GenCon 2011 - Heroscape Events: question and answer

[dok]

Originally Posted by lonewolf

I am 43% sure that I have no idea what I am going to play.

Just pull the Dumutefs out of your Monster Mash army!

After being convinced I had it dialed in almost immediately, I've started second-guessing whether I can/should try to get away with less. This is a brain-bender of a format, for sure. I have no idea how everybody else is going to approach this, which means I have no idea what I can get away with on day 1. And the most likely winner on day 2 is the person that got away with the dinkiest day 1 army.

And the ToC format makes the main event format look easy! Wow... good work Rÿchean.

[xraine69]

I never have attended a GenCon and doubt seriously I'll be able to this year either, but I am very disappointed there is only one draft event. I hope the next 6 months of tourneys will change that.

[SuperflyTNT]

And I am 100% sure that the winner last year is going to get his arse handed to them and have the new winner gloat about it and talk about how uber-smart they are for making such astonishingly great moves.

I forget who won, but it seems to happen every year.

[dok]

Originally Posted by xraine69

I never have attended a GenCon and doubt seriously I'll be able to this year either, but I am very disappointed there is only one draft event. I hope the next 6 months of tourneys will change that.

You know that I'm as big a fan of the pooled draft format as anyone, but I don't think it's likely that Rÿchean will add drafts to other events, irrespective of how many draft tournaments there are in the next six months. Honestly, starting with one event is pretty reasonable.

The one disappointment for me is the 3-pack limitation. Recent draft events in San Fransisco and Cleveland and Vermont and Colorado and Cincinnati (and upcoming events in Michigan, Wisconsin, and elsewhere) have all had much less restrictions on what you can put in your draft pool. I'll probably play the slugfest in stead.

[Rÿchean]

Yes, I was fully aware that some wanted more draft events and that my 3 Pack Draft was not the most favored among the many formats.

However, it is a very simple format to grasp and simple is important at GenCon. Plus, I can direct someone to Miniature Market booth and tell them to just buy 3 boosters and they can play.

I knew my decision on the draft event would be significantly scrutinized but I did not arrive at the decision completely on my own. Most I talked to about it said to just go with what I know, so that is what I did.

And hey, if it chases away a more competitive type player to another event, then that is win for the casual player who just wanted to get in a few games at GenCon.

[MattserTruckRally]

Wow I'm really looking forward to GenCon this year, especially after jacob_jp and moxilla got us rooms connecting to the convention center. (Brag yes!). The Main Event format looks interesting and will require a mixture of creativity, luck, and skill to go all the way (Doesn't it always?).

Also if ToC is a go this will be the event I'm looking forward to the most. Getting a chance to play some of the best regulars in a variety of matches seems well awesome!

Awesome list Rÿchean. Thanks for all of your hard work through the years on making GenCon awesome for the rest of us.

[xraine69]

The reason I am disappointed not to see more draft events, is because GenCon is considered by many to be the big daddy of Scape tourneys. So what happens there, trickles down and affects most(not all) metagaming. I was hoping to see Scape turn back more to the original ruleset.

[Rÿchean]

Originally Posted by xraine69

I was hoping to see Scape turn back more to the original ruleset.

Uhm...you do realize that Pre-Built is equally as old and as equally valid as Draft, yes?

And as far as other events taking their queues from GenCon, that has never been less true than it is right now. Sure in 2006 and 2007, absolutely, but not really so much in the last couple of years. Peeps have been doing their own thing for awhile and as well they should.

Sorry, I let you down.

[xraine69]

I don't want to debate you Ry, or take away from all the hard work you have done at GenCon. We all commend you on that and appreciate it. You and I will have to just to agree to disagree on this. I just have always wondered what shape Scape would have taken, if the format had been by the book using the scenarios. Sorry, you know how big I am on the scenarios. That is how I learned to play. Nothing against the prebuilt, but the draft does open the window for more units. Look how many people post an army for competitive play and then are told those units suck, you should go with these?

Keep up the work you do for us and trust me, regardless what formats are there, if I ever make it to GenCon, I will still participate in all the events I can.

[lefton4ya]

Great line-up: I may even go. I was trying to get Origins going too - but the Columbus crew seems to have let is slip (ahem MattserTruckRally correct me if I'm wrong).

[Rÿchean]

I would like to know what is up with Origins as well as I was originally planning on being available for it. Hopefully they will pop in here soon and update us on that one.

[Rÿchean]

Originally Posted by xraine69

I don't want to debate you Ry,

There is no debate. Draft and Prebuilt are equally old and equally valid.

Originally Posted by xraine69

or take away from all the hard work you have done at GenCon. We all commend you on that and appreciate it.

And I appreciate being appreciated.

Originally Posted by xraine69

You and I will have to just to agree to disagree on this. I just have always wondered what shape Scape would have taken, if the format had been by the book using the scenarios. Sorry, you know how big I am on the scenarios. That is how I learned to play.

I think if draft was the default way of running tournaments, the tournaments in general would be longer per round. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but something that does factor in when running a Con's worth of events.

Originally Posted by xraine69

Nothing against the prebuilt, but the draft does open the window for more units. Look how many people post an army for competitive play and then are told those units suck, you should go with these?

Every format I have seen has some limit to how much you can bring to draft. When there are limits it creates elimination so no matter what format is used, some units will not be represented.

Comfort is the number one driving factor in the decisions I made for the lineup. For example, I know that the drafting part of the 3 pack draft is very, very quick; I know that it allows the game time to be manageable and consistent. I am very familiar with the format and know what to expect. The other formats I saw, I am not so sure that those events can be finished consistently within 45 - 50 minutes and I would need to familiarize myself with another format.

So because I have more comfort with Prebuilt events and keeping them on time, I chose to stay with predominately those type of events. It allows me to stay within my comfort zone while still offering something for everyone.

I think drafting events are exceptional and work best when dealing with one or few events.

Time constraints are not fun but they are a reality of doing events at a Con. You need events that fit together well. Lets say one event had an hour Draft before the 5 hour event or another uses 4 player maps instead of 2 player maps, I have to work that in somehow or bring in another GM earlier or later or shuffle maps. It is domino affect across the board; that is why all of these events are played on the same maps and with comparable point totals and 1v1 format. It makes it much easier to put together a Con's worth of events if you are dealing with events that are consistent with each other in the way that they are run and the time that is needed.