I'll join
to reach at least 40 => I'm in :-)
Excellent! Thanks guys, you've made the right decision!
Now that we're up to 35 players with another 2 hopefully in the pipeline, I thought it would be a good idea to share some more detailed information about how the first stage of the competition is going to run:
Group stageEvery participant will be assigned to one of 8 groups (labelled A – H) and each group will have 5 participants. Everybody in each group should play a single, head-to-head game against everyone else in their group individually. This means that everyone taking part in the World Cup will get to play 4 games at this stage of the competition.
GamesGames should be played via JCloisterZone version 3.3.1 which can be downloaded here:
http://jcloisterzone.com/builds/JCloisterZone-3.3.1.zip. You must be running the same version of JCZ as your opponent in order for the game to work (so let's all stick with 3.3.1) and please remember to unzip this before you attempt to run it as you will encounter difficulties connecting to a game otherwise!
In order that they can take place, online games require a host which may be one of the players, or even a third person who isn't taking part in the match. If neither you nor your opponent has the ability to host games directly, please ask if someone else in your group is able to host for you at the time of your scheduled match. Failing this, someone in the chat room (see below) may be able to host for you or there is an online server which can be used by selecting JCloisterZone's "Play Online" option.
In the event of either player losing connection while the game is in progress, the game should be saved so that it can be reloaded. There will normally be someone in the chat room who will guide you through how this can be achieved, but it is a relatively simple process...
ExpansionsAll games at the group stage should include the following expansions:
River 1 (removed)- Inns & Cathedrals
- King & Robber Baron
(these can be selected on the pre-game screen where you choose a colour and enter your name).
Please also enable the "Randomize playing order" checkbox so that the starting player will be chosen at random.
How groups will be rankedPlayers will be awarded 2 group points for a win or 1 group point for a draw so that an overall group-ranking can be established. "Points Differential" (total points scored by you minus total points scored against you in all games) will be used as a tie-breaker and the top 2 players from each group will go through to the knock-out stage.
CommunicationI will send an email round to each group once the competition is live (current target is 31st August). Please use this and/ or Private Messages (PMs) as an opportunity to schedule suitable times for your matches. Don't just sign in to the chat room and hope that someone will be there and available to play!
There will also be a dedicated thread for each group (which I will link to in the email I send you) which is intended for you to record scores, post screenshots (including score breakdown) and game reports so that your group's progress can be tracked.
Chat roomOur web-based chat page is a handy place to meet with your opponent before your match, or to chat with other members of Carcassonne Central. It can be accessed through your browser by following this link:
http://sydby.com/carcassonne/irc/index.html. You will usually be able to find a third-party host here as necessary, and can also seek technical support relating to JCloisterZone or crashed games in the unlikely event that you need it.
PrizesEveryone who completes all of their matches will receive (at least) a special tile/ expansion that has been uniquely designed for this World Cup and is not available anywhere else. There will also be a bonus prize for every member of the first group to finish all of their group stage matches, as well as spot prizes for several other undisclosed achievements! There will be a further bonus prize for everyone who reaches the knock-out stage (top 16) and naturally, something quite wonderful for the overall winner (as well as the honour of keeping our trophy until the next 2016 World Cup). So, in short, there's lots of cool Carcassonne goodies to play for and none of it will cost you anything!
What happens next?More information regarding the rest of the tournament (specifically the knock-out stage) will be disclosed as the group stage begins to wind down.
Please ask now if you have any questions. Because if you have a question, the chances are that others might have the same question and I want everything to be as clear as can be in advance of what’s sure to be a fantastic competition for all involved!