The following protocols were sent to the regular Europa-On-Line (EOL) players via E-mail in a compressed (zipped) format through GEnie's electronic mail service. You may recall that an announcement regarding the Tournament was also placed on the inside cover of TEM #24. After the usual weeding-out process, eight bold souls paired off in pursuit of GEnie bragging rights or invaluable first-hand play experience against some of the country's top Europa gamers. The contestants are Sam Dahman, Gary Dickson, Don Fried, Rick Gayler, Victor Hauser, Jason Long, John Pastor, and Alan Tibbetts. I am serving as the Tournament coordinator and (if necessary) final arbiter.

If you're a solitaire gamer, it must be because that's the way you like to play. With E-mail and the automatic die- rolling functions on GEnie, the PBEM possibilities are unlimited. Although by the time you read this column the Leningrad:1941 Tournament will be underway and closed to new entrants, the ability to join GEnie and find an opponent for almost any Europa game is not! Come and join us.

The Leningrad: 1941 Tournament

Announcing an officially sanctioned Tournament sponsored by GR/D. This Tournament will be open to all EOL players who are able to access the Europa Category (#26) on GEnie.

1. Scope

Leningrad: 1941 will be played by single person teams. The player with the most points after four rounds of play shall be declared the Tournament Winner. In the case of a tie between two or more players, the following will occur: Victory Points awarded while each player played as the Soviets will be used to resolve the tie. If this also results in a tie, then a play-off match will be held.

Prizes: The Tournament Winner will receive $100 credit toward any GR/D merchandise, 2nd Place Tournament Player will receive $50 credit toward any GR/D purchase.

II. Eligibility

The Tournament is open to all players who have access to the Europa Category on Genie. Players must be able to transfer files and conduct combat via Genie.

III. Sign-up

Players sign-up in Topic 40. Preference for which side (Soviet vs. German) a player would like to start as in the Tournament is available on a first come first serve basis. Sign-up will be open to those eligible until July 1, 1992. At that time players will be randomly paired within two basic experience level categories. Therefore, the entrants are encouraged to rate their experience level. The first round players will be seeded by their experience level.

Experience Levels: Experience level will be divided into two broadly defined categories. Players who have played more DNO/UNT/FitE/SE/Urals games over the years than they can remember or who, by their own admission, are very experienced with the game will comprise category "A". Novice, beginner, and intermediate level players will be placed into the category labeled "B".

IV. Game Winner

Only completed games will count for Tournament scoring. A point system will be used to determine the scoring for each round of play. Points will be awarded as follows:

For the Winner.
Strategic Victory = 2 points.
Substantial Victory = 1.75 points.
Marginal Victory = 1.5 points.
Draw = 1 point.
Opponent Quit = 1.75 points.

For the Loser.
Allowed a Marginal Victory = .75 points.
Allowed a Substantial Victory = .5 points.
Allowed a Strategic Victory = .25 points.
Player Quits Game = Ejection from Tournament.
An uncompleted game = 0 points.

A player is allowed only one uncompleted game. When a player accrues his second uncompleted game, he is dropped from the Tournament. In this case, both opponents of the dropped player are awarded 1.25 points for the uncompleted game they participated in.

Conceding Games

Within each round, when only one game is still in progress, that game must be completed within two weeks or it will be declared an uncompleted game. During this time either player may concede the game. Both players must agree to the level of victory. Games may not be conceded during "normal play". "Normal play" is the period of time from the start of each round until the third game of that round is completed.

V. Play Procedure and Protocol

This is a PBEM Tournament and all players must be able to send the move and combat files via Genie mail, as well as be able to resolve combat in the Genie Conference Area.

Software requirements: Players should be able to manipulate a sortable database that is portable to any type of computer system. Preferred software would be: Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, Quattro, or plain ASCII. If players are using plain ASCII they must structure the move such that all units are pre-sorted by starting hex each turn.

File Structure: In addition to the software requirements previously outlined, players should structure their data entry along the lines of the movement and combat files shown in Topic 37 of this category. All pertinent data must be included for a unit's move. Units must be sorted by start hex in ascending order. Please review some of the move and combat messages in Topic 37 for examples.

Note: After being paired up, if players are able to reach other play procedure arrangements, they are free to do so. However, if either player wishes to follow the GR/D Play Procedures and Protocols as stated here, then play must proceed on that basis.

VI The Rules

All FitE/SE/Urals and Leningrad: 1941 rules optional, and advanced rules apply with the following changes:

1. FitE/SE/Urals:
a. No Rule 40 partisans, use Rule 33 instead.
b. Resource Points may be spent during the movement phase for rail capacity increases.

2. Leningrad. 1941 Section III.
a. Delete Rule 39M.
b. Delete Rule 39N.
c. Rule 20: Use DAS per Scorched Earth rules.
d. Delete Rule 19. Use FitEISElUrals with the following change to the Patrol Rule 19. Add Close Escort as defined in Message 37 of Topic 37 (This was also explained in the "Rules Court" of TEM #25. Note: Close Escorts (CEs) may absorb only one patrol attack. If the CE is not returned due to patrol the fighter continues with the mission force as a regular Escort. A Close Escort may only CE one mission force per phase. Since there is a difference between Close Escort and Escort fighters, this must be so noted on the move sheets at the time of "take-off ff.

VIII. Mistake Procedure (The Rostov Incident)

It is beyond my ability to gamemaster every game in the Tournament. Therefore, each game will have someone assigned to it for impartial handling of such matters as the surprise air attack and the like. The gamemaster will be attached to each game by a random drawing. When the phasing player sends a file to his opponent, he must also send it to the gamemaster. The gamemaster will have an E- mail address where all special ops and assorted other matters can be sent. If possible, the gamemaster will be assigned from the category "A" players.

The gamemaster should not be asked to perform duties which can be carried out in the Conference Area. Players are asked to keep gamemaster involvement to an absolute minimum.

The owning player may not make any corrections to a file once transmitted, except for the following reasons:

Illegal Moves:

Any illegal move/exploit not discovered by the non-phasing player before the combat/initial phase has started will stand as moved. Once a move/exploit file is sent, the owning player may not make any voluntary corrections. If the non-phasing player discovers an illegal move/exploit before resolution of combat/initial phase activity, the offending unit must return to the start hex it was in at the beginning of the phase and may not move for that phase.

Note: If a unit must return to its start hex during the move phase, it may still exploit if capable. [in the actual event, most players are allowing their opponent to move an offending unit as far as legally possible in the direction it intended to go.]

Unresolved Typos: These stand as submitted if the move is legal. Typos may not be corrected; if the unit's move was illegal as a result of the typo, handle the same as illegal moves (see above).

Combat Errors: Mistakes in odds or modifiers in the combat file must be declared prior to combat. After the die is rolled, the result stands per the agreed upon odds and mods in the combat file. By rolling for combat, the defender acknowledges his agreement with the phasing player's combat file. However, incorrect interpretations made during the rolling of results can be resolved up to the start of the exploit phase provided a record is kept of the Conference Area combat proceedings. Note: The declarations handed down in the verdict for the Rostov Incident should be used as an guide in these circumstances.

Arbitration: Arbitration should not be sought. If arbitration is the only recourse, the gamemaster will resolve the problem. If this does not satisfy either player then Victor Hauser will stand in as rules and procedure judge, provided Victor is not a participant in that game. If Victor is a player in a game requiring arbitration, Rick Gayler will step in as arbiter. If the game involves both Rick and Victor, then I will stand in as arbiter.

Leniency: The above mistake procedures are in place to be used as a framework for moving games along at a quick pace and to allow all players to play by the same rules. However, players are allowed to grant leniency and allow changes if they so desire.

Players are under no obligation to grant leniency, however. Although the Leningrad. 1941 Tournament is being played for fun, it is still competition. A mistake in paperwork is the same as sending the 5th Guards Tank Army to Rhez instead of Rzhev 120 miles away because of garbled communications.

VIII. Weather

Weather in all Tournament games will be identical. The weather will be clear through and including the Oct I turn. It will be mud on the Oct II turn.

IX. Example of Play

Start of a Round. All games in a round will start at the same time. Players will be advised prior to each round which side they will be playing in order to conduct preliminary deployment planning. Final pairings will be posted in Topic 40 at the start of each round. Once player pairings are posted in Topic 40 for the current round, deployment begins. It will be up to each player to contact their opponent and work out play schedules. Soviet players are encouraged to have "canned" deployments ready to ship immediately.

Follow the Leningrad. 1941 scenario guidelines for deployment. Use the Historical set-up as listed in the Leningrad. 1941 OB.

Play.

Start of Axis Phase. At the beginning of each game the Axis Surprise Air Attack will be conducted by the gamemaster. All random drawings for any air replacement system activities will be done by the gamemaster for that game.

Play During a Round:

1. Axis Jun II Surprise Turn. The Axis player sends his ground movement, air movement, and combat file to the Soviet player. Since corrections are not allowed by the phasing player, sending all three phases (ground, air, and combat) at the same time will speed play.

Special operations are sent to the gamemaster at this time. The gamemaster should verify to the non-phasing player any details of a special operation once initiated. This will allow the non-phasing player to ensure rules compliance.

2. Resolve Soviet Challenges. Players should reach a decision on their own without involving their gamemaster if possible. If illegally moved units which were to participate in an attack are forced to return to their start hexes, the phasing player may cancel the attacks and abort the air missions that those units were to be involved in.

3. Axis Surprise Combat Phase. The Soviet player declares his naval gunfire support. The Axis player modifies attacks if noted in his combat file.

Combat is resolved in the GEnie Conference Area. Players should keep a file of the die rolling for future reference. The Gamemaster is not required to be present for combat resolution.

All non-phasing player repair rolls and transport availability rolls should be rolled at the end of each combat phase. This expedites play and alleviates gamemaster involvement. If players feel this gives too much advantage to one side or the other, they are free to develop their own schedules provided both players agree to the change. Otherwise this procedure stands.

4. Start of Regular Jun II Turn. Axis Initial Phase begins for the Jun II turn. Proceed as explained in Sections 1, 2, and 3 above.

5. Axis Combat phase. The Soviet player announces his Patrol attacks. His interceptions are declared after Patrol attack results are known.

Naval gunfire is declared by the Soviet player, the Axis player may modify his attacks if noted in his combat file.

6. Axis Exploit phase. If the Soviet player agrees with the exploit as legal, then the Axis player turn is concluded. Since all Soviet air repair rolls will already have been resolved, play proceeds to the other segments of the Soviet Initial Phase.

7. End of Player Turn.

X. End of Round

Since normal play in a round ends when 75% of the games of that round (in our case, three games) have been completed, all players must be sensitive to how their game is progressing relative to the rest of the Tournament games. Therefore, it is essential that players post a message in Topic 40 following the end of each of their player turns.

Round: When at least 75% of the games in a round are played to completion, the round ends. Any remaining game has two weeks to be completed or else be declared an uncompleted game. An uncompleted game is not considered a draw; see Section IV. above.

XII. Between Rounds

Three weeks will be set aside between rounds for player R&R. Player pairings for the next round will be worked out during this time.

XIII. Tournament Winner

The Tournament winner will be the player with the most points at the end of four rounds of play.

XIV. Magazine Coverage

These protocols and procedures will be covered in my column of the magazine (and here they are!).

Future issues of the magazine will contain updates on the progress of the Tournament and relate some of the more interesting player narratives (as posted on the Bulletin Board).

The initial pairings are: Category "A" - Victor vs. Jason; Gary vs. Rick. Category "B" - Sam vs. Alan; John vs. Don. The Axis player is listed first in each pairing. Stay tuned for battle reports!