Format: Round-Robin. Every player plays every other player. Players are responsible to pace their play to finish all nine of their matches within the tournament period. Players may optionally play a pair of games against an opponent (one as each side). Ties are scored as such (half of a win).
Tournament Period: Two Years (Beginning September 15th of odd-numbered years)
Current Tournament Period: September 15th, 2009 - September 12th, 2011
Next Start Date: September 15th, 2011
Participants: Invitations will be extended to the Top 10. Ten invitations will be extended initially; additional invitations will be extended to bring the field to ten participants if there are any original invitees who are unable to participate. All participants will have their names engraved on the traveling World Championship trophy. Participants may not simultaneously play in the BPA Single-Elimination Bracket but may also play in the King-of-the-Hill Ladder Bracket.
Initial Top 10 (in 1999): The five top finishers at the World Boardgaming Championships plus the five highest AREA ranked players (as of Sept. 1st). Additional invitations were based on AREA rankings and limited to bring the field up to a minimum of eight participants. Nine of the original invitees accepted leaving the field with total of nine players.
Second Top 10 (in 2001): Top three finishers from the prior Top Ten Invitational Bracket, Top three positions of the Open King-of-the-Hill Ladder Bracket, Top finisher from the BPA Open Single Elimination Bracket, Reigning WBC Champion, Reigning Midwest Open Champion, and the Top AREA ranked player.
Next Top 10 (from 2003 onward): Guaranteed invitations will be extended as follows:
1) Top three finishers from the previous Top Ten Invitational Bracket2) Top two positions of the Open King-of-the-Hill Ladder Bracket
3) Top finisher from the BPA Open Single Elimination Bracket
4) Reigning and prior World Champions (from the World Boardgaming Championships)
5) Reigning Midwest Open Champion
6) Top AREA ranked player (as of Sept. 1st)
Considering the possibility of overlap between the categories, additional invitations are likely. Additional invitations would be extended in the following order:
Pairings: Players will be given a complete list of pairings at the beginning of the round robin. Players may play as many matches simultaneously as they wish but should attempt to begin games in the order listed on the pairings. Players should copy the GM when offering to begin any game with any player (and should notify the GM of the sides, bidding, and adjustments as soon as Turn 1 begins).
Schedule: However, at the start of the tournament each round will be assigned a start date and a completion date. Players must report the results of their games by the completion date. Players are free to begin games before the scheduled dates but should begin no later than the scheduled date.
Seeding: Players are seeded by their initial AREA ratings.
Drop Outs: A player may drop out at the completion of any on-going matches. The player will be credited with an AREA loss for each incomplete or unstarted game while their current and future opponents will be credited with an AREA win. The results of games against a player who drops out before completing at least three games will not be included in the final win-loss record if it would affect the top three places.
Incomplete Games: At the close of the tournament period, all incomplete games which have finished a minimum of six turns will be adjudicated. Games which have not finished combat on Turn 6 will be awarded to the player who took the least amount of playing time. Games which have not begun will be awarded to the player who last offered to begin at least two months prior to the close of the tournament period. A player who does not complete all of his games (with a maximum of one adjudicated) is ineligible to receive an invitation for the next Top 10 Invitational regardless of other qualifications.
Reporting: All players are expected to provide maps or complete text detail after all movement is complete each turn together with a brief synopsis of results and the total score. Commentary is optional but encouraged. This information will be published and made available to all VITP enthusiasts!
Ranking: The winner will be determined by the win-loss record with ties broken on the basis of the head-to-head result. If further tie-breakers are needed, the combined record of defeated opponents will be used followed by the total initial AREA rating of defeated opponents. The top three finishers automatically qualify to enter the next Top 10 Invitational.
Trophy: The World Email Victory in the Pacific Champion will receive the "Top 10 PBEM VITP Invitational" Championship Plaque. In addition, the champion will retain the traveling trophy engraved with the names of all champions for two years. The sides and rear faces of the trophy will also contain the names of all of the invitational players as well as the champions of the Single Elimination and King-of-the Hill Ladder Brackets.