Official Tournament Rules vs. Your Own

[chronojinx]

The Official Tournament Rules are as follow: The Short Version: Follow the spirit of the rules...
To Determine the Game Winner: Each Winner 2 Tournament Levels for each Level the player had at the end of the round...etc.
I don't find this as fun as making them up.

I went to a tournament at the Kawaii-Kon (Hawaii) this spring. They split the 20-or-so people up into groups and they used different expansions. The winners would use their hand and items in play in a Munchkin Cthulhu game of Epic Munchkin.

I have hosted a tournament this summer and used a variation of that using Munchkin as the Epic Munchkin set for the release of the 19th printing.

What tournament rules have you experience, used or would use?

[Solelron]

The NW Spring Tourney at Gamestorm has historically been

X Qualifiers where X=Number of Base sets released

Winners go to final table of Epic Uberblend.

With the new rules being updated, we are waiting to see whats coming down to us for next year though.

[MunchkinMan]

I think we're just trying to make sure we can rule out certain amounts of bad behavior, some of which I saw at Origins. I hate to have to put rules in that everyone has to be able to see the final result of a die roll or require people to indicate when they are going to win by calling over a judge to witness it, but when there is so much on the line, people tend to get upset when they get ****** out of winning by someone who intentionally snapped up a die to hide the result before people could see it or misrepresented that they would be winning a game when directly asked about it.

I also want to see a limit to promo use, or at least permission given to the TO to institute a limit. As of right now, I'm not sure the rules allow for it.

I'm also thinking that the Extra Scary Cultist rules should probably be dropped for tournament play. Some weird luck could churn out a winner at Level 2 with those rules in play. I've also heard tell of those rules being abused. . .

[Trsevener]

Erik, if you are taking suggestions I will put in my two cents (not two coins, I am keeping those ;)

I agree with much of what you stated. I would suggest that in the preliminary rounds promo items of all type be allowed. Some of us do not get to use our goodies except at a tournament because we are the only geeks, er, nerds, um, obsessive, no that's not right, most experienced, yeah, that's it, players in their home games. I personnally will not use any of my promo stuff in a game with friends because I am the only one with any of these, and I do not want to spoil everyone's fun by beating them over the head with bookmarks, coins, Sherpa, etc. That said, if I used all that and still lost I would never hear the end of it. I would like the opportunity to use all these things sometimes, and a tournament where it is more expected is a great release.

I liked at Origins where the Semi-Finals were limited to one promo item. It made you think more and choose carefully. It also increased skill and card play as factors. At that level, I would hate to loose because someone spent mega-bucks on items and for all intents bought their win.

I agree fully with the final table being promo free. If a player made it that far, bully for you, and you should have the skills to win on your own.

As far as writing the rules for bad behavior, you have my sympathy. It is sad that this might need to happen. Munchkin and the variants are great games when played within the rules. I am sorry that some people get caught up pushing the rules or play for their benefit, but I have seen it happen as well. I know how I deal with it as a player, I do not envy your task as a judge. From what I understand of the final table at Origins, I LOVED your solution to any potential problems.

[Andrew Hackard]

Erik, let's plan to talk this over next week. I'd like to hear more details (privately) about your Origins experience and what rules you'd like to see emplaced to make tourneys more fun for everyone in the future.

[chronojinx]

Originally Posted by MunchkinMan

I also want to see a limit to promo use, or at least permission given to the TO to institute a limit. As of right now, I'm not sure the rules allow for it.

I'm also thinking that the Extra Scary Cultist rules should probably be dropped for tournament play. Some weird luck could churn out a winner at Level 2 with those rules in play. I've also heard tell of those rules being abused. . .

Promo as in Steve Jackson signed stuff?

More Scary Cultist Rules abused? Not unless the you have to cards to turn everybody into a cultist right?

That's sad, when I hold my little tournaments we are all friends and only a gameset is on the line. What was on the line at Origins?

[Blu]

See, I'd like a limit on promos myself. I don't use much around here either, because I'm about the only one with them. However, I don't have many. I absolutely HATE playing in a tournament where everybody else can bring 50 cards/items and I don't stand a chance. That's one of the reasons we switched our Versus tournaments to seal booster drafts.

[chronojinx]

What's seal booster drafts for Munchkin mean?

[wmkane]

Originally Posted by MunchkinMan

I think we're just trying to make sure we can rule out certain amounts of bad behavior.

Eric,

It sounds like what you are talking about isn't actually a set of rules for Munchkin, but a set of gamers etiquette. Players who don't play honestly in a tournament should be willing to accept that dishonesty will lead to their having to forfeit.

Rolling a die and not allowing anyone to see the result of the roll before grabbing it back up, lying about a winning move that your about to make, or any other dishonest act need not have a rule written specifically for it. Etiquette is the law: If you play underhandedly, you are risking being ejected from the game (and worse yet, you have just earned a black mark that many will remember next time you sit down to play).

Just my .02 US. Use it as you see fit,
Bill Kane

[Nerftw]

I think you're grossly underestimating the capacity for a dishonest player to argue that if the rules don't say you can't do it, you can do it. Especially in a game that encourages back stabbing. While it's implied that this means within the rules of fair play, bad players will simply say that ANY dishonesty is still within the spirit of the game.

Not to mention the issue with promo items, especially easily reproduced ones such as the Munchkin mask, that can render a player immune for the entire game.

I haven't played in any tournaments, but I have played with some outright cheaters who cling to the "owner gets final say" (to mean they can say anything) and "2.5 seconds" (even when there's no way to see the card that's been played) rules before.