Star United States - Cup of Harmony 61 Bid [Withdrawed]

[Star United States]

This bid has been withdrawed from the voting table. Thank you.

The Republic of Star United States understands and respects the responsibilities brought upon hosting the Cup of Harmony, and gladly accepts each and every one of them. Thus, the borders of Star United States are open to host the Sixty-First Edition of the Cup of Harmony.

What’s this “Star United States” you speak of?

IC
Star United States was founded on the 20th of February of the year 1815, when the five former sovereign states of Starix, Estrall, Piasxe, Opangue, and Herbeid joined together as one sovereign state (they are now known as districts). Therefore, The Republic of Star United States was created. The name originated from what the people of the former states used to be called, which is Stars. Now, the people of Star United States are known as Stars (still), or Starians (most common). The five stars on the flag represent each former state respectively.

As of recently, Star United States has three official languages which are: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. English is mainly spoken in the Estrall, Herbeid, and Piasxe Districts (plus the northern section of the Starix District), and became an official language in 1816. Spanish is more common in the Starix and Opangue Districts, and became an official language in 1900. Portuguese, recognized as an official language in 2014, is mainly just spoken on the Star United States Islands (formerly the Star Reef Isles) who was annexed recently, but is becoming never-ending popular on the mainland of Star United States.

Star United States has hot summers and mildly cold to warm winters due to the fact that it’s a tropical state located in the region of Esportiva. The City of Star, located in the Starix District, currently holds the honor to be called the capital city of Star United States – who has been absent from wars and has managed to keep violence very low, just like what happened during the Starian Uprising during the 60th Cup of Harmony.

The people of Star United States have a great passion for sports – most notable ones are Fútbol (Association Soccer) and Triathlons. Star United States has participated in over fifteen international tournaments, and has previously had the honor to host the First, Fourth, Fifth Star Triathlon Worldwide Tournament; the International FireStorm Cup VI; many international soccer friendlies; and a national league of sports. Star United States is now looking to have the honor to host more international competitions.

OCC
Star United States has hosted four international tournaments; has scorinated for two other tournaments; many soccer friendlies; and a league of sports, nationally. Also, has participated in many tournaments (as stated above). Star United States was created near the beginning of the year 2012 (February 20, 2012 to be exact), and has been on NS Sports ever since, joining and hosting tournaments.

How will the Cup of Harmony 61 work?

32 or 40 teams (depending on the amount of teams invited) will be invited to take an honorable spot in the Cup of Harmony, following a certain criteria. This criteria will completely follow what the Constitution of the World Cup Committee – section 2.4.1 states: which, shortly, states that for a country to be invited they must be in the current World Cup qualifiers, but has failed to qualify for the World Cup Finals; has posted a roster for the current World Cup Cycle; and is actively RPing in such edition (at least one, accordingly). The criteria will also contain details, which will not be revealed.

Note I : If Star United States qualifies by any chance for the World Cup 69 Finals - participation by Star United States in the Cup of Harmony 61 will not occur. On the other hand, if Star United States doesn't qualify for the World Cup 69 Finals, the team will be placed in Group A, as hosts, but another user will be asked to scorinate and RP-grade Group A to successful host the event without any major issues or/and concerns.

Format
- If 32 teams are invited to the tournament:
Group Stage will start with eight groups of four, followed by the Round of 16 (Eight-Finals), Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, Third Place Match, and Final Match.
- If 40 teams are invited to the tournament:
Group Stage will start with eight groups of five, followed by the Round of 16 (Eight-Finals), Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, Third Place Match, and Final Match.

Tie-Breakers – if needed
1. Points
2. Goal Difference
3. Goals For
4. Head-to-Head Match

Bonus
RP bonuses will be given and will move from one round to the next (it’s accumulative). No exact criteria will be given for RPs, but unique and good-quality RPs will be strongly suggesting, promoting creatively.

Scorination
The lasted version of Xkborante will be used in order to successfully host the honorable event, and the SQIS formula will be used. (OCC: The SQIS formula will be used because this is the formula I’ve always used.)

OCC

Firstly, I’ll like to thank all the members of the NS Sports Community, and the WCC members (both Committees) for taking your time to read this bid.
Secondly, the thread is now open for any concerns, comments, issues or problems to the NS Sports Community, to the World Cup Committee and to the World Cup Executive Committee. Thank you!

[San Jose Guayabal]

This bid seems to be OK according to the criteria, but are you ready to host an event of this magnitude and relevance without a Co-host?

[Nephara]

Please list specifically what tournaments you have hosted in the past.

[Star United States]

This bid seems to be OK according to the criteria, but are you ready to host an event of this magnitude and relevance without a Co-host?

In my opinion, I'm more that capable of being able to successfully host this event.
I can see you concern about not having a co-host, and I acknowledge it, but I also acknowledge that the Constitution of the World Cup Committee states the following: [2.4.2, ii] "Two-host bids are the preferred format, though any number of hosts are acceptable." Adding on to this, concerns of this subject are brought upon knowing of what events could happen because of a single-host event, such as a CTE, a computer crashes, or any real life events that would leave the host unable to host this event successfully, and there is not co-host to take over.

Firstly, I'll like to state that I won't be "ceasing to exist" any time soon. I've been around for about 2 years, and I'm planning to stay around for another while. Secondly, if my computer crashes - which I doubt will happen - I have a back-up one that can meet the requirements to successfully complete the event. Thirdly, I mostly always have access to the internet and to Xkorante (mostly) anywhere I go, unless if an extreme real life event were to happen, God forbid.

Please list specifically what tournaments you have hosted in the past.

The answer to this is posted in the Bid, but here's the list, quoted from the first post: ".... has previously had the honor to host the First, Fourth, Fifth Star Triathlon Worldwide Tournament; the International FireStorm Cup VI; many international soccer friendlies; and a national league of sports..."

[Paradystopia]

This bid seems to be OK according to the criteria, but are you ready to host an event of this magnitude and relevance without a Co-host?

In my opinion, I'm more that capable of being able to successfully host this event.

Personally though, I would prefer to see two hosts and not for matters regarding experience.

With it being such an RP-centric tournament and there being such a myriad of RP styles, I believe that two hosts give a more rounded judging of who to invite, being able to debate and discuss who scrapes in and who didn't quite make the grade. Giving that the number of teams entering the World Cup, and the number of teams making active RP contributions keeps increasing, how do you plan do make the invitation process as fair as possible?

[Star United States]

Personally though, I would prefer to see two hosts and not for matters regarding experience.

With it being such an RP-centric tournament and there being such a myriad of RP styles, I believe that two hosts give a more rounded judging of who to invite, being able to debate and discuss who scrapes in and who didn't quite make the grade. Giving that the number of teams entering the World Cup, and the number of teams making active RP contributions keeps increasing, how do you plan do make the invitation process as fair as possible?

I completely understand and respect your opinion on the two-host bid topic.

Fairness is always a rather highly debatable topic, no matter what direction it's taken on, because to one it may seem fair, and to another it might not. As we all know only 30 teams out of many get to the chance to qualify for the World Cup Finals, meaning many great RPers are out of the picture. In this case out of 192 teams only 30 get to make it to Apox and The Holy Empire, leaving 162 teams out with the possible chance to get an invitation.

Now, there are many ways to bring the number 162 down to a lower one.
Now, as you stated, many teams are actively RPing and the most likely will continue to do so. Parts of the criteria to receive an invitation will remain unknown but, one thing that will be searched for is decent to great quality RPs, not necessarily quantity of RPs, as most hosts tend to do.

Most likely the best-quality RPs will be done by teams that will qualify for the World Cup, but that's only 30 of them. This means that great RPers will be eliminated from qualifying because they're going to fall to the hands of Margaret, or because they'll face a team with much higher ranked team, but they put forth the effort to qualify for the World Cup and will most likely have priority to receive an invitation to the Cup of Harmony, if this host bid were to win.

Once again, as stated early in this post, fairness is a very debatable topic. Meaning that what is states above might seem fair to some but, not to all. Sadly not everyone who posted RPs will be able to invited, but the best of the best RPers, who didn't qualify for the World Cup Finals, will receive an invitation for the Cup of Harmony.

[Nephara]

How high are your standards for invitation?

[Star United States]

How high are your standards for invitation?

My bottom line of the criteria for an invitation is: RP continuously with great quality. "Continuously" doesn't mean post many RPs a day, such as in terms of quantity, it means to RP throughout the qualifiers, (Meaning: don't post RPs for Match Day One and Two and then just disappear.)

[Cobmeister]

I'm going to enter this in my first football match or tournament.

[Ceni]

I'm going to enter this in my first football match or tournament.

Dude, you have to be in the World Cup and have good RPs for you to be invited to the Cup of Harmony.

[Saugeais]

I really can't support or vote for this bid because of the fact you are flying solo, and you are inexperienced at hosting something at this magnitude. Those two factors combined make me extremely wary.

I highly suggest you look to a senior partner to help you undertake this and guide you through how it is to be properly run.

[Gregoryisgodistan]

I could overlook your inexperience if you had a senior co-host. But flying solo, I can't. Honestly, even if you were very experienced, I'd find it hard to support you flying solo on this. It's a lot of work. Yes, you may have hosted 32 or 40 team tournaments before, but by definition in the CoH, everyone participating is an active RP'er. (And if not, you did a bad selection job.) I hosted a 40-team tournament (Handball World Cup 12) solo before with even less experience than you have. But the CoH would be significantly more work than that. Fewer than half of those 40 nations even posted a roster, and only about 3 nations RP'd regularly, plus another dozen or so who RP'd once or twice the whole tournament. On any given day, I'd be grading 3 or 4 RP's tops. With the CoH, especially during the group stage, you could be grading 20 or even 30 high-quality RP's a day. That's a lot of work for one person, especially someone with little experience.

But honestly, even if a very experienced host like Legalese or Equestrian States bid solo, that bid probably wouldn't get my vote. It's a lot of work for one person, and that host might not be able to do as good a job running solo as only doing half the work.

[Legalese]

But honestly, even if a very experienced host like Legalese or Equestrian States bid solo, that bid probably wouldn't get my vote. It's a lot of work for one person, and that host might not be able to do as good a job running solo as only doing half the work.

As one of the two named in the above quote, I feel compelled to - for the most part - concur. I've seen solo bids work for the Cup of Harmony, but they should be the exception, not the rule. Personally, it's something i'd only consider myself doing if it was absolutely necessary.

Star, I would take Saugeais's advice on this one, and consider looking for a senior partner to work with here - preferably someone with a World Cup, an Olympics, or a few WCC events (including a CoH) to their name. As I've dealt with often, the real challenges to any sort of hosting these events is not the scorination, but rather the keeping the trust of the community in performing your duties as host. Solo bids often have a harder road to hoe in that sense already, and going in there without doing a CoH or BoF before just makes the likelihood that it'll all end in tears too great to be worth the risk.

[Star United States]

I highly suggest you look to a senior partner to help you undertake this and guide you through how it is to be properly run.

Star, I would take Saugeais's advice on this one, and consider looking for a senior partner to work with here - preferably someone with a World Cup, an Olympics, or a few WCC events (including a CoH) to their name. As I've dealt with often, the real challenges to any sort of hosting these events is not the scorination, but rather the keeping the trust of the community in performing your duties as host. Solo bids often have a harder road to hoe in that sense already, and going in there without doing a CoH or BoF before just makes the likelihood that it'll all end in tears too great to be worth the risk.

I'll like to take the time for the advice given by the two users above. It's really appreciated. I'll take this in count in the future for future WCC event bids. In this case, I will be withdrawing this bid from the voting table and I'll find a way to turn it into an IC event to be able to RP on.

Thank you Legalese and Saugeais, once again, it's really appreciated.