[MR] Re: [nottinghill-coill] clarification 2 Troy Heavy Scenario Rules

[Jonathan Blackbow]

>Date: Tue, 22 May 2001 16:15:47 -0400
>
>ok so the answer is no?  let me be more to the point.
>


>do you have a team of marshals already in place or will you that will be
>intimately familiar with this collection of times, rule variations, marshal
>imposed time penalties, extra equipment, specific scenario variants, etc et
>al?
>

[say, rather, less flippant and more specific.  This is a question I can 
answer, rather than a gripe.]

>most of the heighten tempers and aggravation levels experienced at siege of
>troy, boat wars, sheep raids and many scenario events like those are due to
>fighters and marshals not understanding the rules.  one team (marshal,
>fighter, whomever) thinks one thing and another thinks something else.
>people feel like their team got the short end of the deal and frustration
>happens.
>

[Yup.  Part of it being because the rules weren't clearly laid out ahead of 
time.  Example - switching team members.  One reason for publishing them 
ahead of time.  Example two:  archers won't be part of the heavy teams this 
year for lack of space.  Another reason for publishing ahead of time.  
Hopefully everybody that shows up will have a copy and will have emailed or 
called questions in ahead of time so they have a better idea what to 
expect.]

>team that with this being a somewhat public event and the increased
>complexity of these scenarios and their various rules and there is still
>more of a chance for misunderstandings.  i simply tried asking a very
>logical question in a humorous way.  my mistake.
>

[The comment you made did not have a specific directive to answer, i.e, the 
gist of your current missive ("what mechanisms do you have in place to deal 
with this?") therefore I assumed it wasn't a specific question but a snipe.  
Hopefully the following commentary will clarify that issue for you and 
everybody else as well.  But to answer your question,

#1, there will only be two scenarios going at once with heavy fighters in 
them.  I'm the MIC (1), Oshi is the CAM and a heavy marshal as well (2), and 
Sunooke will be an MIT at the event (3), so there won't be constant holds 
and interruptions from having more marshals than necessary.  They will have 
specific instructions not to call a hold unless there's a potential safety 
issue developing.  Any penalizing, etc, will be dealt with by an FYI to the 
team captain during, so as not to break the flow.  And this does mean that 
if you're fighting that day, you're NOT marshalling.  I know I can be 
impartial since I'm not fighting, and I trust Oshi to be impartial as well, 
because there aren't many places where a marshal can directly affect the 
outcome of a fight, and I'm HOPING not to have to enforce any time 
penalties, but if it's laid out ahead of time (i.e., do this, and suffer 
this penalty), it's much less likely to be perceived as arbitrary or 
malicious.

#2, the rules in place aren't any more complicated than previous years; they 
simply codify things ahead of time so that there will be *fewer* 
complications and misunderstandings.

#3, the rules will be disseminated to all the fighters (not just the team 
captains) in the same method of walking from point to point on the course 
that has happened in years past.  Difference is that this time I'll have a 
bullhorn (I hope) or at least a very loud voice (I know I can do that part) 
and I won't leave a section until all the information relevant to it has 
been disseminated and any questions answered.

>before i commit myself and potentially many others to an event like this i
>like to know if it is going to be enjoyable or frustrating.  your response
>has not helped me make that decision.
>


>and to answer your snide question, when i respond to something i leave
>everything attached, all messages in a thread, all comments.  that way my
>words are not taken out of context and all aspects of a missive can be read
>in its entirety.
>

[then I withdraw my snide question, and apologize.]

>
>now, if you have an answer as to how you intend on handling the
>dissemination of the rules so that the fighters and marshals are all very
>clear i would love to hear it.  if there is anything i can do to assist all
>you need to do is ask.

[actually yes - the same thing in two places, and this goes for EVERYBODY.  
#1, pick these rules apart as best you can, site unseen, and #2, I'd also 
like for you to make sure you're there with somebody with decent handwriting 
while we all go over the rules, so that if you spot something that's not 
defined, you can mention it, and we'll codify it right there on the spot.  
If we answer it ahead of time, it'll be documented, and if we have to sort 
it out on the spot, it'll still be documented, and that way (hopefully) 
nobody will have anything to gripe about.]

Regards,

Jonathan Blackbow


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