I've given it a lot of thought, and I honestly don't think I will enjoy it. When I played on the Syndicate, I didn't particularly have a good time, and that was a theme that is near and dear to me.

While I appreciate the nomination, I'm going to decline.

So Tony then, right?

I mean, Tony hasn't played a game here in a long ass time, can he really be considered a rep?

You’re not stirring drama. A question is always legit - there’s a reason there’s an adage about not asking them - and shouldn’t be responded to with a Cinema Sins “Skip!”.

Perhaps we, as a group, should discuss whether we want to send a rep this year or sit it out. Pretty sure there aren’t any associations that can come shut down our play for not sending someone off when it seems most here cringe at the idea of the commitment.

I would not be particularly comfortable being the lead hcrealms rep. I'm technically eligible: I've played a game or two here in the past year, but Gira's right -- I haven't really been involved. I'd strongly encourage someone else to toss their hat in the ring.

There are no repercussions but it’s a super fun event and last year, we had two advance to the playoffs and one advance to the finals so it would be sad to see us send nobody.

Also, to players like Shel and Kness that thought the Syndicate was a little overwhelming, keep in mind that Syndicate games are not really like MU champs qualifiers. The Syndicate is (along with MU itself) one of the two historically winningest sites in the tournament.

Playing on the Syndicate is more like playing in the MU Champs finale. In fact, almost all of the finale players last year (including the overall champ) were Syndicate regulars or MU regulars: Sloonei, Jay, Radishes, Dizzy, Roro, Phighter, Dya, Michelle, Mist, Hally and myself. Only Shepperd, Arete, SPF and HeyMonkey were relative strangers.

So you shouldn’t be like “MTS was a bit overwhelming. Therefore, there’s no way I can enjoy the Champs tournament.” You should be like “I played in a MTS game and MTS players thought I did a good job. I can totally handle a champs qualifier.”

Has Gira played yet?

I would also argue that part of the appeal of champs is utter culture clash.

Remember when I used to be all about voting out anyone who claimed neutral? Or when we used to go no yeet almost every D1 and a lot of D2s and even D3s?

You’ll come across players who have strongly held beliefs like that that you’ve never heard of.

You’ll come across players who post a million times a day and players who post a dozen times instead.

You’ll come across players who play only vanilla, only multiball role madness, only video mafia, only day phases that last a whole week, who fake claim as a townie, who never claim at all and so on. It’s a fun challenge putting these competing mafia play styles in the room and then trying to figure out if they’re pinging you because they’re mafia or if they just play differently than what you’re used to.

HCRealms is one of those unique communities with its own special brand of mafia. I think not sending a rep (and to a degree, sending a rep like me or Tony, who regularly play on other sites) makes the tournament worse because they don’t get to see our style of mafia.

I've never been interested in playing in this, or I would have said I would when I made my first post in the thread. I've read a lot of the games and am just not into it.

Similarly, were I not medically unsure of my condition the next few months I'd consider throwing my name in the ring. But since I'm questionable at best (and we can pretty much guarantee something happening to me if I were to sign up under these conditions), I, too, say if Tony's willing...

Well, maybe I’ll convince one of y’all to try next year and Tony can play again.