Rune
Once A Fool
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 2013 EN World IRON DM Tournament!
[sblock=The RulesThe Basics:
The tournament is set up in a single-elimination bracket style, with each match determined based on scheduling availability among the eligible contestants.
Each match will consist of two contestants given a single set of six ingredients with which to construct a brief adventure in any game system or genre. You should waste neither time, nor words, on overly detailed stats, but you should also not assume familiarity with any given system or genre. Explain what you need to explain, and stop there!
These entries will be evaluated on their own merits and those evaluations will then be compared to determine the winner of a match, who will then proceed to the next round.
All matches will be given a time-frame to submit your entries within. Entries that are late will still be accepted, but, seriously, don't do this! The later the entry, the more severely it will be penalized in the judgement process. If given a match with an incomplete entry and an entry that was late, I will go into judgement assuming that the latter (later) entry has something to prove. Every fault found in such an entry will be magnified.
Seriously, if you haven't finished with an entry in time, post what you've got! Even if you don't win (and, who knows, you might!), you may find the judgement enlightening for future IRON DM tournaments, anyway!
All entries are expected to make good use of all of the ingredients submitted--that is, they should be creatively applied, well-integrated, and fundamentally necessary to the adventure that they are used in. This is the crux of the tournament, so don't think that maybe (for example) doing a good job with three ingredients will be enough, as long as you can craft a better adventure! I wouldn't count on it, if I were you.
Finally, most of the previous tournaments in the last 11 years have used some optional bonus ingredients in Round 3. This tournament will not make use of such bonus ingredients. Each match will have exactly six ingredients.
Formatting:
All entries are to be submitted with the list of ingredients at the top and are not to be edited, once submitted. Let me repeat that last part: DO NOT EDIT YOUR POST, ONCE YOU HAVE SUBMITTED IT! Check your work before you send it in. Then check it again. I will not look favorably upon any entry that has been edited.
Please do not expect me to follow links within your entry; I will not do so. You may include links for others to follow if you choose to do so, but understand that, during judgement, I will only be reading (and re-reading, and re-re-reading) what is in the actual posted entry.
Along those lines--I will be reading each entry several times. Please don't make that difficult for me. Don't bore me and don't make my eyes bleed. Please.
Judgement:
As I said before, each entry will be judged on its own merits and then the two competing entries' critiques will be compared for the final judgement.
I will endeavor to be Nemmerelesque in my judgements--that is, critical, but also fair and constructive in that criticism. That said, understand that not everybody will agree with every decision I make--that's the nature of the game. Traditionally, second-guessing the judge is all part of the game--and that can lead to some undesired outcomes. It can sting sometimes (believe me, I know!), but it is a game. Let's have some fun with it!
That said, those wishing to gain a little insight into my thinking will need to do a little research to do so, but the information is out there. Be warned, though! I may have changed my thinking on some of these things within the last 11 years!
Tournament Structure:
Round 1:
All matches in the first round will have a 24 hour time-limit! That's right--we're going old-school! These matches will not be restricted in length, but, please, don't bore me! Contestants who win their Round 1 matches will proceed to Round 2.
Round 2:
All matches in the second round will have a 48 hour time-limit. These matches will have a 3000 word limit (not including the title and ingredients list--any descriptions or definitions of ingredients will count against the limit!). Contestants who win their Round 2 matches will proceed to Round 3.
Round 3:
The third round match will also have a 48 hour time-limit. This match will have a 2000 word limit (not including the title and ingredients list--any descriptions or definitions of ingredients will count against the limit!). The contestant who wins this match will be the IRON DM 2013.[/sblock]
This thread will list the ingredients and the judgements for each match. Please use this thread to post the entries as well. Commentary is also welcome in this thread, but, please, if you are commenting on an entry that has not yet been judged, hide that commentary with spoiler or sblock tags!
If spectators would like to play the home game, please do that in another thread.
Finally, scheduling for these matches will take place here so as not to clutter this thread.
IRON DM 2013
[sblock=Round 1]Round 1, Match 1: Deuce Traveler vs. Imhotepthewise
Judgement:
Round 1, Match 2: Wicht vs. MortalPlague
Judgement:
Round 1, Match 3: Radiating Gnome vs. EP
Judgement:
Round 1, Match 4: Mike Myler vs. Dragonwriter
Judgement:
[sblock=Round 2]Round 2, Match 1: Wicht vs. Dragonwriter
Judgement:
Round 2, Match 2: Deuce Traveler vs. Radiating Gnome
Judgement:
[sblock=Round 3]Championship Match: Wicht vs. Radiating Gnome
Judgement:
[/sblock][/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=The RulesThe Basics:
The tournament is set up in a single-elimination bracket style, with each match determined based on scheduling availability among the eligible contestants.
Each match will consist of two contestants given a single set of six ingredients with which to construct a brief adventure in any game system or genre. You should waste neither time, nor words, on overly detailed stats, but you should also not assume familiarity with any given system or genre. Explain what you need to explain, and stop there!
These entries will be evaluated on their own merits and those evaluations will then be compared to determine the winner of a match, who will then proceed to the next round.
All matches will be given a time-frame to submit your entries within. Entries that are late will still be accepted, but, seriously, don't do this! The later the entry, the more severely it will be penalized in the judgement process. If given a match with an incomplete entry and an entry that was late, I will go into judgement assuming that the latter (later) entry has something to prove. Every fault found in such an entry will be magnified.
Seriously, if you haven't finished with an entry in time, post what you've got! Even if you don't win (and, who knows, you might!), you may find the judgement enlightening for future IRON DM tournaments, anyway!
All entries are expected to make good use of all of the ingredients submitted--that is, they should be creatively applied, well-integrated, and fundamentally necessary to the adventure that they are used in. This is the crux of the tournament, so don't think that maybe (for example) doing a good job with three ingredients will be enough, as long as you can craft a better adventure! I wouldn't count on it, if I were you.
Finally, most of the previous tournaments in the last 11 years have used some optional bonus ingredients in Round 3. This tournament will not make use of such bonus ingredients. Each match will have exactly six ingredients.
Formatting:
All entries are to be submitted with the list of ingredients at the top and are not to be edited, once submitted. Let me repeat that last part: DO NOT EDIT YOUR POST, ONCE YOU HAVE SUBMITTED IT! Check your work before you send it in. Then check it again. I will not look favorably upon any entry that has been edited.
Please do not expect me to follow links within your entry; I will not do so. You may include links for others to follow if you choose to do so, but understand that, during judgement, I will only be reading (and re-reading, and re-re-reading) what is in the actual posted entry.
Along those lines--I will be reading each entry several times. Please don't make that difficult for me. Don't bore me and don't make my eyes bleed. Please.
Judgement:
As I said before, each entry will be judged on its own merits and then the two competing entries' critiques will be compared for the final judgement.
I will endeavor to be Nemmerelesque in my judgements--that is, critical, but also fair and constructive in that criticism. That said, understand that not everybody will agree with every decision I make--that's the nature of the game. Traditionally, second-guessing the judge is all part of the game--and that can lead to some undesired outcomes. It can sting sometimes (believe me, I know!), but it is a game. Let's have some fun with it!
That said, those wishing to gain a little insight into my thinking will need to do a little research to do so, but the information is out there. Be warned, though! I may have changed my thinking on some of these things within the last 11 years!
Tournament Structure:
Round 1:
All matches in the first round will have a 24 hour time-limit! That's right--we're going old-school! These matches will not be restricted in length, but, please, don't bore me! Contestants who win their Round 1 matches will proceed to Round 2.
Round 2:
All matches in the second round will have a 48 hour time-limit. These matches will have a 3000 word limit (not including the title and ingredients list--any descriptions or definitions of ingredients will count against the limit!). Contestants who win their Round 2 matches will proceed to Round 3.
Round 3:
The third round match will also have a 48 hour time-limit. This match will have a 2000 word limit (not including the title and ingredients list--any descriptions or definitions of ingredients will count against the limit!). The contestant who wins this match will be the IRON DM 2013.[/sblock]
This thread will list the ingredients and the judgements for each match. Please use this thread to post the entries as well. Commentary is also welcome in this thread, but, please, if you are commenting on an entry that has not yet been judged, hide that commentary with spoiler or sblock tags!
If spectators would like to play the home game, please do that in another thread.
Finally, scheduling for these matches will take place here so as not to clutter this thread.
IRON DM 2013
[sblock=Round 1]Round 1, Match 1: Deuce Traveler vs. Imhotepthewise
Judgement:
Deuce Traveler
Round 1, Match 2: Wicht vs. MortalPlague
Judgement:
-----Wicht------
Round 1, Match 3: Radiating Gnome vs. EP
Judgement:
Radiating Gnome
Round 1, Match 4: Mike Myler vs. Dragonwriter
Judgement:
--Dragonwriter--
[sblock=Round 2]Round 2, Match 1: Wicht vs. Dragonwriter
Judgement:
-----Wicht-----
Round 2, Match 2: Deuce Traveler vs. Radiating Gnome
Judgement:
---Radiating Gnome---
[sblock=Round 3]Championship Match: Wicht vs. Radiating Gnome
Judgement:
-----Wicht------
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