*Raises Hand* I volunteer

Interested yes, but will have to see how next year's gencon schedule. Plays out before I can commit. I hope to be able to attend more than 1day next year, but we'll see!

Is this intended to replace the "New Alternative Rules Format"?

Whoo Hoo!!!! More SWM's

Full disclosure: obviously I know the folks who run SWM events at GenCon. However, I can make no specific promises about what events will be there.

That said, I think we all have the same goal:

Get as many people playing SWM and having fun as possible.

How to do that is the question we are all trying to answer.


I think clearly the biggest reason people don't make it to GenCon falls into finances/timing/real life priorities. We can't do much about that. There might be a golden format that would be the motivation to overcome those things, but that is a very narrow possibility.

What makes people not play in minis events that do attend GenCon? Outside of not knowing about it or not ever even caring to try it, I think it boils down to a couple of factors.

1. People don't think they'd even have a shot at competing. They are not as into the game as other players, and seeing the same small handful of people dominate all the events makes them think they won't have any fun.

2. They are relitively new to the game and the learning curve seems insurmountable.

3. They are disenfranchised by personal NPEs that they see result from exploitation of certain rules and tactics.


I know people in all three categories.


Catering specifically to any one category above will most likely result in not enough players to make it viable.


Also keeping perennial "competitive" players from playing in it seems unlikely as well. As has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt lately, New formats are like forbidden fruits; irresistible to certain players.




So in short, this is just an exploration of how we might successfully merge these three categories of players with existing players.


The hope is this the one way.



-Please the first group by at least giving the perennial "competitive" players a handicap.

-please the second group by having simple ready made squads and minimal rule changes.

-please the third group by having the premade squads not contain what most would consider an NPE, or abusable tactics.


And of course the perennial "competitive" players aren't barred from entering, they get to play in the new format too.



In theory everyone comes together, plays, and has a good time.

And if this actually motivates people to come to Gen Con, then that's a huge win.

I would like to make a trial run with this on Vasaal before then. If it is successful and gets a lot of interest then there's more chance it might happen at Gen Con. And for those who can't make GenCon, the Vassal trial run would be fun in an of itself.

High praise from someone I have the utmost respect for.

Obviously this concept is the merging of several ideas.

So the "neglected" part if this plan is the rules that those who build their own squads will have to follow.

It seems to me the process that had been started for the original "casual" tournament (then briefly switched to the "alternative rules" format) is a good direction to go.


Sometimes adding new rules can confuse newer players. BUT - squad building rules won't confuse anyone when they have a squad handed to them.

The ones who want to build their squads are for the most part the ones with the issues with the broken combos, etc.



So - as to not have those that build their own squads come up with something broken for this format, squad building rules should be put in place.

But only restrictions on squad building (since that's where the base of the issues are.)

Speak texting (and not proof reading) was the culprit.

So - as to not have those that build their own squads come up with something broken for this format, squad building rules should be put in place.

(Edited above)

I think it is a beginning for success