PBeM Tournament Guidelines

The BPA is about active gaming at the higest strata of sportsmanship. The BPA PBeM Tournaments are a perfect extention of this. Like the WBC, BPA PBeM GM's are the lifeblood to 'it all'. Who are these essential and irreplaceable GM's? You..., right?

Below are mostly guidelines, only a few are requirements. A BPA PBeM GM has plenty leeway on how to run his game.

• Number of Email exchanges : Each email need to advance a turn/phase is an exchange. The more you have, the longer the game.
  • TRC uses a 10 Turn senario, two impulses per turn, 20 moves per player then, makes for 40 email excahnges. Not all 2nd impulses will be taken, so base on 30 email exchanges. Lenght is 100 days, we have just over 3 days per exchange.
  • For BKN, about 70 moves per gamer, makes for 140 exchanges. Tournament length is 180 days.
  • WaS has a 90 day tournament lenth, this based off the GM's experience from running a PBeM ladder over the years.
  • Current PBeM GM 'common wisdom' says two years is about the max length a PBeM tournament should run.
• Opportunity Fire : : Here the game allows for an opponent to take an action during the other gamers turn. TRC, BKN, and WaS have no opportunity fire, so thus far the BPA has 'skirted' this one. A tough little problem on how to handle via PBeM, but where there is a will, there is a way, just ask your local ASL PBeMer.
• Simultaneous actions : Like the play of combat cards in 1776 or Saratoga. Another tough one.
• Expected turnout : The game must be able to draw a minimum of 16 gamers.
• Once you have a game in mind : Contact the BPA with your idea first. There will be a few emails, then proceed below

Many nuts and bolts for you to decide on, and then post to a web site. Just now the BPA can not post or make web pages for you. There is plenty of free web space avaiable at Wordpress, Googlesites, ect. If you lack HTML skills, hopefully you have a gaming buddy who can help. The BPA will put a link to your site from the BPA site. Nuts and Bolts to ponder:

• Dice : Honor system? Must use a web die roller? A Suggested Internet Die Roll Error Handling Convention
• Error Handling : How are errors handled?
• Bids, errata, rule disputes, do you adjudicate, round length, tournament length, byes and everything else. Post all to your web site

For a number of these points you must "mandate" a particular way. This means if two players can not agree on how to handle such and such, then 'this way' is the way it will be done. PBeM is a big camp, many gamers with many different ideas on how this or that should work. And these gamers end up PBeMing those of like mind. When you have a torunament, differing minds will meet that otherwise would not have.... Take dice. Some play roll your own, other use an internet die roller. Each does care for the others way, so they don't PBeM one another, and thats fine. In a tournament, these guys will match.

• The BPA Email Newsletter : will announce your tournament to 500+ gamers.
• ConsimWorld BB : Many online gamers there.
• The WBC : Perfect place. Make some flyers up and post them around.

• The GM and all entrants must be members of the BPA the year the tournament starts, Associate level or higher. They do not have to renew in subsequent years to reamin active in your tournament.
• A week before getting underway the GM Must submit a list of his entrants and their emails a week before getting underway so that their membership status can be verified. Submit by email to the BPA.
• Must have a minimum of 16 entrants to start.
• GM must maintain a web page for the tournament. This web page must contain a link back to the BPA website at http://www.boardgamers.org/ A word document on how to create a free website (thanks to Tim Tow).
• The GM must designate an assitant(s) GM who would rule in any rules dispute in a game involving the GM.
• Advise the BPA of the needed Caesar Award tournament information.