World Masters 2000 Teams!

[SnowFire]

Looks like it's starting again. It'd be nice if Apolyton could again throw in 2 or 3 teams.
http://masters00.diplomacy.org.uk

DO NOT sign up there yet, especially for teams! We want to get our ducks in a row first, so to speak, so let's figure out our teams here first, then post them over at the site.

And we need to get that traitor CyberGnu to play for us and not Sweden III!

[RUFFHAUS8]

Thanks SnowFire, Now we're talking. I'm not sure that we'll get a chance to finish off our tournament series (2nd round) in time to figure this out.

If I may make a suggestion or two concerning this. I suggest that we attempt to (somehow) pick the best 7 players and place them on a team. I don't think that the ADC tournament games are necesarily indicative of the best players we have available, though I don't see any flukes either. What I mean is that several of the better players got whacked.

What we really need for a tournament team is dedicated players that will play within the team structure and towards scoring objectives. We also will need alternate players to stand in for illness, business trips, vacations, emergencies, etc. I think if we have 10 very good players then we should have one team and 3 alternates, before filling out a second team with newbies (no offense guys). Last year Apolyton sent three teams, and earned quite a reputation when one entire team abandoned their games. Conversely, a strong showing attracts new players to our community, making things more fun for all of us.

So even though I will win ADCT Game A and theoretically get a spot according to the thinking of the tournament, I'd rather be voted on to a team by a committee of peers, than go on the basis of one game.

Incidentally my services may be in demand for the Cat23 Dip Knights, but I am undecided as to where I should play. I'm leaning towards Apolyton, because I simply enjoy this site more, and want to promote it as such.

The first order of business is electing a team captain. And as much as SnowFire and I butt heads on nearly everything, I think he has the needed experience to pull this off. He get's my nomination and vote.

Go Apolyton!

[This message has been edited by RUFFHAUS8 (edited August 21, 2000).]

[Defiant]

I have to agree with Ruff, Snowfire has the interest, knowledge and dedication to be a leader, Ruffhause and Berzerker should be captains, not in any order. I just want to be able to play and there aren't enough games in to really depict the good players from the not so good, but we can pick reliable players and that is very important and should be calculated carefully.
Ruffhaus, you stay with Apolyton, with your help we are turning our reputation around.

[SnowFire]

Thank you for the vote of confidence, RUFFHAUS. However, LordStone1 was the captain of Apolyton I last year, and he did a fairly good job of captaining (even if the game he played in went horribly), so if he wants the job, he's got it as far as I'm concerned. But if he doesn't want it or just wants to rotate, I'd be happy to take it. Also, we didn't do that badly before- Apolyton I & III did fairly well in the standings, it was just that Apolyton II finished last.

Which brings up another point: Do not sign up if you're not in it for the long haul. We should uphold the honor and glory of Apolyton, which means NO NMR's, and no dropouts short of "really good reason." We do not want another Zakhiago who just dropped off the face of the earth one day. Also, should we get the good luck to have multiple Apolytoners in one game, for heaven's sake ALLY, at least for the early and midpart of the game. Enough to make both of you strong and in the running for a solo. We do not want another game like the one where we had Apolytoners as England & Germany, and a newbie playing France soloed (generating much complaints from distinguished players in the South).

As for the best players, well, let's see who signs up, and go from there. I will say that Berzerker (and Meef, if he still wants to play for Apolyton) gets an automatic ticket into Team I (if they want it) for a brillantly played 17 SC draw in WorldMasters 99 (and Meef soloed as Germany).

[Coug 3]

Glory, glory, Apolyton!

Sign me up! Hopefully for the pro team

[Midshipman]

You can sign me up for this I will play as an alternate if possible rather than a fulltime, but I feel that watching will help me learn how to play.

[Victor Galis]

Sign me up (Dunno if you guys consider me good enough for the first team but I will not play asd an alternate... and LS1 gets my support)

[SnowFire]

I wouldn't worry too much about playing as an alternate, Victor... we surely have enough people for at least 2 teams.

[LordStone1]

Well, I'm honored that some of you would like me to be the captain, but in reality I would prefer that SnowFire be the captain this time around, that is, if he should accept. As I've repeated many times, I don't know how much time I'll be able to focus on Dip or Apolyton in general as soon as I go into college (people say the first few months as a frosh are the busiest until senior finals...). However, with ADCT wrapping up and Dip20 getting easier, I should have the time to play World Masters.

If SnowFire doesn't want to do it, I'll do it anyway. It can't be that hard if we do have a very good Apolyton I team.

Then again, I didn't have a particularly good experience as captain. I virtually had to take over the Apolyton III team as well, and deal with numerous NMR's that lasted for several game years and all that. It was not pleasant when 3 or 4 GMs got angry at me when I couldn't shore up replacements.

In retrospective, Ruffhaus' idea of just one Apolyton team with alternates would be a better idea. If a lot of people do want to join, we can set up a second team, but that team must also have 3 alternates. I refuse to have a team without alternates.

And Victor, from my experience with Saxony, you are good enough to be on Apolyton I. But remember, you can't use writs to really solidify an agreement.

It's been a while since I've played on the regular map with actual diplomacy (Ruff pretty much threw me out of the diplomatic negotiation circuts in ADCT by 1902 ) so I'll try and practice.
[This message has been edited by LordStone1 (edited August 21, 2000).]

[SnowFire]

LS1: Thank you.

Anyway, let's not worry too much about who's on Team I and who's not. We have time. Let's wait and see who signs up first, and then we can figure out how many teams to send and who's on each, as well as what country everybody on that team will play. If 10 people sign up, then we'll send 1 team. If 20 people sign up, then we'll send 2 teams. If 26 or more people sign up, we might even send 3 teams. We'll see.

[Iain Lindley]

Count me in, of course.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Uh... I'm a good punching bag... I ain't that good, but I'm always eager to play . I'll fill in, if you need one more player.

[Boshko]

Also this time around I'd like to see the results of the games posted here so we can give people advice. I'd be happy to make maps for this.... (and give advice ).
I'll sign up of course
I did pretty badly last world masters game, hope to do better this time around. Maybe you should have me be Italy so I don't do too much damage

[Berzerker]

Meef has already stated his desire to play again for Apolyton, and Charles may also. I would be a captain but I dont know the procedures for the tourney. I would like to field 3 teams like last year but we will have to wait and see how many people we have. I was unaware team II simply abandoned their games, that is pitiful - if we have 2 teams of committed players, then that is better than adding a 3rd team of people who will just leave their games. I just dont like seeing people who want to play excluded...

thx, Snowfire
[This message has been edited by Berzerker (edited August 22, 2000).]

[Boshko]

I'd be happy to be a back-up player/map-maker/tactical advice guru