Friday Night Fights: Q&A with Amy “Critters” Crider

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Q: What are Friday Night Fights?
A: Friday Night Fights is a popular hand-to-hand boxing event that takes place every Friday night in Tabula Rasa.  Based on the original Friday Night Fights event created by the Tabula Rasa Community Team, the now player-run event has its own meeting location in game, aptly named the C.E.L.L.A.R (Coalition of Enlistees Likely Looking for Aggressive Retaliation), and a weekly winner’s bracket posted on the official Tabula Rasa website

Q: Rumor has it that this event has been going on since before the game launched. Is that true? How did it start up and how did it transition to being player run?
Richard Garriott, our executive producer, played the game regularly and frequently interacted with players during beta.  He came across a small mini-game where players would use hand-to-hand combat to beat each other up during their downtime. He even went a few rounds with them with his General British character. April “CuppaJo” and I caught wind of this and thought it would be a great event to run for the last few Fridays in beta.  We found the perfect combination was to invite level 4 players to the lower level town, Alia Das, to box each other.  Because we would be boxing with bare hands, armor was not allowed.  That, and as we all know, players will find any reason to strip down to their skivvies!  

After Beta ended, a prominent Friday Night Fights participant named Fuzzball asked if he could take over FNF after our last scheduled event.  We jumped at the chance to have this event continued and Fuzzball and Bennett (aka DeadRinger) from the fansite, PlanetTR, have made this a regular event for the community.

Q: What do you think appeals to the players who participate?
Fun competition, socialization, and prizes of course!  Also, who doesn’t like to take out their aggression on fellow players?

Q: Tabula Rasa now has a boxing ring in the game. Was this just for Friday Night Fights or was there another reason?
The boxing ring was added to the game with Friday Night Fights in mind, but also to act as a venue for ALL events.  Now we have a dedicated area with a nice ambience, cool music, and it’s easy to get to for any level player!

Q: How does the boxing ring function?
The Arena can be accessed via teleporter from barracks in Alia Das, Foreas Base, Mt. Hellas Outpost, Fort Defiance, Tantalus Base, and Fort Intrepid.  Once you get in, you’ll see the “Red Corner” and “Blue Corner” that players use to pick sides.  But don’t forget to buy your equipment before you go into the ring! Vendors in the arena have boxing gloves, boxing shorts, face gear, and dye to get you outfitted for a bout.  

Q: What usually happens during a Friday Night Fight? Take us through the event.
Before the event begins, Bennett will accept sign ups on the PlanetTR forums, you can also show up a little early and get your name on the fighting bracket.  Three or four rounds are usually held, depending on the turnout and a semi-final and finals round.  Players duke it out using only hand-to-hand and boxing attire. In the end, only one champion prevails.  

After the champion is crowned, he or she has the opportunity to take on another battle.  These battles may be against Mystery Fighter such as a Former FNF champion, Game Master, QA Tester, or Developer.  Another battle consists of choosing another partner from the crowd and going up against another group of for a 2 on 2 brawl.  The prizes are increased if the champion chooses to accept the extra battle, but if they lose, all prize money is saved for the next Friday Night Fights. (I’m talking in-game money here, not USD!)

Q: What do people win? What’s at stake?
The winning purse can be a combination of the following: Money, weapons, XP boosters, skill and attribute respecs, black and white dye, and even an official General British beret.

Q: How did they get a boxing ring into the fiction of Tabula Rasa, which is a sci-fi military game?
Even in real-life military scenarios, members must have recreational sports and other events to keep their mind off war and promote social activities. In Tabula Rasa, the C.E.L.L.A.R was created for these R&R type events.  The C.E.L.L.A.R. also has a bar, vendor, recreational rooms, and observation deck.

Q:  Is there anything else you’d like to say about Tabula Rasa’s Friday Night Fights?
As mentioned earlier, the Friday Night Fights events may have special guests such as former FNF Champions, GMs, QA Testers, and Developers.  On July 25th, we’ve teamed up with the FNF crew to present a special exhibition match with a mystery fighter that will knock your boxing gloves off!  Also, a very exclusive prize will be awarded to the winner of this event!  To find out more, check out our latest video, or head over to PlanetTR to sign up today!