Who else is sitting out nats?
- Thread starter dialga master
- Start date
meganium45
Active Member
Ok, now that I have said my piece about why you should play, let's discuss the reasons some of the top players may choose not to play.
We have a Junior that has attended Worlds in teh past, but never gotten to play on the big stage. He is close to being safe in points, and very nervous as if he gets the invite, the family will make the trek to let him play. If he does not get the invite, they will not make the trek. This is his year to shine, as it is his last year in Juniors. I would understand him sitting out nats, as he desparately wants to play on the big stage.
There is nothing that compares to actually playing at Worlds.
Of the 25,000+ people in OP every year, less than 400 get to play. It is a huge honor.
Vince
We have a Junior that has attended Worlds in teh past, but never gotten to play on the big stage. He is close to being safe in points, and very nervous as if he gets the invite, the family will make the trek to let him play. If he does not get the invite, they will not make the trek. This is his year to shine, as it is his last year in Juniors. I would understand him sitting out nats, as he desparately wants to play on the big stage.
There is nothing that compares to actually playing at Worlds.
Of the 25,000+ people in OP every year, less than 400 get to play. It is a huge honor.
Vince
I was under the impression that we didn't have to play to recieve the money, simply show up to Nationals and that players have done this in the past? I'm not trying to game the system here but I would really like to know before I go all the way out there.
NoPoke
Active Member
I expect many players are looking to USA nationals to stabilise the metagame. Most have no option but to play but a very small number can safely sit out. With the rotation change right before USA nationals and it being such a big shift in card pool it seems very probable that the USA Nationals environment will be very different to worlds. Sometimes if you put your head above the parapet it gets shot off.
Pete De Shaw
Master Trainer
Empahatically Not True Event registration and stipend pick up are separate. Picking up your stipend will not register you for the tournament. Everyone has to fill out the event registration slips. Please do all you can to help us to dispel this rumor. I would really hate for someone to think they had registered by picking up their stipend and then not be allowed to play.
The POP team encourages all of our State and Regionals winners to play. The purpose of providing trips and travel stipends is to get more of our best players to play in Nationals. That being said, there is no punishment for picking up your stipend then choosing not to play in Nationals. However, we will be looking at this. If it turns out that this behavior is common, I will have to seriously consider removing these prizes from future seasons.
I will be completely unsympathetic to anyone who registers for the event with an awarded bye but then drops before playing a round. This just smacks of gaming the system and I will not hesitate to instruct the computer operators to delay the drop until that player completes as least one actual game. I don't know why anyone would want to do that unless it has something to do with getting the promo card and t-shirt. If that is the case, how about coming to one of us with the problem rather than playing a game with our registration process? I think you will find that the end result will be far more pleasant for everyone.
I told them in the rest of said post that I wasn't sure and they needed to check with TPCi for the answers.flyinghigh11
New Member
I'm sitting at 33rd in masters NA. I will be playing in Nats till the end. If i lose my worlds trip, then so be it but i would rather earn my spot rather than play it safe and not play at all. I have fun playing, and it's no fun not being part of the tournament.
Drew Holton
New Member
Everyone with a ranking invite has earned their spot regardless of the tournaments they did/did not play in.
I completely understand where you are coming from but please allow me to give you another view point on this. Nintendo does an absolutely wonderful job with Worlds every year, the energy, the excitement, the people, it simply can not be matched. I can not even begin to tell you what playing in Worlds means to me, there is simply nothing else like it. I love Nationals but not just for the tournament, I love it for the atmosphere, the friends I only get to see once or twice a year, and the hobby I love. As hard as it is for me to sit out Nationals (this will be my first time) to put it simply its not Worlds. And as hard as it is for me to sit out Nationals it would be twice as hard to realize I had a Worlds invite and lost it on 1 or 2 bad hands.
edubpokemom
New Member
From a parent's point of view, my son is a junior who will be playing, I LOVE that everyone is having to work so hard to learn a new format. I've never seen so much excitement and collaboration ever before! It seems that if you do well this year, it will be because you are a good player, not because you're a good player of a particular deck. Additionally, if you received the travel award, it is unethical to take it and not play. Our son is ranked high up, but we would have a hard time going without that award. We're grateful for it because it allows Ian to play, learn, and to grow as a player and as a person. We never allow him to drop at a tournament because of points...ever...and he's the better player for it. Go, trust yourself, and have fun playing!
Son_of_Apollo
New Member
If you're #21 in NA you should probably sit out. I don't have much information from last year, but I do know the #31 master post-regionals ended up getting 39th after Nats. Seniors has less rounds, so it'd be even more difficult for someone to get a big boost.
Box of Fail
New Member
My question is, why would you rather play worlds than nats?
I may be remembering incorrectly, but aren't first and second round auto bye recipients allowed to opt to waive their auto byes?
The idea being that rather than face a two game winner to start, a Regional winner has the opportunity to have fate, and TOM, decide their pairing in a round one match up, a potentially easier match up than a first game match against a two game winner.
I know the 2 auto byes allows a Regional to avoid an early tourney-ruining first round donk, helping them toward an X-0, X-1, or X-2 record, looking toward top cut and match play.
But for those on the bubble of a Worlds invite, say a senior with 1828, wouldn't playing against potentially easier opponents in the first two rounds of Nats, then a drop, be the easier route?
I could be hugely mistaken, but I thought people could decline the auto byes.
I wish everyone played all rounds at all tourneys, all the time. I play the game for fun, and often the fun games are on the big number tables. I understand that ratings invites based on points drives a game filled with strategic drops, but I find it sad. Still, I understand that you've got to do what you've got to do, and I wish everyone the best of luck and a successful, or fun, or both, Nationals experience.
The idea being that rather than face a two game winner to start, a Regional winner has the opportunity to have fate, and TOM, decide their pairing in a round one match up, a potentially easier match up than a first game match against a two game winner.
I know the 2 auto byes allows a Regional to avoid an early tourney-ruining first round donk, helping them toward an X-0, X-1, or X-2 record, looking toward top cut and match play.
But for those on the bubble of a Worlds invite, say a senior with 1828, wouldn't playing against potentially easier opponents in the first two rounds of Nats, then a drop, be the easier route?
I could be hugely mistaken, but I thought people could decline the auto byes.
I wish everyone played all rounds at all tourneys, all the time. I play the game for fun, and often the fun games are on the big number tables. I understand that ratings invites based on points drives a game filled with strategic drops, but I find it sad. Still, I understand that you've got to do what you've got to do, and I wish everyone the best of luck and a successful, or fun, or both, Nationals experience.
Worlds is more exclusive. Anyone can play at nats, but being invited to play at worlds recognizes you as one of the best in the game. The level of competition at worlds is also generally much higher, which makes winning that event more of an achievement even though there are fewer people there.
Prof Clay
New Member
You are wrong on this one...US Nats is the hardest Pokemon tournament around
Look at my daughters wins in my sig....which event has been the one to elude her...she has never finished better than top 32 at US Nats. You have to be able to handle the extreme grind that Nats offers.
yes and no, I feel the diffuculty at Nationals come from the size and number of rounds not from the quality of players like Worlds.
Son_of_Apollo
New Member
Having been to both, I think Worlds is a much more fun experience. Being able to meet people from all over the world, playing against only the best of the best, getting a cool goody bag, etc.
I'd say Worlds is much harder. The first three rounds of Nats 2010 I played no-names that weren't too great at the game (not trying to offend anyone just being honest). At Worlds 2009 I played the British, Italian and Swiss National champions the first three rounds.
I'd say Worlds is much harder. The first three rounds of Nats 2010 I played no-names that weren't too great at the game (not trying to offend anyone just being honest). At Worlds 2009 I played the British, Italian and Swiss National champions the first three rounds.
US Nats is the hardest tournament in Pokemon to win, simply because of the sheer number of players entered and the number of rounds needed to be won to be named Champion.
Worlds is a more prestigious tournament. If US Nats was harder based on talent alone, then the top 4 US Nats finshers would go on to be the top 4 finishers at Worlds, and that just doesn't happen.
US Nats is the toughest tourney to grind through based on numbers, it is not unlike the challenge of grinding into Worlds, a very difficult proposition at best.
Worlds is a gathering of the very best from around the World, and there is definitely something special for the players, unable to speak each other's language, but united by a love and understanding of a game.
Both are great tournaments, I love them both. To me, US Nats is tougher while Worlds is more magical - although TPCi makes sure that the US Nats experience is mindblowingly cool.
Worlds is a more prestigious tournament. If US Nats was harder based on talent alone, then the top 4 US Nats finshers would go on to be the top 4 finishers at Worlds, and that just doesn't happen.
US Nats is the toughest tourney to grind through based on numbers, it is not unlike the challenge of grinding into Worlds, a very difficult proposition at best.
Worlds is a gathering of the very best from around the World, and there is definitely something special for the players, unable to speak each other's language, but united by a love and understanding of a game.
Both are great tournaments, I love them both. To me, US Nats is tougher while Worlds is more magical - although TPCi makes sure that the US Nats experience is mindblowingly cool.