Homer Loves Donuts (tournament) Open for Registration

[Meeplelowda]

Chapter 1: https://boardgamearena.com/tournament?id=320246

[Meeplelowda]

Episode 3 is open for registration.

[Meeplelowda]

Episode 5 is open for registration.

[Meeplelowda]

Episode 6 is open for registration.

[T72on1]

Episode 6 is open for registration.

What does the number of games = auto setting mean? How many games are being played exactly?

[Meeplelowda]

Episode 6 is open for registration.

What does the number of games = auto setting mean? How many games are being played exactly?

It means it automatically adjusts the number of rounds to the fewest that will result in only one undefeated player. For example, with between 5 and 8 players you need 3 rounds, but with 9 to 16 players you need 4 rounds because there will be two undefeated players after only three rounds. So as the number of players has grown, so has the number of rounds. Yesterday we were under 16 players (but over 8), so it had it set at 4 rounds. Now that we've exceeded 16 there will be 5 rounds. If we go over 32, there will be 6 rounds. I wager we won't get to 65 players, but it would continue to expand accordingly.

Although they don't acknowledge it, it implements this suggestion: https://boardgamearena.com/bug?id=142911

In a Swiss tournament of a two-player game, a clear winner (i.e., an undefeated player) will emerge after N rounds if 2^(N-1) < P <= 2^N, where P is the number of players in the tournament. This assumes there are no ties, which applies here because even if a game's rules allows for ties, BGA's tournament framework always assigns a winner of a two-player game.

Currently the number of rounds of a BGA Swiss tournament is determined when the tournament is configured before registration is complete and the number of players is known. So it's possible for there to be more rounds than necessary, like 5 rounds for only 7 people when 3 rounds would suffice. Or too few rounds, like 4 rounds for 50 people.

Yes, a minimum and maximum number of players can be set when the tournament is configured, which is one way to deal with this issue, but that leads to the possibility that the minimum will not be reached and the tournament will be canceled.

Instead, there could be an option to set the number of rounds to log_2(P) rounded up which would guarantee neither too few nor too many rounds are played without the risk of the tournament canceling (except for a default minimum of maybe 4 players / 2 rounds).

[Meeplelowda]

Episode 8 is open for registration with a new format:
Stage 1 is 4 rounds of Swiss in two groups with 7 players from each group qualifying for a second stage single elimination with 14 players. If the tournament fills, everyone with a 4-0 and 3-1 record is guaranteed to advance to single elimination, plus a couple of the 2-2 players. The two 4-0 players will get a bye in the first round of single elimination.

[Meeplelowda]

Episode 9 is open for registration using the format from Episode 8 above.

[Meeplelowda]

I am soliciting feedback on whether this series should become invite-only. I cannot say why in public, but if you can DM me for clarification.

[Meeplelowda]

Episode 10 is open for registration.

Format change: round time is now 5 days. I have observed that games going longer than this are almost always due to one player taking excessive time, not both players playing regularly and simply not having enough time.