I agree and disagree.

What we can agree on, that no matter what we do, there will be no real difference from a single players view. He will play as many nations as possible, probably not all (more than 6 teams), probable some more than once (less than 6 teams).

What we also seem to agree on, that the players who play each other in teams are drawn randomly.

If we have exactly 6 teams there are only cosmetic differences,

The two main approaches seem to be full teams and split teams.

The full team
Advantages
The full teams approach gives you the „full team“ feeling.
It’s basically the same system used in single tournaments, so people feel comfortable with it,
Disadvantages
If you do not have exactly 6 teams, the number of matches between teams differs strongly.
If you have more than 6 teams, some teams do not play each other at all.
If you have an odd number of teams the system breaks. In an single tournament it is no problem to prepare an „even“ player, but preparing an complete team ?

The split team
Advantages
The team plays close to same matches against any other team.
The system works for all numbers of teams even odd numbers.
Disadvantages
The „team playing team feeling“ can get lost or be less. „Can“ and „less“ because in my app I tried to have an as large as possible mix of teams playing each other in each round, which definitely destroys this feeling on a round by round basis.
This can be remedied easily by maximizing the number of „team matches“ in each round instead. So you would have with 4 teams:
Letters are teams numbers are players. The numbers shall just indicate different players. They will be completely randomized as will be which team plays which team more often than the others. This is just to show which teams play each other not which player play each other.
Round 1
A1-B1
A2-B2
A3-B3
A4-B4
C1-D1
C2-D2
C3-D3
C4-D4
Round 2
A1-C1
A2-C2
A3-C3
A4-C4
B1-D1
B2-D2
B3-D3
B4-D4
Round 3
B1-C1
B2-C2
B3-C3
A4-C4
A1-D1
A2-D2
A3-D3
A4-D4
Round 4
A1-B2
A2-B4
A4-B1
A3-D1
C1-D2
C2-D3
C3-D4
C4-B3
Round 5
A1-C2
A2-C4
A4-C1
A3-D4
B1-D2
B2-D3
B3-D4
B4-A3

(edit you could also switch the order of rounds having the mixed rounds first and have team only rounds at the later rounds)

I hope I didn’t mix up numbers/letters anywhere.

Each round would have an distinct „team character“ with often four players of each team. playing against the same team.
Please note that this is the same method I use in the app, the only difference being how the matches are grouped into rounds.


Theoretical view.

The best way to determine the best would be to have everyone playing every one - like in a soccer league.

In tournaments that doesn’t because the number of „rounds“ is limited.

So you can use a ko-system, with the major drawback that it only works on numbers which are a power of 2 and that there can be no draws (which can be overcome).
Another drawback, if you lost your first game, you know that you will finish in the second half of the ranking.

So we all use a system like in a soccer league, but the number of games and opponents is restricted.
If you choose the opponents randomly, you might just win by drawing the right opponents, like being drawn into a killer group or a soft group at the soccer world championshio. But in the world championship there will be a ko round which makes sure you will face some stiff competition.
But we don’t have the time for that, so we use the swiss system to make sure the player who wins has had some tough competition - and the Swiss system fails often enough at that.
Using the Swiss system is in fact not the choosing of a good system but of the least bad one.

In our situation, we do not need that „construct born out of despair“, because we can even out the number of matches by using the split.
And if we group the matches by teams instead by „mix teams“, it should feel more „team like“.

UK team of RichardL, MikeT, Steve54 and Rug is ready to commit and pay.

We've also nearly got a 2nd UK team if numbers allow

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Woo! Go team UK!! (After the dismal performance in the football and cricket it's on you guys to cheer me up!)

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My hobby/painting threads

Army Forge List Co-ordinator

Who's opening a book then?

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I'm just re reading Plato's The Republic if that counts.

I pulled England out of our office World Cup sweepstake, so I'm reluctant to gamble again so soon! :S

That's great news (not England leaving the WC, but the British team to be committed).

I know the French team has gathered 3 players up to now.
Any other team ready to commit ?

Sweden has half a team so far with a few more still thinking about it.

It appears that the UK has one and a half teams whilst others are struggling to get 4 people. I'm surprised there is not a system on the lines of:

- 4 spaces offered to all countries.
- Then all remaining places go on 'general sale'.
- Run tournament using swiss system.
- If players from same country drawn together for game move these players to next closest scoring opponent from different country (or have a very clever spreadsheet that does this).
- Prize for individual 'European Champion'.
- Prize for 'European Champion Team' based on 3 highest player's scores from each county added together.

This means that even if there was only one representative from one country they would have something to play for, and only three players would be needed to compete for the team prize (even two players may get a good placing).

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Big Gunz don't fly!

There is such a system.

So basically the nations have until the 17th of august to form teams. After that we can make mixed teams or extra teams for a nation.

The obvious way to form a team is from drawing off a group of players who knew each other like a club or a tournament scene.
Which is the way our (German) and the UK team are created.

But there are many players who are not part of such or who are the only ones, willing to travel.

It would be a good idea, if everybody who is interested or better as good as committed to take part, would post here so we can match people.
This will allow nation teams to be formed from different "circles" which do not know of each other or their intention to participate.
Even if it might not be enough to form true nation teams, the chances are high to form regional teams, like Scandinavia or (i hope I do not hurt any feelings or cross any PC rules) Austro-Hungaria.
Hena is interested, Ulrik told me about being interested, together with Borka and his teammate that could be 4 players for team Scandinavia.
It would be good to out yourself early on, so there is more time to plan and organize and to to draw others in by showing that they are not alone in their wish to participate.

I'll open a new thread for that and I ask everybody who stated his interest in this thread to repost in that other thread, to keep every thing together and give the thread a head start.

Sweden has a full team. (i'm in).

Very good,
So up to now we have complete teams from
Uk,
Sweden,
Germany

Yeah like Karegak says we're now a complete team. Representing the south, west and eastern parts of the country.

What do you need from us Brumbaer. Do you want me to mail names? Taccom forum names? do you need email adresses? etc. etc.

/Erik