Re: Why few fight for crown

[Michael and MJ Houghton <herveus@access.digex.net>]

Poster: Michael and MJ Houghton <herveus@access.digex.net>

Alfredo offered:
> 
> Master Malcolm MacMalcolm mentioned:
> 
> > I know why I don't fight in Crown Tourney.
> > [...] My resposibilities to my family
> > and my employer would prevent me from carrying
> > out the tasks that a good King should perform.
> > [...]
> > Other fighters that I know, who are much more
> > likely to win, don't fight for similar reasons.
> > 
> > In order to do the job properly, one must be able
> > to travel most every weekend to events in all
> > parts of the Kingdom. [...]
> 
> This being the case, one solution to the problem
> of small Crown Tourneys is this: Let people enter
> the lists without any intention of ruling.  The
> new Sovereign would be the the best fighter that
> day of those who *do* so intend.
> 
[snip]
> 
> The important thing is that there would be enough
> entrants in Crown Tourney to make it interesting.
> That is the important thing, isn't it?
> 
I find Malcolm's reasoning to be very sound. Crown Tourney exists
to select the next Crown. You should not enter if you are unwilling
to accept the responsibility that winning will carry, even if you
expect to have no chance to win. 

As for "enough entrants", while I agree that turnout has at times
been uncomfortably low, padding the list with people who are effectively
fighting as Byes is not a good answer. Far better would be to actively
encourage more fighters to enter who would be interested in ruling,
even those fighters of lesser caliber. There is no shame or dishonor in
entering and departing after two rounds. I seem to recall the occasional
Duke having such a day. 

The Crown can have a profound impact on the numbers by how they rule and
how their reign is perceived. There have been times when the Crown was
held in such low esteem that prospective entrants decided not to play
during the reign. If you string together a couple or three such reigns,
Crown Tourney can look pretty bad. It may also be that you get a number
of prospective entrants who just don't want to deal with possibly winning
this time around, who all decide this in the same reign, independently. 

I guess that I just don't see a big problem here.

yours, 
Herveus
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