Hello guys, I decided that I gonna write some last words about National Cup, which was one of my biggest project in MTA ever. Well, maybe it is my biggest project ever. Somebody could take inspiration from my words, somebody could disagree with my methods and sombody could just thank to me for the organisation:P I am such an egoist, hehe!
I would like to tell you a story, story about tournament, story about 57 matches in 5 days...Does anybody projected something like that in MTA? Just think about it again - 57 matches in 5 days! Thats more than 10 matches per a day!
Like there is some natural development of MTA:SA League, there is some natural development of National Cup, which is inside-event of MTA:SA League. For the seasons, its growing and growing. First of all, I have to say, that I did not believed that there could be something like this huge league. Of course, I wanted it to be working, but I did not exepected that it could work like that. If I could look on this season, there was just one problem - number of teams. There were some clans which confirmed us that they want to play and when we were close to the start of the league, they just told us, they are leaving. We started later than it was planned, that was the only problem. After starting the league, I have not solved any problems. Communication between clans is good, they know how the league works and in fact, most of things were solved without me.
My job came in December, when players started to be excited for National Cup. I was still calculating with 4 playing dates (27th-30th) and with +/- 16 national teams for this event. Few days before closing the registration there were less than 16 teams and I thought that it will not be so big as I expected. Well...I was wrong, until closing the registration I got 24 teams.
I was fistly calculating with 12, 16, 18, 20 teams (and I was thinking about hybrids like 17 teams etc.) groups system. Basically, I knew I want to have some kind of Play Off and you can create Play Off closely from every situation, so the key were main groups. When I saw indications that there could be more teams, I started to work with 24 teams system. I hope I will not get more teams and if I would get less, I was prepared to create one main group from Germany, Poland and Russia as a best teams of last seasons, where all teams would somehow qualify the Play Off. After closing registrations I had 24 teams, and I already knew that it means 6 groups by 4 teams. But that meant I needed one more playing day, because 6 (matches in one group) * 6 (number of groups) = 36 and I wanted maximally 3 matches per day on one server (that is maximally 15 matches per day, but i needed to count with reserves). So that meant 3 days and Play Off should took more than 1 day - so I got 5 days.
So after closing registration, I had half of my work for the next days. In these days I had to figure out how to play Play Off. I had to count with biggest problem of these big tournaments - some team/s will not come on their matches and second problem was that If I would madee Play Off eg. just for the best two team from each group, teams from weaker groups could be higher than they deserved. I knew I have to invent some system now and I can not make any changes later, because any change during tournament could mean disintegrations of the tournament. And now there is the funny part, I invented so awesome Play Off model, when I was stoned
Maybe that was the reason, why the most of you did not understood that system. But no, seriously, I think, I invented pretty fair system and fairness is always my point. Teams foght each other in own group, but they were sorted to global rank and even if somebody got pumped by some high victory because of not comming their opponents, the worse team in global rank was able to get before this team during Play Off. I could just say, that Ukraine team was just example of my words.
After starting the event, I was trying to be on most of matches, but I could not be on three places in the same time. And that is the reason, why I do not deserve whole glory for this tournament - I would not be able to organise it. I could just supposed that players interested to this event are so reliable, that all planned matches would be realised not just from both teams but from admin site as well. And for this I would like to thank to all, who helped me!
Yes, there were some smaller problems like in the most of tournament, the biggest problem were that two/three teams did not come on their matches. This is the general and most common problem by my opinion, which I was mostly solving by doing invited tournaments and not open for all who want. For the next, I should come with solution, for example I would like to see more than 5 players of one team on the server at one time before the tournament to register them.
I dont know how to end this story, I just hope you enjoyed the event and that you appreciate the work what I done, not just the five days (when I was closely non-stop in the game) but even in the days before the tournament.
Thanks.
PS: It is closely 6.00 AM so if there would be any grammer nazi, just fuck you!
