10.22.2006
A NEW CLASH BEGINS!! (soon)
OK, so we've had enough time to collect our thoughts, and recover from any wounds incurred.
The time has come for another Clash; and this time it is truly a clash of titans.
The "ironi-cool" factor examined in the first edition has been thrown out, thus allowing more prevalent and less obscure characters to enter the competition.
Rules / Criteria:
1. Source material: As before, competitors shall be limited to characters of imagination. (ie. no Mr. T, no Mr. Rogers) However, source media will now include live action depictions as well as animated or puppet characters (ie. yes to Lone Ranger, Fonzie, Tarzan).
2. Limitations: We have dropped the irony factor, so more mainstream characters can apply (ie. yes to Darth Vader, Kermit, Ronald McDonald, and Homer).
3. Timeframe: Again, we are looking for the heavy hitters now, so present-day icons can enter (ie. yes to Spongebob Squarepants, Dora, and Stewie Griffin).
4. Mostly individual characters but some exceptions have been made, usually on the basis of the amount of identity an individual icon would have outside the group. (ie. yes to "Three Stooges" or "Teletubbies", no to "Transformers")
That being said, the list has already been compiled and all 128 icons are standing at the ready to compete! Now, let's see about rule changes on the matches themselves...
Competition Guidelines:
As before, characters will be paired off into head-to-head matches in each round. Each match will take the form of a post on the blog. Place your vote and make your case for why A is better than B, using whatever arguments you like. In an attempt to add some structure and direct the conversation, adjudication guidelines will be given in the match introductions. This time, all the matches have been set for round one through "lethal lottery" style random pairings. Let me tell you, the results make for a more interesting round one than I could have ever designed myself.
Also, although we are sticking to the "4 matches per week" schedule, I have done away with the thematic division structure. Each round's winners will be reshuffled randomly to determine their new opponent for the next round.
Schedule:
Voting closes around noon EST each Thursday, so be sure to post your votes by then. Each Friday, winners will be declared.
Round 1: 128 icons in 64 matches, 4 matches per week for 16 weeks
Round 2: 64 icons in 32 matches, 4 matches per week for 8 weeks
Round 3: 32 icons in 16 matches, 4 matches per week for 4 weeks
Round 4: 16 icons in 8 matches, 4 matches per week for 2 weeks
Round 5: 8 icons in 4 matches, for 1 week
Round 6: 4 icons in 2 matches, for 1 week
Round 7: The final 2 icons battle it out for 1 week.
The following week the ultimate winner will be announced, (if we start Friday Dec 29, it will end around the week of Aug 10).
Spin-offs and Wagering:
I will post the full list of participating icons soon, but not the matches. My suggestion (and it's really up to Jeffy whether he wants the pool to run this time) is to pick some predetermined number of icons before the tournament ever starts. This way, no one can make predatory picks against another person's choices. In fact, two picks may even end up battling each other! This element of chance may remove the deterministic strategies that drew criticism last time.
The time has come for another Clash; and this time it is truly a clash of titans.
The "ironi-cool" factor examined in the first edition has been thrown out, thus allowing more prevalent and less obscure characters to enter the competition.
Rules / Criteria:
1. Source material: As before, competitors shall be limited to characters of imagination. (ie. no Mr. T, no Mr. Rogers) However, source media will now include live action depictions as well as animated or puppet characters (ie. yes to Lone Ranger, Fonzie, Tarzan).
2. Limitations: We have dropped the irony factor, so more mainstream characters can apply (ie. yes to Darth Vader, Kermit, Ronald McDonald, and Homer).
3. Timeframe: Again, we are looking for the heavy hitters now, so present-day icons can enter (ie. yes to Spongebob Squarepants, Dora, and Stewie Griffin).
4. Mostly individual characters but some exceptions have been made, usually on the basis of the amount of identity an individual icon would have outside the group. (ie. yes to "Three Stooges" or "Teletubbies", no to "Transformers")
That being said, the list has already been compiled and all 128 icons are standing at the ready to compete! Now, let's see about rule changes on the matches themselves...
Competition Guidelines:
As before, characters will be paired off into head-to-head matches in each round. Each match will take the form of a post on the blog. Place your vote and make your case for why A is better than B, using whatever arguments you like. In an attempt to add some structure and direct the conversation, adjudication guidelines will be given in the match introductions. This time, all the matches have been set for round one through "lethal lottery" style random pairings. Let me tell you, the results make for a more interesting round one than I could have ever designed myself.
Also, although we are sticking to the "4 matches per week" schedule, I have done away with the thematic division structure. Each round's winners will be reshuffled randomly to determine their new opponent for the next round.
Schedule:
Voting closes around noon EST each Thursday, so be sure to post your votes by then. Each Friday, winners will be declared.
Round 1: 128 icons in 64 matches, 4 matches per week for 16 weeks
Round 2: 64 icons in 32 matches, 4 matches per week for 8 weeks
Round 3: 32 icons in 16 matches, 4 matches per week for 4 weeks
Round 4: 16 icons in 8 matches, 4 matches per week for 2 weeks
Round 5: 8 icons in 4 matches, for 1 week
Round 6: 4 icons in 2 matches, for 1 week
Round 7: The final 2 icons battle it out for 1 week.
The following week the ultimate winner will be announced, (if we start Friday Dec 29, it will end around the week of Aug 10).
Spin-offs and Wagering:
I will post the full list of participating icons soon, but not the matches. My suggestion (and it's really up to Jeffy whether he wants the pool to run this time) is to pick some predetermined number of icons before the tournament ever starts. This way, no one can make predatory picks against another person's choices. In fact, two picks may even end up battling each other! This element of chance may remove the deterministic strategies that drew criticism last time.
# posted on Sunday, October 22, 2006
Comments:
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I'm interested to hear what others think about the pool. I think a strong argument could be made that the pool changed the flavour of the last Icon-O-Clash experience, but was it for the better or the worse?
Please to be discussing. I'm happy to organize if others are interested, and would welcome suggestions about scoring so that all can agree ahead of time.
Happy clashing!
Please to be discussing. I'm happy to organize if others are interested, and would welcome suggestions about scoring so that all can agree ahead of time.
Happy clashing!
The problem with the pool last time was that the people who were participating also had a hand in determining the outcome. It was kind of like Pete Rose betting on baseball games.
A safer pool will have to successfully remove that element of determinism.
At one point, I had
A safer pool will have to successfully remove that element of determinism.
At one point, I had
(well that was odd...)
anyway, at one point I was thinking that we should assign all the icons a random number, then let the pool members pick a set of numbers, not knowing what icons they chose. It would end up more like a lottery and less of a fantasy pool. But even then, after the choices had been revealed, we would be back where we started.
Unless you didn't find out what icons you had chosen until after the whole thing was over, but that takes the pool aspect out entirely and it really becomes just a lottery/raffle thing.
Some controls have already been put in place that would change the pool (ie. the possibility of two of your picks going against each other).
anyway, at one point I was thinking that we should assign all the icons a random number, then let the pool members pick a set of numbers, not knowing what icons they chose. It would end up more like a lottery and less of a fantasy pool. But even then, after the choices had been revealed, we would be back where we started.
Unless you didn't find out what icons you had chosen until after the whole thing was over, but that takes the pool aspect out entirely and it really becomes just a lottery/raffle thing.
Some controls have already been put in place that would change the pool (ie. the possibility of two of your picks going against each other).
I just had another idea:
Pool members pick a set of serial numbers.
When a member's pick is eliminated, and cannot gain any more points, that icon is revealed to everyone, along with the point value they have accrued.
As the tournament progresses, whoever still has unrevealed icons will probably be the leader, but at no point does the person know which of the still active icons are on their team, so they may in fact play a role in eliminating their own "choice".
This allows an amount of game progression and a reason to check the pool site, but disconnects the pool from the voting itself.
High five? Nice?
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Pool members pick a set of serial numbers.
When a member's pick is eliminated, and cannot gain any more points, that icon is revealed to everyone, along with the point value they have accrued.
As the tournament progresses, whoever still has unrevealed icons will probably be the leader, but at no point does the person know which of the still active icons are on their team, so they may in fact play a role in eliminating their own "choice".
This allows an amount of game progression and a reason to check the pool site, but disconnects the pool from the voting itself.
High five? Nice?
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