Why the next PC ACR tournament will be a rousing success

After the travesty that was the last tournament, a lot of you very kindly took to the comments of the relevant articles (and my YouTube channel) with some very . . . helpful?

Yeah, I’ll roll with helpful.

Very helpful comments on how to improve and make things an all around better tournament experience.

You were even kind enough to check out the footage of the tournament and give your thoughts on what could be done better on that front too!

In fact, for those who haven’t already seen them, here are the videos from the tournament!

 

Bracket A pre-game warmup

 

Failed Bracket A

 

Weren’t they just delightful? Anyway, onwards to the suggestions.

 

Game mode changes

Due to the near-unanimous verdict that Wanted sucks, the game mode for the qualifying brackets will now be Simple Deathmatch. With the recent patch changing how some abilities behave, it just isn’t fair to make people use abilities at all in a competitive setting. Additionally, with many commenting on how some abilities are ‘cheap’ or may not fit into ‘playing the mode properly’, I can only determine that the true pro way to play AC:R is to remove the abilities all together. Guns? More like pansy long-range cowardly pew-pew sticks. Poison? Sounds like someone is too afraid to do some real stabbing or wants to administer medication but failed medical school and is therefore not a real doctor. Mute? More like “Cute, you have a skill which will give you an advantage in literally any situation.”

The weapons of real Assassins/Templars/Union Soldiers/Liverpudlians are concealed blades and a stern bitchslap.

 

Bracket layout changes

A number of users voiced their dismay at not having a semi-final. Of course, a lack of participants isn’t a good excuse. Whilst I have now come to terms with that fact, I fear I may never be able to look at myself in the mirror again but that’s just something I have to deal with. I can only hope that the changes in layout can make up for my horrible, horrible mistake.

Brackets will now consist of a maximum of two contestants to maximise the number of ‘finals’ held. If we get similar numbers for the next tournament as the failed one, this means more than a whopping thirty separate brackets. It also avoids the whole issue of ‘dropping’ people should they not be near the top of a match because hey, it’s heads-up and winner takes all! Also, to yet again increase the number of brackets, those who lose their bracket after the first five matches get re-entered into a separate tournament for second place. That’s a bonus of 83% more brackets!

 

Sign-up changes

These are by far the most practical changes. In the previous tournament, I underestimated simply how many people were interested in the tournament and thus the methods of contact were inadequate. Those responsible have been sacked. In addition to the requirements of the previous tournament (which basically came down to 1. have the game and 2. have Steam) the following criteria have been added:

• Those wishing to participate must add me on UPlay/Steam rather than me adding them (One hundred people adding one person is easier than one person adding one hundred)
• Participants must be over the age of 18. AC:R has a lot of violence and, oddly, some very sweary Vikings and I don’t want it breaking fragile little minds as video games have been known to do
• At least one participant must be an Ubisoft employee/representative so they can give us a heads up on exactly when the servers will shit themselves
• The aforementioned Ubisoft employee must also sign a waiver stating that should any technical difficulties arise, they are to sacrifice their own life in the ancient tradition of ritualistic kneecapping.
• All applications must also be submitted in writing with valid photo identification
• A sign-up fee of $30 is required to separate those joining for fun and those who have the heart and dedication to win

Finally, some feedback I received on the videos are that whilst my commentary is amusing and entertaining, I play like a retarded puppy with no limbs and also has cancer. As such, I will need time to improve until sign-ups begin. Sign-ups will open on the 5th of June 2015.

Please leave any thoughts or suggestions in the comments section below and I believe that, with your help and in time under the ever watchful eyes of Our Lord, we can make a truly great tournament for our time.