I appretiate Tsu_NilPferD's work in making this possible. This tournament was fun to follow. It was nice to have different guests co-casting.
The unusual specs are refreshing and made players come up to appropriate strategies. However, towards the end of the tournament, I found it a bit repetitive. Teams were almost always going for scouts x2 or x3 in feudal age, and maps were too similar: Arabia variants and all about getting the resources in the middle in Gold Rush, El Dorado, and even Atoll (Mediterranean was rarely picked and never saw Woodland).
As was mentioned in the Twitch chat, it would be nice to have players using the same colors during a series. The first minutes of a game can be a bit confusing when players are switching colors from game to game.
You should only set rules that you are able and willing to enforce. The way you handled the slinging episodes tarnishes your (great) work in the tournament. In the fourth game between KaiKai Larry and VNS, you said the game was decided when VNS used slinging in Castle age. Everyone agrees since they broke the rules.
Afterwards, MBL broke the rules as well. Then, at the end of the game, you say that since both teams sling, no disqualifications will happen. Finally, when I point out that this is poor judgement, you give me a condescending answer and say the game was over when VNS first broke the rules, forgetting what you just had said moments before.
So, I suggest you take your own advice and don't talk about important issues like these before thinking them through.
MBL sent resources 2 seconds before hitting the imp unlike the VNS player.
It was about 10 secs before he reached IMP and where do you draw the line? 10 secs, 1 mins, 2 mins OR after clicking up to imp, where? What if someone sends 100 stone 10 secs from the point you draw the line? mogers87 is correct in his assessment that rules should be enforced equally if they are there.
This is the sole reason why every tournament is using a mod to do sling changes and not like what Nili did. Using a mod avoids unnecessary complicated situations. Everyone gives some res while playing normal TGs, its just a habit. Heck if you don't want slinging at all then make the base tax to be 95% and move coinage banking to imperial but don't do it like this.
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On the positive side, 3v3 should be the default setting in tournament TGs. Its so much more fun than 4v4s. In 4v4 each flank has a pocket of their own, no such thing in 3v3. Team communication, coordination becomes much more important. Where to double, where to defend.