A flip-flop debate

[Maedhros]

I got this idea with the problem that occurred in the current debate, when the topic creator flip-floped his own rules.

How about if there is a debate which starts as a normal one, and then in the middle of it, both sides are switched over and the teams defends now the other side in which he began.

That has to be very interesting, and it would require the debaters to be very resourceful in the way that they present their arguments. It would certainly end the usual boredom of the repetitiveness that is bound to happen in the end of normal debates.

[YayGollum]

Ack! I would have to choose my topics carefully for jumping into those sorts of debates. For many topics, I wouldn't care overly much, so it would be very fun. For something like this Dwarf one, though, my amazingly correct principles would prevent me from attempting to sell lies to attempt to make Dwarves look bad. :rolleyes:

Ah, also, how would the changes be decided? If people choose their sides in the beginning, and, after a certain amount of time, everyone just jumps to the opposite side, wouldn't lots of people just employ inferior arguments, or at least ones that they were already planning counter points for. They'd have more interest in the points they'd be making in the future, since that would be the side that they would hope to win, in the end. How's about we only trust the person in charge of that particular debate to randomize who switches and who doesn't, so that everyone would have to worry about their initial side? Or something like that. I guess that we should trust everyone to debate as well as they could for both sides. I know that I would be able to do that, at least. I'd end up looking at my old points and praising myself, then, finding myself unable to disprove those amazing points, I'd have to resort to merely coming up with new points for the other side.

[Snaga]

Its an interesting idea. I think it would be very funny to see people suddenly knocking down their own theories!:D

[Thorondor_]

How about if there is a debate which starts as a normal one, and then in the middle of it, both sides are switched over and the teams defends now the other side in which he began.
Well, what would be rated? The final product? In that case, all teams are likely to make really bad arguments in the beginning, and participate as little as possible, up until this theoretical middle of debate.

How about: we don't know when the switch is made, or even if the switch is made. That way, all the teams are motivated to give their best at all times ;).

[Snaga]

I suppose you could rate the team over the entire course of the debate I suppose. So if you debate badly at the start so you can demolish your own arguments later, this would hurt your overall score.

[YayGollum]

You suppose? Hm. Well, why not give the judges more work to do? I have never understood the difficulty of the job. Switching sides like that would be plenty fun.

[Maedhros]

Well, what would be rated? The final product? In that case, all teams are likely to make really bad arguments in the beginning, and participate as little as possible, up until this theoretical middle of debate.

I think that one would have to be really clever in this type of thing. I mean in a debate, you obviously think about what the other side is going to say/do and anticipate/counter it.
The tricky part would be making for/against points that your opponents haven't come up with.
Its an interesting idea. I think it would be very funny to see people suddenly knocking down their own theories!
That could really make those debates even more interesting and way more funny than they are now.

[YayGollum]

Well? *impatient toes tap* Is there some rule that two debates can't go on at the same time? Have fun. Start one, why not? Also, here is as good a place as many others to announce ---> Yikes! I just got through with reading all of my old guild debates, and I found out that I am horrible at this stuff! :rolleyes: I can understand a bit of the frustration that some people encounter, now. Whoops. As a matter of course, I am still certain that I should have won all of those debates, but I can see that I have a bit of room for improvement. :rolleyes: That Confusticated lady was decent at it, though. *sniff*