Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Nats or Worlds

Professor Elm

Professor Elm

Active Member
I am getting a job and one of the things I want to save up for is to pay for my trip to nats or worlds depending on whether I get an invite/travel award etc.

What do y'all suggest I attend assuming I don't get a travel award to Nats?
I did enjoy Nats last year, and I regret not staying the whole day Sunday, BUT this year I will make plans to leave either late sunday night or early monday IF I go.

OR Worlds?
I've never been to worlds, and even if I didn't get an invite I'm sure grinding it out and attending all the various side events would be a blast.

Which one do y'all think is more worth my money?
Nats or Worlds?
Also, I just assume that Orlando will be much more pricey than Columbus, but which do y'all think will be more costly? AND last but not least, what do y'all think a trip like this would cost just for 1 person? (including, room, flight, food, and transportation?)
 
A couple of things to remember about Worlds in Orlando...

1. It's free. (You have to buy an Origins badge for Nationals.)
2. Orlando has a LOT of cheap hotels. Not so many options in Columbus.
3. Origins is a 5-day event. Worlds is 2 days plus Grinder.

Food is going to be the same in either place.
Room - I think Orlando/Kissimmee is cheaper.
Flight - Texas-to-Columbus vs. Texas-to-Florida - I expect it will be pretty similar.

Nationals is a LOT of fun. And a HUGE event.
 
if I had to choose, I would choose nationals. I get to see my friends for 4-5 days, and I get to play a bunch of other games and experience a huge convention.
 
The Gorn-Great advice.

Here is the BIG thing you gotta look at
So you have other things u play other then pokemon?? If not go to worlds. Origins may be TONS of fun but if your gonna pay that much for a badge and room/food you gotta have to get into other things. If not you will just be playing pokemon and crashing. I know it seems cool but dude id say just for Orlando,DISNEY and the memories of worlds go there this year :)

Me i know ill be going to both this year :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
I vote worlds (or both). The grinder will be huge and competitive (like nationals) but fancier. Bigger side events [with more product to win] as well. Either trip might run you $400-1200 depending on the deals you can find for airfare and lodging, the length of your stay, and how closely you watch your cash.
 
worlds We had to make a choice like that in 2006 and I think we made the right one.
David went in the Grinder and came out with one loss and enough wins to make it to the next day.
 
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At this point, I'm choosing Nats, mostly b/c it's within driving distance for me. Still, depending on what happens over the summer, I might change my mind...
 
My preference is Nationals because of the sheer number of players, the whole atmosphere (everybody is playing), and the duration of it. And the fact that I like to engage in the other ganes that are not Pokemon.

But Orlando is a great place. Coupling a Pokemon Worlds trip with a trip (or two) to a theme park with friends is a pretty tough combo to beat.
 
If you start throwing Disney and the other theme parks into the mix, you will spend as much or more for the theme park ticket as the Origins badge and from what everyone is telling me you will need an extra day or more to hit the parks.

We haven't been to Worlds yet (this year we are going!) so I cannot really compare.... I just don't think you can make a bad decision on this one.
 
OH yeah!
Forgot at nationals you have to pay for the badge and stuff.
That's a good 60 bucks added on.

Oh and I don't PLAN to do anything else than play Pokemon. The theme parks are really nice and fun BUT when you are a 16 year old who makes 6.75 an hour, I dunno if I could muster up ANOTHER 100-200 bucks for a day of fun when I got all of the tournament on top of that.

BUT I got a job!
I'm workin at Mc Donalds for 6.75 an hour!
So, I already calculated it.
As a rough estimate I will make around 425 a month, workin the hours I am working.
Feb, Mar., April, May, June, July.
Dat gives me 6 months to save up.
I will have about 2600 bucks altogether.
BUT add another at least 400 as I will be working more hours in the summer and you get about 3000.
I technically could pay for both trips, but I'd rather have some spending money every month.

SO with 3000 bucks roughly, I will use
350 for flight round trip (I could prolly get a better deal, but I'm not gonna be too optimistic right now and I dunno what flights usually cost, but I am guessing round 300ish)
100/night for hotel (2 nights for worlds, Friday and Saturday and then Sunday I will check out of my room and play the rest of the day and preferably leave that night) (don't plan to stay anywhere nice, just some place that I can preferably walk to the hotel.)
100 for taxi/food (Taxi will be a good 50 bucks to and from the airport I assume and fast food hopefully isn't too expensive.)

SO, I'm looking at a good 650-750 bucks roughly.
Anybody who finds good deals could y'all please pm me? This is my first time paying for my own trip and my first time working SO I gotta be conservative with my money.

Dat doesn't seem too unreasonable.
Anyway, I got plenty of time to plan.
I don't think I will go to nats unless I win states or top a Regional as I don't for any other games other than Yu-Gi-Oh.
Either way, if I put aside a lil bit of money each paycheck and plan early I doubt I will have money problems.
 
Sundaynight of worlds is the most relaxed and fun part of it.
Everybody is done, the new WC is known and it's a lot of playing/trading.

Try to find somebody to share a room(bill).
Some hotels do offer a kind a taxi-service (hotel-airport), which is most times cheaper as a taxi.
 
Rainbowgym said:
Sundaynight of worlds is the most relaxed and fun part of it.
Everybody is done, the new WC is known and it's a lot of playing/trading.

Try to find somebody to share a room(bill).
Some hotels do offer a kind a taxi-service (hotel-airport), which is most times cheaper as a taxi.
Click to expand...

Good Idea
thanks
 
The Gorn said:
A couple of things to remember about Worlds in Orlando...

1. It's free. (You have to buy an Origins badge for Nationals.)
2. Orlando has a LOT of cheap hotels. Not so many options in Columbus.
3. Origins is a 5-day event. Worlds is 2 days plus Grinder.

Food is going to be the same in either place.
Room - I think Orlando/Kissimmee is cheaper.
Flight - Texas-to-Columbus vs. Texas-to-Florida - I expect it will be pretty similar.

Nationals is a LOT of fun. And a HUGE event.
Click to expand...

Heres what I bought my tickets for just this last week for both events:

American Airlines (From DFW)
Texas to Columbus: $320 RT.
Texas to Florida: $232 RT.

The prices of tickets all depend on time of purchase and number of travelers to a particular destination.
 
Should have probably waited, I can get airfare to Columbus and Orlando from California for about $220 w/tax already included by waiting for SouthWest Ding or using Skybus.
 
Got to Worlds

Worlds over Nationals, it is a very easy choice. It is the choice that I have made the past 2 years and I have never regretted it.

Nationals you get to play in the biggest (in terms of attendance) tournament of the year. But that is it as far as Pokemon is concerned. I am not even sure if there are any side events at Nationals or not so I cannot comment on that. And Nationals is a good opportunity to meet pokemon players from all over the US, while Worlds offers you the chance to meet players from all over the World.

Worlds on the other hand you get to play in the 2nd biggest (in terms of attendance) tournament of the year, and in which you actually will have a better statistical chance of Qualifying for Worlds then you will with the US Nationals event. The Last Chance Qualifier. The part that I most love about playing in the Grinder as opposed to Nationals is the chance to play internationals players as opposed to just US players. In Anaheim I played in the Grinder against players from Denmark, Germany, Mexico and Canada. It is the only opportunity you get all year to test you deck against players from everywhere that Pokemon is played. Last year I only got pared against one player from outside the US (Canada) but my wife faced players from Germany and England.

Another advantage to Worlds is the fact that it has the most awesome side events of the year during the two day Worlds Competition. There is Pokemon League, where you pair up and play other players, and after each match the winner gets to draw a card for a chance at Prizes. There is the Prerelease tournaments (yes tournaments) on Sunday. And all day Saturday and Sunday are constructed tournaments where 8 players battle off in a Mini event and you win prizes for each win you get. Get donked quick in the 1st round, don't worry, just get back on the waiting list and you will be back playing in a new pod in less then half of an hour. Also there are Team 2 player vs 2 player Pokemon Battle Tournaments, and you get the opportunity to meet the people from Japan who make the Game and design the cards.

To be honest my most favorite part of the entire experience is that there is allways an open play room that runs 24 hours, where players meet, trade cards and play Pokemon. That is my most favorite place to meet people. In 2006 in Anaheim I met the Father of the player who won the World Championship in 10 and under age group (The same kid who finished 2nd in Worlds Sr., Hawaii last year) It was the same day that his son won the championship and he was very proud. Although he spoke very little English and I only know a half dozen words in Japanese. We were able to have a nice time. It turns out that the Father is heavily involved with Japanese Organized play and the only chance he gets to play all year is at Worlds in the open Play room. I also played against players there from England, Norway, Germany, Canada, Singapore and Japan. Last year in Hawaii I played against the Sr. National Champion form the Philippines, The Masters Champion from Australia, along with players from Germany, Japan, Denmark and England.

The worlds Experience is truly o once a year opportunity, and if you are like me and cannot afford to attend both Nationals and Worlds in the same year, then I urge you to choose Worlds. Trust me you will not be disappointed.
 
JandPDS said:
Another advantage to Worlds is the fact that it has the most awesome side events of the year during the two day Worlds Competition. There is Pokemon League, where you pair up and play other players, and after each match the winner gets to draw a card for a chance at Prizes. There is the Prerelease tournaments (yes tournaments) on Sunday. And all day Saturday and Sunday are constructed tournaments where 8 players battle off in a Mini event and you win prizes for each win you get. Get donked quick in the 1st round, don't worry, just get back on the waiting list and you will be back playing in a new pod in less then half of an hour. Also there are Team 2 player vs 2 player Pokemon Battle Tournaments, and you get the opportunity to meet the people from Japan who make the Game and design the cards.
Click to expand...

With the exception of the prerelease, these type of side events are also held at Nationals. There is usually a big modified constructed tournament on Thursday and Friday, often with more players than most state championships. Prizes for these big tournaments are usually very generous, with winners getting DS lites or other such big ticket items. They also have lots of the smaller 8 player tournaments.

Dave Schwimmer last year said he really enjoyed chatting with some Wizards of the Coast folks on Sunday afternoon, while the side event coordinator was calling out for "Modified Tournament number 82..." (There were only about 20 Magic tournaments last year.)

So there is lots of fun stuff at both, but for a more focused Pokemon Only event, Worlds is better.

As I see it the advantages of Nationals:
- 4 full days of Pokemon tournaments, including the Professor Cup
- Thousands of games besides Pokemon, many with free samples
- Largest tournament in the world
- People dressed up like Knights, Darth Vader, Jack Sparrow, as well as Pikachu & friends.

Advantages of Worlds
- International competition
- 3 days of pokemon tournaments
- Pokemon Creators/Card Designers from Japan
- Pokemon only focus
 
So I'll make the play for Nationals.

Nats is FOUR days of Pokemon action. Modified tournaments, drafts, Prof Championship, and Nationals itself.

It's the BIGGEST event in the world. Again, you spend four full days playing in every type of tournament there is. And that's just the Pokemon. There are SO many other events and you are at one of the biggest gaming conventions in the country. Just an amazing event.

I would never say don't go to Worlds. I really don't think there is a bad decision to be made.

But Nationals (and Origins) is really an exceptional event.

Quick reply to PokeMather, I don't think that "Pokemon Only focus" is a plus for Worlds. Nationals can be just as Pokemon-centric as you want it to be.
 
I think it really matters what you are going for.

Nationals historically has many more structured card playing opportunities that Worlds.

If you like playing in the 8-person pickup events, or large modified events, drafts, and what not, Nationals is a great place to be.

Worlds, has more of the feeling of a Pokemon Celebration. There are people to play with at any hour of the day or night in the "free play" room, and it is a great place to rub elbows with international players, parents, and make some pretty keen trades.

Anyone who was at Worlds 2007, and watched the opening ceremony, with that ELITE video and production, and did not get goosebumps, was simply not alive on the date of the event.

The closing ceremony was just as cool.

The events were cool.

Worlds is an experience that can not be duplicated anywhere else.

It makes you believe we all truly live in a Pokemon World.

Worlds is meant to be the pinnacle of all Pokemon Events, and in my opinion succeeds.

Vince

So...for this year I would rate the events to go to as follows...

1. Worlds

2. St. Louis Regionals on April 12th (Was that just a promotion of his own event? What a loser.)

3. Nationals
 
My husband prefers Nationals, as that gives you more days of Pokemon play.
Worlds does seems more festive to me. Pokemon goes all out in decorating for that event.
One thing about Nationals--since I'm a "chumpy" player, I feel like I was actually competing in the big event since I competed all 8 rounds or so in the National competition on Saturday. Sunday is for the finalists. However, at Worlds, I really felt the emphasis is on the World's qualifiers, those that have already qualified. The Grinder is lots of fun, but most of the foreign players are there because they've already won an invite to play in the big tournament and we don't meet them in the LCQ.
I came away from Nationals with faces to names I've met on Pokegym. That was fun! I met players from other states that I've since met again at Regionals and other tourneys. I have met players from other countries at Worlds, but I don't keep in contact with them. I blame that on the language barrier.
Either way, there is no bad choice. Both events are excellent!
 
Go to nats. Then if you have time you can go to Ceader Point.

Me and my family did that last yr. and I can say with out a doubt that Ceader Point is the best amusment park in the world. You HAVE to go there. There is also a really good Italian place right next to the Convention center (somthing like Bipo di bebpo) that is a must. Personly I would love to do both, but I don't see that happening... *sigh*
 
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