GUERRILLA II - 4/9/10 - Chicago

[Mike Bentley]

This is a formal announcement for GUERRILLA II, a sequel to last year's guerrilla tournament held at the ICT. This tournament will again be held at the ICT on Friday, 4/9/10, and will be a guerrilla tournament (e.g. no central editor).

ELIGIBILITY:
Everyone is eligible to play in this tournament, so long as they are on a team that contributes a packet. It's possible that we'll once again run a bracket for people who haven't written a packet, but that is not guaranteed and will mean that you'll need to pay to play.

TEAMS:
You'll need to form teams before the tournament because you have to write a packet (see below). In other words, there will not be a draft.

CURRENT FIELD (as of 4/5/10):
1. Mike Bentley, Ahmad Ragab, Dallin Kelson, Guy Tabachnik
2. Bruce Arthur, Jerry Vinokurov, Brendan Byrne, Dallas Simons
3. Andrew Hart, Eric Kwartler, Chris Borglum, Charlie (Dees?)
4. Gautam Kandlikar, Mike Cheyne, Rob Carson, Evan Adams(?)
5. Kyle Haddad-Fonda, Hannah Kirsch, Andy Watkins, Mystery Player
Packet-Writing Free Agents: Katie McGettigan, Edmund Dickinson
Non-Packet Writing Free Agents: Chris Ray, Dan Passner, Matt Keller?

PRICE:
The tournament is free to anyone on a team that contributes a packet. If the tournament format allows for people who didn't contribute a packet to play, they'll have to pay a fee (between $5 and $10) towards buying dinner for the people playing.

PACKET GUIDELINES:
Once again teams will have to write a packet of at least 20 tossups (no bonuses). Teams are encouraged to write additional tossups in case there are repeats. All tossups will be read that aren't repeats, so if you want to write a 40 tossup packet for some reason go for it (note this does not mean that your packet can be under 20 tossups).

I encourage teams to adopt a theme for their packets, similar to last year's "Dream Packets". If you want to propose a type of theme that everyone writes on, go ahead, and we'll see if people agree. However, your packet should still follow a standard-ish ACF distribution regardless of your theme.

In terms of difficulty, shoot for ACF Nationals level difficulty. The field should be pretty strong, but don't use this as an excuse to write all of your tossups on that would be graded a "6" on the Magin difficulty scale.

Details on where to submit your packets will be forthcoming.

REQUESTS:
It would be great if someone wants to volunteer to collect the packets and eliminate the repeats. If someone wants to step up and offer basic editing service that would be even better, but that's not really expected or required. If you're interested, shoot me an e-mail at [email protected].

DATE AND LOCATION:
Friday, 4/9/10. 9:30 PM. ICT Hotel Lobby (please try to meet there at 9:15 PM).

[Mike Bentley]

I am looking for teammates.

[Mike Bentley]

Now that ICT is Saturday only, do peple want to run this on Friday night or Sunday morning?

[Gautam]

Friday night.

[Cheynem]

Definitely not Sunday morning!

EDIT: I'd kinda like to play this, but I can also staff.

[Mike Bentley]

Definitely not Sunday morning!

EDIT: I'd kinda like to play this, but I can also staff.

Unless we get more than 9 teams, the staffers will be the people playing.

[Captain Sinico]

Sunday?

MaS

[Skepticism and Animal Feed]

Friday night seems more convenient for me; I think some teams have already made plans for stuff to do on Sunday after the ICT.

Even if I don't play, I'd be happy to contribute to a humorous dream packet of some kind.

[Cheynem]

Well, then, I'll suppose I'll play, I guess. I am a consummate writer of tossups on J.P. Marquand, ABBA songs, and humorously named diseases, and I am looking for a team.

EDIT: I probably don't have the time or inclination to write a packet for this. If it's possible for me to play without writing, I'll fling in money to do so. Alternatively, I'll just take the time to get homework done.

[grapesmoker]

Assuming we show up, I guess I'm down. I don't have a team or anything.

[Mike Bentley]

Ok, this tournament will definitely be happening on Friday night.

Does 9 PM work for people in regards to starting the tournament? It's tossup only, so even if we have like 8 rounds it shouldn't go past midnight. Additionally, this start time will allow people traveling later on Friday more time to make it to the tournament.

[Mike Bentley]

Hey it would be great if people signed up for this tournament. It should be a lot of fun.

To get the ball rolling, I'll announce I'm writing a Chip Bealle dream packet. Anyone interested in contributing to this and playing on my team should let me know.

[theMoMA]

Eric Kwartler and I are starting a team, if anyone would like to join us. Eric may have already found us some teammates, so prospective teammates should probably email him.

[grapesmoker]

Is there some kind of rationale behind what kind of packets people should write (what is a "dream" packet anyway?) or can I just write whatever the hell I want?

[AKKOLADE]

Is there some kind of rationale behind what kind of packets people should write (what is a "dream" packet anyway?) or can I just write whatever the hell I want?

19/19 weird dreams you have had
1/1 Dion McGregor's somniloquys

[Mike Bentley]

Is there some kind of rationale behind what kind of packets people should write (what is a "dream" packet anyway?) or can I just write whatever the hell I want?

You can write whatever. We did "dream" packets last year and they were reasonably amusing. In general they were stereotypes of what the targetted person liked. For instance, the Andrew Hart dream packet consisted entirely of ridiculous common link tossups and the Chris Borglum dream packet I think contained tossups on stuff like "turbulence" with giveaways about hot tubs. In general my goal for this tournament is to make it something people have fun writing and playing by being a bit looser than a standard academic tournament (for instance you could do this by having themed questions, but you don't have to).

[Cheynem]

I think at least Gautam and I are working on some sort of comedy, potentially NAQT dream, packet for this.

[jonpin]

My flight's scheduled to land at 8:30, so I probably can't staff or direct this, but if you still need someone to eliminate repeats (note: no editorial quality promised), I can volunteer my effort.

[SnookerUSF]

I too am seeking teammates. I am flexible as to a theme, and would contribute appropriately to a packet.

[Kwang the Ninja]

I'm interested in playing this as my first guerrilla tournament, and would certainly be amenable to writing like 5/0 or 10/0. Somebody shoot me an email ([email protected]) if you're looking for a 1~2 ppg player who can write part of your packet.

[Mike Bentley]

Dallin and Ahmad, want to play on a team in this?

[Skepticism and Animal Feed]

I will play this, I think. Do not have a team yet.

[Kwang the Ninja]

Dallin and Ahmad, want to play on a team in this?

Yes, I do. If you have any ideas for the theme, can you email me (so I can get started writing)?

[grapesmoker]

So, I'd still like to play this but I can't write; too many other commitments. Unless someone wants to be on my team, I'm planning to show up, fork over my $10, and play with whoever doesn't have a team already.

[Rothlover]

I'm in the same boat as Jerry for this. Last year I did pretty solidly at this, am out for a good time, and, thanks to Andrew Hart, know "not to buzz on f-ing science!"

[DumbJaques]

I also have $10 squirreled away for this event.

[Mike Bentley]

So right now it looks like the people writing packets are:

Me, Ahmad, Dallin
Gautam and Mike Cheyne
Andrew Hart and Eric Kwartler
Maybe Bruce if he's not on one of the above teams?

It would be great if more people signed up to write packets rather than just pay the fee. If you form a team of 4 people it's as few as 5 tossups per person to play in this tournament.

[Sir Thopas]

Need team, will write.

[Mike Bentley]

Need team, will write.

Want to play with me, Dallin and Ahamd?

[theMoMA]

Kwartler and I are teaming up with Chris Borglum and Charlie Dees.

[Skepticism and Animal Feed]

Jerry Vinokurov and I are a team now. I am actively recruiting additional players for this team; interested parties should be willing to write questions and should contact me ASAP.

[Sir Thopas]

Need team, will write.

Want to play with me, Dallin and Ahamd?

Sounds like a plan.

[Mike Bentley]

Need team, will write.

Want to play with me, Dallin and Ahamd?

Sounds like a plan.

Great. I've also updated the first post with a field update.

[Mike Bentley]

My flight's scheduled to land at 8:30, so I probably can't staff or direct this, but if you still need someone to eliminate repeats (note: no editorial quality promised), I can volunteer my effort.

If you're willing to be the person who people send packets to and who eliminates repeats, that would be great.

[Jesus vs. Dragons]

I guess I will throw my name into this as well. I would prefer not to write, but I will if need be.

This is no longer true.

[Mike Bentley]

By the way, please add powers and superpowers to your questions.

[Skepticism and Animal Feed]

The Vinokurov/Arthur team is now the Vinokurov/Arthur/Simons team. One spot remains, email me if interested.

[grapesmoker]

Hey Mike, my plane lands at exactly 9 at ORD; would it be possible to push things back 30 minutes?

[Mike Bentley]

Hey Mike, my plane lands at exactly 9 at ORD; would it be possible to push things back 30 minutes?

Probably, unless we get a glut of new packet writing teams.

[Kyle]

I'll be playing this with former teammate Andy Watkins, Hannah Kirsch, and a mystery player to be named after he responds to my email. And we will write a packet.

EDIT — I am encouraging my English teammates to play this as a way of being introduced to American quizbowlers. Oxford students Katie McGettigan and Edmund Dickinson have responded that they would like to join one of your teams and are even willing to write questions for this. Does anyone want to add one of them to his or her team?

[Mike Bentley]

We now have 5 teams signed up to write packets. I am now imposing the following restriction on further teams joining the field: you must secure a second team to join with you so we can maintain an odd number of teams. Thus, if you want to be the 6th packet writing team to join this field, you'll need to find a group of people willing to be the 7th packet writing team. By the way, I reserve the right to increase the fee for playing in the loser's bracket (e.g. teams consisting of people who haven't written a packet) if it looks like people don't have legitimate reasons for playing in that bracket.

Also, my team is not writing a Chip Dream Packet. Instead, we're writing an ACF Dream Packet.

[Skepticism and Animal Feed]

The following team is now FINAL:

Jerry Vinokurov
Brendan Byrne
Bruce Arthur
Dallas Simons

We are going to submit a Ryan Westbrook Dream Packet.

[vandyhawk]

I might be available for this. I'm staying with my brother in Wicker Park, but he has to work Friday night. I would be considerably more excited about it if it turns out someone is driving back into the city afterward and I wouldn't have to take a 35 minute El ride home after midnight, only to turn around and get back on at like 7 AM. Also, unless you guys want me working on this rather than ICT, I won't be able to do much, if anything, in the writing department.

[Mike Bentley]

Would someone be willing to volunteer to do room recon before the tournament starts? NAQT doesn't have any rooms reserved on Friday night so we can't use them. Hypothetically there will be some unused conference rooms near each other where we can play without issue.

If not, the backup plan will be to conduct this in hotel rooms. I'll try to come up with a list of rooms where we'll play this if no conference rooms materialize once the staffing assignments go out.

[Cheynem]

I think our team now also has Rob Carson (and maybe Evan Adams?). At least Rob's name has appeared on our packet's Google Doc.

[ValenciaQBowl]

My room will be available for game play if necessary, and I may be able to rustle up one more. Also, a couple of my players may be willing to moderate (and competently!) if need be.

PS--Andrew, Charlie, and/or Eric: please check e-mail for question about packet writing from me.

[Mike Bentley]

I might be available for this. I'm staying with my brother in Wicker Park, but he has to work Friday night. I would be considerably more excited about it if it turns out someone is driving back into the city afterward and I wouldn't have to take a 35 minute El ride home after midnight, only to turn around and get back on at like 7 AM. Also, unless you guys want me working on this rather than ICT, I won't be able to do much, if anything, in the writing department.

If you want to just sleep at the hotel on Friday night we will likely have room for you in our room.

Also, since it looks like we'll only have 5 teams, I'm going to push this back to 9:30 PM on Friday in order to give people some more time to get to the hotel. If you're playing in this tournament and that start time is still too early for you, let me know and maybe we can arrange it so that your team has the first bye.

To make things simple, we'll all meet in the lobby starting at 9:15 PM and figure out the rooms and schedule. If there's enough interest amongst peole who didn't write packets we will have a second bracket, although you will have to pay a small fee to play.

[Sima Guang Hater]

Hey, I'll be in town in time for this. If someone wants to take me on, that'd be great (I can write some questions later this week), or if there's no room I'd be willing to read.

[Frater Taciturnus]

Yeah we get in like 12 hours before this, so I would be down with staffing this.

[Cody]

Yeah we get in like 12 hours before this, so I would be down with staffing this.

Same.