1812 Overture [PbF 6] (seeking reserves)

[NoPunIn10Did]

1812 Overture [PbF 6]
A Variant for Six Players, Twelve Powers, and Two Continents



Introduction
There was so much interest in the most recent listing for 1812 Overture that I am fielding another roster for a second concurrent game of it.

This will be the sixth session of this variant played on the forum so far (see prior games in the archive). It will be the 13th session of this variant played overall.

The rules and fundamentals (v1.5) will be the same as those used for the last sessions of the game:
1812 Overture Rules
(You can ignore the tournament-specific stuff.)

As with the other ongoing session, we will be using the redesigned map for this game (seen above).

Scheduling & House Rules
The scheduling and house rules will be similar to those I've used in previous games, and they can be found here:

NoPunIn10Did's PbF / Discord House Rules

In short, orders will be due every Monday and Thursday at 7:00 PM New York Time (EST or EDT) in a three-season rotation: Spring, Autumn, & Winter. Two game-years will normally take three weeks.

Communication and orders will be handled via Discord. Please use the designated private channels that I will set up in the Discord server for your given country. I will also accept forum PMs for orders in a pinch.

Draws must include all survivors and are voted on secretly using standing draw votes.

In the event of a solo, there will be one winner and five losers. In the event of a double-win, there will be two winners and four losers.

In the event of a draw, I will rank all surviving and eliminated players by total SC count, year of elimination, and picking order (later is better, see below). The size of the draw will be irrelevant. As this isn't an a scored game in actuality, there are no points attached to that rank; it's listed instead for posterity and to discourage draw-whittling.

For the sake of my own mental health, if the game doesn't terminate after 10 game-years, I will forcibly end it in a draw. (The longest this variant has gone so far is 9 years.)

Assignments: The Paris Method
Country selection will be handled via an amended version of the Paris Method. Once signups complete, I will give each player a random "rank" as if you'd been playing in a tournament. This rank is not the same as your picking order; rather it is the order in which you set your picking order. See further explanation in the section below.

Note that picking order will be used to tie-break the rankings in a draw, but it will have no effect on a Double Win. If a double win occurs, those two players share victory equally, and all other players share the loss equally. Likewise, rank won't matter in the event of a solo.

As was the case with the last forum game of 1812 Overture I ran, I'm going to override my own rules for this particular playtest when it comes to the assignment of the six "detached" powers. Normally these are paired up randomly or via auction/draft (one EU power & one NA power, check the rules for details). However, because I would like to see a particular combination of pairs that needs more playtesting, the detached power pairings will be predetermined.

Therefore, players will pick from the following six positions:

1. France (dark blue) & Rhine Confederation (light blue)
2. Britain (bright red) & Canada (pink)
3. USA: Republicans (brown) & Federalists (tan)
4. Austria (yellow) & Shawnee (charcoal)
5. Denmark-Norway (dark red) & Cherokee (orange)
6. Russia (purple) & New Spain (green)

Further Information about the Paris Method

Normally, the Paris Method is a system used in face-to-face tournaments to pick the positions of the seven combatants on the Final Table.
For the sake of trying something different for power selection other than random chance or blind auction, we'll be using a version of the Paris Method for this session of 1812 Overture. The entire process will be conducted via Discord.

Step 1: Assign Ranks
Each player will be assigned a random rank from 1 to 6.

Step 2: Set Picking Order
a) The player with Rank 6 will place their name on the empty list.
b) The player with Rank 5 will place their name on the list either before or after the player with Rank 6.
c) The player with Rank 4 will place their name before, after, or between the players with Ranks 5 and 6.
d) The process repeats for Ranks 3, 2, and 1. Each time, the player may not alter the overall order of the picking except to add their name to the list at the end, beginning, or between two existing names.

Unfortunately, Rank 6 will have no control over their picking order, while Rank 1 will have whichever position they wish. This is acknowledged as unfair, though the degree of the impact on the actual game is debatable.

Timing for Step 2
Once the picking order selection has begun, each player will have 36 hours to make their pick. Players that miss that window will have their picking order determined by the Rank 6 player (or by random chance if that player does not pick within the next 36 hours).

Step 3: Choose Powers
Using the picking order determined in Step 2, players will choose their pair of powers. Remember that the detached power pairs are preset for this session (Austria with Shawnee, Denmark with Cherokee, & Russia with New Spain).

Timing for Step 3
Each player will have 36 hours to select their powers. Players that miss that window will have a random pair of powers assigned to them.

Step 4: End of game
If the game ends in a draw, either voluntarily or because ten years have been completed, all players will be ranked according to the SC totals (for survivors) or their years of elimination (for non-survivors). Ties will be broken using the Picking Order (later is better).

In Summary
You will have a chance to pick a place in line with respect to those players who chose their own place in line prior to you. An earlier position in line will hypothetically grant you a better chance at playing the powers you want to play, while a later position in line will grant you a higher rank in the event of a tie.

Why Bother?
I'm planning to use this method in each round of a future multi-game tournament, and I'd like to test it a few times first. As mentioned before, it's not entirely fair, but it's also not entirely meaningful. Thank you for your cooperation with this playtest.

Recruitment

I'm looking for a blend of players; some with experience playing this variant and some who are new to it. I will attempt to pick players with some known reliable track-record in forum games, site games, or email games. Newer players to the forum are welcome to join my reserves/observers list (such players are often needed as replacements).

Potential Players

1. nanooktheeskimo
2. Amby
3. Bagle
4. Friendly Sword
5. bigjoe03
6. tboz1128

Reserves & Observers

• TTBen (possible backup GM)
• shubaka17

[Don Juan of Austria]

I can be a reserve

[haroonriaz]

I know I am back here after a very long time, but add me as a reserve, please. I am looking to be more regular on the forums now.

Also, hi everyone.

[NoPunIn10Did]

I know I am back here after a very long time, but add me as a reserve, please. I am looking to be more regular on the forums now.

Also, hi everyone.

You are really late to the party on this one. We already finished both games of 1812. I can send you some info about other ongoing games though, if you'd like.

[haroonriaz]

I know I am back here after a very long time, but add me as a reserve, please. I am looking to be more regular on the forums now.

Also, hi everyone.

You are really late to the party on this one. We already finished both games of 1812. I can send you some info about other ongoing games though, if you'd like.

Yes, sure. You can DM.