It's been a while since we've had an official contest on TMP. So here's an idea, let me know if you're interested, and if the rules need changing/rethinking.
1. We start with 20, 25 or 30 contestants (depending on interest level).
2. Each round, TMP will announcing the pairings, and which player is host. For example:
Shagnasty (host) vs 42flanker
Sgt Slag (host) vs lewis cannon
etc.
3. All games will be played virtually, using Zoom or other methods.
4. The hosting player chooses the game, the rules, the scenario, and provides the tabletop and armies. All games fall within the category of historical miniature wargaming (no fantasy, no sci-fi, no Hitler vs Napoleon, no Victorian Sci-Fi).
5. All players are required to post an after-action report or battle report on the TMP forum. (They can also post on their blogs, if they have them.)
6. TMP readers will vote out of the contest a certain number of players per round, starting with five in the 1st round. Players can be voted out for any reason: losing, playing badly, providing a bad scenario, writing an uninteresting battle report, etc.
7. Once the pairings are announced, players have 2 weeks to schedule and play their games. If, after one week, a player cannot make contact with their opponent, they need to ask TMP for a waiver.
8. Players will be eliminated for not playing games on time and for not submitting battle reports. (These will count against the number of players being eliminated per round.)
9. When voting players out of the contest, if there is a tie such that more than five players are in the bottom, TMP will randomly determine which players are voted out.
Have I forgotten anything?
I've considered making the contest 'more fair' by posting the battle reports anonymously, but then they couldn't be on the forum and would have to be Profile articles, and all contestants would have to have 'tournament names' so you could vote without knowing who they really were, and there's no way to stop players from telling other people "yes, I'm really Contestant Max!" – so it seems more work for not a lot of benefit.
Prizes? TMP could award Supporting Member credit to the top players. Alternately, I could ask the advertisers if they would like to provide prizes. Or I imagine advertisers might provide incentives to hosts who choose their products?
