JJOCT7 R2M14 Jojolity

Judge Bob the Builder (Ceep)

I think that the only fair thing to do to judge Jojolity on would be the 8k Union Mandated Work Break in the room. When this was pitched in team server, I knew this would either be a complete miss or a home run for Jojolity; one of those situations where I’d give either a 4 or an 8. It’s difficult in these sorts of matches to justify not using up every last tiny bit of the time you are given, to try and squeeze out every shred of advantage. Taking the step to back off and consciously not use that time is a difficult one to get to, even if it seemed easy in the strat room.

Put simply, I think that this was a massive success, and the overall success of your Jojolity was in a consistent lack of overreach. Given Cal’s immense Power and Precision, given Titan’s output, the consistent choice to do things that were solid and ‘basic’ adds up to make your strategy run very smoothly. Recognizing that your helpers in the match are, fundamentally, human and leaning into that to give the NPCs identity is a slam dunk.

Engineering as a field is hard and relies immensely on a lot of people with a lot of different competencies working together. Building things are extremely complicated, and the work to do so is hard, technical, and complex. Recognizing that your characters were not the ‘main’ ones here and respecting the work to let the professionals shine is something that I, personally, very much respect. On a more meta level, I have nothing but sincere admiration for how this engages with the actual on-the-ground People Of The City.

Titan and Cal don’t try to dominate these people, nor do they condescend; consistently, they treat these workers like good and decent humans and are treated well in return. Given neither are human themselves, the kindness they both earn and are given shows to me that they do really have a place in the setting. The Metropolis Suite, for all of its high-minded arrogance and their conviction about knowing what is best could absolutely never do what Cal and Titan did here in a thousand years; asking other people what they need, and then giving that to them.

I’ve rambled and meandered a while, and I think… I really do feel that a very mechanical Jojolity that could have been done very well with just mechanics really does feel elevated here. Everything fits, and it says something more than I thought would be possible. I feel like a 10/10 works here. Exceptional work.

Judge Handy Manny (Snek)

Taking once again from that experience, I am not writing you a recipe introduction like I did for yoga match (I’m honestly not sure what I was thinking with that one), but I *do* feel similarly about this jojolity. You take the idea of making work smooth for everyone, integrate it with the importance of safety that is part of the objective, and make it completely central to your strategy. I’m really fond of the way you made these construction workers into people instead of mere pawns to complete a task, and how you handled the experience of working with others. The attention you give to every detail, from making sure the tools are where they’re needed, to putting things back at the end of the day, to the care you take to make sure everyone is rested, fed, and hydrated, shows dedication to the crucial, honest task of working well.

Like the yoga match, not only is this strong on its own merits, but it reaches out to connect with the broader themes of this tournament. You live in a city where you interact with others to get things done. In that regard, building a better future often literally involves building a coalition in the present, extending compassion to others and strengthening your bonds. In a delightful inversion of the match before it, you go on to provide a positive example of what I hoped to prove through negation: a city is not just made of empty structures, but the people living within them. You get a **9!!**

Judge Fix-It Felix (Flame)

The Jojolity was to “Make the construction process as smooth as possible!”

Moonbeam Riders did a great job with this one, with a clear focus on making the work flow smoothly! Safety, Efficiency and Morale (three aspects important to keeping work flowing smoothly) permeate the strategy entirely: from the rules planned out at the beginning and how workers are kept safe and with the proper support/rest (and handrails!); to how uses for the players’ Stands have been used to help all parts of the work such as pasta being used to help guide cuts or tools, or [Big Big Friend] being used to lay down the roof (these tools also being built to last for tomorrow); to treating these NPCs as people and breathing life into them, along with treating them to a union break, lunch and a trip to Soma’s Cup after. A fantastic showing, one I think is worth a **10**.