LPL - IMPORTANT RULES CHANGE - NO NEW PARTICIPANTS AFTER THE FIRST ROUND!

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Dear Lead Adventurers, this message concerns an important change in the LPL rules. I'm sorry to introduce it at short notice, but since the first deadline is still some time away, I think it's justified to implement it right now.

Up to and including the third season, we allowed participants to enter the league up to and including the fifth round. Obviously, due to the "head start" the original entrants got, you couldn't really hope to win, but in general, it worked.

With immediate effect, i.e. for Season 4, NO NEW PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE FIRST ROUND.

This means you have to submit an entry for the first round if you wish to participate in this season. If you don't manage to do so, you will have to wait for the next season.

Why, you may ask? Well, in previous seasons, there weren't that many later entrants, so it wasn't really necessary, and second, I finally managed to create an Excel-based application which will ease book-keeping and result publication tremendously; additionally, it will sort out wins and losses automatically, and require a lot less work for the organisers. I found the Macro I based it on on the internet and adapted it for our use – test runs were rather successful.

As soon as we have entered the participants, the first and any subsequent pairings will be automatically determined by the program, based on a randomising algorithm – this will ensure absolutely random pairings and eliminate the problems associated with the manual method used previously, such as repeat pairings. Even if I wanted to, I could not interfere with the tables, since it would break the automated references. Therefore, we’ll be able to guarantee random pairings.

Thus, we’ll have to restrict participants to the original entrants – a „real“ league won’t allow for „late-comers“ either. I will not be able to enter new applicants after the first round. And I’ll readily admit that it saves us a ton of work – Captain Blood can testify to the workload necessary for the previous seasons.

To recapitulate: Any one who wishes to participate will have to send in his first entry in time for the first round, i.e. Sunday, the 21st of February. To quote Monty Python: “No time to lose!” Get painting!

[Captain Blood]

Captain Blood can testify to the workload necessary for the previous seasons.

Too right I can - although that's mainly in the bookkeeping and setting up the polls themselves.

It makes sense though. I think we had 54 participants in LPL3 - of which only 4 or 5 joined in rounds 2-5. Everyone else was there from the outset.

The only slight problem? I am largely computer-illiterate, and the sound of an Excel-based randomising algorithm macro scares the pants off me!

(Given that I might have to manage a couple of rounds of this season - I hope you've got a good tutorial!  )

One question, Alex. In previous seasons, in the later rounds we made sure that the leading contenders face off against each other. Will we still be able to do this and override the automated process? Only I think it's quite a good thing.

[Prof.Witchheimer]

The only slight problem? I am largely computer-illiterate, and the sound of an Excel-based randomising algorithm macro scares the pants off me!

(Given that I might have to manage a couple of rounds of this season - I hope you've got a good tutorial!  )

No worries, Rich, it's not quite easy to make but really easy to use. You just need to enter the votes and bonus points, not more. I will send it to you to test as soon as it's ready to use.

One question, Alex. In previous seasons, in the later rounds we made sure that the leading contenders face off against each other. Will we still be able to do this and override the automated process? Only I think it's quite a good thing.

At least, It shouldn't be a big problem for the last round.

[Doc Twilight]

Thanks for the heads up, Alex. I shall endeavor to enter. One question, if I may.

At the moment, I am currently taking care of the wife, who is recovering from surgery, and in the process of writing two books, AND attempting to get into a PHD program, not to mention running the company. As a result, my painting time is sporadic. Sometimes I have boundless days and hours, other times I'm lucky to see a miniature for weeks at a time. I'm sure others are in a similar situation, so I ask this on their behalf as well..

Forgive me, as I'm new to the LPL, but lets assume that I do manage to get my entry done for Round 1, but then, something occurs, and I can't get an entry done for Round 2. Will this automatically disqualify me for the remainder of the tournament? If not, will I simply assume to have no points for the round, or will my previous entry be placed into contention again?

Thanks for the clarification,

The Other Alex

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Alex,

just an excerpt from the rules :

You do NOT have to enter a new team in every new Round, but you are ALLOWED to do so. You may compete with a single team for the whole season; even if a team should lose a match, it will NOT be dismissed from the competition. Note, though, that you receive 10 bonus points for every NEWLY-PAINTED (PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED) team you enter

so try to get your entry done for the Round 1 and you will be a Season 4 participant, no matter how many teams you would enter later.

[Doc Twilight]

Thanks for the clarification, Alex. Guess I missed that part:)

-Doc

[Hauptgefreiter]

At the moment, I am currently taking care of the wife, who is recovering from surgery, and in the process of writing two books, AND attempting to get into a PHD program, not to mention running the company.

Hey Doc,
I hope you get your biz sorted out. And my best wishes of recovery to your wife!

[Heldrak]

The new rule makes perfect sense to me. I just have one question: In the last league, Captain Blood inserted himself when we had an odd number of participants for a given round to even out the match-ups. In this instance, we're going to need to start with an even number and go forward with one. Do we have a plan in place if we end up with an odd number of participants for the first round this year?

[Calimero]

The new rule makes perfect sense to me. I just have one question: In the last league, Captain Blood inserted himself when we had an odd number of participants for a given round to even out the match-ups. In this instance, we're going to need to start with an even number and go forward with one. Do we have a plan in place if we end up with an odd number of participants for the first round this year?

I was wondering the same thing…

BTW, Heldrak didn’t we crossed sword in the last LPL? 

[Heldrak]

BTW, Heldrak didn’t we cross swords in the last LPL? 

We did, in round 5 (the cavalry round)...

[Doc Twilight]

Hey Doc,
I hope you get your biz sorted out. And my best wishes of recovery to your wife!

Thanks, mate. Business is doing pretty well at the moment. Fortunately the Ehrhardt and our other new releases have really put out the word on the company. Always takes a while to get started.

Thank you for your kind words to the missus. I will pass them along:)

-Doc

[Prof.Witchheimer]

The new rule makes perfect sense to me. I just have one question: In the last league, Captain Blood inserted himself when we had an odd number of participants for a given round to even out the match-ups. In this instance, we're going to need to start with an even number and go forward with one. Do we have a plan in place if we end up with an odd number of participants for the first round this year?

Yes, we have a plan and we’ll have an even number of participants. I’m working on it