Masters.... of the Universe Part IV: Back for More

by Kris Sonsteby, Director of Organized Play

26th October 2022

Greetings, 'trek fans! The ever popular'Trek Masters tournament series will be returning to cyberspace once again this November. That's right! Our forth installment of the Online Masters tournaments will be taking over the airwaves with both a First Edition (OTF) and Second Edition (Standard) event, each commencing on 11/14/22. You thought we were done with the high-level season after the World Championships in Orlando, Florida? Think again, my friend!

Question: I've never played online, but would like to try. What do I need to know?

Answer: Online tournaments operate a little bit differently than in person events, but are functionally similar. The most imporant thing to remember is that you MUST pre-register. If you do not pre-register before the start date, the Tournament Director (in this case, yours truly) will not know you wish to participate and you will not be included in the opening round pairings. On the morning of November 14th, these pairings will be announced on the forums within the Organized Play subheading. Wins and losses of the various matches will then also be reported within the Online Masters thread, and Round 2 pairings will be posted once all of the game results from Round 1 have trickled in. This process is repeated for each subsequent round, until everyone has played all of their games and a winner has been determined.

Question: Alright, technically speaking, what programs will I need to use to participate?

Answer: As standard operating procedure, tournament games for either First Edition or Second Edition are to be played on the Lackey server (a handy "How To" guide can be found here) along with a voice chat application (Skype, Discord, etc.) that has been mutually agreed upon. Whatever method you use to arrange your match with your respective opponent(s) - be it forum PM, Skype, Discord, text message, smoke signal, etc. is entirely up to you.

Question: Sweet! So, this is a 'Trek Masters event, right? I'm guessing that means it is special in some way compared to other online events. What makes it different?

Answer: Correct! The 'Trek Masters tournament series are Level 3 events, which means the ratings points applied to each tournament game have been increased. But more importantly, this tournament series also offers exclusive prizes to the participants in the form of alternate image foils, buttons, and play mats. This year, we are celebrating the Dominion affiliation, and eight lucky players from each tournament who complete all of their matches will be sent an exclusive virtual promo foil commemorating their participation. For First Edition, this year's Masters promo is Gelnon and for Second Edition this year's Masters promo is Keevan, Conniving Liar.

Question: Wow, I'm sold. But I gotta ask... with increased ratings points, exclusive foils and all on the line, how do I know my opponents won't cheat against me? What can I do if I suspect someone I played against was cheating?

Answer: The Organized Play team takes cheating and even the suspicion of cheating very seriously. We are aware that players looking to gain an advantage in their games can do so more easily online than could otherwise be done in person, and as a result we have mutually agreed to a Zero Tolerance Policy towards cheating.

It is our hope that by pre-registering for these tournaments each participant will act in good faith, and play in a manner that is both honorable and in-line with the spirit of comradery that defines our gaming community. However, any participant found guilty of cheating will be penalized severely, and the Code of Conduct will be strictly enforced throughout. With that said, we acknowledge that however many safety measures we try to put into place, the capacity to cheat (and get away with it) will always be there. There is no hiding from it, and for that reason alone we politely request that everyone once again mutually agree not to be "That Guy" who ruined Masters of the Universe Part IV for everyone else. We are counting on you, the potential tournament participant, to resist the temptation to cheat and to police your own ranks as best you can. Above all else, it is our hope that everyone involved in this 'Trek Masters series will epitomize the level of sportsmanship we often find offline at tournaments held in person. It is the Organized Play team's belief that despite the geographic distance between yourself and your opponent, this same level of sportsmanship resides within the online community as well.

Now then... who's ready to get back in the ring for another round of 'Trek Masters in cyberspace?

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