So as a follow-up to the cross-site tournament we had earlier this month, I've decided to host what is possibly the last Giant Bomb Persona 4 Arena event in the form of a GB P4A league. The first session will take place on Saturday, December 1st and it will continue for five weeks, or until the end of December. This will only be open to PS3 players.

How this will work

Players who sign up to participate in the league will meet up on a weekly basis starting on December 1st. A season will last a month, meaning the last meeting date of season 1 will be on December 29th.

This will be done in a round robin format, so everyone will be able to battle against each others. Looking at a bracket I made on Challonge with a theoretical list of 10 participants, I'm thinking that there will be two separate groups of people so that the process goes much faster during the meetings. The people in these groups will be shuffled randomly per week, with a single big group being formed on the last meeting.

The actual rules will potentially vary from week to week, but winners will always be decided by a best 2 out of 3 matches. Based on matches won, players will earn points and these points are what will determine the rankings. The point system:

• Win a set (winning a best out of 3) = 2 points
• Win a match, but not a set = 1 points
• Lose both matches in a set = 0 points

Now these point values might change before the session on December 1st because I've chosen them randomly. Also, they might also change on a weekly basis as I modify the rules.

How to sign up

Post:

PSN ID:

I'll be separating participants into separate groups where each group will have their own round robins. The people in the groups will be shuffled randomly on a weekly basis.

The groups will be created through Challonge, but playerswill not be able to post the results of their matches directly on Challonge. Report the results to me through the general PMs I will send you or through this thread so I can put the results myself.

When

• Session 1 = December 1st
• Session 2 = December 8th
• Session 3 = December 15th
• Session 4 = December 22nd
• Session 5 = December 29th

These are all Saturdays. Uh, I guess the time of these meetings will be at 3:00 PM EST / 12:00 PM PST, but I'm ready to change that to suit as many participants as possible.

Prizes

First Place

• $20 USD via Paypal or Steam purchase
• Crayon Physics Deluxe (Steam) [Thanks to IrrelevantJohn]
• Limbo, Amnesia, Psychonauts and Sword & Sorcery Bundle (Steam) [Thanks to Brodehouse]

Second Place

• Civilization V (Steam) [Thanks to Vashyron]
• Eufloria (Steam) [Thanks to IrrelevantJohn]

Third Place

• The Binding of Isaac+ Wrath of the Lamb DLC (Steam) [Thanks to Bloo561]
• The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut (Steam) [Thanks to aznjon12]

Raffle (Thanks to@IrrelevantJohn)

• Half Minute Hero Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy (Steam)
• Ys: The Oath in Felghana (Steam)
• Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Steam)

Raffle (Thanks to @aznjon12)

• Droplitz (Steam)
• Alan Wake Bundle (Steam)
• Castle Crashers+ Pink Knight and Blacksmith DLC (Steam)

Raffle (Thanks to @Brodehouse)

• A Valley Without Wind (Steam)

Raffle (Thanks to @YI-Orange)

• Broken Sword Franchise (?) (GOG)
• Avadon: The Black Fortress (GOG)
• Cogs (GOG)
• Swords and Soldiers HD (GOG)
• Puzzle Agent 2 (GOG)
• Anomaly: Warzone Earth (GOG)

Raffle (FluxWaveZ)

• Nuclear Dawn (Steam)
• Far Cry (Steam)
• Breath of Death VII (Steam)

*To qualify for the raffle, the user must participate in at least 2 sessions)

Entrants

Final point standings (percentage; # of matches won = # of points)

1. FluxWaveZ - 97.50% [39/40 matches]

2. aznjon12 - 95.00% [38/40 matches]

3. MDYu - 78.94% [30/38 matches]

4. Xomero - 77.50% [31/40 matches]

5. Liquidus - 71.42% [30/42 matches]

6. Make_Me_Mad - 71.05% [27/38 matches]

7. Brodehouse - 69.04% [29/42 matches]

8. InfiniteSpark - 65.79% [25/38 matches]

9. YI_Orange - 63.88% [23/36 matches]

10. IrrelevantJohn - 62.50% [25/40 matches]

11. Spikes799 - 60.53% [23/38 matches] *Absent during session #1

12. gravitypenguin - 52.63% [20/38 matches] *Absent during session #2, 4

13. TheFakePsychic - 50.00% [20/40 matches]

14. ESREVER - 47.39% [18/38 matches]

15. Messenko - 45.24% [19/42 matches] *Absent during session #4

16. SeriousSam0 - 42.11% [16/38 matches]

17. Commisar123 - 41.67% [15/36 matches] *Absent during session #4

18. Servantey - 36.84% [14/38 matches] *Absent during session #3, 5

19. Vashyron - 19.23% [5/26 matches] *Absent during session #4, 5

20. Bloo561 - 7.89% [3/38 matches] *Absent during session #4

BigBob - 0% [0/8 matches] *Started in session #2, absent during session #3, 4

LightningYamasha - 0% [0/8 matches] *Absent during session #1

Archive of previous events

• Tournament #2 + #3 (Thanks @IrrelevantJohn)
• Tournament #4 Grand Finals (Thanks@TheFakePsychic)
• Giant Bomb vs. GameFAQS Tournament (Thanks @TheFakePsychic)

Discussion at the time of the tournament will take place in the all-encompassing GB P4A tournamentdiscussion threadlike last time. To coordinate matches when the tournament takes place, participants should go tohttp://giantbombing.com/chat/ and put the channel "#GB_P4A".There'll probably be casuals going on in that chat leading up to the tournament, too.

So like I said, this might be the very last P4A thing on Giant Bomb, so I'm hoping enough people participate to make it worth it.

Streams

Archive

• Group A - Session 1
• Group B - Session 2
• Group D - Session 3
• Group C - Session 5

I'm in. PSN: TheFakePsychic

And, as always, I'll be streaming as much of it as I can.

Hey guys I want in. PSN is JGALM14. :D

I'm down PSN Commisar123

Saturday, huh? Ah, that's the day I close the store. It's cool though, I'm terrible and haven't participated thus far. I really only played Arena for the stories, anyway. I wish you luck! Hope this goes well.

I'm in, PSN ID: aznjon09.

Also there is a whole column of FluxWaveZ on the table.

@aznjon12 said:

Also there is a whole column of FluxWaveZ on the table.

That was intentional.

Right, thanks.

PSN ID: wiimotechance

Last event? Pshhh. Nothing stops the Endurance Run! P4A community!

PSN: YI-Orange.

I gotta get my new title ready for the first day. Ranked here I come!

@TooWalrus: If you're interested in playing feel free to pop into the IRC once in a while(especially during and around event days). Sometimes there's a few of us playing.

PSN: xLLeg3ndX

I'm in as well.

Depending on my work schedule every week, I might miss one of those Saturdays. So what I'm trying to ask is that I will lose a lot of points if I miss a Saturday right?

@IrrelevantJohn said:

Depending on my work schedule every week, I might miss one of those Saturdays. So what I'm trying to ask is that I will lose a lot of points if I miss a Saturday right?

I've still gotta think more about the point values, but you might lose some points if you're absent during one of those Saturdays. It's to further motivate people to present themselves during the sessions, but I might adjust how much one loses if they're not present.

Alright, I'll give it all what I can for this season, even if my performance will be shoddy. For the GB P4A community!

PSN: RuriKidA

Well, I think I'm past my "prime" with this game but I'll join in for the fun of it.

PSN: Bloo561

I'm in. And i'm positive i'll be here for at least 3 of them to stream.

Sign me up!

PSNiD: MaceX

Why not? I'll get practiced up and ready to go.

PSN: Aikune

Sign me up

PSN: InfernoDrive

time to get pooped on again

PSN: lightningyamasha

I'm noticing a distinct lack of @Brodehouse and @Make_Me_Mad and @gravitypenguin

wots all this then

The PSN is Brodehouse of course of course.

@YI_Orange: That's because I wasn't aware this thread existed! I'm rather unobservant.

I'm in, though. PSN: Make_me_Sad

Added to the OP:

Raffle (Thanks to@IrrelevantJohn)

• Half Minute Hero Super Mega Neo Climax Ultimate Boy (Steam)
• Ys: The Oath in Felghana (Steam)
• Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Steam)
• Eufloria (Steam)
• Crayon Physics Deluxe (Steam)

*To qualify for the raffle, the user must participate in at least 2 sessions)

PSN: Hunter509th

I wont be able to make the first date (december 1st) because I have a real fighting tournament to go to (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) will be available for all other dates :D.

Added to the OP:

Second Place (Thanks to@Vashyron)

• Civilization V (Steam)

Flux i'll add the binding of Issac with the wrath of the lamb add on (steam) for third place finish.

P.S thanks for the tourney without you this forum would be semi-dead

@Bloo561 said:

Flux i'll add the binding of Issac with the wrath of the lamb add on (steam) for third place finish.

P.S thanks for the tourney without you this forum would be semi-dead

Cool, thanks for contributing to the prize pool.

Good luck duders, I hope y'all have some fun with the league.

Added to the OP:

Raffle (Thanks to @aznjon12)

• The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut (Steam)
• Droplitz (Steam)
• Alan Wake Bundle (Steam)
• Castle Crashers+ Pink Knight and Blacksmith DLC (Steam)

I appreciate the raffle concept, gives anyone a reason to join in and play! To that end, I'll add a Steam gift for A Valley Without Wind to get raffled off. Along with a key for Limbo, Amnesia, Psychonauts and Sword & Sorcery.

Added to the OP:

Raffle (Thanks to @Brodehouse)

• A Valley Without Wind (Steam)
• Limbo, Amnesia, Psychonauts and Sword & Sorcery Bundle (Steam)

Broken Sword(all of them(?) on GoG). Avadon: The Black Fortress. Cogs. Swords and Soldiers HD. Puzzle Agent 2. Anomaly: Warzone Earth.

All those can be added to raffle or whatever. Courtesy of my brother.

This is going to be one hell of a raffle.

The body of a child, the brains of a genius! The 2000 IQ Killjoy Raging Bull of Carnage! The Self Proclaimed Student Council Protein Junkie! The Heartless Armed Angel-Carnivore who's Discarded Womanhood! Is in this!!!

Xomero; PSN Name: Xomero

<---that damn bored.

I have no idea how well I'll be able to attend stuff in December, but count me in for now I guess.

PSN: gravitypenguin

Added to the OP:

Raffle (Thanks to @YI-Orange) [I think this is right?]

• Broken Sword Franchise (?) (GOG)
• Avadon: The Black Fortress (GOG)
• Cogs (GOG)
• Swords and Soldiers HD (GOG)
• Puzzle Agent 2 (GOG)
• Anomaly: Warzone Earth (GOG)

So there are currently 20 people signed up for this (way more than I would have anticipated, awesome) and 17 games that are part of the raffle. A couple of more games added to it and there'll practically be a guarantee that anyone who shows up for at least 2 sessions will get a game from the raffle.

I'll add information about Challonge (or the lack thereof) and how everything will work on Saturday a bit later today.

Is this thing beginner friendly? I've just gotten started with this whole Persona thing and I'll probably consistently place last.

@mandude: Honestly, if you're really just starting in P4A, you'd probably get destroyed by everyone who's signed up thus far. Still, since this is a round robin, matches won't be super serious or anything so you could still be a part of it. Plus, there are often casuals going on in our chatroom as well as people willing to teach stuff there as well.

Okay, so this is how some things will work for session #1 this coming Saturday:

• This will start at 3:00 PM EST / 12:00 PM PST this Saturday.
• There are 20 people signed up right now. For session #1, they'll all be split up into 4 different groups of 5 people each.
• I'll make the 4 groups on Challonge and post them in this thread sometime tomorrow so people know who to join with in a lobby. I'll also PM each person in the groups with the details.
• People won't be able to report the results of their matches directly on Challonge, so report them to me either through the general PM I will have sent or through this thread. I'll only be able to directly see the results for the players in my lobby, so this is important.
• Final point values for session #1 are:

1. Win a set (winning a best out of 3) = 2 points
2. Win a match, but not a set = 1 points
3. Lose both matches in a set = 0 points
4. Absent during an entire session = -2 points

That should be about everything. Rules for the first session are as posted in the OP:

Rules for December 1st (Session #1)

• Matches will be best 2 out of 3 rounds for 99 seconds each round. Winner will be best 2 out of 3 matches.
• A player that loses a match is allowed to switch characters, however a player who wins must choose the same character as his previous match.
• If a player drops during a round, it is up to the opponent to decide if he agrees to do a rematch or not.

Example round robin bracket for a group. Never mind the "Rounds", they can be done in whatever order the players want:

Can I still join? Lol

@MDYu: Yes. In fact, players will be able to join even after session #1.

Do you want to sign up?

How many matches per session are we dealing with here? For one player

@MDYu said:

How many matches per session are we dealing with here? For one player

If the 4 group, 5 people per group thing maintains for each session except for the last, that'd be exactly 16 matches per person. This is not including the final session's matches.

So 4 matches per session (weekend)? Sorry, I'm just confused and trying to get it with my schedule

@MDYu: Approximately, yes. Rules might change, but if things stay similar enough to session #1 it'll be 4 matches per session. One for each other person in your group of 5 people.

Great, count me in.

Is this thing beginner friendly? I've just gotten started with this whole Persona thing and I'll probably consistently place last.

I just found out that i have to work all day tomorrow so i wont be able to make the first session. Go ahead and sign me up for the -2 pts club.

@LightningYamasha: So I've decided to remove the absence penalty for session #1 as I'm not too sure about it. I'll think about if it has a place for future sessions, but people who miss session #1 won't be penalized for points.

Groups have been created on Challonge:

Session #1 - Group A

Session #1 - Group B

Session #1 - Group C

Session #1 - Group D

Again: People won't be able to report the results of their matches directly on Challonge, so report them to me either through the general PM I will have sent or through this thread. I'll only be able to directly see the results for the players in my lobby, so this is important.

For session #1:

Final point values for session #1 are:

1. Win a set (winning a best out of 3) = 2 points
2. Win a match, but not a set = 1 points
3. Lose both matches in a set = 0 points
4. Absent during an entire session = 0 points

Those who were supposed to go against the absent people will simply get a bonus 2 points, as if they had won their set.

Rules for December 1st (Session #1)

• Matches will be best 2 out of 3 rounds for 99 seconds each round. Winner will be best 2 out of 3 matches.
• A player that loses a match is allowed to switch characters, however a player who wins must choose the same character as his previous match.
• If a player drops during a round, it is up to the opponent to decide if he agrees to do a rematch or not.

It's too late for me to sign up for this thing, isn't it?

@BigBob said:

It's too late for me to sign up for this thing, isn't it?

For session #1, it is. But you can sign up for next week and the sessions that will go on after that.