Tournament time limits

[danielvictor]

I just played in a tournament with a time limit of 48 hours. Two of the four of us went over time.I was nearly two hours over.One player was over 40 hours over,one had under an hour left. I would probably have lost anyway,but I don't often exceed the time limit. 48 hours seems too short for a 4-player game.What do other people think ?

[Meeplelowda]

I just played in a tournament with a time limit of 48 hours. Two of the four of us went over time.I was nearly two hours over.One player was over 40 hours over,one had under an hour left. I would probably have lost anyway,but I don't often exceed the time limit. 48 hours seems too short for a 4-player game.What do other people think ?

It is too short. The problem is that anyone with a premium account can create a tournament. You can't assume they know what they are doing. There's no licensing exam, and there's no grading of the tournament. For example, if a high %-age of tables reached the end of a round without the players actually finishing the game, the settings should get a falling grade.

[danielvictor]

Interesting.Somebody has to run the tournament,though ? Who makes the decision when to end a round after the allotted time has been exceeded ? Couldn't they allow more time if most tables haven't finished their games ?

[Meeplelowda]

Interesting.Somebody has to run the tournament,though ? Who makes the decision when to end a round after the allotted time has been exceeded ? Couldn't they allow more time if most tables haven't finished their games ?

No. No one "runs" tournaments. All the parameters are determined before it starts. The parameters include 1) format, i.e., single elimination bracket, round robin, or swiss, and whether there will be a group stage that feeds into a single elimination bracket; 2) maximum number of players per table; 3) starting date and time; 4) maximum time each game will last; 5) whether it is real-time (a horrible idea) or turn-based; 6) whether turn-based tournaments will have playing hours; etc., etc.

It is all automated based on those settings. Not only does no one actively "run" a tournament, you aren't even allowed to change any setting once a single person has signed up. So if you set it to start at noon, then change your mind and want it to start at 1 pm, your only option to is to cancel entire tournament if you want to make that change after someone signs up.

[danielvictor]

So what decisions does the person listed as overseeing the tournament get to make ?

[Meeplelowda]

So what decisions does the person listed as overseeing the tournament get to make ?

Before it starts, they decide all the aforementioned parameters. After it starts, absolutely none.

There is no "tournament director" in the sense of someone who makes rulings on disputes and can disqualify a player for bad behavior, like in an IRL tournament. When I said it was automated, I meant it.

[danielvictor]

Ok,but you said parameter 4 was maximum time each game will last. So,ok,they can't react to the fact that most games are unfinished. But they could increase the maximum time per game before they start if they think it is too short ?

[Meeplelowda]

Ok,but you said parameter 4 was maximum time each game will last. So,ok,they can't react to the fact that most games are unfinished. But they could increase the maximum time per game before they start if they think it is too short ?

If I understand what you are asking, the answer is no. No changes of any kind can be made after the tournament starts. This refers to the entire tournament starting, not just a particular round of a tournament.

I'll give a concrete example. Let's say there is a bracket tournament for a four-player game. Let's say it begins at noon on March 23, 2025 and allows 2 days for the entire first round to finish. Each table in the first round will end at the latest by noon on March 25, 2025, no matter what, either by 1) the players actually finishing the game (unlikely for any game of even moderate complexity), 2) at least one player timing out and being expelled by another player, or 3) the time for round 1 (2 days) expiring. Even if 90% of the games in round one ended under scenario 3), which would lead to the conclusion that 2 days was way too short, you can't set a different length for round 2. Why? Because the tournament has already started. You can't adjust things between rounds because all rounds are part of the same tournament.

[danielvictor]

No,Before the tournament starts. The person who runs it gets to set the time per game. According to what you said about setting parameters.As I said,they don't get to react in between rounds.But they to get to decide the amount of time per game before the tournament starts.

[Meeplelowda]

No,Before the tournament starts. The person who runs it gets to set the time per game. According to what you said about setting parameters.As I said,they don't get to react in between rounds.But they to get to decide the amount of time per game before the tournament starts.

Yes. But going back to the very first response I gave:

The problem is that anyone with a premium account can create a tournament. You can't assume they know what they are doing.