[Daanz-dip] In response to Doug

[Greg Evans]

Doug,

Thanks for your comments.  You have raised some valid issues, though I am dissappointed to see you urging the DAANZ committee to reject my GongCon proposal.

I am not trying to split the hobby at all.  I am trying to grow the hobby through diversification.  We need to try new things and appeal to differrent types of people if we are going to go forward.  I am not trying to force my ideals of how to run a tournament on others, I am just trying to offer an alternative.  To my mind, if every tournament ran with a differrent format, differrent theme and differrent scoring system then we'd have more fresh ideas and more of an idea about what works and what doesnt.  People can go to the tourneys they like, and pass on the ones they dont like.  Give them the choice and let them vote with bums on seats.
GongCon might not be everyones 'cup of tea' but that does not make it invalid.  The DAANZ committee needs to represent EVERYONE in the hobby, not just those who prefer tournaments run a specific way.

* Poker
The poker tournament was included for a couple of valid reasons :-

1.  Recruitment - At the NSW Champs 2005, we fired up a game of Texas Hold'em and a fair number of dippers present were very enthused.  I figured that if Dip players showed interest in Poker, then it might be the case that Poker players might show interest in Dip.  There are certainly a lot of Poker players doing the rounds these days - its become a bit of a craze. 

2.  Time Limitations - GongCon is limited in many respects by the fact that it has only ever been held on a 2-day weekend.  To hold a 3-round tournament therefore means you need to implement a short timedraw (which many players hate), play the 2nd game well into the night on the Saturday (which is bad for travellers and younger players) and/or split the 2nd round over Sat/Sun (which has major problems if players - particularly new players - have only come for one day).
Many players like the 'long game' version where scoring is SC based and games are given a long time to reach conclusion.  The 'short game' is being given a fair run by others with C-Diplo, which some people like, but its not for everyone and once again I want to offer an alternative.  I am implementing a weighted game scoring system to make up for the fact we only have 2 rounds so as to keep the tournament as dynamic as possible.
A poker tournament (which may only run for an hour or two) is a lot less time committment, so it allows Round 1 to run for longer and fills any small perceived gap.  You could NOT fit another full round of Dip in that space.
It is also worth noting that most tournaments I've been to do NOT run into the night anyway - I do not recall ever having a 'dinner turn' during a game of Tournament Dip.  The kids often have to be home for dinner or people have planes to catch.

* Age Restrictions
Possibly a more controversial issue, but an important one.
The introduction of age restrictions to this tournament is more to do with the alcohol than anything.  The poker tournament is technically NOT gambling.  It is a competition, with an entry fee, for which there is a prize for winning.  Sound familiar ?
Call me old fashioned, but I dont believe that kids should be present at adult parties where people may become intoxicated.  It sets a bad example and there are too many things that can go wrong.  Clubs and pubs have age restrictions for a reason !
Once again, there may be people who are interested in coming to a fun Party, or BBQ for a few beers who might be favourably exposed to Dip and get involved (how many times have you seen people show interest when we play at club venues ?).  These same people might not be interested in a dry event where they can hang out with 12 year olds.  Its about diversity and broadening the appeal of dip through differrent styles.
Though it was only a secondary motivation, it is true that there was controversy at the last GongCon because of the kids and some people have said they are not interested in playing if the hobby is going to be overrun by kids.  Are these people wrong ?  Is their preference invalid ?  Shouldnt there be an opportunity for those people to play Dip the way they want to within the DAANZ ?  Or are we all expected to toe the party line and there is only one correct way ?
Personally, I feel like a paedophile when I'm trying to cajole some young 12 year old boy into doing what I want in a game of Dip.  I'd probably do better if I brought along a bag of boiled lollies for such intimate moments....
I know that many in the hobby dont have such morality issues, but I do.  I think it sets a bad example to young kids to see adults lying, even cheating to get what they want.  It teaches them dangerous skills at a formative age where they may not be able to draw the line between game behaviour and real life behaviour.  Once again though, I am not trying to force this on other tournaments, I'm just offerring an alternative for people who think/feel like I do.
There are also minor issues of competancy, game quality and manipulation.  We can all claim that kids need some 'guidance' to learn the game and should be encouraged as they are the 'future' of the hobby.  Along this line I should bring along my neice to ADC.  She's very interested, though only learning the game.  I'll need to give her a little bit of help and I will assist her in writing her orders.  Thats all well and good isnt it ?  Oh, I forgot to mention.....my neice is 5 months old.
In all seriousness, we need to draw the line somewhere.  Obviously we are not going to agree about where exactly that line should exist (Age 6 ? Age 12 ? Age 16 ?) but that doesnt mean I can't have an opinion on the subject and run GongCon accordingly.

I'm not asking much of the DAANZ.  I'm planning to run this tournament at a personal loss and I expect no help at all in running, nor promoting the event.  The only thing I'm asking is that you SCORE it.  Some people are motivated to come to tournaments by the Bismark (particularly inter-staters).  Those handful of people might be the differrence between the success and failure of this tournament - I believe it has helped the ANZAC Cup get off the ground.  Dont handicapp me before I've had a chance to get started.

In conclusion, I think its important to grow the hobby and this proposal for GongCon is designed for that purpose.  It just involves growing it in a differrent direction to others.
We have already lost our Canberra tournaments, the NSW Champs is currently homeless and in doubt for 2007 while GongCon is on the verge of extinction.  I am seriously looking at the landscape and would not be surprised if there isnt a tournament within 6 hours drive for me in 2007 if we keep tearing our tournaments down.

The ADC / Albury proposal is worth a try, but lets not put all our eggs in one basket. 

Sincerely,
Greg

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