Burn, Rome, Burn
This year's format was new, interesting, and a tad over-ambitious
given the time the GM was willing to devote to it. We are indebted
to champ Chase Bramwell for the following account. This event's
format and very existance will be dependent on someone stepping
forward to provide the necessary dedicated GM.
Top finishers from a single qualification night were taken
to play two concurrent and isolated final games. If 'the game'
happened to win at either final table, then the other game would
immediately end with the current leader being declared the tournament
winner. In addition, if either table produced a consul-for-life
or victorious rebel, he/she, too, could earn immediate tournament
victory. The aim, of course, was to push players to more quickly
and aggressively attempt to take control of Rome rather than
waiting for an artificially induced end-game turn.
This new system had some merits in determining a Republic
of Rome champion - particularly without the 'game winning'
in the final, allowing a lead player to facilitate the fall of
Rome for his/her own personal victory. However, the finals consisted
of two four-player games which were a less than optimal format.
This was certainly unnecessary given the number of players participating
in, and available from, the earlier round. In addition, a single
night of qualification left players at the mercy of a single
game in which to qualify - where other players could facilitate,
directly or indirectly, the fall of Rome, eliminating all players
at a given table from advancement.
In the future, I recommend two nights of qualification play.
Winners of games either night advance, with highest-percentage
influence filling the remaining spots. This gives players the
choice of nights to play, or multiple chances to qualify. If
we continue with the simultaneous final games, then I suggest
doing so with tables of 5-6 players each (preferably the same
number at each table) with matching random event decks, taken
from the Middle & Late Republics.
My understanding is that Rob Seulowitz and Sean Larsen will be
co-GMs for next year's tournament.
Separately, we need to resolve the legitimacy of vetoing or voting
down the initial Rome Consul as the game's first Censor.
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