The Quizbowl Resource Center

This is the formal announcement for GOLBEZ, a video games set that will be run during nationals season 2019, and which will be written and edited by me, Jason Thompson, with guest contributions from Billy Busse and Andrew Wang.

You can sign up for the ICT and HSNCT playings of this set at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing (Make sure you're on the right tab for which one you want to play)

**Why "GOLBEZ"?
This tournament is named in honor of Golbez, the dog I got as a 6-week-old puppy when I was in 5th grade, and who lived until I was a senior in college. He was a Very Good Boy. I named him Golbez because--to paraphrase Mitch Hedberg--I used to really like Final Fantasy 4. I still do, but I used to, too.

**When and where will this be played?
I plan to run this in-person at the 2019 ICT and HSNCT. I would also be more than happy to run this and/or have it played as a side event at other tournaments if there is interest in doing so. UPDATE 1/14/19: See the note at the top of this post.

**What will this tournament's format be?
The set will have 8-10 packets (more than likely 8). Ideally, I'd like to run this as a doubles event, but of course the format may vary between that, larger teams, or a one-room shootout depending on interest level.

**What's the distribution?
The content of this set will precisely conform to the following rigorous and highly-detailed distribution:

21/0 video games

That said, this set will cover all genres, eras, generations, and aspects of video games. I don't want to break it down any more than that, though, because my goal for this tournament is to write something whose answer selection is very much inspired by the excellent ACFNATIONALS set from a few years ago. In other words, there will be a minimal number of questions in this set whose answer line is simply the name of a game. Instead, I'm going to focus on looking at common links between games, distinct aspects of a single game, interesting pieces of hardware, and important/landmark moments and people in games and gaming culture. (There may still be SOME questions whose answer is simply the name of a game, but only a handful, and no more than 1 per packet.)

That said, I plan to control the difficulty of the main part of this set so that if you have ever played and enjoyed video games, you will enjoy this tournament.

Because I'd like this set to be appropriate for and playable by everyone--including high schoolers--it will be written at about a PG-13 level (thought it will ask about and clue from M-rated games).

As of today, I have over half of the answer lines for this tournament planned. I'll post updates as the set is written.

**21? Also, what do you mean "the main part of this set"?
Glad you asked, hypothetical interested player! Since just about every great video game should have a great final boss fight, every packet of GOLBEZ will consist of 20 regular powermarked tossups, and 1 "Final Boss Question." This Final Boss Question will be both powermarked and super-powermarked, and will be worth 50 points in superpower, 30 points in power, and 20 points after power ends.

The difficulty of the Final Boss Questions can best be described by the phrase "hard, even by Jason's standards."

**Will there be any content involving Tingle in this set?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31g0YE61PLQ

**How much will this set cost to play?
I want this set to be playable by everyone who's interested, so this tournament will be officially free to play. However, if you really enjoy the set and want to offer me some form of financial renumeration for writing it, I certainly won't turn it down. This tournament's price is therefore "pay whatever you think it's worth, if you are able; if you're not able, come play it anyway." :)

Half of all the money I receive from this "pay what you think it's worth" fee structure will be donated to the Bounceback Foundation.

**I have other questions and/or wish to express my eager excitement to play this tournament!
Feel free to post below!

Do you have any idea what the subdistribution will generally be like? I'd really like to get an even spread of time, platforms, and genres, but I understand if, for example, there's a lot of 2000s JRPG questions and not as much, say, retro arcade cabinets from the 80s. I'm just curious to know ahead of time if that's what we're getting into.

UlyssesInvictus wrote:but I understand if, for example, there's a lot of 2000s JRPG questions and not as much, say, retro arcade cabinets from the 80s

I won't

My goal is to cover all major eras and genres from early games to the modern day, and I plan for every packet to have content from each era and genre.

That said, because of how I plan to approach the answer line selection, I don't want to lock myself into saying that there will definitively be X number of questions on Y console generation or Z genre in each packet. For a lot of the common link answer lines I have planned, I'm going to be pulling clues from multiple types/generations of games. But there won't be a packet that has, say, zero 1980s-era content or 10 questions all about FPSs or anything.

Valefor wrote:My goal is to cover all major eras and genres from early games to the modern day, and I plan for every packet to have content from each era and genre.

That said, because of how I plan to approach the answer line selection, I don't want to lock myself into saying that there will definitively be X number of questions on Y console generation or Z genre in each packet. For a lot of the common link answer lines I have planned, I'm going to be pulling clues from multiple types/generations of games. But there won't be a packet that has, say, zero 1980s-era content or 10 questions all about FPSs or anything.

Okay, cool, I understand not wanting to lock yourself in. If it's alright for me to suggest it, I had the same internal thought process when I was writing the FILM set, and I ended up having a lot of success using a quota system instead of a subdistribution system, where I mandated having at least a certain number of various topics, where multiple topics could be filled by a single question and I set the quotas low(ish) and left a lot of space for misc answerlines. I got the idea from how NAQT spreads its questions out, and I think it did a really good job of keeping my vanity questions in check and making sure I didn't neglect topics I didn't like writing as much.

Anyways, regardless of what the set looks like, I'm looking forward to it a lot! (Even if I don't manage to answer anything...)

someone who knows old things and wants to win play this with me pls

Guile Island wrote:someone who knows old things and wants to win play this with me pls

Dylan, let's do this.

mlaird wrote:

Guile Island wrote:someone who knows old things and wants to win play this with me pls

Dylan, let's do this.

et tu Matthaeus

Hi everyone. :) This set is shaping up nicely, and will be done in time for ICT. There will be 8 packets. My plan right now is to run this on Saturday night at ICT and Saturday night at HSNCT, barring other conflicts. I don't THINK anything has been announced for those time slots yet, but let me know if it has and I just missed it.

You can sign up teams for either instance here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

Right now, we're just going with doubles, but based on interest, we might move to larger teams or just a shootout format.

I'd like to play this at ICT. I know old video games and like nothing after the SNES or so.

I'm now playing this with Auroni. Very much looking forward to it

Any plans for an online mirror? Not sure I'll be able to make it to ICT.

If there is interest among people who aren't able to make it to ICT or HSNCT, I'm happy to read it online at some point.

As a side note, when I set up the team formation spreadsheet, I forgot to add a column for free agents. There's one now. :)

I'd love to play this sometime; as of now, I don't know my schedule for tournaments, but I'm down for an online tournament if I can't make any of the main sites.

I'm basically only good for like 2008-onwards, but I think all video game questions are fun!

Actually I think I will be at ICT after all. Looking for a teammate for this, especially someone who knows more recent videogames and/or RPGs.

By the way, is there a field cap?

I’m going to soft cap it at either 8 or 10 teams, depending on finding extra readers. (Don’t worry, everyone will play :) We May just have a couple of teams of 3.)

Hi everyone! Just a couple of quick updates.

First, the set is in the final stages of being created, so it will definitely be ready for this weekend. :)

Second, I'll try and post more details later this week, but for a general goal, let's plan on meeting in the International Level foyer (like, right when you come down the escalators) Lobby Level conference center check-in area (the round area with JFK, Liberty, Logan, etc.), about 45 minutes after the ICT awards ceremony is done.

Third, it looks like the field has expanded a bit more in the last week or so! I'd love for everyone to be able to play as doubles, but as it is, we'll need some extra readers to be able to make that happen. I'm working on recruiting a couple of people myself, but if anybody playing knows of someone who would be willing to read, please post here and point me there way. The alternative is condensing down into teams of 3 (which wouldn't be a terrible thing, necessarily, depending on how many people we end up with).

Thanks everyone. Looking forward to this weekend!

Also, you have until Thursday to pick your team names before I begin coming up with them myself. >:)

I don't know if I told you this, Jason, but I'm willing to staff.

1992 in spaceflight wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2019 11:28 am I don't know if I told you this, Jason, but I'm willing to staff.

Noted, and thanks! :D

I can also staff.

connor.mayers wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2019 1:20 pm I can also staff.

Awesome; thanks!

I'll be happy to staff the ICT mirror.

Hello everyone!

First of all, if you have volunteered to staff this event, THANK YOU! Please make sure you bring a laptop or tablet to read questions off of. I'll have the packets with me in PDF on thumb drive, and can also email them before we start. Also, if someone wants to volunteer to be stats guru, please let me know. Wang is doing stats.

Some further updates to plans for this weekend. First, based on what rooms I think will still have buzzers set up in them for IPNCT on Sunday, I've changed the meeting place to the Lobby Level Conference Center foyer (this is the same place where teams generally pick up folders on Friday night, the circular area with all the airports east of the Mississippi).

I'm going to cap this event at 12 teams (you'll notice there's now a big black line marking this on the team formation spreadsheet). This leaves, as of noon-ish on April 3rd, one open team spot remaining. If you are a free agent and you are NOT on a team, please go ahead and join a team to make a team of 3. If any free agents are unpaired come Friday morning, I'll go ahead and assign people to teams myself. This way, everyone will still be able to play.

With 12 teams, we'll run 6 rooms (which we have the staff for, yay!). Since there are 8 packets, well do 2x6 into 3x4, which will use all 8 packets. If there are ties in W/L for rebracketing, I will have some, ahem, *unique* tiebreaker questions (questions? sure, let's go with that) that we will use to settle the issue. >:)

There will be book prizes.

Look forward to seeing everyone Saturday night!

For those of us playing this but not staffing ICT, is there a rough start time that can be provided?

I just want to say this is the best set of video game questions I have seen a writer (Jason Thompson) produce. There's something in here for everyone that reflects the myriad ways in which people interact with games throughout their history. If anyone is on the fence about the tournament, I suggest they play this.

Ike

MLafer wrote: ↑Thu Apr 04, 2019 10:17 pm For those of us playing this but not staffing ICT, is there a rough start time that can be provided?

According to the ICT logistics page, finals look like they're scheduled to go until 8:30, so my guess is...9:15 Round 1 at earliest?

I'm currently waiting for my flight to Chicago to board; after I get to the HRO, I'm going to grab some coffee, finish team organization, and slam out a schedule. Keep an eye for an update here regarding that around noon-ish, hopefully.

All right, everyone. The team formation spreadsheet has been updated with a basic schedule (though the playoffs schedule will be finished after I get back from lunch/tonight). It'll be crossover of top 3/bottom 3 with carryover.

I had to move some people around to give us 12 teams (I think maybe one team dropped?). If you DO NOT like your current team, feel free to go ahead and change things around, but please do so in a way that leaves us with 12 teams.

I'll get things sorted into two prelim brackets tonight. Please let me know if you have any questions. Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow night after ICT awards!

The schedule is now complete. Please let me know if you see any problems/mistakes.

Teams will be sorted into brackets tonight/tomorrow morning.

Okay everyone, teams are sorted into brackets (for better or worse :) ).

To make things semi-easy for people who are not on-site today, we'll try and start a 9:15pm or as soon as possible after. If this changes drastically, I will try and post an announcement here.

Look forward to seeing you all tonight.

Is it too late to sign up for this? I was told by Andrew Wang that I needed to play this, and am currently very excited to give this a shot!

Show up when we start and we’ll put you on a team :)

Just a last reminder that we are meeting at 9:15pm (in about 45 minutes) in the Lobby Level conference center (JFK, Liberty, etc.). I’m a sitting there and likely will not move until we start. :)

Stats will be periodically uploaded here

Due to SQBS limitations I do not have a way to individually record who got final boss tus

Full stats

This set is a fucking delight, quite possibly the best event I've played in recent memory.

If you're on the fence about it I highly recommend going to a mirror!

you, the general you, should play this tournament

11/10 Tournament, I wish I had one of those Men-in-Black pens so I could play it again!

Thanks Jason for writing this! It was a ton of fun!

Are you planning on setting up a discussion forum? I have a few pieces of constructive criticism and some questions to the community on what they want out of a videogame tournament.

Given the exuberant praise this set has received, would there be interest in an online mirror for people who didn’t/can’t play it at ICT or HSNCT? I would be happy to staff such a thing, or to organize and run it if Jason would not prefer to do so himself.

Can confirm that this was an amazing set to play.

Banned Tiny Toon Adventures Episode wrote: ↑Sat Apr 06, 2019 11:57 pm Stats will be periodically uploaded here

Due to SQBS limitations I do not have a way to individually record who got final boss tus

Full stats

Slight error in the stats -- my name should be spelt with two r's.

Hey everyone. Thank you to all of you who came out and played last night. It means a lot to me to know that you enjoyed the set; I had an absolute blast writing it. :)

I want to sincerely thank Billy, Ike, and Wang for chipping in questions and playtesting a bunch of the stuff that I wrote. Also, enormous thanks to everyone who volunteered to staff last night; I couldn’t have made this happen without all of you, so thank you so much for being willing to help out even after the incredibly long day that is ICT.

I’m definitely open to an online mirror for people who weren’t able to play this at ICT, or won’t be able to play it at HSNCT. I’ll try and figure out some details for that, as well as get a discussion form set up, later this week after I fly home tomorrow.

I cannot wait to play this at HSNCT!

This was a very enjoyable tournament. I liked the attention paid to video game history, a number of those questions were brilliant and rewarded knowledge of "gaming" as a whole, rather than simply playing or reading about *games* per se. I also thought the common links were good ideas, so that even if you didn't know something about one game, you had a chance of getting the tossup because more clues were coming.

Two things I was more apathetic about:

-Some of the common links eventually descended into "well, just figure things out." There's not much room around this, but I might suggest looking at these to make sure that aside from the giveaway you need some gaming knowledge to buzz.

-While this sounds silly after just saying I liked the gaming history questions, I wasn't as big a fan as the gaming culture (all the fandom, YouTube video type clues) questions, but people were buzzing on that and they are a big part of gaming. To each their own. I joked that this was like the PIANO of video game tournaments.

Cheynem wrote: ↑Mon Apr 08, 2019 11:56 am -While this sounds silly after just saying I liked the gaming history questions, I wasn't as big a fan as the gaming culture (all the fandom, YouTube video type clues) questions, but people were buzzing on that and they are a big part of gaming. To each their own. I joked that this was like the PIANO of video game tournaments.

Yeah, this in particular was something I wanted to talk about. I'm open to arguments that gaming culture is an increasingly growing part of what it means to be interested in videogames, but my sense after playing the tournament is that there was an awful lot of this type of content. I'd have to go back through the actual set to form a more reasoned opinion. I was somewhat reminded of trash music questions for a decade ago that placed huge emphasis on music video clues at a time when music videos were not a very mainstream way of engaging with music.

I also thought this tournament was perhaps harder than it needed to be. As someone who has written his share of very hard videogame questions, I can understand the urge to fit in neat answer lines. But, especially for older topics, I wonder if a more careful selection of answer lines would have made more parts of this tournament interesting for a wider audience. I'm sure some of this is due to my own taste in games (hard answers on older Nintendo stuff to me seeming much more reasonable than hard answers on JRPGs), but certain categories in particular seemed to be held to a lower standard with respect to answer line accessibility.

Also, with respect to gaming history, there are other types of gaming history at the university level that have really taken off in the past few years. I'm thinking here of books like those in MIT's Platform Studies that place gaming in a wider historical context. I'd personally have liked to have seen a little more of this type of content (not that there wasn't any of it) and less of what I'll call "meme history" make it into the set. I can give some more specific examples if/when there's a private discussion forum.

There is now a discussion forum set up for the set: http://hsquizbowl.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=310

You should be able to request access via the normal method.

I'd like to play this at a summer side event weekend (mainly thinking of the NYC side event that's was announced to be in the works); if that ends up not happening I'd like to play an online mirror.

Today I learned that clicking the check mark in the notification for someone applying to join a discussion forum doesn't actually approve them for the discussion forum, just marks the notification as read.

Sincerely sorry about that, everyone. You should all be approved for the discussion forum now.

What time are you planning on running this at HSNCT? I'm trying to see if I can potentially play Imaginary Landscape or META in addition to this (though I'll admit that it doesn't seem likely given the timing).

Hi, everyone. I apologize for not being more on top this; I've been working on finishing up the actual HSNCT the past few weeks and it has consumed my life/time like a black hole.

This IS still happening. Probably 9pm Saturday night. I'll post a more firm time and a location in the hotel tomorrow or Wednesday. Look forward to seeing you all there!