Player vs. Player tournaments have been some of the most successful events players have run in Star Wars Galaxies. In fact, some tournament hosts have had such success with these events that they have become monthly or even weekly affairs.

Rules: Obviously, your tournament is going to need rules and guidelines to determine what is considered fair play and to determine who wins. Having a reasonably level playing field can help to keep your tournament from being too one-sided, keeping things interesting for everyone. You want your participants to enjoy themselves and have a good time, so put some thought into the type of tournament you are going to run first.

One of the most common distinctions made in PvP tournaments is separating competitors by "class". Usually the classes are "ranged" and "melee," but sometimes "pet use" is added as well.

Another consideration is using buffs versus no buffs. Buffs can have a dramatic effect on the performance of a competitor. Some tournaments allow for secondary stat buffs but disallow primary Health/Action/Mind buffs. Buff use on the primary stats is easy to confirm. Simply hover your mouse over your target's Health, Action or mind, and you'll see their current and max stat values as well as confirm they're in normal ranges.

Armor or no armor? Armor can have a dramatic effect on the outcome of any fight, particularly some high-end armor that can be specially made to have 80% or more resistance to certain types of attacks. Some people will keep multiple sets of armor for optimal defense versus a variety of attacks, and will switch pieces around as necessary. Keep this in mind as it can dramatically affect the outcome of the matches.

Finally, sometimes fighting tournament hosts disallow certain types of special attacks such as Warcry/Panic Shot or Knockdown. Other commonly allowed or disallowed attacks or abilities during PvP competitions can include Healing, Deathblows, Special Racial Abilities and Poison/Disease/Fire/Bleeding attacks.

Organization: Hosting a tournament is a lot of fun, but there can be a lot to keep track of. Getting organized is a must. At the very least, have a good old-fashioned pen and some paper at the ready to record important information such as competitor names and current standings. You can get fancy and create some custom printouts and spreadsheets to record information, but that's up to you. With a little planning and organization, keeping tabs on where everyone stands during a tournament can be easy.
Having a doctor on hand is also a good idea. Those wounds can add up quickly after a couple of matches, so having someone on hand to keep your competitors in top physical shape is always a nice touch.

Location: Location is also very important. It's a good idea to choose a friendly player city as the location for your tournament. Among their many benefits are shuttle ports, as well as a decrease in the chance of interference from hostile NPCs. There are other perfectly good locations to choose from such as houses, PA halls or even certain POIs: just be certain that your location has enough space to accommodate your competitors and the spectators that come to watch.

Prizes: Finally, you can't forget about prizes! Though bragging rights are sometimes the best prize of all, people always like to have something tangible they know they are striving for. Some popular examples of prizes include a crate of some popular consumable (powerups, stim packs, food), a custom made item, or even just good old credits. If you are concerned about cost, many tournament holders have a modest entry fee that is put toward the reward for the winners of the tournament. Sometimes you can get local merchants to donate prizes as well because word of mouth sells. If people can't win that sweet set of armor, they might just turn around and go purchase a set from that merchant afterwards.

Fighting tournaments have always been very popular and successful. With a little planning, organization, and a clear set of rules, your PvP fighting tournament can be a big hit!

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