A Balanced Clash: 1st of it's Name - In Progress!

Let’s get this out of the way. This format is rough for me. I haven’t played much Yomi lately, and I have to play unfamilar matchups. In Gloria vs Mene, I played a Q when Gloria had 28hp and I had 10hp with a known Gloria Ace. Suicide. One other stupid Menelker powerup really bothered me. Played just well enough or was lucky to win. I do not know the answer.

CKR over @SouthpawHare 4-2

:argagarg: < :geiger:
:zane: > :midori:
:menelker: < :gloria:
:zane: > :vendetta:
:menelker: > :bbb:
:menelker: > :gloria:

ggs.

3 Likes

Hmm I didn’t read the rules closely enough to notice the rule about loser being able to just pick anybody. Not a fan.

Happy to consider a rule change for the next time I run it.

I would be interested to see that proposal. If the only time a player could pick freely was in game 1, then this would be a distinct advantage to the lower seeded player. This format already forces players out of their best characters for about half or more of the time. The only thing that I can think of is a random select for one player with the other player forced to use one of the balanced counterpicks.

based on how well you know the cast or your particular skillsets picking or CPing is going to be a much bigger advantage than the other, and it will be different person to person, therefore the loser should choose which one they get to do. Makes sense to me

2 Likes

I agree with @mastrblastr, but I think it could be interesting to try it without the free pick as well, because the dynamic of navigating through counterpicks to “get to” spesific characters seems like it could be interesting in Bo7 sets.

I was worried in particular about a situation where you lose against some character, and the 6 CPs you are offered are all ones you aren’t comfortable with. At that point, you’re hosed, and will likely just lose the rest of the set because you can’t get to a character you feel advantaged at.

Yeah, exactly.

I think the rule is good as it is. But as someone who’s more a jack-of-all-trades than a character specialist, the more restrictive variant also seems interesting to test.

Yeah the point is to play the matchups (or so I thought) not play who you’re comfortable with. You play who you’re comfortable with in literally every other tournament there is. I mean, CKR just gets to pick Zane every time he loses and you have to go back to that? I thought this was supposed to be a departure from that sort of thing. In Persephone’s thingiemadoodle there was no play who you’re comfortable with nonsense.

I believe I’ll drop. Sorry. Thought this was a different thing.

I have put a bit more thought into this. I still like the format. This is a bit easier from my point of view in some ways. As Niijima said, I can pick Zane every time I lose. Unlike the the standard cp format, I can’t keep him when I win. However, after a win, I am guaranteed a better MU than Zane/Troq in this format.

Also, I am a bit less likely to turn to anyone besides Zane after a loss than normal. I need a win, and I am not staring down another defeat to Troq because of the limited CP option for my opponent.

These are just observations from my strategic point of view.

Your call on whether to drop. My goal for the tournament was to make it so that the games that were played were “guaranteed” (to the level possible based on the data that I have/matchups knowledge that we know) to be even, and thus put more of the onus of play onto player knowledge of matchups, rather than player knowledge of unbalanced CPs. So, I wasn’t trying to force people to not play the top tier (@mysticjuicer has that covered with 19XX), but rather to make it so that it was safe to choose not top-tier because you aren’t going to get hard CPed every time. So, I can pick BBB (or Pers, or Ven) and know that I’m going to lose because I’m a terrible player, not because I’m getting thwacked with awful matchups.

Likewise, @CKR can pick always Zane if he loses, and as the winner (and thus presumed to be the better player), you’d need to respond to that by picking one of the balanced matches that you’re comfortable in/feel good playing. If you win, sure, he can pick Zane again, and you can pick your same balanced CP. If you lose, then you can force him out of Zane by picking one of the many characters for whom Zane isn’t in their options list.

2 Likes

Yeah, I didn’t want to force people not to play top tier, but (like in PPYP) I DID want people to have to pick from specific lists and have to go outside their comfort zone. I mean, I’m really the only vocal HATER of 19XX, so you can’t have possibly thought I meant that. I don’t care if people pick Zane. I care if they can pick Zane no matter where in the Balanced Matchup Matrix ™ we are.

Yeah, I’m going to drop.

Alright, I took you out. If I run this again w/o the free CP rule, I’ll @ you.

Mastrblastr vs @vengefulpickle
:troq: > :vendetta: very close game went down to last combat
:troq: < :vendetta: got completely blown up wasn’t close
:degrey: < :vendetta: he had insane hand silent AAA and Both jokers all seen by turn 5. Over turn 7.
:gwen: > :vendetta: almost pulled off the nigh impossible Gwen perfect KO
:gwen: < :setsuki: I got thrown 4 times in a row at one point, it was BAD
:gwen: > :setsuki: He had a terrible hand and was never able to get out of it.
:gwen: > :bbb: He beeped when he should have booped, Perfect - gwen damage

4-3 Mastrblastr wins. Great Games super tense set, great format!

3 Likes

@JonnyD vs @MR75
:menelker: > :bbb: i forget what happened but it was probably something
:menelker: > :grave: Smart uses of 7s forced me to play topdecks a lot, but topdecks delivered.
:menelker: > :grave: Godhand enter the dragon
:menelker: > :grave: Godhand 2 enter the dragoner

3 Likes

mysticjuicer 4 - 2 CarpeGuitarrem

:lum: :psfist: :pschip: :quince:
:lum: :psfist: :pschip: :quince: really brutal game
:lum: :psfist: :pschip: :onimaru:
:lum: :pschip: :psfist: :onimaru: REALLY brutal game
:lum: :pschip: :psfist: :onimaru:
:lum: :psfist: :pschip: :onimaru:

ggs! was a fun and tense set!

4 Likes

Super-tight! That first match came down to single digits, YIKES! And that second match you hit me with a Joker off the top for your Blackjack dodge.

EDIT: it also appears that lofi hip hop radio increases my winning percentages. It’s SCIENCE!

1 Like

Ivan vs flagrantangles - 4:3
:jaina::pschip::psfist::quince:
:midori::pschip::psfist::onimaru:
:midori: :psfist::pschip::onimaru:
:degrey::psfist::pschip::geiger:
:rook::psfist::pschip::persephone:
:rook::pschip::psfist::persephone:
:grave::psfist::pschip::onimaru:
Great set, mate. GGS

4 Likes

snoc vs @Bob199

Summary

:quince: :pschip::psfist: :jaina: so many execution errors! clicked the wrong PM card, misclicked my spin, and got punished
:quince: :psfist::pschip: :jaina: FOLLOWED BY INTERNET BLACKOUT, game 3 happens after 48 hours of scheming
:grave: :psfist::pschip: :argagarg: no respect for single ace powerup means you get TPoSed
:grave: :pschip::psfist: :onimaru: once again my A powerup is not respected but I’ve already been exploded
:zane: :psfist::pschip: :onimaru: 3 aces silently, PU for the 4th but MA is not necessary when normal Zane beats. Nans flips me Joker+4 though so it’s all fair.
:degrey: :pschip::psfist: :gloria: Bob has a great opening and I can’t get the combat reveals.
:degrey: :psfist::pschip: :gloria: Nice reliable DeGrammage even though I hardly draw any face cards.
snoc wins 4-3!

Video coming when I get round to editing the parts together.

4 Likes

With niijisama leaving, brackets need to be fixed or loser’s bracket ends up with an unnecessary round

2 Likes