republic of rome  

Updated 11/25/2010

2010 WBC Report  

   2011 Status: pending December Membership Trial Vote

Llew Bardecki, nz

2010 Champion

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Event History
1991    Jim Doughan      20
1992    Robert Rudolph      23
1993    Sean Finnerty      23
1994    Chris Greenfield      25
1995    Michael Ehlers      37
1996    Michael Ehlers      41
1997    Chris Bartiromo      27
1998    Charles Dunn      32
1999    Brian Ecton     27
2000    Chase Bramwell     31
2001    Tom Phillips     32
2002    Sean Larsen     27
2003    Nick Benedict     21
2004    Chase Bramwell     24
2005    Frank McNally     14
2006    Tom Phillips     16
2007    Leonard Omolecki     12
2008    Chris Bartiromo     14
2009    Chris Greenfield     14
2010    Llew Bardecki     12

PBeM Event History
2001    Rob Mull      16
 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Tom Phillips       NJ    07    129
  2.  Chase Bramwell     OH    07    108
  3.  Sean Larsen        NJ    09    106
  4.  Nick Benedict      CA    10     51
  5.  Frank McNally      MA    06     48
  6.  Chris Greenfield   NJ    09     47
  7.  Rob Seulowitz      NY    05     44
  8.  Kevin Barry        PA    10     43
  9.  Leonard Omolecki   PA    10     36
 10.  Chris Bartiromo    NJ    08     30
 11.  Brian Ecton        VA    99     30
 12.  Steve Bachman      NY    08     24
 13.  Bret Mingo         MD    02     24
 14.  Craig Moffitt      NJ    02     24
 15.  Llew Bardecki      nz    10     22
 16.  Alan Witte         NJ    03     18
 17.  Henry Rice         NM    01     18
 18.  Chris Bodkin       IN    00     16
 19.  Jonathan Squibb    PA    10     15
 20.  David Yoon         NY    06     15
 21.  Sean Finnerty      NY    03     12
 22.  Brad Anderson      OH    02     12
 23.  Rob Mull           CO    01     10
 24.  Matt Bacho         MD    04      6
 25.  Rich O'Brian       MD    03      6
 26.  Bill Dyer          IL    99      6
 27.  Dennis Mishler     GA    09      4
 28.  Matt Miller        NJ    08      3
 29.  Frank Cunliffe     PA    05      3
 30.  Charles Dunn       VA    04      3
 31.  Will Wible         VA    01      3
 32.  Rob Knowles        NC    99      3

2010 Laurelists                                        Repeating Laurelists:

Leonard Omolecki, PA
2nd

Jon Squibb, PA
3rd

Nick Benedict, CA
4th

Kevin Barry, PA
5th

-
6th

Past Winners

Jim Doughan, PA
1991

Robert Rudolph, PA
1992

Sean Finnerty, NY
1993

Chris Greenfield, NJ
1994, 2009

Michael Ehlers, MD
1995-1996

Chris Bartiromo, NJ
1997, 2008

Charles Dunn, VA
1998

Brian Ecton, VA
1999

Chase Bramwell, OH
2000, 2004

Tom Phillips, NJ
2001, 2006

Sean Larsen, NJ
2002

Nick Benedict, CA
2003

Frank McNally, MA
2005

Leonard Omolecki, PA
2007

Llew Bardecki, nz
2010

The new Valley Games edition of the game brought hope for the event's flagging fortunes but the event failed to attract 20 players for the sixth straight year.

Leonard Omolecki proudly displays his collection of old Avaloncon shirts and his ability to still wear them to his younger adversaries.

Amici Quo ...

Normally in this space I like to recap the greatest moments from the recent tournament, but this year I wanted to take some time to touch on a few points.

Going into the 2010 WBC, I had NO idea what to expect. Valley Games had just recently released the new version of the game and sponsored its return as a Trial event after years of declining attendance. I was already fielding numerous questions via email from new players anxious for rules clarifications. There was so much interest in the game that as the GM I ended up hosting an unofficial demo for people to help them understand the game. There seemed to be quite a buzz surrounding the new version.

Unfortunately - all of this interest didn't translate into any sizable increase in the player base. A number of people expressed their desire to play but were unable to due to scheduling conflicts. This is something completely out of my control. With Republic of Rome (RoR) being a six-hour game it makes it very difficult for many players to elect to chew up one of their precious afternoons where they might be able to play two or three other games. Scheduling is always going to be one of those necessary evils - but something that is always going to be a source of frustration no matter what is done.

Over the years Republic of Rome has gained a reputation as a challenging game with a steep learning curve. The player base also has a well earned reputation as being both consistent with the same players back year after year but also as being quite cutthroat. This combination presents a daunting challenge for new players and unfortunately it scares off much needed new blood. Over the years as the GM of RoR I have tried to go out of my way to help new players overcome their initial hesitation and feel confident enough to be comfortable playing. There is just no way however to explain what is not in the rules. What makes Republic of Rome one of the most unique games at the WBC is the nuance and what is NOT in the rules. Every game becomes a very unique experience as there really is no set strategy that you can follow like you can in most games.

A final thought as GM; If a potential new player takes away anything, it's that this game just has to be played to be understood. To read the rules is one thing - to actually experience it is something completely different. I encourage anyone with interest to just sit down and play!

Tempus valedicendi

 GM     Sean Larsen [6th year]   56 Brookside Ln, Berkeley Hgts, NJ 07922 
    sean.larsen@gmail.com   NA

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