This would be absolute chaos. It might be a thought for a small group where you are only running 3-4 tables, but even if Arcanis never gets back to having 40+ tables running at a BI, with the current size of events I don't think this would work.

I do like the thought of tables being able to pick between missions so they can play to their strengths, but I'm not sure whether a cookie-cutter BI would be a welcome change. Part of the attractiveness is that you never know exactly what is coming next. There might be a way to make it work, but it would need to be subtle, I think.

I merely meant that format to be a guide, not an absolute, and more to illustrate the ability to provide options for players so everyone has at least the option (if not the willingness) to play to their own strengths. 5 minutes was more of a 'randomly chosen' timeline, and can be expanded, but at the cost of the Scenes themselves.

The single biggest thing that can be done to alleviate post BI griping is setting expectations that the organizer has. Henry has already done this by stating that the BI is WAR and is expected to be deadly with massive damage rules in effect.

Two things that we, the board community, can do to help keep the BI enjoyable is:

1) Clearly communicate this expectation to our friends and local players that don't read the boards.

2) Encurage players with combat weak PC's to consider playing a different PC at the BI that is either more combat focused, or at least something they are less attached to.

Two things that the campaign staff can do to keep folks happy are:

1) Communicate in person the expection that the BI is WAR and therefore lethal to folks when they approach the campaign table.

2) Have two sets of "Field Soldier" pregens ready at the campaign staff table for those that have a ticket, but decide at the last moment not to risk their primary PC or lose their PC due to death early on in the BI. Ideally these field soldier pregens would be flavored to meet each of the opposing sides.

Such "informed consent" will serve to head off most of the objections that where raised last year.

Regarding my suggestion of playing a "Field Soldier" pregen... I would further suggest that if a player wishes to play a pre-gen soldier at the BI that they be allowed to either keep the pregen as a new PC with full XP and awards, OR be permitted to transfer 1/2 of the xp and zero rewards to their primary PC. In the later case it being assumed that the primary PC was providing non-combat support behind the lines in much the same way that the Tier 1.5 cert assumes that the PC was a crusader that provided non-combat support.

For BI's it's all #respect from this quarter.
I've only been to a few, but they're never less then jaw-dropping whether live or adapted for home play.
And yeah, they're dangerous. Sometimes tangibly frighteningly so -and this is from someone regularly sub-optimal in design choices. I'm never far from just getting wasted by raw incoming fire.
But I've never regretted playing one.

So my sincere and solemn thanks to all the authors and judges. BI's are Arcanis flexing it's dramatic muscle, they're where the stars really come out and the sh*t goes down, and that doesn't happen without you.

Thank you.