Game Duration in the Competitive Scene

[Alistair MacBain]

I dont say that a rule to avoid the long matches isnt necessary but to just forbid it and say it isnt hard to do for the players is just wrong.
Sth like the suggested cut from a bo3 to a bo1 if the first match goes very slow can be a way ...

[Shinkurex]

The problem with a switch like that, is that what happens if the long match happens in the 2nd match? Switching it to Bo1 then would be unfair to all the work done in the first match to have it get thrown out like that. A switch would be good for the first match as you've said, but that's not typically where the long match happens. The long match is usually in the 2nd match, when the losing side is a bit more cautious so not to lose it all. Granted that there will always be exceptions to the rules.

[Skrimskraw]

some sort of rule needs to be put in place, some teams will love it, some wont and some might feel that it is targeted against them. But in the end it's up to Urz and his staff.

the Sunday rumble is a spectator event, meaning everything is set around recording, livestreaming, casters and the teams show up for the games they are put to play. This is something that I personally have some troubles with, but in the end I'm just glad that me and my team are able to play on a higher level than pub matches once or twice per week. However this being a spectator event also gives full control to those who are in charge, but thats not to say that urz havent listened to any complaints through the 12 prior weeks such as us EU based teams wanting the rumble to start an hour earlier etc.

I don't know what the fix for this can be, at all sides I'm looking at it just seems unfair.
In my honest opinion I think more ingame options for deathmatch such as time limit, pause when dc etc. would be able to fic problems like this we've had in all events thus far.

but In the end I agree 2 teams with long range setup should be allowed to play their game, however when it takes too long its annoying for everyone else.

[-Mad Maverick-]

^^ this!!

[Gryphos]

Basically, there's no disrespect shown for snipers or their sniping ways. The only problem people have with it is how it affects others. The Gents and Rhinos' sniping not only bored the spectators (yes, no doubt it was very intense for the people playing, but it's a shame no one else could feel the heat), but it also meant that two other teams had to drop out of the tournament. Someone mentioned it earlier, but I like the point, judging by this, people can't ignore how much of a detriment to the competitive scene these hours long sniping matches can be with the current system.

[Imagine]

I would like to add in here that this isn't some sudden new issue that was only brought to light because of the Gents or Rhinos. The super long sniping matches have been around basically since competitive play has been around, there's a large amount of Cogs matches, hell, if anyone remember the 3v3 tournament that had some crazy long matches.

My point is I don't blame Rhinos or Gents in this case at all, both were playing to their strengths and admonishing them for that would just be silly.

I'd also like to clear something up that was stated earlier in the thread, at least from my personal perspective as a caster, I'll be casting games whether we have 1000 viewers or just 1. I'm pretty sure all of us casting don't really expect to be pulling in huge viewing numbers, while it'd be nice, in all likelyhood we'll always struggle to hit triple digits. So, while having entertaining matches and not drawn out two hour ones is ideal for viewer purposes, I will be casting matches whether or not they are.

[Alistair MacBain]

Well im sure we asked if we should continue the sniping of screen. This way the other matches couldve continued ...
And yes the issue can come in the final then again but tbh if i bring barely enough time for a tournament that i can only play it if no long matches are happening then im doing sth wrong with my time.

[RearAdmiralZill]

I have no idea what you just said.

[Plasmarobo]

Your post was a bit difficult for me to understand. I've corrected best I can.

Well im I'm sure [that if] we asked if we should [could have] continue[d] the sniping of[f] screen.

Yes, a few long matches have historically been allowed to continue.
This becomes a problem when the outcome decides what future matches will happen.
However if it can be done, it generally is. 

And yes the issue can come in the final then again [Of course, nothing can be done if the match is a decisive one] but tbh if i bring [have] barely enough time for a tournament that i can only play it if no long matches are happening [it is frustrating when long games happen and I miss out] then im doing sth wrong with my time.

Ah, so you noticed. Well, honestly that is a matter of personal time management. These things DO take a long time. You've got options if you are playing. Try and come up with quick win tactics. Worth a shot. If you are a spectator... well, the streams are recorded. Watch/fast-forward at your leisure! The internet is like one giant TiVo. If you want to play you've got to make time and be ready. If you want to see a sniping game that was one with experimental and possibly fool-hardy (but quick) tactics, I suggest you check out the Fjords battle between the Merry Men and TCD. Started out as a sniping match and became a brawl!

I think people have lives, but you can't ask people to change their tactics because you don't have time to sit and wait. You could ask for better scheduling, but that sort of thing tends to be the result of averages. 

[Alistair MacBain]

Nice how u totally missunderstand my post. Not sure if wanted or not ...

[Shinkurex]

Alistair..... Help us understand your post. I'm not following well enough to formulate an appropriate response

[Gryphos]

Nice how u totally missunderstand my post. Not sure if wanted or not ...

Can you please just formulate sentences properly.

[The Djinn]

Well im sure we asked if we should continue the sniping of screen. This way the other matches couldve continued ...
And yes the issue can come in the final then again but tbh if i bring barely enough time for a tournament that i can only play it if no long matches are happening then im doing sth wrong with my time.

Let me know if I'm interpreting this correctly (sorry, but like some others here I'm not 100% certain I know what you meant).

Are you saying that you asked if you should play the match to it's conclusion while the stream focused on the other games? If so that partially helps solve the spectator issue (as we've got other games to watch), but wouldn't help with the tournament, as the long elapsed match time would still threaten to extend the tournament past a reasonable time window.

Also, I wouldn't say teams didn't bring enough time for the tournament: should they schedule time for 8 players to have a 9 hour window? That's not tenable: I know many of the players have wives, families, jobs, and other things on their schedule during the weekend. Getting 8 competitively skilled players to have an entire evening left completely open isn't something that I see as practical for non-professional teams with social and/or financial obligations and responsibilities.

[Byron Cavendish]

He's German. Geno is Finnish. When they get passionate their english slips a bit that's all.

[Sammy B. T.]

Speaking generally of all events, I think at a certain point ones has to put the matches before the stream otherwise one doesn't get to stream anything. During the Flotsam we ran into this problem once when the Gents and the Merry Men ran one of the most brutal sniping matches I have ever seen in Guns of Icarus. It was Battle on the Dunes day so this was something we were aware could easily happen. After 30 minutes we decided to switch the stream and begin the next match. We actually even got to get back to the MM/Gent game and watch their climax and finale. We were lucky things lined up to allow this.

Now I can understand times may be a bit unpredictable with the BO3 system, however I think that would be even more incentive to respect people's time more than the stream. We're all playing a video game so we have to remember that time commitments to this game will be low for most players.