[Information] What is Outplay?

[Aethera]

What is Outplay?

Outplay is an annual competition started back in 2011 by Admin RonarsCorruption that pits players together against common sorts of challenges they might face in any game. The main goal of Outplay is to help bring the community together, have fun, and get a chance to game and interact with site members who you may not otherwise come into contact with. At the end of the event, we crown a champion as that year's Winner. The winner of Outplay exemplifies what we want to see in a PLAYER on this site. That's a mix of rules knowledge, performance of their role in a team, excellent role-play, quality writing, and plain old success in their ability to develop and execute a plan.

Round zero tackles the most important challenges a player might face: creating an interesting character and showing him in action. We have begun making round zero anonymous, so don't worry that your name doesn't have the same pizzazz as some of the site dinosaurs. Some years the format allows all entries to participate. In others, we have to narrow down the numbers some. When that is the case, are judged based on how awesome your character is. If eliminations in Round 0 are needed, we use public poll regarding the anonymous entries, which will play a major role in who is selected, if we have more applicants than available spots in the competition.

During most years there is a poll posted in Open Roleplaying a couple months before the start of the competition to determine what game systems will have enough popularity, and those are the systems for which the organizers spend their time designing the game. Any game system which can't come up with eight players to run the elimination bracket as well as GM and judges will not be run.

In each of the following rounds, the players work together in groups to overcome the challenges the GMs put forward to face you. In the traditional format, there are four rounds (in a predetermined yet secret-until-the-competition-starts-order): a combat challenge, a problem-solving challenge, and a social challenge. The final round is a special challenge, where characters from all systems will be able to compete simultaneously (requiring roleplaying skills, but no convoluted cross-system mechanics). Some years the format follows a different format, which will be explained in the rules for those events.

While the plot, mechanical requirements, and opening hook change from year to year, the best way to get a sense for how Outplay works is to check out the previous years' competitions.

For the Record Because it has been pointed out to me that we haven't actually said it anywhere else, please be aware that Outplay is a major time commitment! The applications round is a significant portion of a month, which means most people should have time to create their character, but the rounds that follow require daily posting for the game weeks, and then the judges have a week to read everything and choose which players go on to the next round. Missing even a single post during a game week can decide a player's fate, for while we would love to make sure everyone can play, there's only so much time!

Outplay Champions!

See below for copies of the Outplay winner announcements dating back to 2011!

2023
Qiksilv and squirmonkey!

2022
Bushi

2021
Wishkamon

2020
pianoman90 and UngainlyFool

2019
Qiksilv

2018
jbear and DAquilina

2017
Wynamoinen

2016
Khelbiros

2015
Frostburn

2014
Thorsten

2013
Thorsten

2012
Squeak

2011
Thorsten

Great Player Competition 2008
(Proto-Outplay)
GleefulNihilism

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2011

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2012

It's been a few busy months for all involved, but finally we have found this year's best player.

First, they proved to a crowd why they deserved to be there, even more than their competitors who were just as much of a champion as themselves.

Then, they talked down a group of dopplegangers, who were hiding from the champions a gem of unimaginable power.

And finally, the outplay player managed to take out a dragon. Not by themselves mind you, but by the end, the now-champion's assistance couldn't be ignored. Not everyone can summon giant crocodiles, after all.

Which means, this year's winner is Squeak! Congratulations, at outplaying all your competition this year!

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2013

It's been a long competition, everyone, but the results are finally in!

This year was the first year Outplay has catered to members in three different game-systems at once, Pathfinder, DnD 3.5e, and DnD 4e, the three biggest ones out there. Over the past two months, we've whittled down each of those systems to the single best player in each:

For 4th Edition, the finalist was Enthusiast, playing Ghiliyad!
For 3.5e, the finalist was Nefarious Plot with Duilgneshsvant
And finally, the finalist for Pathinder the Thorsten with Thibault

All of this year's competitors were fantastic, and these three still managed to rise above the rest, so congratulations to all of them! But, only one can outroll, outsmart and outplay all of the others.

And that winner is...

 

Thorsten!

Congratulations!

This year's final round was so close, we needed to call in an extra judge just to break the tie once all the votes had been cast, it was a victory by the smallest margin.

I'd like to thank all of this year's competitors, judges, and those of you who helped with planning and running the whole event. Thanks! Next year, we hope to be at least as good, and we hope to be seeing you here, again.

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2014

Outplay 2014 Conclusion...

This whole year has been great for Outplay - every match has had nail-bitingly close moments where competitiors have had scores so close to one another we have to consider half-points.

The finals were no different! An excellent back and forth where the PCs destroyed the universe! That's right, there's no saving it this time, it's gone! They'll do better with the next one.

But who won?
Well, the first judge was torn, he liked both players a lot, but in the end one player narrowly won his vote. For the moment, we'll call him Player #1.

The second judge, a new addition, was less conflicted. Confidently, he cast his vote for player #2.

The third judge's sentiments mimicked the first. He was very torn, and considered changing his vote at the last moment, not even knowing his was going to be the deciding vote in the competition. Narrowly, he decided to vote for...

Thorsten! Damn, that was a close one - congratulations! One post different and the whole competition might have gone to your competitor. But once again, you are our outplay champion. Congratulations!

And congratulations to all our other competitiors, too - you've all been excellent players: there just can only be one winner. I hope to see you all next year, and for Iron DM coming up in just a few short months.

Game on!

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2015

Four players. Four systems. One winner.

It's all come down to this:
Ekidnu - the champion of the Pathfinder bracket playing the "paladin", Kayla
Frostburn - the champion of the Shadowrun bracket, playing Quara - who married her guardian spirit
Melchior - the champion of the 3.5e bracket, playing Chezo the goblin chef
Bhelogan - the champion of the 5e bracket, playing the druid, Ivan

The judges deliberated at length, and with a resounding 5-2 vote, this year's winner is clear:

 

Frostburn!

Your character was just that cut above we were looking for this year - you deserve it!

I'd also like to say congratulations to all of our competitors this year for all their excellent writing, and double-so for all our finalists. This has easily been the best outplay to date, and is going to be hard to top.

Congratulations!

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2016

Thirty-two players. Four systems. One winner.

It's all come down to this:
Khelbiros, who played Rimoka to victory in the 13th Age bracket.
Wodine, whose Ignatius C Hypatius III rose above the rest in the 3.5e bracket
Avner, playing Thomas Templeton through to the top of the 5e bracket
Pianoman90, whose character of Jorgum was the best of the Pathfinder Bracket.

The judges deliberated at length, and the winner of Outplay 2016 is...

Khelbiros!

Congratulations to you and Rimoka - you deserved it!

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2017

It has been a long summer, but Outplay 2017 has reached its conclusion.
3 Wrecked and Stranded Crews. 24 Heroes. One Winner.

This year we played Mutants and Masterminds, D&D 5E and Pathfinder, Oh My! Contestants battled through their brackets to reach the Final Round, all to contend for the coveted title of Winner of Outplay 2017. It came down to three contestants:

Wynamoinen, whose Princess Syarafina survived the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edtion bracket.
JackinIron, whose Wanderer outlasted all the other Mutants and Masterminds
Blackfyre, whose Kavax the Magnificent found the way through the Pathfinder bracket.

The judges deliberated, and the Winner of Outplay 2017 is:

 

Wynamoinen!



Congratulations!!! Princess Syarafina Grinelda Delight-and-Chastity Halethorpe-Šztöffbînder of Rheum,
the Story Book Princess captured all of our hearts.

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2018

And The Winner Is...

This year, Outplay doesn't have a winner... it has two! Rather than naming one overall winner, we bring you two winners - one for Pathfinder and one for 5th edition DnD. The two brackets both showcased some excellent players, and win or lose there was great play all around!

 

For 5e, this year's outplay champion is jBear, whose character Ulysses/Osa Echo ended with a huge lead and a total of 29 points! She bested the Dead Lord, the only monster to claim the life of a competitor this year, and managed to escape the Magi's Cleaner - a terrifying lead golem! The runner up was is Vallesh, whose character Hunger scored 23 points (and the removal of a long-term, character defining curse) - followed very closely by Zinrokh's Ikol with 22 points and the easiest-to-rule-on mischeif of all of the zany characters in the competition!

This year's Pathfinder outplay champion is much closer. Ultimately, the winner is DAquilina's Ulf, who came out with 31 points - a last-minute lead gained through a stellar closing post in the Warrior's Gate. The runners up for Pathfinder were close enough behind to have been anyone's game until the last moment: Qiksilv's Marvel scored 26 points and a trip on a spaceship, Ytterbium's Tully Carver managed to escape with 24 points and only a brief acid bath, while Scimmy's Melvin accumulated 23 points - but will probably get a chance to try again in 10,000 years.

Some runner-up awards for this year, worth everyone's time to read, include:
The I'm going to have to add new restrictions next year award for Jim Faindel and his one-hundred trained mastiffs!
The Most complicated character award goes to Gaijin and his ten homunculi.
The I never expected this build award goes to RainyDayNinja's Grunt, who spent his entire wealth on disposable buffs and gained a very large early lead as a result.
The Most judge awards award goes to Vallesh, who was awarded judge points for good RP eight times! (and narrowly beat out several others who were awarded seven)

A huge thanks to all competitors, judges, applicants and spectators! This year was a huge success, and I'm excited to do it again next year!

[Aethera]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2019

21 players entered the contest, playing either Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition or Pathfinder (which, over the course of the competition, we needed to start calling 1st edition). Hundreds of top-notch posts were made. Over many grueling weeks for players and characters alike, the field of competitors narrowed.

In the final round of competition, three remained:

• oztk's Berthe Bovary
• Qiksilv's Tobias Lancaster
• Zinrokh's Ikol

The judges deliberated...

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2020

Congratulations on all of our Finale participants! In the D&D Bracket, we have rhaiber (Ginnifer) and pianoman90 (Shugaro). In Shadowrun, we have UngainlyFool (Bonus) and Blackfyre (Tamara). And, now for the winner:

 

D&D 5E Champion: pianoman90 playing Shugaro!
Shadowrun 5E Champion: UngainlyFool playing Bonus!

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2021

It was a photo-finish race to the end, with our three immensely talented contestants crossing spells, proverbial swords, and stones with each other, competing against each other yet working together to defeat the evil Bishop Bartholomew, and rescue the Crossing Companions from captivity. In the end, we have to have one winner. The votes were close. Very close. So close in fact, that the judges tried to mount a mutiny and insist that all three be crowned champions. Their please and cause was valiant, but alas, in the end, one winner was chosen.

Huge congratulations to Wishkamon for pulling out a Win, and be crowned the Champion of Outplay 2021!

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Outplay 2022

We have reached the end of Outplay 2022. It was a neck-to-neck race in the finish line with two very different styles of players, showing different strengths and bringing their own flavors to the final showdown with the Benefactor. Between Bushi's Amari and AnotherDragoon's Legion, who would take the round? The finale had no mechanical scores, and no bonus points to influence the end results. Only the word of the Judges decided who the winner will be. The scores were tallied, and the results are as follows:

Winning by a single point (0.25 points in the overall average) Bushi, who will be crowned the champion of Outplay 2022! Congratulations, and a huge shoutout and thank you to all of our players who helped make an exciting, adrenaline-filled event this year.

[Admin Bhelogan]

And, tallying up the scores the results are:

Yes, that is correct! We have a tie score! This year, we have co-champions, Qiksilv, and squirmonkey! Congratulations to the two of you, not only for making it to the finale but for writing such a collaborative narrative together that our judges were so impressed with the collective work that a single winner was impossible to determine. Were this an earlier elimination round, I would serve as a tie-breaker vote. In this case, though, I happen to agree with the judges.