The Quizbowl Resource Center

Hello friends,

This is the announcement for ACFNATIONALS, a tournament exclusively on JRPGs written by me, Billy Busse and Andrew Wang. This tournament will feature 200 questions split into 10 packets, though we may have more questions for tiebreakers, an extra packet, etc.

Our goal is to have this played alongside the hard open tournament in the fall. Furthermore, I would like it if it will occur on the same day as Westbrook's super secret side event as well. If the hard tournament doesn't materialize that weekend, we'll probably runit at next year's ICT on Friday night or the spot of Lederberg. It's happening at the HSNCT now.

Unlike many other video game tournaments, this tournament will feature almost zero questions whose answerline is the name of a game; rather 60-70% of the answers are common links - that's because we want to test memorable plot details, items, characters, etc. in games. The remainder of the questions will consist of a specific thing from the universe of a well-known game. This give us the flexibility to write about specific things from more famous games, and use leadins and early clues from more marginal ones before going to easier clues from better known games.

You probably know if you already want to play this tournament or not, but just in case you aren't sure: if you are someone who has played and enjoyed any of the Final Fantasies, Pokemon, Dragon Warrior, or Tales of games, you will probably find something in this tournament for you.

In case you want a little history, I'll give some details about the genesis of this tournament. At some point last summer I decided I wanted to play every (English-localized) JRPG for the PS2, eventually I started branching out and playing other JRPGs for other consoles, but this tournament's conception materialized with that ambitious goal. I have been working on this periodically for the last 8 months or so by playing a lot of games. So, while my writing approach has been Lawrencian in that I have been grinding through every game for clues, I'm doing it because these games are fun ... most of the time.

A couple of miscellaneous notes:
- Post here in this thread if you want to play, the entry fee is FREEEEEEEE ... the main reason to post is that if I see a significant portion of the people who want to play it can't make it up to a tournament, I may seriously just wait until next ICT HSNCT, where the field will be the largest.

- I assure you we are covering pretty much every JRPG you can think of...but just in case we're not, but if you are absolutely going to play this game, then you are free to post whatever you hope will come up. I can't promise you that it will come up just because you do post (especially if it isn't J enough) but I'm always interested in checking out a cool new RPG for story, mechanics, and whatever else.

I'll show up

I''m thoroughly interested.

Sounds cool.

yes

I'll play this wherever it ends up being held.

Sure, I'll just sit there and just snipe off the Pokemon questions.

Would play

I'll play this.

Sounds neat. I'd play.

User was reminded to enable a signature. --Mgmt.

i sure hope tomato adventure comes up

I'd like to be involved in this in some way. Hopefully it'll be played at something I attend or playtested or whatever. What matters is that Squaresoft's Tom Saywer game gets the respect it is due.

To liberally quote Brendan Byrne, I'll pay hundreds of dollars to play this tournament.

I would like it if it will occur on the same day as Westbrook's super secret side event as well

And, I'll try to progress so I ensure that this happens, because I think this event and the event I have in mind would be a match made in heaven (or several other people's hell).

I would absolutely love to play this, but I would probably only be able to do so if it ran at ICT.

I need to study more for this. I share a fun story below, enjoy.

my dragon warrior ii cartridge has a nail driven through it
my roommate won the nail from me in a bet made over the patriots/jets playoff game
you know the one time the jets won
i talked about buying that game off amazon so much in front of my evil ex-roommate
for christmas he
bought a copy of it
drove a nail through it
waited for a day when i didn't lock my bedroom door
went in my bathroom and filled the tub with water
dropped the cartridge in the water
made the water extremely red by applying that kool-aid making liquid to it
closed my door and made a suicide note for the game
"I am too long for this world, goodbye forever"
posted the note to the door

then i came home to the horror
the horror
as he looked on i read the note
i looked back at him
what dude what is going on
he looked back as if clueless

as i walked into the bathroom it was the death of marat
but this time dragon warrior ii was gone
although the tub did not say "dragon warrior ii" on the outside or anything
you get the point

so i wondered what on earth was going on
i felt i should take all of the red substance out of the game
and let it dry
for
a
bit
he laughed at me wondering why i didn't just throw it away
he talked about his elaborate scheme while the game was drying

then i put the game in my retro duo
and it worked
merry christmas

Hello friends,

This set is 60-70% complete. I've decided to mirror this at the HSNCT in May on Saturday Night. That's a centralized enough location, and hopefully everyone who wants to play it can make it out there. If you are a high schooler, be warned that the set may contain some foul language. Despite Ryan Westbrook's willingness to pay, it will be free to play. I'll also note: I will also have awesome prizes.

The format for the set will be doubles (that's you and one party member), though I can't say more than that until the time comes. It may be a shootout, or a bracket, or some format inspired by Guerilla / Gorilla lit, with ladder ascents and descents. The only true requirement for registering is that you and your party member come up with a suitably witty name.

I will likely skip Dillo Day to staff HSNCT and play this. Seeking a partner.

UPDATE: Tejas and I are joining forces for this. Huzzah!

Assuming I can make it to HSNCT, I'll gladly staff this.

Seeking skilled teammate, send me a message if interested. Please be sure to describe your JRPG interests.

Eric Mukherjee and I will be X-Striking together.

Ramapriya Rangaraju and I will likely be partnering up to play this. Team name forthcoming.

Vissi d'arte wrote:Ramapriya Rangaraju and I will likely be partnering up to play this. Team name forthcoming.

Do you think you will be low on HP? If so, you should be Frog Squash.

UPDATE: Ramapriya and I will be playing this tournament as "Chronicle of Aeris's Death Foretold"

You sound like chapters from a self-help booklet! Prepare yourselves! (for Aaron Rosenberg and myself)

I'm playing this with Ryan Westbrook

Edit: Won't be at HSNCT, so frowny face.

Lexington's Reggie "Regulus" Luo and Gavin Mak would like to play this, team name forthcoming.

the charm wrote:I will likely skip Dillo Day to staff HSNCT

*shakes head

Playing this with Matt Jackson.

Hello friends,

Some people assumed that this tournament was happening at the ICT, due to my first post. That's not true, it is being played at the HSNCT! Hopefully that causes no inconveniences, but I look forward to seeing you all there.

PS - There is now an audio packet of questions as well. It's just the gift that keeps on giving!

Ike wrote: PS - There is now an audio packet of questions as well. It's just the gift that keeps on giving!

Man, I wanted to be the first guy to write audio video game tossups (I made enough over the course of last year to make a packet but never released them to anybody).

Also, I'm totally playing this. Seeking teammate.

I'm interested in playing and will team with anyone who doesn't care if their partner only has fake knowledge of JRPGs.

Unicolored Jay wrote:

Ike wrote: PS - There is now an audio packet of questions as well. It's just the gift that keeps on giving!

Man, I wanted to be the first guy to write audio video game tossups (I made enough over the course of last year to make a packet but never released them to anybody).

Heh, I've been making some audio tossups as well and also have enough for a packet. I wonder if there's enough interest in having a VGM side event at some point.

anderson wrote:Heh, I've been making some audio tossups as well and also have enough for a packet. I wonder if there's enough interest in having a VGM side event at some point.

Yes.

Kyle Sutherlin and I would like to play this. We are also in favor of VGM packets.

Ike wrote:Hello friends,

Some people assumed that this tournament was happening at the ICT, due to my first post. That's not true, it is being played at the HSNCT! Hopefully that causes no inconveniences, but I look forward to seeing you all there.

PS - There is now an audio packet of questions as well. It's just the gift that keeps on giving!

I am pleased. I can finally put those thousands of hours I spent listening to OSTs to use! More, please.

anderson wrote:I'm interested in playing and will team with anyone who doesn't care if their partner only has fake knowledge of JRPGs.

Unicolored Jay wrote:

Ike wrote: PS - There is now an audio packet of questions as well. It's just the gift that keeps on giving!

Man, I wanted to be the first guy to write audio video game tossups (I made enough over the course of last year to make a packet but never released them to anybody).

Heh, I've been making some audio tossups as well and also have enough for a packet. I wonder if there's enough interest in having a VGM side event at some point.

This is a fourth "yes."

Vissi d'arte wrote:

anderson wrote:I'm interested in playing and will team with anyone who doesn't care if their partner only has fake knowledge of JRPGs.

Unicolored Jay wrote:

Ike wrote: PS - There is now an audio packet of questions as well. It's just the gift that keeps on giving!

Man, I wanted to be the first guy to write audio video game tossups (I made enough over the course of last year to make a packet but never released them to anybody).

Heh, I've been making some audio tossups as well and also have enough for a packet. I wonder if there's enough interest in having a VGM side event at some point.

This is a fourth "yes."

This is what I've been waiting for since I started quizbowl. A fifth yes.

Well, I suppose I'll have to get around to making a full side event sometime! But let's try to keep discussion on the tournament that's being advertised in this thread.

I am now teamed up with Richard Yu. Team name tbd.

EDIT: Is there an actual signup sheet/list of some sort? Someone keeping track of this would be useful in organizing the tournament when it comes around.

I'll handle logistics more thoroughly when ACF Nationals is over.

Morgan Venkus and I will play this as "I and Mr. Thou"

Hello friends,

This is a field update for the tournament complete with team names, some of which have been assigned by us.

1. Tejas Raje and Dylan Minarik (It's called survival of the fittest, if you can't slam with the best, then jam with the rest)
2. Eric Mukherjee and Rob Carson (X-Strykers)
3. Ramapriya Rangaraju and Jason Thompson (Chronicles of Aeris' Death Foretold)
4. Aaron Rosenberg and Jake Sundberg (You Sound Like Chapters from a Self-Help Booklet, Prepare Yourselves!!)
5. Matt Lafer and Ryan Westbrook (These Guys Is Sick)
6. Reggie Luo and Gavin Mak (Technology is incredible! You can now store and recall stock clues and Pokemon as data via Protobowl!)
7. Auroni Gupta and Matt Jackson (My external PPG is down 5%, Shion I need to be cleaned)
8. Kyle Sutherlin and Benji Nguyen (We're on the same ship, It's Called Starship Earth)
9. Jasper Lee and Richard Yu (Third Strongest Guardian Neggers)
10. Morgan Venkus and Matt Laird (I and Mr. Thou)

We reserve the right to consolidate teams so that a sensible format is ensured - we don't want to turn anyone way, so sign on up if you are interested in playing!

Also, if you would like to read for this tournament, please get in touch with me.

Ike

Anyone looking for a teammate? I'm considering emerging from retirement for this. PM me if you're interested. No creepy otakus please.

I'm very very bad at trash tossups but this looks fun. I'd be down to play or read.

Depending on how hungry I am, I can either

a. put up 1 PPG for a team
b. or read

I can read, hopefully.

I wouldn't be good at this, but I would love to read so I could hear the questions. I have sent you a message as well with this information. thanks! should be a blast!

If your field still allows for signups, Arjun Sondhi would like to play this while I sit beside him and wait for clues about Final Fantasy VI and Dragon Warrior IV

adosreme wrote:If your field still allows for signups, Arjun Sondhi would like to play this while I sit beside him and wait for clues about Final Fantasy VI and Dragon Warrior IV

This reminds me that I need to play Dragon Warrior IV before the tournament. I knew I was missing something :)

Yeah of course, we're still accepting sign-ups.

I'll update stuff accordingly in a few minutes.

I'm going to do a head count of how many staffers we have and we'll need. I think a max cap of 16 teams makes sense. If for some reason we can't secure eight staffers and rooms, we'll do those "dreaded quads" thingy.

Ike