GOF4 Rules Revision

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GATHERING OF FRIENDS 4 ~ Tournament Rules rev.3_4

1. GOF4 will be a tournament format, with players playing 3 or more games in an 8-hour session, scoring points based on finishing position. At the end of the evening, points are totaled, and the player with the highest total wins a prize!

2. Game play begins at 1 o'clock on Saturday, and with the last games starting 8 o'clock (with finish time 10:30pm at the latest).

3. Twenty or so games will be available to play, in different categories. Categories are based on number of players and length of time to play. Players may choose any game to play, but must play at least one 2-player game, and one 3-player game to qualify for the tournament.

4. Players will be awarded points based on their finishing position in each game played. The size of the award is based on the number of players, as well as the length of the game (fewer numbers of large games can be played due to available time, hence a larger incentive to play and finish well).

# of players	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
2	4 pts	0
3	8	3	0
4	16	6	3	0
5, 6	20	8	4	2	0

5. Players may play a particular game with more players than list by their category, but points will only be awarded based on the category – for example, if Alhambra is played with 4-players, points will only be awarded for finising 1^st or 2^nd, and the points for finishing in first place are only 8 (not 16), because it is rated in the 3-player category.

Players may play a particular game with less than the suggested players, but the points received will be based on the number of players, or the category level. For example, a 3-player game of Risk will be worth only 8 points to the winner, and 3 for second place.

6. The first 8 games played for the event will count for tournament points. (Excess games played do not count towards tournament, but for fun!). Players may choose the first game of the day as a “practice game” if all agree, and it will not count for points or towards the 8 game limit. This decision must be made before the game begins, and is irrevocable.

7. Fair play requires players to give their maximum effort for the position that they are faced with. Players are strongly discouraged from “suicide” maneuvers in an attempt to end a game early so they can start another game in the hopes of a better result.

In the case of a stalemate (rare) or tie in a game, players will be asked to repeat the game, or they will split the points available at their position level. Players should not play in an attempt to tie, and they may not collude to arrange one in advance.

8. Final Tiebreaker - at the end of the evening, in case of a tie, it will be broken by: total number of wins. If still tied, then total number of 2^nd place finishes, etc.

9. Prizes - at the end of the evening, there will be a prize given for first and second place. There will also be a prize given for:

• First player to win two games of Chess with the black pieces.
• First player to roll a ‘7’ in Settlers of Catan after a ‘7’ is rolled by another player
• The player who plays the most games without winning (good sport award!).
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Games categories, and average play time.

2-player games
1. Fischerandom Chess, clocked, 30 min
2. Stratego, 30 min
3. Pinball Baseball, 30 min
4. Twixt, 30 min
5. Lost Cities, 30 min
6. Pente, 30 min
7. All the Kings Men, 30 min

3-player games
1. Carcassone, 60 min

2. Scrabble, 60 min
3. San Juan, 45 min
4. Mississippi Queen, 45 min
5. Alhambra, 60 min
6. Cartagena, 45 min
7. Through the Desert, 60 min

4-player games
1. Settlers of Catan, 120 min
2. Puerto Rico, 120 min+
3. Acquire, 120 min+
4. Ticket to Ride, 90 min
5. Castle Risk, 120 min+

5+-player games
1. Risk, 180 min+
2. Power Grid, 180 min+
3. Risk 2210, 240 min
4. Shogun, 240 min
5. Mare Nostrum, 180 min

Prize for first place: The new Puerto Rico game for the PC!