I'm trying to sound like I'm not just complaining, but I'm leaning the same direction as Earl here. I'm sorry guys, I can tell that it is very important to people that we make this "even", but I'm of the mind that whatever a person has put in the work to acquire, they've earned the right to use it. And this is coming from a person who does not yet have, not has ever tried for, an AGM.
I would really, really like to just play with/against you all. You might recall that several months ago, Earl and I tried to organize a similar endeavor as this. That attempt never came to fruition just because getting 20 people organized together in one place was difficult enough, to speak nothing of ever even trying to bring up any fairness rules. I fear that this endeavor will, as we used to say, 'die in committee' due to all the different opinions on what is 'even' or 'fair' (and what the difference is between even and fair.)
I have plenty of respect for Thirk and I understand exactly what he's trying to do by laying out all these rules and limitations. I do feel, however, that we've lost sight of the real end goal, which is to have fun in the Gulch together, which we already had been doing this past CtA without organization or restrictions or anything.
As a general rule, I bristle at restrictions, not because I have a problem following rules but because there is a latent fear in everyone that they're going to violate some rule accidentally and people will hate them, or there's going to be someone who violates the rule and the game falls apart, or (worst) no one feels satisfied after the end of the game because they're only thinking that they lost (or won) because of the restrictions placed on the game.
If these competitions become a source of motivation for people to get closer to BiS, or to go fish for rum, or to get their AGM, then we have collectively improved our collective game. How is that a bad thing? I know that I've never bothered to fish for rum, nor have I asked for any help in getting my AGM, despite my presence in the community, and yet if we just allow people to Bring Your Best, then we're encouraging people--even myself--to improve their best, and that can only be a good thing.
I'll never turn down an opportunity to play an organized cross-faction game, if only because I don't get much chance to see many of you guys! But as for the rules-lawyering, etc... meh. I just don't feel enthused about this anymore. This is just my opinion and I understand that many won't agree... I don't expect to change anyone else's mind. But if I'm going to do this, I'd like to do this in such a manner that everyone has nobody to blame but themselves if they are not fully prepared. Noting that I myself fit squarely in that category.