This game needs better prize support

[Austino]

You don't need to face people willing to pay $5 to enter a tournament to get better (come to my League and you will get better).

OP exists to grow the game. If tourneys were geared towards people willing to pay $5 to play, tourney attendance would be rather small. Many play for the love of the game and the challenge. Anything else is just extra gravy.

I guess my view is a bit skewed since I pay $5/week for league, so I notice a LOT more players showing up for the free events only. If the entry fee were there for the tournaments (like how we ALREADY pay) then we'd keep the normal attendance, if not more, because of those that travel for them.

If league were free, then I'd be against the entry fee because more people would show up anyway...not just because they don't have to pay.

 

[ShuckleLVX]

He's on to me!

OMG POKEPOP UR HILLARYUZ LOLOL

 

[Scipio]

I guess my view is a bit skewed since I pay $5/week for league, so I notice a LOT more players showing up for the free events only. If the entry fee were there for the tournaments (like how we ALREADY pay) then we'd keep the normal attendance, if not more, because of those that travel for them.

If league were free, then I'd be against the entry fee because more people would show up anyway...not just because they don't have to pay.

Your league is 5 bucks a week? Thats pretty screwed up right there.

 

[Austino]

Yeah, I pay $20/MONTH just to play pokemon in a league where I win 3-5 packs for taking 1st.

This is why I think the prize support should be bigger.

 

[Ardoptres]

And how many ppl go to your league? 30? That's $600.. I doubt renting a room for for 2-4 hours once a week cost that per month..

 

[Austino]

We average 12-15 people, but the numbers are dwindling as of late.

The combo of $5 and lower prizes seem to turn more people away, making the prize amount lower more.

 

[Prof Clay]

If your league is in a business, you DO realize they have to a) pay rent for the space and b) make a profit so they can live right?

I understand people have different levels of financial resources, but $5.00 to have access to a room full of players to playtest and trade with is pretty cheap.

Look at it this way....league is free everywhere....but you do have to pay to make use of the resource that the store owner makes available to you..ie ...playspace

Those of you who feel that we should charge for premier events to increase the prize support have no real idea what PUI does for you do you...without charging you a cent....think about the money it takes to run regionals, Nationals and Worlds...all free for you...

Take that money you'd spend on tournaments, save it up and buy yourself something nice:biggrin:

 

[PokePop]

Tell that to ALL the players who play purely for premier rating then. How is wanting to be a better player by playing people willing to pay $5 for a tournament missing the point when there are players who couldn't care less about anything but playing for points.

At least I go to improve my deckbuilding skills and knowlege of the game. I'm sorry, but playing against 3 half-made starter decks doesn't help gain skill. I just want to get better. To imply that I don't follow SOTG by my views is wrong as well.

I implied absolutely nothing about your spirit of the game. I just said that you missed a major point of what OP is for.
Yes, OP is partially about giving high level players a way to test their skills. Certainly as you wind your way to the top cut and also go to larger and larger events, you get that.

However, a huge part of OP is targeted at bringing in new players and turning them into regular players over the long term. As part of that strategy, it is a GOOD thing that there are newbies at every event.

After all, someone has to go 0-5 and 1-4.
I say this as someone who has had that performance in events.

 

[PokePop]

OMG POKEPOP UR HILLARYUZ LOLOL

You're a bit late. It was funny the first time.

 

[PokePop]

We average 12-15 people, but the numbers are dwindling as of late.

The combo of $5 and lower prizes seem to turn more people away, making the prize amount lower more.

And that answers your question about why PUI wishes to have free events as much as possible.

 

[the_sniper]

Just want to clarify my argument, not that John (iirc that's the_snipers name, correct me if I'm wrong, or if he doesn't want me using it) was directly addressing me;

I'm not complaing. I think that if prize support is going to be increased (which it should be, but just a little, nothing huge) it needs to be paid for, and I honestly think entry fees are the way to go.

All right, I'm finished with this thread unless someone calls me out.

Actually, I was mainly addressing pinkertonfan.

 

[Kenta]

You at least have packs.

Here in Italy we are STILL winning Majestic Dawn.
So, if you arrive 2nd, you have...nothing. If you arrive first, you have one gadget, and a medal (?)

 

[Ardoptres]

If your league is in a business, you DO realize they have to a) pay rent for the space and b) make a profit so they can live right?

I understand people have different levels of financial resources, but $5.00 to have access to a room full of players to playtest and trade with is pretty cheap.

Look at it this way....league is free everywhere....but you do have to pay to make use of the resource that the store owner makes available to you..ie ...playspace

Those of you who feel that we should charge for premier events to increase the prize support have no real idea what PUI does for you do you...without charging you a cent....think about the money it takes to run regionals, Nationals and Worlds...all free for you...

Take that money you'd spend on tournaments, save it up and buy yourself something nice:biggrin:

$5 EVERY week is a lot. If it is in a business? Then they are paying the rent already. Make a profit so they can live? So, if the league wasn't there the business would close? Hardly... They're just trying to take advantage, in a bad way. If it is a store, they should be happy with the increased amount of sales they have, because of the league. Charging $5 per person every week is crazy.

What does paying more for better prizes have to do with what PUI gives us now? I'd gladly pay $5 for each tournament and get better prizes. That doesn't mean i'm unhappy and especially not ungrateful with what we have now.

 

[Austino]

I've been emailing my LL.

The costs aren't going to rent the space. The $5/week pays for our packs that we win.

 

[Prof Clay]

I've been emailing my LL.

The costs aren't going to rent the space. The $5/week pays for our packs that we win.

I believe if you check the price of a pack, it is under $5.00

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

$5 EVERY week is a lot. If it is in a business? Then they are paying the rent already. Make a profit so they can live? So, if the league wasn't there the business would close? Hardly... They're just trying to take advantage, in a bad way. If it is a store, they should be happy with the increased amount of sales they have, because of the league. Charging $5 per person every week is crazy.

What does paying more for better prizes have to do with what PUI gives us now? I'd gladly pay $5 for each tournament and get better prizes. That doesn't mean i'm unhappy and especially not ungrateful with what we have now.

I know this has gotten off topic but...

How can you possibly say they are taking advantage of you?...no one makes you pay to go, and they have every right to charge you to occupy space in their store...especially if you really are not spending any money on their products. You should be happy they are providing league for you at all...many stores do not want the hassel of the young kids every week.

I do not know how old you are but you really do not seem to understand the costs that are involved in running a business...employee pay, rent, utilities, local, state and federal taxes, product (some that sell great and others that just sit for a long period of time)...$600 dollars a month from pokemon is really not that much in the overall budget a store has.

 

[elekid_957]

^30X5=150.... not 600... so not very much money, my league is 1$ a week and i usually get 1st/2nd and get a pack or two.

 

[Austino]

He was saying that it's $150/week, or $600/month.

$1/week would be nice. I don't mind paying $10/month. $20/month is a bit much to play a card game. Not to mention the fact that I pay $5 in gas each week to get there, upping my cost to $10/week.

 

[Psychoflood]

I understand the prize support at CC's and up, but what i don't understand is prize support at prereleases.

I'm not talking about the draft afterwards (if your store does that) i'm talking about sealed prereleases. I'm not the best player, but i think my deck building skills are pretty good. Prereleases rely more on deckbuilding than deckplaying, so i tend to do well at those events. Players like me who might not win anything else and do well at prereleases get really bummed when i find out that i get absolutely nothing for winning the prerelease. Last saturday i was 3-0 and all of my friends playing dropped. This made me extremely upset, because i hate when people drop from tournaments. what happened to playing for fun? But when it boiled down to 10 players left and my friends wanted to go eat pizza before the draft, i found myself in a difficult position between staying and hanging out with my friends (which i wish were the same.)

I'm just wondering, why don't we even get winner pins anymore? Not a single pack, not a promo, nothing. I wish i got even a pat on the back for performing well at a prerelease.. its not 100% luck you know, there is skill involved.. /rant

 

[Austino]

Prereleases are more geared to getting the new set and learning the new cards; to sort of test the waters with the set. It's not really that fair to give prizes based on something that random, as opposed to a tournament where you build a deck with a certain playstyle where most of the winning is done through skill...not your lucky/unlucky draws from 6 packs.

Plus, you're paying $25 for 8 packs (6 first, then 2 after energy return), sleeves, and a pr card. The packs alone are worth $32+tax. Why would you need MORE packs thrown in on top of that for getting lucky pulls?

 

[Prof Clay]

I understand the prize support at CC's and up, but what i don't understand is prize support at prereleases.

I'm not talking about the draft afterwards (if your store does that) i'm talking about sealed prereleases. I'm not the best player, but i think my deck building skills are pretty good. Prereleases rely more on deckbuilding than deckplaying, so i tend to do well at those events. Players like me who might not win anything else and do well at prereleases get really bummed when i find out that i get absolutely nothing for winning the prerelease. Last saturday i was 3-0 and all of my friends playing dropped. This made me extremely upset, because i hate when people drop from tournaments. what happened to playing for fun? But when it boiled down to 10 players left and my friends wanted to go eat pizza before the draft, i found myself in a difficult position between staying and hanging out with my friends (which i wish were the same.)

I'm just wondering, why don't we even get winner pins anymore? Not a single pack, not a promo, nothing. I wish i got even a pat on the back for performing well at a prerelease.. its not 100% luck you know, there is skill involved.. /rant

We have not officially had Prerelease prize support for years.