Mr. Sukela explained the decision for changing the structure of the tournament after the press conference, ‘ We only had 28 confirmed alliances willing to participate, and wanting to provide the general public with two weekends of entertainment, we decided to change the format to extend the tournament period.’ People have come to expect the very best of us. I can’t say why so few alliances decided to participate, but we are more than happy to accommodate the alliances that have signed up. We still expect this tournament to be thrilling to watch, bet on and participate in.’
For the last weeks many pilots have discussed the tournament through various mediums. Seeing a team bragging about their expensive equipment might have discouraged smaller contenders from competing. This view is shared by Tyrrax Thorrk, the owner of several rare ships, including the Imperial Issue Armageddon and Apocalypse. ‘It seems to me like people who weren't willing to spend the ISK for full pirate implant sets simply decided they had lost before signing up.’
Professor Kiyudas Tsalmaki, Lecturer in Emergent Warfare Analysis at the State War Academy, has remarked that given the prizes of the first tournament he expected that more alliances wished to participate. Mr Tsalmaki: ‘This can mean two things, either the alliances are so rich they do not think it’s worth their time to participate, or they can’t afford to lose any ships and don’t participate at all. Looking at the list of confirmed alliances, there are some large names missing, and we can only guess why they decided not to enter the tournament. Another possible explanation would be their preoccupation with other activities, but mostly I think it’s a matter of them fearing to lose.' ]]>
The CGC tournament gained popularity among the capsuleer community for its unique rule of allowing capsuleer entrants only, a decision that resulted in violent and tactical matches between teams whose daily bread and butter is combat. In addition, business-savvy capsuleers like Tornsoul, CEO of the BIG Corporation and one of the most well-known entrepreneurs of today, took the tournament as an opportunity to organise a betting pool for the capsuleer community. The actual winnings turned out slim because the favourite, Band of Brothers, ended up taking the tournament. However, had Kaos Empire – the runners-up – won, anyone betting a 100 million on them would have received a payout of about 9 billion. Few non-capsuleer sporting events today see these kinds of betting sums.
The general expectations for the second tournament are even higher, as it’s been announced well in advance, giving people who wish to participate all the time they need to train and prepare. It also allows the bookmakers to organise their system. They expect to see more bets and a general higher payoff as a result. TornSoul, however, believes that people won’t be guided by numbers only and looking to make a fortune.
“People bet for two reasons,” she said, “firstly because they hope the team will win (when the team is made up of their own alliance mates or close friends) and secondly because they think the team will win.” She went on to add that while some people preferred to spread the risk, it was “quite interesting last time when the heavy betters were also the 'smart' betters, as they spread out their betting on 3-6 different teams.”
The alliance tournament, in the eyes of many, has taken on more importance than anyone would have guessed initially. Professor Kiyudas Tsalmaki, Lecturer in Emergent Warfare Analysis at the State War Academy, has stated that “winning your matches fast and efficiently can determine how organised, lethal and merciless your alliance is perceived to be. These are characteristics that matter when your enemies are assessing your alliance and gauging your strength. To show weakness could result in an invasion." If there ever was a place to make an impression, it is at this tournament; everyone expects teams to be fitted with the best modules money can buy, and several teams have been formed already.
For further information and details on the rules and regulations, please look here. ]]>