fife from Wulff and conquered it from neutral player
2012-02-08 17:52:32 - PUPPYFTW assaulted Lapid (Pirate) from Fife and conquered it from Master Fenrir
2012-02-08 17:52:32 - PUPPYFTW eliminated Master Fenrir from the game
2012-02-08 17:52:40 - PUPPYFTW reinforced 100.1 FM Slaydio with 1 troops from Lapid (Pirate)
2012-02-08 17:52:40 - PUPPYFTW ended the turn
Game 10506221
Attempted esc wipe for the win...
2012-02-10 11:42:23 - Master Fenrir [team]: I can't believe it. 10 vs. 2,2 failed, AND 18 vs. 1,1,2,1 failed.
2012-02-10 11:42:33 - Master Fenrir [team]: Not 18, 13.
2012-02-10 11:43:07 - Master Fenrir [team]: 10 vs. 2,2 = 91% & 13 vs. 1,1,2,1 = 96%
2012-02-10 11:43:13 - Master Fenrir [team]: I failed both.
What I don't get is the dice change from a business owner's standpoint. When it happened, people were pissed. Granted, the majority of CC players probably don't look at the forums and are still unaware that anything was even changed. But of those aware, many were pissed. I know because I was modding at the time and the dice bitch threads were insane.
Some of those people said the dice were such bullshit that they would not renew their premium unless the dice were changed back. While most of them were all talk and have bought premium since, some of them stuck to their guns and didn't renew. That's what I don't understand. Why would you NOT make $25 if you could? Change the dice back, make some angry individuals feel like you care about their feelings, and make some money. But whatever, it's not my money.
What I know is that since the dice change, I have noticed that true "good games" are an extreme rarity. It's usually one team raping the other. Victories are hollow and meaningless, and losses are infuriating. As a clan player, this means that clan war wins are hollow and meaningless and clan war losses are infuriating. I honestly don't see a point to any of it anymore.
Q. Did you know you are referred to as the Dice Pimp behind your back?
Fenrir: If somebody calls me that, they must not have teamed with me to see my dice firsthand.
Q. Who is the baldest player you've ever played with?
Fenrir: danryan, but I'm glad he went bald. His hair was just holding him back from doing great things.
Q. Would you ever consider farming your way to Conqueror?
Fenrir: No. I don't have the patience for that.
Q. IA or FOED? Sake or Whiskey? Asian Bukake or Hentai?
Fenrir: Depends on my mood that day, sake, and hentai. I don't know how you guys manage to get aroused without robo-tentacles.
Q. Who's the biggest pain in the ass on CC?
Fenrir: Probably Eddie. I picture him at a kitchen table, wearing a helmet, and eating cereal as he types one-handed and laughs while everybody gets riled up.
Q. Do you use Greecian Formula?
Fenrir: My hair only gets darker and more lustrous with age.
Q. Are you a BAMF or just a MF?
Fenrir: Just an MF. Samuel L. Jackson is the only BAMF, everybody else is just a poseur.
Q. How can you roll 7's? my (Gen.LeeGettinhed) dice only go up to 6
Fenrir: It's all in the wrist. You gotta give it a little snap.
Q. "unable to see own troops" is that code for "big belly, haven't seen junk in years"?
Fenrir: My junk is "troops?" Plural? Are you insinuating that I have multiple penises? You wouldn't be the first.
Q. I agree that you are very interesting, but demonfork and caymanmew claim to be even MORE interesting. Please elaborate.
Fenrir: [player]demonfork[/player] is good people. He understands that this is all nonsense, but isn't afraid to put 30 minutes of effort into a post to show you how ridiculous you're being. Dichotomy. There's your word of the day. So yes, he is a highly interesting person. caymanmew is not. You can tell by the fact that I went through the effort of player-linking [player]demonfork[/player]'s name in case you don't know who he is, but you're willing to take my word for it and go check him out, but I did not perform the same courtesy for caymanmew.
Q. Who does your shirts? some laundromat?
Fenrir: This lovely Korean lady at the local laundromat. When she gives me change, she always rounds up. And they have this basket filled with the Dum Dum suckers that she makes sure has a root beer or two when she sees me walking in because she knows it's the flavor I like. There's probably subtext there, but I don't bother reading it.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=interrogation of master fenrir part two]Q. What's the most women you banged at once? three-some, four-some?
Fenrir: Zero. “Banging” is for noobs with no understand or appreciation for what they’re doing. My goal has always been to provide the women that I’ve slept with the single most pleasurable experience that they have had or will ever have. In order to do this, you need to take your time. The first step is scheduling a two hour appointment with me at least a week in advance. This gives me time for step two, which is to take some yoga and Pilate classes to prepare my body. The final step is to procure a dozen doves to be released upon climax. Additionally, this level of effort and exertion on my part requires that I focus my attention and energies. More than one woman would put such a strain on my body that I would risk death.
Q. Are you the best player in Immortal Assassins?
Fenrir: Nope, demon is. You can find the irrefutable proof here.
Q. Do any of your mistresses call you Fenny Wenny?
Fenrir: No, none of my mistresses are 6.
Q. Spoiler alert, who'd they motherfucking kill in the first book/season?
Fenrir: Sigh...I still can't believe they killed him. You know that the last time we talked I had 12 pages left in Clash of Kings and I still can't bring myself to keep reading because I know it's only going to get worse?
Q. Favorite teammates, poster, map, color cards?
Fenrir: I actually don't have any favorite teammates. I like the regular teammates that I play with, but I also have a lot of fun playing with new people who don't suck. Mixing it up is nice.
I'm not sure who my favorite poster would be...maybe [player]Fruitcake[/player], but only when he's being exceptionally condescending. That's when he does his best work.
My favorite map is Vancouver. It has a little bit of flavor with the autodeploy and the rail lines to give you some options, but they're not pointless gimmicks just thrown in for the hell of it. Additionally, there are several viable bonuses, so there is no single bonus zone that you'll have to grind for every game.
It is a map where you and your opponents can consistently have a workable Plan B, so I like it because you can actually see some strategy getting used. Also, I think that's when you see how good a player truly is. When their initial plan fails and they have to scramble to come up with a Plan B on the fly. Being able to do that is what separates the great players from the good players.
Q. Foxy or trap or foxy trap?
Fenrir: Foxy trap. I imagine that a combination of the two of you would produce just about the most awesomely sarcastic offspring ever.
Q. Do you prefer syrup, or jelly?
Fenrir: Jelly. With the different fruit flavors, it helps to mix it up.
Q. Where do you get your inspiration for your amazing Hard Balls articles? Must say, they're very well written
Fenrir: I get all of my ideas straight from my Awesome-O 5000 and then I just delete out all of the Adam Sandler references.
Q. How many levels of Fenrir are there? How long did it take you to become Master?
Fenrir: There are two levels of Fenrir. The first level is RedFenrir. When you say enough intelligent things, somebody will nickname you “Master Fenrir.” If your ego is capable of supporting that moniker and you have enough experience points, you bump up to that level. It took me about a year.
Q. Boxers or briefs?
Fenrir: Briefs. Boxers are for fools. When your junk goes down one leg while you turn in the other direction, there is much pain.
Q. 2 scoops or 1?
Fenrir: Two, please. One scoop mint chocolate chip, and one scoop cookie dough.
Q. Jack of all trades or "Master" of none?
Fenrir: I'm fairly certain that those both mean the same thing.
Q. Leather or lace?
Fenrir: Leather, always leather.
Q. Why did we (squishyg) stop playing quads?
Fenrir: Sorry. I stopped playing with a lot of people because of the aforementioned malaise.
Q. When are you gonna drop magnum on us buddy?
Fenrir: It's not ready yet. I'm still deciding between one raised eyebrow or both.
Q. Being the conqueror on CC or being offered $500?
Fenrir: I'll take the cash. I have my eye on a $200 pair of Diesel jeans that would make my ass look great.
Q. The godfather or the godfather II?
Fenrir: Godfather II. A Bronx Tale and Goodfellas are also good choices.
Q. Hottest Spice Girl?
Fenrir: Posh Spice.
Q. Describe your most embarrassing experience.
Fenrir: There was one time in college where I was headed to the gym to work out and on my way down the stairs from my dorm room on the 4th floor, I was hit with such a pain in my testicles that my legs buckled and I fell down half a flight.
I limped my way back to my dorm room and felt around and I could swear that it just didn’t feel right. Immediately, my brain jumped to the conclusion that I had testicular cancer. I picked up the phone and dialed my good friend Dave, a 4th year nursing major. Surely his 4 years of college experience made him an expert on testicular cancer, right? Of course.
I explained the situation to him and he said he’d come over. He arrived a few minutes later and I explained everything again as he listened intently. He thought for a few minutes and finally responded, “Honestly, I’d have to check it out myself to give you any kind of opinion. That is, if you’re comfortable with it.” Between my worry that I was going to end up with prosthetic testicles and his overwhelming tone of professionalism, I agreed.
I dropped my pants and he started his inspection. Thirty seconds later we hear keys in the door and in comes my roommate, back from dinner. It was one of those situations where everything had seemed so reasonable up to that point, but as my mind raced to put together proper sentences to explain the situation, I realized that there was nothing that I could say to make him respond, “Oh, ok, cool.”
As it turns out, there was nothing wrong. I must have just scissored myself going down the stairs and then completely lost my mind.
Q. Favourite beer?
Fenrir: If I had to drink a beer, I’d pick Guinness. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I think Dos Equis tastes horrible.
Q. Favourite rear?
Fenrir: Kate Beckinsale’s.
Q. If you could have a super power what would it be?
Fenrir: The amount of time that I’ve spent on my own considering the answer to this question is ridiculous. If immortality would be considered a super power, I’d pick that. If not, mind control would probably be the best super power to have in any given situation. Unless I’m in a bad mood…then fire or telekinesis would be great to just kind of destroy stuff until I felt better. Tough call, dude.
Q. Are you an ass or breast man?
Fenrir: Neither. I am a very rare leg man.
Q. Have you ever accidentally crossed swords? How about intentionally?
Fenrir: No, but I have had a few close calls trying to pull off a bro hug with leaning in too far.
Q. Favorite pizza joint?
Fenrir: Renzo's Pizza & Restaurant
314 East Main Street, East Islip, NY 11730
(631) 277-1593
Q. What celebrity do you think is hot that most people would go "really???"
Fenrir: Whitney Houston. Too soon?
Q. Do you, like me (Ace Rimmer), want to piss on nagerous's tits?
Fenrir: Sure, but you remember Ghostbusters, right? Don’t cross the streams.
Q. What poster or thread do you know will be funny to read?
Fenrir: This thread is pure gold.
Q. KoRT or TOFU?
Fenrir: TOFU.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=interrogation of master fenrir part three]Q. Have you ever shaved your scrotum? What about your back?
Fenrir: No, but I had an hour of insanity in high school where I took a pair of tweezers and plucked the entire thing clean.
Q. Do you have any facial hair?
Fenrir: I have some sexy chin hair.
Q. What do you do with your free time besides play Conquer Club?
Fenrir: I work out every other day. I read a good amount…National Geographic, some literary journals, Eastern philosophy, mythology, physics, and this one science fiction series called Outlanders that I’ve read since high school that I can’t seem to quit because I’ve grown so attached to the characters. I’ll read almost anything that has no practical application to daily life.
I play some Xbox games as well. I have 4 younger brothers and we’re pretty close. When I moved out of my parents’ house a few years ago, the toughest part of it was not coming home and being able to chill with my brothers. They’re big into Xbox games, so I bought one and I’ll buy whatever game they’re currently playing so that we can play it together over Xbox live and “hang out” with them that way.
Q. Who would you say are the top 10 team players on CC? You can put them in order or not, you’re free to include yourself, and you can give your reasoning if you want.
Fenrir: No order and not including myself.
[player]laddida[/player] - Seeing him on the other team makes me cringe.
[player]josko.ri[/player] - It's his vision that makes him dangerous. He has the ability to see the troops and not be distracted by the board, if you follow me.
[player]danryan[/player] - He can bring an A game to any map or settings. Probably the most versatile player I've played with.
[player]ahunda[/player] - You would need to play a game with him to understand. We once spent 6 hours discussing one turn.
[player]King_Herpes[/player] - A lot of the best team players have mastered the fundamentals to the point of being completely predictable. Herpes, on the other hand, is probably the best I've seen at intentionally misleading somebody with a move and throwing you off of your game. He does not play inside the box.
[player]HardAttack[/player] - Very meticulous with his play.
[player]sjnap[/player] - He's a complete toolbox, but his skills are undeniable.
[player]Chariot of Fire[/player] - I don't think that we think the same way at all, but he's a hell of a player. I always to mental stretches when a game against him comes up.
[player]Blitzaholic[/player] - Say what you want about him, but I don't think his play has any weaknesses. I've played him a fair amount over the years and I can't think of a single move that I ever thought was stupid.
[player]General Mojo[/player] - I had many really good games against him and I can't say that for many people.
Q. Will you be my (Denise) Valentine?
Fenrir: I dunno. Maybe. Go check the little boxes on all the other dudes’ desks and make sure they all have at least one before I accept. If not, give your valentine to them and prevent a serial killer.
Q. Why did you leave FOED for IA?
Fenrir: I was planning on retiring and Loki asked if I’d lend my services to their war. I figured I’d do one last hoorah with IA before I retired. Then the Clan League hit and of course she roped me into that as well.
Q. What map(s) are you worst at?
Fenrir: British Isles and WWII Western Front. I can never seem to do anything on those maps.
Q. Since you are a lover of video games, when you used to play SuperMario Bros. games, did you used to die jumping off a cliff to gain a 1Up mushroom, or would you ignore the 1Up?
Fenrir: I’d ignore the 1up. I know I’d get those 100 coins eventually.
Q. Since you are a big lover of Asian women, when your friends tell you "patience", do you still stop and look around frantically, thinking they said, "Asians"??
Fenrir: That never happens. All my friends do is text, which is pretty annoying. And not to be that guy, but seriously, can we just go back to calling each other? I don't want to text you for 15 minutes while I'm driving, when I could just talk to you for 2 and I still have the use of both of my hands.
About 7 months ago, my best friend texted me that he proposed to his girlfriend. Isn't that a fairly big deal? Aren't I your best friend? Why are you texting me that information instead of calling me? Sigh...I hate my friends.
Q. Is Duke's mom as hot as he says she is?
Fenrir: Which one of his moms are you talking about?
Q. When you get out of the shower, how long do you check yourself out in the mirror for, before dressing? What things run through your mind while you are checking yourself out?
Fenrir: I don’t need to wait to get out because my shower walls are all mirrors. What can I say? I think I look good wet.
Q. How many times has your partner Wolfpack attacked you in a game thinking you were an opponent?
Fenrir: I’ve lost count. The funny thing is that it has never bothered me. I don’t know what you did to become that guy, but I’ll always let you know whenever I feel like not holding my bonus.
Q. Is the rest of your family as brilliant as you, or are you like Arnold Schwartzenegger (spelling??) in the movie Twins, where you are like a Supreme Being, and everyone else is just the left over "sh*t"?
Fenrir: I am the pinnacle of my family’s genetic code. When I was born, my father raised me to the sky like Simba.
Q. When you told me once that you can last 2 minutes in bed, did that mean you went twice?
Fenrir: Yeah, but I rounded up.
Q. What is your greatest accomplishment on CC?
Fenrir: I wouldn’t consider anything I’ve done on CC to be an accomplishment.
Q. If you could create the ULTIMATE CC clan of 12-15 people, who would those people be? Yes, you are allowed to count yourself 12-15 times if you want.
Fenrir: I have actually considered this, but it's all very hush hush.
Q. Do you have any rolling tricks you do to help achieve great dice? Like leaning from one side or the other? Clicking your mouse with your toes instead of your fingers?
Fenrir: I teabag the mouse.
Q. If you could create a soundtrack to your life of awesomeness, what 10 songs would be on it and why?
Fenrir: This is impossible to answer. Music generally annoys me because I hate getting pandered to with emotional generalities and cliches. You hear interviews with singers and they say stuff like, "I'm just trying to get my message out there." I'll be honest, I don't really care about your message and I care even less for the way you insult my intelligence while you try to get your message across. That's why I listen to techno. You can completely ignore the lyrics and just listen to the beat. Here's 5 songs that I can tolerate, though.
Go Out Tonight, by The Mansion Boys This is a great song to just kinda nod your head to and enjoy the beat.
Mondo Bongo by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros Excellent song to dance or make love to.
I Just Had Sex by Lonely Island It's impossible to listen to this song and not end up in a better mood than you started.
Shinkirou by LOVEHOLIC This song isn't even in English, but I love her voice and it's a good song to listen to if you're feeling a bit melancholy.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYU-8IFcDPw&ob=av2e]Faint by Linkin Park[/url] This a great song to listen to while you work out or if you're going 30 over the speed limit.
Q. Do you confuse your R's and L's?
Fenrir: No, but in grade school I had to take a speech class to correct a speech impediment. My R's came out sounding like W's. There was this kid in my speech class named Roger Lin and I had to say his name over and over again: Wahgeh, Wahgeh, Wahgeh. Guess why Roger Lin was in speech class?
Q. When the end of the world comes due to nuclear war, when it is just the cockroaches, a big poisonous beetle, Keith Richards and you left alive, what will you do to pass the time?
Fenrir: I'd play a lot of Aerosmith very loudly.
Q. Top 3 most creative complainers you've come across on CC?
Fenrir: There can be only one Highlander beersurfer.
Q. Top 5 best posters on CC? Who writes as well as you do (or close to it??)
Fenrir: I like my posters amusing, and the five most amusing would have to be [player]Fruitcake[/player], [player]Mr Changsha[/player], [player]King_Herpes[/player], [player]Foxglove[/player], and [player]trapyoung[/player].
Q. If you could be one famous person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Fenrir: Sasaki Kojirō. He lost a famous duel to Miyamoto Musashi, the person who many claim to be the greatest swordsman of all time. I'd want the chance to duel him.
Q. Do you air guitar while you drive? Or are you an air drummer?
Fenrir: I'll air drum in the car. Air guitaring is only acceptable in the proper Bill & Ted format.
Q. Which players have you played the most games with as a teammate?
Fenrir: I think this is the top 3:
L M S: 1030 games
danryan: 846 games
wolfpack0530: 480 games
Q. Are there any games or series that stick out in you mind as personal favorites?
Fenrir: O&H beating LoW probably. I think that was the first clan war that I participated in.
Q. Is there any appeal for you, in the idea of retiring the persona of master fenrir, and starting over as a noob with no name or reputation?
Fenrir: Just a tiny bit. I can never bring myself to finish the medal hunting. Not because I couldn't handle the dip, but because playing terminator and assassin games means dealing with idiots. And at some point I'd probably dip down to lieu., and then I'd have the idiots talking shit to me just because I'd be a lieu., and then I'd flip out and it would just suck. If I could start over, I'd get those all out of the way first. Same with speed and freestyle.
Q. If you did, how long would it take you to get back to general?
Fenrir: If I played with the same fervor that I did when I first started playing...maybe like 8 months?
Q. What do you wish to become of your legacy once you retire?
Fenrir: I dunno. I try not to dominate my teammates too often and I do my best to keep it frosty in chat. Hopefully, the people that played with me will remember our games together as being fun.
Q. Miko Lee, Asa Akira, Lilly Thai or other?
Fenrir: After a brief moment on Google, I will cautiously answer Miko Lee. I say cautiously because Asian chicks who dye their hair blonde are usually trouble.
Q. How thankful are you towards me (wolfpack0530), for putting you on my shoulders and carrying you through so many games?
Fenrir: So thankful that if I had the harem that you wish for so much, I’d tell you about it.
Q. Which one of famous wolf's in-game techniques do you prefer the most?
Fenrir: The one where he starts his turn, completely spaces out for an hour, and runs out of time without even deploying his troops.
Q. Does this happen to you all the time?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKEUujz12S4
Fenrir: Nope, I never say unfunny things with an accent.
Q. When did your balls became that hard that you decided to share their hardness with the community?
Fenrir: When I had them bronzed.
Q. Kill, shag, marry: L M S, wolfpack or MNDuke? Explain. No, but seriously. I [b]need to know.[/b]
Fenrir: Kill Duke, shag Wolf, marry LMS. I don’t think any explanations are really needed. That was the easiest question yet.
Q. What have been the biggest failures and frustrations in your career?
Fenrir: The fact that I haven't found a way to NOT need a career yet. I like my job and I'm good at it, but working sucks.
Q. How did it feel to join IA halfway thru the war with the pack as a glimpse of hope to destroy the pack, only for that hope to be stripped away as the pack toppled over IA and their midway recruit at the finish line?
Fenrir: I think I went 4-2 in my games, so I felt just fine. In fact, I’m really proud of you guys! Keep on trucking and you’ll eventually be able to shrug off that shroud of mediocrity. Others disagree, but I support The Pack with all of my heart and soul. You won’t be middling forever!
Q. If you had to choose a companion, why would it not be an Ethiopian?
Fenrir: Because they are untrustworthy people, always claiming to be Lithuanians.
Q. Beer Thirty or Top Secret Strategies?
Fenrir: Beer Thirty.
Q. MW3 or Battlefield 3?
Fenrir: MW3, though I honestly think MW3 pales in comparison to MW2. I also don't hate BF3 and I'm not going to rag on anybody who does. What I don't like about BF3 is the larger teams. I can carry a team of 6 people in MW3, but carrying 16 people in BF3? That's asking a bit much, even from me.
Q. Which of these things of these things do you say on your first date?
A) I've got some condoms and in preparation I've got one on already!
B) My last girlfriend if I could play 'Smoke on the Water', So I threw a toaster in her bathtub!
C) You've got good hips. Let me see your teeth... We'll take her!!!
D) I'm adopting a 'hump and dump' policy.
E) I haven't had that much fun since I did my dog.
F) Something else? (Please share)
Fenrir: Making any statements whatsoever on the first date is a noob move. What you do is throw as many questions to her as you can and see how much her responses annoy you. Does she squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom or the middle? Does she sleep with the windows open in the winter? Does she say “supposably?” Does she have a really small dog? You need to find stuff like that out immediately, because if it’ll bother you on Day 1, it’ll make you homicidal on Day 90. Keep in mind, she will be doing the same to you, so avoid falling into any traps. Good luck.
Q. If I'd (Commander9) start selling an Alcoholic Isotonic drink in public with some Asian ladies as my salesladies, would you finance it?
Fenrir: Only if it's on the sidewalk in front of my house and you're not there.
Q. Why do you always kill me (Crazyirishman) in the 1st or 2nd round of any games we play together? was is something I said?
Fenrir: According to the Law of Ethnic Stereotpyes, as a short-tempereditalianman, it is my duty.
Q. Have you ever considered being a different type of master *insert norse creature*?
Fenrir: Nope, when it comes to mythology dieties, I like 'em destructive.
Q. Fifa 12 or Pes12?
Fenrir: Anything but soccer.
Q. If you could bring back one perma-banned member, who would it be?
Fenrir: [player]FredVIII[/player] Going back and reading through some game chats, this guy seemed like a highly entertaining individual, but he got banned shortly after I joined.
Thanks for your time MF!
Fenrir: No problem, dude.[/spoiler]
It's not easy writing about strategy or calculations but in this issue I think we have a couple of winners for you.
First we have Crazymilkshake5 with his calculations on beating the odds. "To Roll or Not To Roll" is a unique article supplying an interesting site where these calculations can be done.
Secondly we have, well, me. =) Viceroy63, with an article about always being aware of the situation in the game rounds and why. "Round 02" may be a bit lengthy but well worth the read. I guarantee it or your can cancel your subscription as of right now.
So lets just get right into this and enjoy this Strategy Section of issue 66 of the Conquer Club Newsletter.
To Roll or Not to Roll? by crazymilkshake5
Round 02 by Viceroy63
Hello again my friends, and welcome to your favorite part of the Newsletter, "War Games", where you can find information about CC Tournaments! Our team has put together another absolutely stunning assortment of articles, including three big interviews: greenoaks, koontz1973, and MudPuppy. All our regular features are here too: Dave's Tips, TPA Wrap, and Join This? Or Not!
On the minus side, I have to report that tournament reporter [player]plurple[/player] has gotten busy with real life and resigned from our team. Plurple, we wish you the best of luck, both on CC and in real life! (Maybe we'll get a chance to feature some of your tournaments soon!)
For the last two months the TO Usergroup has been busy working on the TO of the Year /TO Career Award /Prime Awards. Today Lindax, current leader of the Usergroup, released the final results. They are posted in the General Info section of the Tournaments forum, but for the benefit of our readers we have reproduced them below, along with a special message from Lindax himself. My personal congratulations go out to all the winners in the many categories! Well done!
[player]Dukasaur[/player]
Tournament Executive
Primes/TO of the Year/TO Career Award Winners by Lindax
[spoiler=message from Lindax and complete list of winners]After I was chosen as the leader of the TO Usergroup in December, I asked the members what they would like to see happening in the group. One of the ideas was a TO (Tournament Organizer) of the Year contest for 2011. After 2 weeks of discussing the options we came up with a contest consisting of 3 different steps.
One step was something inspired by the "Oscars" in the film industry, but we decided to call them “Primes” in honor of Optimus Prime, the Godfather of the CC Tournament World. We came up with 17 tournament categories, for which everybody could nominate tournaments. After that the public and later the TO Usergroup voted to see which tournaments would win the Golden, Silver and Bronze Primes.
The second step was choosing a TO of the Year - 2011. The TOs of the tournaments that won a Golden Prime were automatically nominated, others could be nominated by members of the TO Usergroup. After that the group voted for The 3 winners, who also received a Golden, Silver and Bronze Prime. The winner of the Golden Prime received a General Achievement Medal.
The third step was to win the TO Career Award. Basically a kind of "life-time achievement" award for TOs who have had a positive influence on the tournament world on CC over the years. The nominating and voting process was all done within the TO Usergroup. The winner received a General Contribution Medal.
After two and a half months of nominating, voting, etc. we completed the contest with the results you see below.
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the process: the members of the TO usergroup who contributed ideas and ironed out the process, the tournament organizers themselves, the nominators who came forward, and all the members of the CC public who voted for the Primes.
And the winners are:
Below the results for the TO Career Award:
The winner is HighlanderAttack. He will receive a General Contribution Medal.
barterer2002 and Lindax ended in 2nd and 3rd place.
----
Below the results of the voting for the TO of the Year - 2011:
- Golden Prime > flexmaster33. He will receive a General Achievement Medal.
- Silver Prime > > > barterer2002
- Bronze Prime > > > HighlanderAttack
----
Below the results for the tournament Primes:
- ----
- Best Small Tournament
- Best Small Tournament
- Golden Prime > HA presents Lindax's favorite map - TO: [player]HighlanderAttack[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > Chap's Route 66 Challenge - TO: [player]chapcrap[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > Looking out for Number One! - TO: [player]koontz1973[/player]
- Golden Prime > HA presents Lindax's favorite map - TO: [player]HighlanderAttack[/player]
- Best Mid-Sized Tournament
- Golden Prime > 2011 World Cup of Risk - TO: [player]WorldCup4James[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > Blood Money: USA - TO: [player]MrGlassB[/player]
- Bronze prime > > > double ballenus summer 2011 - TO: [player]ballenus[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > 2011 World Cup of Risk - TO: [player]WorldCup4James[/player]
- Best Large Tournament
- Golden Prime > HA reaches 5000 Arms Race Games - TO: [player]HighlanderAttack[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > Initech XXV: Olympic Games - TO: [player]Peter Gibbons[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > NHL Season 2 - TO: [player]Serbia[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > HA reaches 5000 Arms Race Games - TO: [player]HighlanderAttack[/player]
- Best Huge Tournament
- Golden Prime > College Hoops 2010-11 - TO: [player]flexmaster33[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > TLO 2010 - TO: [player]Lindax[/player], Co-Host: [player]danryan[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > Size Matters - TO: [player]kuma32478[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > College Hoops 2010-11 - TO: [player]flexmaster33[/player]
- Best Terminator Tournament
- Golden Prime > Exterminator [TPA] - TO: [player]PepeAtila[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > 313's Jamaican Terminator - TO: [player]merch313[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > Chap's Christmas: Terminator Robin Style! - TO: [player]chapcrap[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > Exterminator [TPA] - TO: [player]PepeAtila[/player]
- Best Assassin Tournament
- Golden Prime > Master of Assassin [TPA] - TO: [player]poptartpsycho18[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > Chap's Egyptian Assassin - TO: [player]chapcrap[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > Blood Money: USA - TO: [player]MrGlassB[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > Master of Assassin [TPA] - TO: [player]poptartpsycho18[/player]
- Best 1 v 1 Tournament
- Golden Prime > CC Golf Match Play [TPA] - TO: [player]shaneback[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > 2011 MLB Season - TO: [player]vykingsfan64[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > Ha presents a love for LUX - TO: [player]HighlanderAttack[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > CC Golf Match Play [TPA] - TO: [player]shaneback[/player]
- Best Doubles Tournament
- Golden Prime > World Cup Format Doubles II [TPA2 - MAJOR] - TO: [player]Lindax[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > JRT's Dobles Hispanos 8 - TO: [player]jricart[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > patrickaa317's Massive Dubs Tourney - TO: [player]patrickaa317[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > World Cup Format Doubles II [TPA2 - MAJOR] - TO: [player]Lindax[/player]
- Best Triples Tournament
- Golden Prime > Gunn's Triples Round Robin II - TO: [player]Gunn217[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > Super Smash Bros Triples League [TPA] - TO: [player]Gilligan[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > What Year Is It? [TPA] - TO: [player]dowian2[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > Gunn's Triples Round Robin II - TO: [player]Gunn217[/player]
- Best Quadruples Tournament
- Golden Prime > Unloved Maps - Forbidden City Quads - TO: [player]danryan[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > My 4 Are Still Better Than Yours - TO: [player]Darin44[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > Play at one - quads - TO: [player]trboye[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > Unloved Maps - Forbidden City Quads - TO: [player]danryan[/player]
- Best Large-Team Tournament
- Golden Prime > TLO 2010 - TO: [player]Lindax[/player], Co-Host: [player]danryan[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > 313's Got 11 CC Friends? - TO: [player]merch313[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > TLO 2010 - TO: [player]Lindax[/player], Co-Host: [player]danryan[/player]
- Best International Tournament
- Golden Prime > Yugoslav Premier League and Cup - TO: [player]qwert[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > JRT's - Ultimo Hispano en Pie 3 - TO: [player]jricart[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > Yugoslav Premier League and Cup - TO: [player]qwert[/player]
- Best Speed Tournament
- Golden Prime > Speed Terminator V [TPA2] - TO: [player]DJ Teflon[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > Speed Assassin IV [TPA] - TO: [player]DJ Teflon[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > Speed Terminator V [TPA2] - TO: [player]DJ Teflon[/player]
- Best Mixed Tournament
- Golden Prime > GameZZone: Diablo - TO: [player]amazzony[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > 313's Got 11 CC Friends? - TO: [player]merch313[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > CYOT: Damsel in Distress - TO: [player]Lindax[/player], Co-Host: [player]amazzony[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > GameZZone: Diablo - TO: [player]amazzony[/player]
- Best Sports League Tournament
- Golden Prime > College Hoops 2010-11 - TO: [player]flexmaster33[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > NHL Season 2 - TO: [player]Serbia[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > Major League Soccer 2011 - TO: [player]flexmaster33[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > College Hoops 2010-11 - TO: [player]flexmaster33[/player]
- Best Tournament Series
- Golden Prime > TPA Series (Tournament Players Association) - Organizer: [player]barterer2002[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > Chap's Challenge Series - TO: [player]chapcrap[/player]
- Bronze Prime > > > Initech Series - TO: [player]Peter Gibbons[/player]
---- - Golden Prime > TPA Series (Tournament Players Association) - Organizer: [player]barterer2002[/player]
- Most Creative/Innovative Tournament
- Golden Prime > CYOT: Damsel in Distress - TO: [player]Lindax[/player], Co-Host: [player]amazzony[/player]
- Silver Prime > > > Initech XXV: Olympic Games - TO: [player]Peter Gibbons[/player]
- Bronze prime > > > The Legend of Tor Na'Mit - Original TO: [player]Gozar[/player], Rescued by: [player]benga[/player]
- Golden Prime > CYOT: Damsel in Distress - TO: [player]Lindax[/player], Co-Host: [player]amazzony[/player]
----
Honorable Mentions- Category: Triples Tournaments Intercontinental League - TO: [player]Pirlo[/player]
- Category: Mixed Tournaments Major League Soccer 2011 - TO: [player]flexmaster33[/player]
- Category: Sports League Tournaments Yugoslav Premier League and Cup - TO: [player]qwert[/player]
- Category: Tournament Series KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid - TO: [player]greenoaks[/player]
- Category: Tournament Series HA's Don't Blink Series - TO: [player]HighlanderAttack[/player]
- ----
- Best Small Tournament
___________________________________________________________________________________________
[/spoiler]Meet the Tournament Organisers: [player]greenoaks[/player] by WorldCup4James
[spoiler=interview with greenoaks]In our interviews with the leading figures of the tournament community, we often select those organisers who stand out and put forth some creative ideas. Other times, we find a very unique and popular tournament from perhaps an aspiring organiser and give him the chance to make a name for himself. But I think it's clear that we cannot leave out the most prolific tournament organiser of recent times, [player]greenoaks[/player], who has put together a long chain of 80 tournaments just over the past five months.
[player]greenoaks[/player] has been an active member on the site for over 4 years and is a member of the Kill on Arrival clan.
The interview delves into [player]greenoaks[/player]' renown KISS series (evidence of which dots all across the Tournaments page) and philosophies on tournament organisation, his hobbies and goals, and, finally, his words of wisdom for all the rising tournament organisers out there!
Don't leaf, you're in for a treet
Your recent, most successful series is the KISS, 32-player single-elimination 1v1 series, which has attracted hundreds of players to compete on many of their favorite maps. What does this hallmark term "KISS" you've introduced to Conquer Club embody in terms of your philosophy about tournament management and execution?
Considering that you are running at least 5 at once, do you think it's realistic that you will finally host a tournament on every map?
When I first started as a TO, I was rescuing tournaments. Many of them had cumbersome scoring systems, unusual methods of elimination and lots of dropouts that needed replacing. They were a nightmare. It was from those early experiences that I wanted to run a series of tournaments that would be simple for me to maintain, with a format & rules that were simple for players to understand and know how they were faring as well as being simple for another TO to take over if I dropped off the site. Many months passed before it dawned on me how to keep it so simple.
I do hope to run a KISS tournament on every map but that is up to Admin. I’ll know if it’s a possibility when I get to map 126 – St. Patricks Day.
All of your KISS tournaments are single-elimination (appropriately). What do you think of the argument that single-elimination play can be very misleading of players' actual skill, since, after all, it only takes one loss and one bad game until you're eliminated. Do you still think it's the best format, compared to round-robin or other formats?
I do think one 1v1 tournament can be misleading, but i have run over 80 KISS tournaments and the same players consistently make it to the semis and finals. Players such as [player]HighlanderAttack[/player], [player]babagonosh[/player], [player]swimmerdude99[/player] and of course [player]shoop76[/player] (who recently won my KISS Champion of Champions tournament covering the first 32 maps/tournaments) prove there is more than just luck involved.
Round-robins are great in that you play every player, but once you get halfway through it most people have no chance of winning and are just going through the motions, or worse, dropping out. Other formats often lack the broad community support of bracket or round robin tournaments which can make them hard to fill.
As [player]merch313[/player]'s DE series is also very popular with over 100 tournaments completed, I would say the Bracket format is best, with my KISS series being simpler to run.
So tell me a little bit about yourself (if you don't mind
). What hobbies do you enjoy in the "land down under"?I am a big sports fan and watch a lot of Cricket, Rugby League & Union. The last few years I've spent a lot of time on Discogs cataloging music and uploading photographs I've taken of the sleeves and discs.
I never understood cricket, but, to me, if you have fun running back and forth and chasing a ball, have at it
Favorite rugby team? Now that's a sport I need to try!
The teams I follow are my local teams. For league, I follow the Penrith Panthers as I grew up in Penrith in the far west of Sydney. Union & Cricket I follow my state of NSW as well as the national side.
Are you a world traveler? If so, where all have you been?
I have never traveled outside of Australia. Don't really have any desire to. Maybe one day I'll go to New Zealand on a golfing holiday, but that is about it.
If only I were any good at that most frustrating sport. I struggle to get bogeys in mini-golf!
What CC goals do you have out there on the horizon?
My goals on CC are to:-
- cross-map every map, I've got about 50 to go
- finish off the KISS series to free up time to run KISS Dubs, Trips & Quads
- get my gold medal for Speed, playing just Age Of Realms 2
- have a suggestion of mine implemented such as Lack Sucks Medal, Dream Team Medal, Paratroop Reinforcements or Zombie Spoils
- graciously accept [player]clapper011[/player]'s offer to become a suggestion mod
And, to wrap things up, what piece of advice do you give to new organizers?
Obviously my advice to new organizers would be to keep it simple. However this is what I've posted in my clan's forum:
A medal I believe is easy to get is the Tournament Contribution medal. All you need to do is host a tournament. So here are a few pointers to get you started:-A month or two later you will have a shiny new medal.
- Give your tournament a name such as Greenoaks First Tournament
- Choose your favourite map & settings
- Select a tournament style (1v1 single-elimination is very popular
- Start a thread here seeking 16 players (15 if you enter your own tournament)
- Create the games and send out the invites
It is that easy.
Additional information on hosting a tournament can be found in the Tournament Handbook. Brackets showing who plays who can be created at http://www.challonge.com and added to your tournament thread in the same way pictures are added.
So what are you waiting for ?
Sound advice
I want to add a really big Thank You to Dako for the Watch This Game add-on! There is no way I would/could run so many tournaments without it. It wasn't too long ago i had 38 tournaments and over 900 active tournament games to follow. Dako's WTG made that possible.
Thanks for your time. Best wishes.
[/spoiler]Meet the Tournament Organisers: [player]koontz1973[/player] by Fuzzy316
[spoiler=Interview with koontz1973]This issue we bring to you a player who has successfully organised, run and completed more than 90 tournaments.Last year we saw a dirge of tournaments run by this organizer honoring that age old tradition of getting drunk under the table. I give you [player]koontz1973[/player].
So to ask the first and foremost question of you... What draws you to being a tourney organiser?
The sheer love of watching players pulling there hair out when they come so close to the end, only to fall out of love with the dice.
When you first began running tournaments, what ideas did you have that you were or were not able to implement successfully?
None what so ever. Looked over the tournies in play and tried to do something slightly different. First one went badly, so I learned from my mistakes.
Do you enter your own tournaments all the time, or only sometimes?
Most of the time. What fun is there to be had sitting on the sidelines.
You have your hand in some of the maps that we play or will soon play here on CC. Which maps are you responsible for, and do you have a favourite that you have come up with?
Only one at the moment (Rorke's Drift, soon to be back in live play). Next one should be in beta soon (Knights) followed closely by 1982. Knights is based on chess while 1982 is going to be a complicated map for large games about the Falklands War. Right now though I am on a mission to get all of the cities from the classic map into live play. Good thing another map maker, [player]cairnswk[/player], has joined me in this huge challenge.
When you are running a tournament, what do you think is most important to be able to successfully get it completed from conception to completion?
Just keep on top of things. Never put of to tomorrow what you can do today. No matter how many tournies you run, life happens so make sure you know what needs to be done and just do it.
Red Fish Blue Fish, or Heffalumps and Woozles?
but you have to love Heffridge Trumpler Brompet Heffalump, IV or Lumpy for short.
What is your preferred game method, 1v1, dubs, clan, tourney, etc?
8 player escalating in fog on large uncomplicated maps.
Have you had too many tournaments running at once, and it overwhelmed you, making you need to take a break?
Not once has it ever felt that way. You mentioned the massive piss up last year. I had around 15 running at once then but it was summer time and school was out. Now that school is back in session, it has slowed way down. But I expect the round robins to start up again soon as well as another bout of 1v1s.
What is the most tourneys have you had active at the same time?
Tips on creating a tourney for those that have not tried to do so?
Read absolutely everything you can about tournies.
Ask if unsure. That is why we have mods.
Be patient. Sometimes the uptake is slow.
Just make sure you know what you are doing. If not, fake it till you make it.
Any random thoughts or insane ideas you would like to part with today?
How do you handcuff a one-armed man?
Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
At what point in man's evolution did he start wiping his ass?
Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane?
What is another word for "thesaurus"?
How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?
If sheep shagging is so immoral, why do I like sheep so much?
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to grace us with your answers today.
Not a problem. Happy gaming everyone, whatever map takes your fancy.
[/spoiler]Meet the Tournament Winners: [player]MudPuppy[/player] by Fuzzy316
[spoiler=Interview with MudPuppy]Our tournament winner this issue has recently claimed his 30th tournament victory with his dominating performance in the tournament 313's Portland Double Elim put on by merch313. He has a strong standing in his clan and is very willing to help out his friends when in need. Let's give a hand to MudPuppy.
Hi there MudPuppy, and thank you for taking the time to answer some questions about yourself. So, no sense in beating around the bush here. How does it feel to have 30 tourney wins under your belt?
Do you remember how long it took you to get your first tourney trophy?
No, but was able to look it up... Looks like I won the 22nd tourney I started: Climb the Mountain II which was run by one of my all-time favorite TO's... [player]amazzony[/player].
What draws you most to tournament play?
Mostly that it just adds another level of competition compared to just playing pickup games. Being able to advance in tournament rounds is much more satisfying than winning a stand-alone game with no other implications. I also enjoy getting randomly paired against players I've never competed against before. I've met some really cool folks through these tourneys.
How often do you join tournaments, and are there specific tourneys you look for?
I really go in spurts. Last year I did a TON while participating in the inaugural year of the Tournament Player Association (TPA).... Thanks [player]barterer2002[/player] and everyone else who worked hard to put that on!!! And congrats to [player]sonicsteve[/player] for a most excellently played season!
Lately, however, I've been focusing on our clan wars and have limited the number of standard tourneys I've joined. I'm sure I'll bounce back into it at some point not too distant from now, though.
When I do join tourneys, I look for tourneys with a well-presented intro by the TO. It gives me confidence that the organizer takes their tourney seriously and will be diligent in running it smoothly which is a far more important factor than the maps/settings when it comes to my enjoyment of tourneys. Other than that, it's more of what strikes my interest at a given time. I usually like the sports-themed tourneys like [player]flexmaster33[/player]'s College Hoops tourneys. Or sometimes I just want something quick like [player]HighlanderAttack[/player]'s Don't Blink series. It's all about the TO's, though. Their hard work is what makes the tourneys so successful.
Which do you prefer, Clan War battles or Tourney play and why?
That's a tough call... I've been in the clan world for quite some time now and am currently co-leader of CC's longest running clan: the Imperial Dragoons. I absolutely love clan wars and will have to give those battles the nod due to the extra strategy involved in selecting home games. However, I am still a 1v1 player at heart and until that format becomes widely accepted in the clan community, I will always keep an eye out for a well-run standard tourney where I can go head-to-head.
From the looks of things, you only create and run/help run tourneys involving clan battles, is that correct?
Yes, I've run quite a few clan wars and am currently the primary lead for ID in the CL4.
Any desire to begin dabbling in the regular tourney world?
Most definitely. I've toyed with the idea for a while and it's most definitely something I'd like to have a go at. Doing so is currently fairly far down on my CC to-do list as I'm already involved with other cool things that are important to me (Clan Wars, SoC, TPA)... but I'm pretty confident you'll see me running a standard tourney at some point.
What do you like most about CC?
The game itself.... Despite all the complaints about the dice, the deteriorating map quality, the deficiency in coding support, the slowness of implementing new suggestions, and more.... Conquer Club is still the best site out there for this type of game, by far. I've tried a few others and they can't compare. The added benefit of a completely awesome community makes CC second to none. That said, many of these complaints (not the dice) are valid and there is definitely room for improvement.
How long have you been playing at games like this?
Forever... I've always loved games, especially strategy games and played them frequently as a child and through college. I didn't play much risk between college and when I discovered CC, but I occupied my time with other strategy-type games like chess and fantasy baseball.
Do you play games like this outside of CC?
Not so much. I've tried some other sites just to see how they compared and have always ended up sticking with CC. Most of my face-to-face gaming nights involve poker or Pictionary-type games rather than Risk-type games, these days.
Green Eggs & Ham or The Cat in the Hat?
Green Eggs & Ham by a mile. That's the story I read most to my wife's stomach when she was carrying my oldest daughter. Absolutely love Sam-I-Am.
What are your top 3 favorite maps?
I really don't have any set favorites. Battle of Actium and Bamboo Jack are usually at or near the top of my list. I'll go with New York City as my third favorite since I was born there (Washington Heights region) and I've been playing it recently. However, if you asked me a month from now, you may get three different answers. Random is always a favorite option as well.
Who would you say your toughest opponent on a regular basis is?
I've run into quite a few skilled opponents in tourney games throughout the years. I'd have to say the absolute toughest has been [player]dowian2[/player]. We've had a bunch of hard-fought 1v1 battles along the way and map rank shows he's winning the series 40-33. Honorable mention to [player]Iron Maid[/player] who I've played even more games against with the series being pretty much even.
Soapbox: any thoughts, ideas, shoutouts etc you would like to put in here?
To my fellow 'Goonies: I couldn't ask for a greater bunch of players to hang with and battle with. You all rock!
To the admins: please make the implementation of the 2-player "team" games a top priority. I've been drooling over this approved suggestion for far too long. It's time to get 'er done.
To the clan community: 1v1's are cool. Really, they are.
Alright, thanks for taking the time to answer these questions MudPuppy. Good luck in the future.[/spoiler]
Tournament Tips by DaveH
[spoiler=Excel Macro to Summarise Points]This issue I'll set up an Excel macro to assign individual points to a "league" table. For simplicity, I'll start off as though the list of individual game winners are in a column on an Excel spreadsheet with the resulting points gained in the next column.
I have assumed that the tournament has 16 games of which 10 have been completed. There is a "Sort By Points" button on the spreadsheet which accesses the macro to summarise the points into the table in columns E and F.
The first few lines in the macro are to specify a few variables:-
Code: Select all
Sub SortNumbers()
Dim i, j, itotal As Integer ' itotal will be the total number of players in the table
Dim Aname, Bname As String 'Aname and Bname will contain the player's names
itotal = 0The first thing to do is to copy all the players names and their totals into the final table:-
Code: Select all
For i = 3 To 18 'the row number range
Aname = Cells(i, 2).Value 'Aname will have the value in cell(3,2)
If Aname <> 0 Then ' If a player name
Cells(3 + itotal, 5).Value = Aname 'put the player name into the table
Cells(3 + itotal, 6).Value = Cells(i, 3).Value 'and the score
itotal = itotal + 1 'increase the number of players
Else
i = 18 'if the cell is blank we are at the end of the list and can end
End If
Next iThe list is copied into the results table:-
This can then be sorted by player name as there may be players with more than one entry/win:-
Code: Select all
Range(Cells(3, 5), Cells(4 + itotal, 6)).Select
Selection.Sort Key1:=Range("E3"), Order1:=xlAscending
The last process is to scan down the table and, if a duplicate player's name exists, add on the second score to the first and delete the second entry. Then sort to get rid of the blanks and repeat this process until there are no duplicate names:-
Code: Select all
j = 1 'assume duplicates exist
While j > 0
j = 0 'no duplicates yet
For i = 1 To itotal - 1
Aname = Cells(i + 2, 5) '1st player's name
Bname = Cells(i + 3, 5) '2nd player's name
If Aname = Bname Then 'if they are the same...
j = j + 1 'increment duplicate counter
Cells(i + 2, 6) = Cells(i + 2, 6) + Cells(i + 3, 6) 'add the scores
Cells(i + 3, 5) = "" 'delete the second player's name
Cells(i + 3, 6) = "" 'delete the second score
itotal = itotal - 1 'reduce total in the table
End If
Next i
Range(Cells(3, 5), Cells(3 + itotal + j, 6)).Select 'sort from the top left cell to the bottom right cell
Selection.Sort Key1:=Range("E3"), Order1:=xlAscending 'sort by player's names
WendWhen this routine is completed you have just one entry per winning player with their total points score. All you need to do now is to sort by totals and finish the subroutine:-
Code: Select all
Range(Cells(3, 5), Cells(3 + itotal, 6)).Select 'specify the area for the sort
Selection.Sort Key1:=Range("F3"), Order1:=xlDescending 'specify a descending sort based on the score
End Sub
And there you have it; a table that can be copied and pasted straight into your tournament thread to give the latest running order!
OK, so to put this macro into your spreadsheet you need to do the following in your spreadsheet:-
- select Tools/Macro/Record New Macro
- enter a name for your macro and press OK
- press the "stop" on the small macro window
- select Tools/Macro/Macros
- select your macro and press edit
- copy in all the above sets of code into the new window that appears (from Sub to End Sub) and save
- select Tools/Customize
- scroll down to forms and select "button" and close
- click the button that now appears on your menu bar
- draw a button shape on your spreadsheet
- Click on your macro name to assign it to the button
Yes, it's a tedious process at first when you don't know your way around Excel and macros, but, once done, you can then customise your macro to suit different types of games and scoring systems. Obviously, if your spreadsheet has the lists and summary table in a different part of your spreadsheet, you will need to change the macro appropriately.
(These "tips" are ones that I have tried to make it a bit easier in managing my own tournaments. I am sure there are many different and better methods than these, so please let me know. Any queries on the above I'll be glad to respond to!)[/spoiler]
Join This? Or Not! by NoSurvivors
TPA Wrap by Sensfan
