PC Team Competition Rule Change Proposal

[Grrr]

Gentlemen,


One of the most important aspects of the Panzer Campaigns Team Competition is the mechanism that decides how and who gets to decide the scenarios played for each round. Originally, I thought a system where a coin toss would be used to decide the first round, followed by Battlefield performances to decide the rest of the rounds was adequate. But recently, I have become aware that the current rule may be too susceptible to unfair play by one team or another. I believe that it is very possible that one team can win the coin toss, then, use their knowledge of the games and available scenarios to choose ones that are unbalanced in their favor. It would then be likely that they could win one round after another with the opposing team not being able to do much about it. When I first came up with the idea for a team competition, I thought that this risk was minimal, and the existing rules were adequate. But my recent experiences in the Red Star and Mediterranean Tournaments has convinced me that enough unbalanced scenarios exist for H2H play and enough players know about these scenarios to undermine the spirit of the competition. Therefore, with some help from Mike Cox, I have come up with a better rule.

Current Rule:

An important part of the team competition will be how and who chooses the scenarios for each match. This process is called the initiative and is won and controlled by one sub team from each of the three different fronts. At the Start of the Competition, a coin will be tossed for each Front. Axis side will call the toss. The winners of each toss will then have the option to choose one of the scenarios as outlined above. After the first round, The sub team that wins the match will win or continue to control the right to choose the scenario for that front before the second round. If there is more than one match on a front, then the side that scores the most points (See Scoring below) controls the choice. If the match or matches results in a Draw or tied score. Then, a coin will be tossed again and the side that lasts held the initiative, will call the toss. No matter how many matches there are on a front, the initiative won applies to all matches. Example; there is three matches to be played on the Eastern Front in the second round. The STAVKA team scored more points in round one. They get to choose each of the scenarios to be played for each match on that front for that round. Each team has the right to make their own rules on how scenarios are chosen by there respective Front Command teams once the initiative is won.

Proposed Rule Change:

An important part of the team competition will be how and who chooses the scenarios for each match. The way we'll decide who gets the right to choose the scenarios played is with the use of a bidding process. At the start of the Competition, each of the 8 Front Commands will be given 100 bid points. These points are for the sole purpose of bidding for the right to choose the scenarios played during each round and have no other use in the competition. These points cannot be transferred from one Front Command team to Another. Before the Start of Rounds One, Two and Three, each front Command or it's representative will write down a secret bid on a piece of paper (for round Four, no secret bidding will be necessary, teams will just reveal the total bid points available). This bid must be at least 20 bid points for rounds One and Two. After that, teams are free to add as many points to their total bid as they wish. For rounds Three and Four, teams may bid any amount from 0 to the total of remaining bid points. Once the Bids have been written down, each opposing Front Commands will reveal their bid to the other and the Front Command with the highest bid wins the right to choose the scenarios during the current round on that Front. The amounts of both bids will be deducted from each Front Command's Total Available Bid points. After the round has been completed, the Front Command Team that scores the highest amount of team points during it's matches, will receive a reward of 10 Bid points which will then be immediately added to their total Bid points.


Example One;
AFHQ (100 bid points) OB Sued West (100 points)
Round 1 bids: 30 27
AFHQ wins the right to choose the scenarios played for round one. However OB Sued West scores more team points for Round One, They receive a reward of 10 bid points. Here's the adjusted team bid point totals going into round Two.
New Totals:
AFHQ (70 bid points) OB Sued West (83)

Example Two:
AFHQ (100 bid points) OB Sued West (100 points)
Round 1 bids: 20 30
AFHQ bids only the minimum, and loses the Round as well. However, Because OB Sued West won the 10 bonus bid points, they go into the Second Round with an equal amount of Bid points.
New Totals:
AFHQ (80 bid points) OB Sued West (80)

Example Three:
AFHQ (100 bid points) OB Sued West (100 points)
Round 1 bids: 35 25
AFHQ Wins the bid and goes on to win the round. They receive 10 bonus bid points.
New Totals:
AFHQ (75 bid points) OB Sued West (75)

Obviously, with this system, it will be hard for a Team to dominate the scenario choices for all four rounds. However, if it can be done, it will require tact and strategy rather than a random flip of a coin.