The World Cup Discussion Thread (OOC, Version IV)

[Squidroidia]

This was a good opening cycle for me. BoF 3rd place, 5th in my qualification group with some strong nations, let's not forget about that IAC 3rd too... As someone who only got back into NationStates at the start of the summer when the quarantine stuff was out of whack, I did well for a first timer. I wish everyone luck at the playoffs or the World Cup proper, and I hope to get a Cup of Harmony invite for pouring my time into this.

[Audioslavia]

This was a good opening cycle for me. BoF 3rd place, 5th in my qualification group with some strong nations, let's not forget about that IAC 3rd too... As someone who only got back into NationStates at the start of the summer when the quarantine stuff was out of whack, I did well for a first timer. I wish everyone luck at the playoffs or the World Cup proper, and I hope to get a Cup of Harmony invite for pouring my time into this.

That is a very strong first cycle. Good job, Squid!

Cheers to everyone in Group 6 for a great couple of weeks. It's a shame the group couldn't have been tighter at the end.

Now, to find out whether Darmen are going to let me into the World Cup or toss me into the CoH...

[Silver Commonwealth]

Yeah, I already noticed that - I think that I saw a hockey RP, Rugby RP, and a NS form of NASCAR if I remember correctly. That said, I am not sure when I will participate in a different NS sports RP (Or in the future World Cup), because I have a lot of other NS-related things in queue. :/ Another thing is also the exams, especially considering that I am not the best at maths rn.

World Cup roleplay is best roleplay! Anyway, welcome to this vast, diverse and often absolutely strange community.

Well, from what I have noticed it is already better than the war RPs in International Incidents, especially because FT and higher tech levels don't affect how you are going to perform in sports.

[PotatoFarmers]

This was a good opening cycle for me. BoF 3rd place, 5th in my qualification group with some strong nations, let's not forget about that IAC 3rd too... As someone who only got back into NationStates at the start of the summer when the quarantine stuff was out of whack, I did well for a first timer. I wish everyone luck at the playoffs or the World Cup proper, and I hope to get a Cup of Harmony invite for pouring my time into this.

Really good performance for you, coming from a really difficult group and yet get some results.

Also on another note, after the WCQ fantasy, anyone up for some prediction game for both the World Cup and Cup of Harmony? I am looking at the following set of rules, if anyone has any suggestions about how to make it better, feel free to point them out!

Poafmersia's WC86/CoH78 Prediction Game!
You may not have gotten into the World Cup, but I am sure you have in mind who are deserving World Cup winners! Why not you tell us how the World Cup will unfold from top to end, and see how accurate you are?

The Prediction Game would only require 1 entry, before the competitions begin, where you predict every single result. You start with the Group Stage - you name the results for every match. Based on how you name the results for every match, the knockout bracket would be generated as such. You then predict those results, all the way up to the Finals and the Bronze Medal Match.

Here is how the points will be awarded.
For every match in the Group Stage -
1 point for every correct result you predict.
2 point for every exact scoreline you predict.

For every match in the Knockout Stages -
2 points for every correct result you predict.
3 points for every exact scoreline you predict.
Here is the catch - you must get the exact match correct. Meaning, there must exist such a match in that particular stage between those 2 opponents. (Eg. If I predict that Group A winners are Ko-oren, and Group B runners-up, who play the Group A winners in the Round of 16, is The Holy Empire. I can then gain points if I predict the result between Ko-oren and The Holy Empire in the Round of 16 correctly)

On top of that, at the start of every stage in the Knockout Stages -
1 point for every team that you accurately predict to be in that stage. (Eg. If I predict Baker Park to only reach the Quarterfinals, and they reach the finals, I gain 2 points for predicting correctly that they are in the Round of 16 and the Quarterfinals)

[Blouman Empire]

Just as an FYI, the KPB does actually have a provision to make sure that it's never worse to qualify for the World Cup than it is to not qualify: in addition to the points/game calculations, you also get a flat 3-point KPB bonus if you qualify.

Oh right fair enough, that's a good idea.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

This was a good opening cycle for me. BoF 3rd place, 5th in my qualification group with some strong nations, let's not forget about that IAC 3rd too... As someone who only got back into NationStates at the start of the summer when the quarantine stuff was out of whack, I did well for a first timer. I wish everyone luck at the playoffs or the World Cup proper, and I hope to get a Cup of Harmony invite for pouring my time into this.

I agree...you have done an excellent job, as have several of your BOF class. Wise nations know to keep an eye on up & comers.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

Well, the World Cup 86 so far has been enjoyable for me. NS Sports are waters with which I am not the most familiar, and this is the first time I have joined such a RP, but that is what makes it particularly fun for me. Either way, I hope that The Holy Empire (And Audioslavia if they get through Playoffs) manage to do well in the rest of the tournament!

Of course we will be more than happy if you choose to enter for WC87, or any other event that interests you. Good job, and Good Luck!

[Princess Mi Amore Cadenza]

CoH 78 Host Vote Results

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

Blessing in disguise. Just reached over 60000 words for TWGS, so maybe I should just aim for 600000.......anyhow, congratulations to the winning team of the CoH bid votes.

[Twicetagram and JYPe]

Congrats Ethane and Syle, looking forward to this version of CoH

That will hopefully be one of my only few

[Kohnhead]

Congrats to Sylestone and Ethane for winning the host vote, commersiations to the other bidders. While I of course would much rather be participating in the World Cup proper I'm excited for the CoH.

[Ethane]

Thank you to those who voted for us. I'm glad you've decided to trust us for this Cup of Harmony, and we will do our best to make sure it runs smoothly and is an enjoyable experience for all. Thanks to Quebec and S&T for bidding as well; you put out a good bid and I'm sure you'll be hosting (again) soon enough.

Just so you're aware, we're looking to get the CoH thread, and start sending out invites, from this evening UTC, or morning AEST. If you're invited, you'll receive a TG on Nationstates (or a discord PM if your username is easy to find in the NSSports Discord). Please respond back to these invitations as soon as possible - it's important that we know final numbers so that we can adjust the format where necessary, or invite 'cusp' nations who just miss out on an invitation. We'll post a link here once the thread is up.

We're really looking forward to hosting you in Ethane and Sylestone for the 78th Cup of Harmony, and we hope you are looking forward to it to.

Edited to clear up language.

[Kandorith]

Also a congratulations from me to Sylestone and Ethan. Good luck on hosting the prestigious Cup of Harmony. No pressure at all

One note though, sending out invites today already: wouldn't it be better to wait after the playoffs are done?

Or is my tiredness catching up with me and am I being an idiot now?

[Megistos]

This was a good opening cycle for me. BoF 3rd place, 5th in my qualification group with some strong nations, let's not forget about that IAC 3rd too... As someone who only got back into NationStates at the start of the summer when the quarantine stuff was out of whack, I did well for a first timer. I wish everyone luck at the playoffs or the World Cup proper, and I hope to get a Cup of Harmony invite for pouring my time into this.

Really good performance for you, coming from a really difficult group and yet get some results.

Also on another note, after the WCQ fantasy, anyone up for some prediction game for both the World Cup and Cup of Harmony? I am looking at the following set of rules, if anyone has any suggestions about how to make it better, feel free to point them out!

Poafmersia's WC86/CoH78 Prediction Game!
You may not have gotten into the World Cup, but I am sure you have in mind who are deserving World Cup winners! Why not you tell us how the World Cup will unfold from top to end, and see how accurate you are?

The Prediction Game would only require 1 entry, before the competitions begin, where you predict every single result. You start with the Group Stage - you name the results for every match. Based on how you name the results for every match, the knockout bracket would be generated as such. You then predict those results, all the way up to the Finals and the Bronze Medal Match.

Here is how the points will be awarded.
For every match in the Group Stage -
1 point for every correct result you predict.
2 point for every exact scoreline you predict.

For every match in the Knockout Stages -
2 points for every correct result you predict.
3 points for every exact scoreline you predict.
Here is the catch - you must get the exact match correct. Meaning, there must exist such a match in that particular stage between those 2 opponents. (Eg. If I predict that Group A winners are Ko-oren, and Group B runners-up, who play the Group A winners in the Round of 16, is The Holy Empire. I can then gain points if I predict the result between Ko-oren and The Holy Empire in the Round of 16 correctly)

On top of that, at the start of every stage in the Knockout Stages -
1 point for every team that you accurately predict to be in that stage. (Eg. If I predict Baker Park to only reach the Quarterfinals, and they reach the finals, I gain 2 points for predicting correctly that they are in the Round of 16 and the Quarterfinals)

The prediction game is good, but maybe make a name for it

[Mriin]

Also a congratulations from me to Sylestone and Ethan. Good luck on hosting the prestigious Cup of Harmony. No pressure at all :p

One note though, sending out invites today already: wouldn't it be better to wait after the playoffs are done?

Or is my tiredness catching up with me and am I being an idiot now?

It's common practice to send out invites in waves, because getting those acceptances in in a timely manner relieves some of the stress of hosting the CoH greatly. Those eliminated in the playoffs can simply be a part of the second wave of invites to go out.

[Terre Septentrionale]

Wrong thread. I actually wrote my RP in this thread instead of the RP thread. xD

[Squornshelous]

Wrong thread. I actually wrote my RP in this thread instead of the RP thread. xD

I (quite impartially) move that Terre Septentrionale be immediately disqualified for this heinous misconduct. /s

[Ethane]

Hey guys,

The Cup of Harmony Seventy-Eight Thread is now up.

Half of the invites have already been sent out, and Sylestone will be sending out the other half of the invites later. Please respond to these invites within 48 hours; it is important that we know who will be participating so we can sort out the logistics ready for a preliminary start near the end of September. We're in communication with the World Cup hosts to finalise dates. Keep an eye on the thread for updates regarding this, as well as pots, groups, and IC information over the next couple of days.

(Please note: Nations currently in the playoffs have not yet been invited. Invitations will be sent once playoff results are finalised. If there are still spaces left after playoff invitations, then we will invite the nations on the 'cusp' who missed out on an earlier invitation. This cycle has been highly competitive in terms of roleplay - I believe helped by the 2MDs every other day - so some nations who did just meet the minimum requirements have not yet been invited; this is because we have set a hard-cap of 64 nations, so have had to limit invitations.)

[Alasdair I Frosticus]

Sincere apologies for disappearing in the second half of qualifiers.

I'm dealing with some RL issues that have to take priority over NS Sports; my limited engagement with the site over the last couple of weeks has had to focus on moderation issues.

If RL permits, I'll try and be a little more active during the finals, but can't promise.

Again, apologies. I don't like to coast on rank, but sometimes RL has to take priority, even for us old farts.

[Sarzonia]

All right, so I've been leading toward my manager retiring after the Cup of Harmony.

If anyone has a relatively young manager who can commit to operating a balanced style and a 4-4-2 formation, I'm willing to entertain candidates.

[Xanneria]

I am considering trying one more time to host an event with hopes for once nothing behind the scenes backfires. In order to prevent issues from cropping up, I had the idea of making a solo bid with the promise of using "third parties" as consultants to help out with behind the scenes. I want to know what the WCC People think about this.

I wanna take every precaution possible to make sure I can finally have a smooth hosting gig.

[Sarzonia]

I'd suggest starting small first with tournaments that are low intensity so you can get your feet wet.

Don't try hosting a big tournament before you're ready.

That's some of why I did smaller tournaments including first-time events. Once I got the mechanics down, I felt ready to tackle the bigger tournaments.

[Megistos]

All right, so I've been leading toward my manager retiring after the Cup of Harmony.

If anyone has a relatively young manager who can commit to operating a balanced style and a 4-4-2 formation, I'm willing to entertain candidates.

We have Nichola Mentes, manager of the u-18 team that went to the semis in SWC 11.

[Sarzonia]

All right, so I've been leading toward my manager retiring after the Cup of Harmony.

If anyone has a relatively young manager who can commit to operating a balanced style and a 4-4-2 formation, I'm willing to entertain candidates.

We have Nichola Mentes, manager of the u-18 team that went to the semis in SWC 11.

Ok, I was thinking of possibly roleplaying an interview between him and my FA boss. Perhaps in the CoH thread?

[Astograth]

I am considering trying one more time to host an event with hopes for once nothing behind the scenes backfires. In order to prevent issues from cropping up, I had the idea of making a solo bid with the promise of using "third parties" as consultants to help out with behind the scenes. I want to know what the WCC People think about this.

I wanna take every precaution possible to make sure I can finally have a smooth hosting gig.

If you're committed to hosting I would advise you to prepare a regular joint bid with a more experienced partner for a non-WCC event, since I think this plan would grant you less oversight when you need more. I would also take the time to practice with the scorinator - really practice and experiment with different formulas, style modifiers, different ways of calculating and applying RP bonus - to get a good feel of what each thing does on its own and together. Being confident around the scorinator will carry over to fewer mistakes and allow you to make deliberate decisions regarding the bid details.