Re: The System

• From: Xiao_Tuzi
• Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 07:06:54 -0700
• Message-ID: <000SGDTVU.000NF90DG.12170551-quizbowl_at_...>

While I am all for trying new methods, I have
some major problems with this system. I can understand
the "fighter" ability to get 25 points for a tossup
they get. That at least seems justified since they
still have to get the tossup to get the points.


My problem comes from all these other classes which
don't seem to really require any knowledge. Since you
are already considering changing the "wizard" skill,
perhaps that change will make that more knowledge based
(so it seems). But where I have seen bonus stealing
before, it has never involved simply taking away the
other teams bonus. The other team has just gotten a
tossup correct and deserves a chance to earn points for
it. Perhaps if they get zero on a bonus, then you can
take it. Another interesting idea would be to have
something to nullify bonus laming. A player could possibly
claim a lamed bonus for their side, so the next tossup
they get correctly would include that bonus. This
would be interesting in that it would make teams think
before laming (we might get a zero on the geek trash,
but should we do it to keep them from getting a 30?).
What's most important, the team is still required to get
a tossup before they get the bonus.

I don't
have much to say about the positive points for
negging. In the scheme you have set up, it seems five
points is not going to be worth very much. Plus, it
seems it wouldn't encourage too many players to neg
early still. It would still be a 40 point possible
swing.

One main concern is that I know the tournament
directors are working very hard on this tournament, and
this is the first tournament JHU has held in quite a
while. It just seems like an awful lot to try at once.
Why not have everyone pull a number out of a hat and
they can keep that number for the whole tournament?
Every time they get that number tossup, they get 25
points. It just seems easier, and still rewards knowledge
or skill of some sort. Even in "buzz in now"
questions, the points still go to the team that buzzes in
first.

Alexis