Types of Theme Packets
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Types of Theme Packets
So I happened to look at the TTGT11 packet, and I really enjoy theme packets. However I noticed with some packets that are themed, they still seem "general" such as a video games packet instead of a packet about Mass Effect per say. I was just wondering if there will be any tournaments that will occur in the 2009-2010 season in which packets are "specific" themes?
Zach Foster
North Myrtle Beach High School class of 2009
George Mason University class of 2013
North Myrtle Beach High School class of 2009
George Mason University class of 2013
Re: Types of Theme Packets
I think Ike Jose may have written all Final Fantasy VII (VI?) packet at some point.
Mike Cheyne
Formerly U of Minnesota
"You killed HSAPQ"--Matt Bollinger
Formerly U of Minnesota
"You killed HSAPQ"--Matt Bollinger
Re: Types of Theme Packets
Given that TTGT11 was the only notable tournament to do this, I would say no.
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Is TGT11 going to make a return in 2009-2010?
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
I'm pretty sure that tournament is dead and buried, as Paul Drube has said multiple times. Hopefully he's right.
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
The ASS trash tournaments I worked on were themed, although they will not be continuing in the future.
I think one of the UTC trash tournaments still does "light themes".
Many side tournaments are essentially subject-theme packets turned into several rounds of play. Tournaments on niche subjects like vidoegames, Asian literature and comic books come to mind. I'm sure there will be plenty more of these tournaments in the near future.
GUERRILLA, being played at this year's ICT (and, who knows, maybe next year's), consists of academic packets with standard distributions but with themes.
I think one of the UTC trash tournaments still does "light themes".
Many side tournaments are essentially subject-theme packets turned into several rounds of play. Tournaments on niche subjects like vidoegames, Asian literature and comic books come to mind. I'm sure there will be plenty more of these tournaments in the near future.
GUERRILLA, being played at this year's ICT (and, who knows, maybe next year's), consists of academic packets with standard distributions but with themes.
Mike Bentley
Treasurer, Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence
Adviser, Quizbowl Team at University of Washington
University of Maryland, Class of 2008
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Closing this thread because Zach Foster is not a new collegiate team and should not be posting in this area of the board.
Matt Weiner
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
Re: Types of Theme Packets
Unlocking this thread and moving it to the proper forum because it's a legitimate area of discussion, regardless of whose handle appears in the Author field.
Fred Morlan
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International Quiz Bowl Tournaments, CEO, co-owner
former PACE member, president, etc.
former hsqbrank manager, former NAQT writer & subject editor, former hsqb Administrator/Chief Administrator
University of Kentucky CoP, 2017
International Quiz Bowl Tournaments, CEO, co-owner
former PACE member, president, etc.
former hsqbrank manager, former NAQT writer & subject editor, former hsqb Administrator/Chief Administrator
Re: Types of Theme Packets
Does anyone want to write that Mass Effect packet?
Jeremy Eaton
Maryland Academic Quiz Team
Maryland Academic Quiz Team
Re: Types of Theme Packets
Affirm.I think Ike Jose may have written all Final Fantasy VII (VI?) packet at some point.
Ike
UIUC 13
UIUC 13
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Would you ever post that Final Fantasy VII packet at any time Ike?
Zach Foster
North Myrtle Beach High School class of 2009
George Mason University class of 2013
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
After I finish EuroFest, I am strongly considering making my next project a collection of 10-12 theme packets, each of which is about a specific field of history or RMP.
Bruce
Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Fixed. No seriously though Bruce that would be completely awesome, and writing 25 packets on certain themes of history would be better .Whig's Boson wrote:After I finish EuroFest, I am strongly considering making my next project a collection of 10-12 theme packets, each of which is about a specific field of history.
Zach Foster
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Oh god I would play that in a heartbeat, no matter the site.Whig's Boson wrote:After I finish EuroFest, I am strongly considering making my next project a collection of 10-12 theme packets, each of which is about a specific field of history or RMP.
Nick Petrilli
Bloomfield High School 2009
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Themes might include things such as:rylltraka wrote:What sorts of themes would those be, Bruce?
"American politics from 1900 - 1950"
"Chinese rebellions and uprisings"
"The Jacksonian Era"
"History of Italy"
"Mesopotamian Myth"
"Zoroastrianism"
Bruce
Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Um, I guess I could post it, I mean where would be the question. You probably should just email me at [email protected]
I just want to point out that writing theme packets is different in that you have to treat clue usage differently. For example, one of my leadins (I'm going off memory) mentioned how this city has a building with a purple roof, and while in "real QB" that's not an acceptable clue, it is in this case because you have to pretend you are living in the FF7 world, where insofar, only one building has a purple roof. And then there's that whole problem with transparency, I know I spent more time determining the acceptability of clues rather than just finding clues, and I believe I let a few non uniquely identifying clues through.
The bigger problem is your target audience. Aside from more than 30 people give or take, the amount of people who have seen (enjoyed?) the audience is slim. Its just one of those things (especially in the pop culture world) where you target a very small audience. I personally think if you just write an all "FPS" packet, it will be more entertaining in that your target audience is now greater, and more importantly, you can reign in new material that is probably more entertaining, (For example, you could tossup / bonus a relatively unknown FPS that would make someone want to play it, whereas one of my third bonus parts in the FF7 packet was to name Sunken Gelnika, which isn't really all that cool in terms of "knowledge enlightenment," and you probably don't want to play FF7 more for knowing that fact)
I don't know how I feel about Bruce's idea of theme packets. I personally think that Bruce should take the Gunpei Yokio route more, and just integrate the themes he wants to write on, as you will encompass more people playing more packets. While I do not know too much about Zoroastrianism, I wouldn't mind playing it, I think I would rather hear a tossup on Vohu Mana then one on popes named Pelagius, rather than hearing them in isolation. This would remove some transparency problems, and would make the answer selection relatively relaxed, because there isn't a transparency issue as large. (You probably don't want to tossup towers of silence in a Zoroastrian packet, but if you just integrated all of your packets, it would be fine, especially if visual arts was one of your categories, or you use historical clues on towers of silence when writing history.)
I just want to point out that writing theme packets is different in that you have to treat clue usage differently. For example, one of my leadins (I'm going off memory) mentioned how this city has a building with a purple roof, and while in "real QB" that's not an acceptable clue, it is in this case because you have to pretend you are living in the FF7 world, where insofar, only one building has a purple roof. And then there's that whole problem with transparency, I know I spent more time determining the acceptability of clues rather than just finding clues, and I believe I let a few non uniquely identifying clues through.
The bigger problem is your target audience. Aside from more than 30 people give or take, the amount of people who have seen (enjoyed?) the audience is slim. Its just one of those things (especially in the pop culture world) where you target a very small audience. I personally think if you just write an all "FPS" packet, it will be more entertaining in that your target audience is now greater, and more importantly, you can reign in new material that is probably more entertaining, (For example, you could tossup / bonus a relatively unknown FPS that would make someone want to play it, whereas one of my third bonus parts in the FF7 packet was to name Sunken Gelnika, which isn't really all that cool in terms of "knowledge enlightenment," and you probably don't want to play FF7 more for knowing that fact)
I don't know how I feel about Bruce's idea of theme packets. I personally think that Bruce should take the Gunpei Yokio route more, and just integrate the themes he wants to write on, as you will encompass more people playing more packets. While I do not know too much about Zoroastrianism, I wouldn't mind playing it, I think I would rather hear a tossup on Vohu Mana then one on popes named Pelagius, rather than hearing them in isolation. This would remove some transparency problems, and would make the answer selection relatively relaxed, because there isn't a transparency issue as large. (You probably don't want to tossup towers of silence in a Zoroastrian packet, but if you just integrated all of your packets, it would be fine, especially if visual arts was one of your categories, or you use historical clues on towers of silence when writing history.)
Ike
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
I enjoyed many things about Gunpei (including writing for it), but I must say that completely random side events like Gunpei violate my sense of quizbowl aesthetics. There is something unseemly to me about a packet whose distributions basically represent the whim of the author, and that same discomfort I do not feel about theme packets that have a very specific (FF7, Italy) or very general (history, literature, etc.) distro.
I will not go forth and condemn and persecute people who produce such tournaments, but I will not produce them myself.
I will not go forth and condemn and persecute people who produce such tournaments, but I will not produce them myself.
Bruce
Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
ACF Member emeritus
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Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
I eagerly look forward to your American Politics and Jacksonian Era packets.
Mike Cheyne
Formerly U of Minnesota
"You killed HSAPQ"--Matt Bollinger
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
I personally prefer broader themes such as "American History" or "African Literature" simply because there is a wider answer space for such themes that would reduce lateral thinking/transparency/insert bad quizbowl buzzword here. In regards to themes like "Zoroatrianism," I wonder if there is enough answer space for such a theme that wouldn't lead to multiple dead questions or really obvious answers.Whig's Boson wrote:I enjoyed many things about Gunpei (including writing for it), but I must say that completely random side events like Gunpei violate my sense of quizbowl aesthetics. There is something unseemly to me about a packet whose distributions basically represent the whim of the author, and that same discomfort I do not feel about theme packets that have a very specific (FF7, Italy) or very general (history, literature, etc.) distro.
I will not go forth and condemn and persecute people who produce such tournaments, but I will not produce them myself.
Bernadette Spencer
University of Minnesota, MCTC
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
One should not look too deeply into the examples I gave. I made them up to give examples of the types of things that I could write. Obviously, if I pick an idea that turns out to be untenable, I will abort it.
Bruce
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Sweet. Still write that packet on American Politics, though. I want to play that.Whig's Boson wrote:One should not look too deeply into the examples I gave. I made them up to give examples of the types of things that I could write. Obviously, if I pick an idea that turns out to be untenable, I will abort it.
Bernadette Spencer
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
BTW, my least favorite logical fallacy is "attack specific examples [that were given to illustrate a point] instead of the broader point being made". Like, I actually get visibly angry when people try to do that.
EDIT: not accusing anyone in this thread of it, just pointing it out for future reference
EDIT: not accusing anyone in this thread of it, just pointing it out for future reference
Bruce
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
I understand. I think you do make a good argument for theme packets vs. themed on a whim tournaments.Whig's Boson wrote:BTW, my least favorite logical fallacy is "attack specific examples [that were given to illustrate a point] instead of the broader point being made". Like, I actually get visibly angry when people try to do that.
EDIT: not accusing anyone in this thread of it, just pointing it out for future reference
Bernadette Spencer
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
That's not a fallacy. If the examples selected do illustrate the point and the point is valid, then they shouldn't be vulnerable to attack.Whig's Boson wrote:BTW, my least favorite logical fallacy is "attack specific examples [that were given to illustrate a point] instead of the broader point being made".
MaS
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Well, the main place where this comes up is a faulty example. Like, say I mistakenly think that the example illustrates the point, but in fact it does not. And then people make like 5 different posts about how why this example does not illustrate it, and therefore my point is somehow wrong. I think that's fairly fallacious.
For instance, say my argument is that all Russians have beards, and I point out that Ivan has a beard as an example. And then somebody says that I am wrong because Ivan is in fact Ukranian. I find that annoying. I remember this came up in a Westbrook thread where he used a certain female artist as an example of something that "always comes up", and then everyone attacked him because that clue does not in fact always come up. But his argument (something like "telling people that they need to learn clues that come up is OK and not mean") was not affected by whether or not that particular example was in fact a thing that came up.
In any event, we're completely off topic by this point.
For instance, say my argument is that all Russians have beards, and I point out that Ivan has a beard as an example. And then somebody says that I am wrong because Ivan is in fact Ukranian. I find that annoying. I remember this came up in a Westbrook thread where he used a certain female artist as an example of something that "always comes up", and then everyone attacked him because that clue does not in fact always come up. But his argument (something like "telling people that they need to learn clues that come up is OK and not mean") was not affected by whether or not that particular example was in fact a thing that came up.
In any event, we're completely off topic by this point.
Bruce
Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
ACF Member emeritus
My guide to using Wikipedia as a question source
Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
ACF Member emeritus
My guide to using Wikipedia as a question source
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- Rikku
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Re: Types of Theme Packets
Ike, my e-mail is located below in my signature box. Please send me the FF7 packet.
Zach Foster
North Myrtle Beach High School class of 2009
George Mason University class of 2013
North Myrtle Beach High School class of 2009
George Mason University class of 2013