SOHO (HFT XV, 04/21, Online OPEN)

[g3ner1c]

I'm excited to announce that I will be directing the first iteration of SOHO, the Spectacular Online HFT Open, held on SUNDAY, April 21st, 2024. This tournament will be the last mirror for 2023 HFT XV, a HS regs+ set. There are a few mirrors left scheduled for the next two weeks. If they are in your region and you are able, please play those in-person mirrors to support your local scene! My intent is for this tournament to be an enjoyable open before nats, so I encourage y'all to get some friends together and have some fun!

The tournament will be held on Discord using Buzzin.live to buzz, players are expected to have Discord accounts before the tournament starts. We will be using MODAQ to scorekeep, and because it is the last mirror of the set, buzzpoints stats will be available after the tournament finishes along with stats posted on HSQB. Here is an example of what it will look like.

Eligibility
This is an open tournament. Teams are not required to consist of players from the same school. Anyone in the high school graduating class of 2024 or younger (including msers and I guess extremely ambitious elementary school students), who has not previously played or seen this set, is eligible to play.

Format and Rules
The initial cap for the field is 16 teams, but will likely increase with enough interest and sufficient staffers. All teams will be guaranteed at least 9 games not counting byes. There may be finals or advantaged finals.

Standard ACF rules for powermarked sets with a slightly modified 5/8/5 timing will apply. Each game will be untimed and have 20 tossups and 20 bonuses. Powers are worth 15 points, and negs deduct 5 points, though there is no penalty if the other team has already negged. There will not be bouncebacks on bonuses. If the game is tied at the end of 20 cycles, tiebreaker tossups will be read until there is a score change.

Teams can have a maximum of 6 players, although only 4 can play at a time. Players are required to show both hands on camera and follow the PACE Honor Pledge. In addition, all tournament attendees are expected to follow the PACE Code of Conduct. Abusive behavior or cheating will not be tolerated. Misconduct can be reported via this form, as well as contacting me through Discord or email.

Registration
The team formation spreadsheet is located here. To officially register your team, please fill out this Google form. Free agents can make themselves available on the team formation sheet to find teammates.

Registration: $70
Late fee (not paid within 2 weeks after the tournament): +$30
Late drop fee (after April 17th): $30
Shorthanded team (1-2 players) discount: -$20

A generous staffer may choose to forgo their payment for a -$25 discount to a team of their wish.
Payment information will be included in a confirmation email. If cost is an issue, please reach out to me, we can work something out.

Staffing
We would prefer that interested staffers be comfortable with using MODAQ. It's fairly simple to learn, so if you are not familiar with it, you are still welcome to sign up and I can reach out to you individually. Staffers will be paid $25 for staffing the whole tournament. Please fill out this Google form to register to staff.

Contact
Feel free to ask any questions! I'm available at g3ner1c.sky on Discord or [email protected].

[g3ner1c]

The registration deadline of Friday, April 19th 2:00 PM ET is coming up in two weeks, and there is still plenty of room! I encourage anyone who still hasn't played HFT XV to sign up as this is confirmed to be the last mirror for the set!

[g3ner1c]

There are still a few days left to register a team, with spots still open in the field! The final cap for the field is 16 teams. We likely do not need any more moderators, so I encourage people who were considering to mod to play if they are eligible.