A question on War

[Michael A. Chance]

Mordraut writes:
> 
> >Diarmuit asks:
> 
> >This is sort of a simple question, and I suppose ties into to the
> >whole Ideal Event/Fighting thing, but why do we keep getting involved
> >in so many wars?  I can understand a big annual thing, or even 
> >a couple of big annual things, but how many wars is Ansteorra
> >currently involved in right now?
> 
>      Because they are fun?  I enjoy fighting in war far more than I do in
> tournament, as most people who know me can tell you.

Personally, I believe one of the main reasons for the preference for
"wars" or similar primarily melee events is that more inexperience or
less talented folks get a lot more opportunities to compete.  In the
typical SCA tourney, the "double elim", full half of the entrants only
get 2 or 3 fights before being eliminated.  Frankly, given that (a)
only the best get any significant number of bouts and (b) that style
of tourney is, at best, a hundered years out of period (and I've yet
to see a firm reference any earlier than the late 18th century), it
truly amazes me that it's still the most commonly preferred tourney
format.

Most true medieval and Renaissance tourney formats offer _lots_ more
bouts for each contestant.  Want "fun" tournies?  Ditch the
single/double elim format.

Mikjal Annarbjorn
-- 
Michael A. Chance          St. Louis, Missouri, USA    "At play in the fields
Work: mc307a at sw1stc.sbc.com                             of St. Vidicon"
Play: mchance at crl.com