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Author Topic: We can do a better job as TOs and Professors
Pokenaut

Member # 189



posted December 11, 2002 12:44 PM      Profile for Pokenaut   Email Pokenaut    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Something one of the mods said a while back caught my eye. He made the point that getting the players in local sanctioned events to look at their rankings and printing out their rankings and helping them get started in monitoring their rise and fall depending on their local leval tournament results went a long way towards sparking interest and participation in these tournaments.
I couldn't agree more. Where I play, Judge and TO we have quite a few players that pay pretty close attention to their standings and it means a lot to them. They metagame harder and it has forced the level of play through the roof. This is contagious to the newer players who ask me how and where they can see their results. BUT, if the TO doesn't do their job fully (sending in the new DCI # info, sending in tournament results promptly, etc) a LOT of this is lost and the players don't get a sense of continuity from week to week based upon their results during sanctioned play. DCI updates the rankings EVERY Wednesday (usually) and when I go to the page to see how my son's rank has changed (or mine), I am amazed at how many sanctioned events are NOT RECEIVED in yet. I DO understand that not everyone can turn them in via the internet, but still it seems that there is quite a lax attitude about getting results in in a timely manner. I KNOW you all have real lives and real jobs (as do I and Becky at York)but perhaps getting them in on time and perhaps printing them out and showing them to your players if they aren't online already would help boost participation. As an example, here's the condensed versions of results for tournaments ran last Sat and Sunday (12/7 and 12/8)I will not show draft results or TMP results here.
NR means DCI has not received results yet for those events.

12/7 sanctioned Pokemon constructed
location city/state results
Hero's Collectibles Sugarland, TX NR
2 Guys Sportscards Freedonia, NY NR
Casual Kalispell, Montana NR
Dragon's Lair Ft. Laud, FLA NR
Sportscards, Etc. Littleton, CO NR
Hero's Hideout Yuba City, CA 10 players
Beanie Exchange W.Springfield, MA NR
Borders Cary, NC 14 players
Creative Gift Plano, TX NR
7th Inning Dunnellon, FLA 7 players
7th Inning Dunnellon, FLA 14 players
Precinct Bldg#5 Rochester Hills, MI NR
Time Warp Cedar grove, NJ cancelled
York Comics Parma, Ohio 21 players
Metagames Sat.Poke Springfiled, MO NR
Comics Oasis Las Vegas, NV NR
L.King Collectibles Houston, TX NR
Limited Ed. Sp. Cards Killeen, TX NR
TIY's Sat. Pokemon Loves Park, IL 15 players

12/8 sanctioned Pokemon constructed
Dizzy Dugout Collinsville, IL 8 players
Battlezone Brooklyn Park, MN 8 players
Battlezone LaCrosse, WI NR
Newnan Sports Cards Newnan, GA NR
Unavailable Sandy, Oregon 6 players
Borders Cary, NC 9 players
New World Manga Livingston, NJ NR
Magic Dragon Boise, ID 13 players
Outpost 2000 Brooklyn Park, MN cancelled
Comic Oasis Las Vegas, NV NR

That's what comes up for me, and it's typical of Wednesday results. Out of 29 sanctioned events for last weekend, a full 55% do not have results turned in soon enough to have DCI process the numbers in time for the players to see what their results have done before the next event. I know that at my location, players notice when there are delays. I also understand that BZone results cannot be electronically turned in and this may cause a slowdown (I REALLY think that this needs to be allowed. Online sanctioning and turn-in of BZone tournaments would be of great help)
I am not trying to be real critical, but just trying to offer the idea that TO's CAN do more than just sanction and judge. They can develope habits that help ensure that the players that attend their events, large or small, become hooked on competitive play and continue to show up. And maybe, bring their friends.

'Naut

btw, the list of events turned out real crappy looking after I posted. sorry, it looked better as I typed it. [Frown]

[ December 11, 2002, 12:48 PM: Message edited by: Pokenaut ]

--------------------
Ç...What if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's REALLY all about....Ç

Proud member of Team Poképarents- we play Pokémon with our kids!

Founding member of Team Dead Sneasel-Our team's home is York Comics and Cards in Parma, Ohio

~Being an insomniac dyslexic agnostic, I often stay up all night wondering if there really is a doG~

From: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
SD_PokeMom

Member # 97



posted December 11, 2002 01:06 PM      Profile for SD_PokeMom   Email SD_PokeMom    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Couple of things: one, BZ results CAN be reported electronically, as I understand it.

Second: As I understand it, the DCI gives the TO a WEEK to get the results in from a tourney before it is considered "delinquent". Considering that we all have real-life responsiblities, saying that the TOs of these stores/tourneys (none of which are mine, BTW) are "behind" because the results are not up the Wednesday AFTER a Saturday or Sunday tournament is unfair, IMO...especially since they're not "behind" according to DCI!

I for one run my tourneys on paper, since I don't have a laptop; therefore, I have to take the results home and enter, check the pairings, results, make sure those match up with the real results, and THEN report electronically. And sometimes I just don't have the time to do it IMMEDIATELY, but I ALWAYS get it reported within the DCI required timeframe.

What if these TOs reported this morning, which would be well within the reporting window for DCI? Just because it's not up today, doesn't mean it's the TO's fault, IMHO...especially since none of these tourneys are "delinquent" by DCI standards.

'Mom

[ December 11, 2002, 01:20 PM: Message edited by: SD_PokeMom ]

--------------------
Master Professor/Tournament Organizer/Pokémon League Gym Leader,
Adventure Games and Comics, Poway, CA

Nothing endures in this world. Everything changes according to karma. But, like the ocean, underneath the restless existance of the countless waves there is one boundless stillness that embraces and gives life to all the moving waves. Namuamidabutsu...

From: San Diego, CA --location of WCSTS-2001 and West Stadium Challenge 2002 | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pokenaut

Member # 189



posted December 11, 2002 01:24 PM      Profile for Pokenaut   Email Pokenaut    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Mom,
I never used the word "behind" in describing TOs that didn't have results in by Wednesday following the tournament. And my logic is simple- that if a greater attempt is made to get them in promptly, the results would be up quicker, allowing the players to see the week-to-week ebb and flow of their ranking.
Just because DCI gives TOs a week before the results are considered delinquent doesn't mean that a more prompt response wouldn't be better. DCI's "deadline" for turning results in isn't an issue. This post was meant only as a suggestion on how TOs can help their players gain greater enthusiasm about participating in sanctioned events. I have turned in many many sactioned event results and can attest to the fact that when turned in promptly they usually always make it up the following Wed. Becky is even more attentive about this than I am, usually having the results sent in the following day.
And where there may be some locations not listed in my example, what I showed was the complete listing for ALL results in the US for those two dates.

--------------------
Ç...What if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's REALLY all about....Ç

Proud member of Team Poképarents- we play Pokémon with our kids!

Founding member of Team Dead Sneasel-Our team's home is York Comics and Cards in Parma, Ohio

~Being an insomniac dyslexic agnostic, I often stay up all night wondering if there really is a doG~

From: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pokenaut

Member # 189



posted December 11, 2002 01:47 PM      Profile for Pokenaut   Email Pokenaut    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Mom,
thank you for editing out of your post the comments about "some people have other responsibilities" thing. I have more than enough outside of Pokemon myself, and still manage to drive 4 hrs a week to run League, hold a job and take care of my family. Becky also takes care of a large family aside from her work done at York. I do understand that running a sanctioned event w/out a PC could be more difficult, requiring editing and secondary data construction. Again, this post ISN'T aimed directly at you, but rather is a suggestion to ALL TO's.

--------------------
Ç...What if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's REALLY all about....Ç

Proud member of Team Poképarents- we play Pokémon with our kids!

Founding member of Team Dead Sneasel-Our team's home is York Comics and Cards in Parma, Ohio

~Being an insomniac dyslexic agnostic, I often stay up all night wondering if there really is a doG~

From: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
DaytonGymLeader

Member # 2615



posted December 11, 2002 02:30 PM      Profile for DaytonGymLeader   Email DaytonGymLeader    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
From the BattleZone website:

quote:
Send the Complete Event Report back to the DCI.
For each event, please send the following information to the address listed above:

A complete Event Report Summary.
A full Player Information List (containing name and DCI number).
Match Reporting Forms featuring match results for each round of play.
Membership application cards filled out by each new player receiving a DCI number at your event. (The player keeps the tournament card portion).

If this does fall in line with FNM & Jedi Nights, then the reporting can only be sent in by mail. FNM and Jedi Nights events cannot be reported electronically from everything that I 've found and that local FNM & Jedi Nights organizers have told me.

--------------------
DaytonGymLeader
Books-A-Million 307
Dayton, Ohio
[email protected]
Founding Member of Team Banda de Foco
Origins 2002 Head Judge
2003 Delaware, OH SBZ Head Judge
2003 Dayton, OH SBZ Head Judge
Origins 2003 Head Judge
GenCon 2003 Head Judge

From: Dayton, Ohio, USA | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
yoshi1001

Member # 825



posted December 11, 2002 02:43 PM      Profile for yoshi1001   Email yoshi1001    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
From the Professor List:

quote:
Just like the other brand programs that work similarly (Friday Night Magic, MLB Saturdays, Jedi Nights), there is a special sanctioning form that comes in the kits. You need to fill that out and mail it or fax it to the DCI. The mailing address is included in the kit, the Fax # is 425-254-2987 (I'll add this to future paperwork). This is done to maintain control over who is claiming to run BattleZone events. BattleZone events are ONLY run at retail locations that have purchased these kits (since they provide prize support and are listed on our web site).

You can certainly REPORT sanctioned BattleZone events online though. There will also be a BattleZone league report form set up online as well for sites that run it as a non-sanctioned event.



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AIM: yoshi1001

From: Janesville, Wisconsin | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
LuckyCal

Member # 2435



posted December 11, 2002 02:47 PM      Profile for LuckyCal   Email LuckyCal    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Technically, TOs have 14 days to report tournament results before the tournament is classified Delinquent.

By the way, when are the results updated online? Is it after the official form is received back by the DCI? If so, I'd imagine that most of the tournaments that are marked as having reported probably used a FAX to send them, and the others use snail mail. It may just be a simple matter like who has a fax machine and who doesn't. Am I going to buy a fax machine just so I report tournament results quicker? Probably not, unless I have some other, more profitable reason to use one.

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From: Springfield, USA | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
DaytonGymLeader

Member # 2615



posted December 11, 2002 03:02 PM      Profile for DaytonGymLeader   Email DaytonGymLeader    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
quote:
Originally posted by yoshi1001:
From the Professor List:

quote:
You can certainly REPORT sanctioned BattleZone events online though. There will also be a BattleZone league report form set up online as well for sites that run it as a non-sanctioned event.

Must not have gotten that digest (which is well possible). I stand corrected.

However, to get back on topic, I agree with Dan. Expeditious reporting of events helps to establish that sense of community that is needed to keep things rolling along. It's also an added benefit we as TOs can offer. I understand some do run events by hand. I see nothing wrong with that. Neither does the DCI.

--------------------
DaytonGymLeader
Books-A-Million 307
Dayton, Ohio
[email protected]
Founding Member of Team Banda de Foco
Origins 2002 Head Judge
2003 Delaware, OH SBZ Head Judge
2003 Dayton, OH SBZ Head Judge
Origins 2003 Head Judge
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From: Dayton, Ohio, USA | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
BJJ763

Member # 158



posted December 11, 2002 07:46 PM      Profile for BJJ763   Email BJJ763    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
One thing that would help TOs (especially new ones) get the results in as soon as they can is a DCI Reporter Class! When i first started running sanctioned tourneys for the Season Ending tourneys, i ran it as single elimination. While this seemed to be the easiest way to run a tourney using paper and then using Reporter, sometimes getting Reporter to get the same results were quite exasperating. Since League was going to be ending, i started running tourneys using the Swiss Age Modified system. Luckily i have someone whom i can email questions to because i know he's run many sanctioned tourneys (you know who you are - thanks as usual!) so using Reporter has gotten a little bit easier. Something that would give tips and show how to use Reporter would be a great help i think.

But a class in How to use Reporter would be really good i think.

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From: Warwick RI USA | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
SD_PokeMom

Member # 97



posted December 11, 2002 08:28 PM      Profile for SD_PokeMom   Email SD_PokeMom    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
quote:
Originally posted by Pokenaut:
Mom,
thank you for editing out of your post the comments about "some people have other responsibilities" thing. I have more than enough outside of Pokemon myself, and still manage to drive 4 hrs a week to run League, hold a job and take care of my family. Becky also takes care of a large family aside from her work done at York. I do understand that running a sanctioned event w/out a PC could be more difficult, requiring editing and secondary data construction. Again, this post ISN'T aimed directly at you, but rather is a suggestion to ALL TO's.

'Naut, I think you're mistaken; I edited my post, but those edits had nothing to do with anything I'd said about "people with other responsibilities".

I certainly don't want to get into a "who is busier" contest; everyone who TOs and GLs is busy, and does this for love of the game. My point is that for whatever reasons, not everyone CAN report in time to get the results into the update three days after a particular tourney...and IMHO saying that those of us who are ALREADY keeping OP alive in our areas by volunteering our time, energy, cards, gas, wear-and-tear on our vehicles, etc. should be doing "more" to go over and above DCI reporting requirements is uncalled for and even unkind...especially when no one knows why those tourneys weren't immediately updated. Remember, it's not just the TO, but DCI, too..

None of us knows all the particulars of the personal real-life situations/responsibilities of any other GL/TO; I know you did not mean that list to be any kind of attack on the TO'ing abilities of anyone...but I also know I'm not alone in saying that I would have taken it as such if my tournament was on it, especially if I had reported that tournament last night or this morning, well within the DCI requirements for timely reporting.

Certainly, I can see that this is important at York, with weekly tourneys and very high-level players jockeying for DCI points...but most stores are not York. I'm not saying that's "good" or "bad", but just a fact; what works at one league/tourney/store may not for another.

IMHO your point about immediate updates could have been made without listing individual stores; this is a relatively small community, and people in those areas know who TOs the tourneys there. Naming those stores is like naming the TO, when they have done nothing wrong according to DCI reporting regulations by "missing" the Wednesday DCI update cut-off.

JMHO,
'Mom

--------------------
Master Professor/Tournament Organizer/Pokémon League Gym Leader,
Adventure Games and Comics, Poway, CA

Nothing endures in this world. Everything changes according to karma. But, like the ocean, underneath the restless existance of the countless waves there is one boundless stillness that embraces and gives life to all the moving waves. Namuamidabutsu...

From: San Diego, CA --location of WCSTS-2001 and West Stadium Challenge 2002 | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pokesensei

Member # 7


posted December 11, 2002 08:46 PM      Profile for Pokesensei   Email Pokesensei    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
IMHO your point about immediate updates could have been made without listing individual stores; this is a relatively small community, and people in those areas know who TOs the tourneys there. Naming those stores is like naming the TO, when they have done nothing wrong according to DCI reporting regulations by "missing" the Wednesday DCI update cut-off.

`Mom,I think your your just taking `Naut the wrong way.I would not have taken any offense to it and he was just listing them to prove his point.Did you also notice that one of his stores tourney`s was listed on that list?

I don`t know what the total percentage is of people who TO that are people "here" vs. people that are TO and are personnel of the hosting store,but from my experiences virtually all tourney`s I`ve been a part of over the past few years and in 3 different states,is that the clear majority of TO`s are from the store itself.What this means is that the employee/manager/owner usually is the one that reports it and I have found that they get around to it whenever they feel like it.I know they are busy,but they usually put it off and end up not doing it til later than when due or not at all.

Like I said,that`s my views from my personal experiences.

`Sensei

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From: Out of the Box | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
DaytonGymLeader

Member # 2615



posted December 11, 2002 09:00 PM      Profile for DaytonGymLeader   Email DaytonGymLeader    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Actually, the DCI cutoff for electronic reporting is Monday night. The ratings are calculated and then posted on Wedensday.

--------------------
DaytonGymLeader
Books-A-Million 307
Dayton, Ohio
[email protected]
Founding Member of Team Banda de Foco
Origins 2002 Head Judge
2003 Delaware, OH SBZ Head Judge
2003 Dayton, OH SBZ Head Judge
Origins 2003 Head Judge
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From: Dayton, Ohio, USA | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pokenaut

Member # 189



posted December 11, 2002 09:01 PM      Profile for Pokenaut   Email Pokenaut    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
York Comics and Cards did not magically become a haven for "high level players jockeying for DCI points". We started as a TRU League like a ton of Leagues all over this country. We abandoned TRU before it dropped Pokemon OP due to problems we were having with management. We convinced York to accept us. At first obviously DCI ranking was of little importance. At first Becky and I didn't know DCI Reporter from a hole in the ground. We never intended for it to become what it has become. York averages between 20-30 players EVERY Saturday and rarely have less than 20. I am NOT bragging here, but rather laying the groundwork for my point that some of you seem to be missing. Everyone here at the Gym KNOWS that it takes hard work and dedication to run a successful OP location. Everyone here that has been involved in OP knows the hours of time are rewarded only with the richness of the experience and not anything of monetary value. Some of you may feel offended by my post perhaps because, like Mom, you feel that I shouldn't have actually listed last weekend's results. You perhaps feel that I am somehow trying to compare York to other locations and put down the TO's there as being lesser in their dedication or attention to detail, and may even try and support this by using DCI's "delinquency" timeline as a measurable gradient. To this I say BAH! No one...in any job...whether voluntary or paid, should be satisfied with anything less than their best. We all CAN do a better job, especially now with Pokemon OP attendance slipping or gone entirely in some areas. Especially with alternative games like YGO taking players away in some areas. UD does NOT have DCI's history or reputation behind it. Pokemon does. Doing our best to maximize the return on our investment of time with more timely reporting would only benefit our player base, and could not do anything to harm it. It's a win-win situation if even ONE TO makes the effort to report sooner. Actually listing the tournaments by location and whether they have results received gives body and substance to my claim, rather than just idle speculation.
Of COURSE DCI themselves are responsible for some reports not being shown online on time. Of COURSE some TO's don't have fax machines or quick access to fax machines or the ability to report online. This post is not about them. This post is purely an attempt to get more TO's to try and get their players into the grove as far as paying attention to their rank and coming to sanctioned play MORE OFTEN as a result...to watch their ranks change. To try out that new anti-deck. To see their friends and BEAT their friends for bragging rights. THIS is what the purpose of DCI sanctioning IS. If we as TO's are even going to bother sanctioning our tournaments, we OWE it to our players to do what we can to get the results in right away. If we do so, it will be noticed.

[ December 11, 2002, 09:16 PM: Message edited by: Pokenaut ]

--------------------
Ç...What if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's REALLY all about....Ç

Proud member of Team Poképarents- we play Pokémon with our kids!

Founding member of Team Dead Sneasel-Our team's home is York Comics and Cards in Parma, Ohio

~Being an insomniac dyslexic agnostic, I often stay up all night wondering if there really is a doG~

From: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pokenaut

Member # 189



posted December 11, 2002 09:08 PM      Profile for Pokenaut   Email Pokenaut    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
quote:
Originally posted by Pokesensei:

`Mom,I think your your just taking `Naut the wrong way.I would not have taken any offense to it and he was just listing them to prove his point.Did you also notice that one of his stores tourney`s was listed on that list?

`Sensei[/QB]

Sensei:
Actually, the locations where I have written (X# players) are the ones that DID have results in, and I listed the number of participants. Just an FYI

'Naut

--------------------
Ç...What if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's REALLY all about....Ç

Proud member of Team Poképarents- we play Pokémon with our kids!

Founding member of Team Dead Sneasel-Our team's home is York Comics and Cards in Parma, Ohio

~Being an insomniac dyslexic agnostic, I often stay up all night wondering if there really is a doG~

From: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pokesensei

Member # 7


posted December 11, 2002 09:20 PM      Profile for Pokesensei   Email Pokesensei    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Doh!

I see said the blind man as he walked into the wall. X-x

My bad. [Blush]

`Sensei

--------------------
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Right..not blocked that is.At least until I`m overuled by a Gameboy again!-MT Pat smarting after being overuled by a Gameboy.

`Sensei is a madman from another dimension!-DMTM

From: Out of the Box | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
GreatFox

Member # 77642



posted December 12, 2002 10:17 AM      Profile for GreatFox   Email GreatFox    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
And porting Reporter to Mac would help too. Some TOs, including myself, use Macs and would never think about touching a PC just to use Reporter (of course there's Virtual PC, but some of us can't afford the space that takes up on our Hard Drives just to run Reporter either). I am very prompt with sending in my reports when I hold a Tournament. There always on the way the Monday after the weekend the Tournament was held. Of course, since I don't use Windows [NoNoNo] ,I send everything in by snail mail.

And I will most likly keep doing so 'cause I don't forsee a DCI Reporter for Mac anytime soon. [Confused]

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From: Los Angeles, California | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged
LizardOTC

Member # 124



posted December 13, 2002 01:23 PM      Profile for LizardOTC      Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Well, in general, most TO's do all they can.

For instance, my son and I placed 3rd in TMP Sealed at GenCon... back in August.

The HJ was an MT, and the TO was a professional (who did a fantastic job onsite, I may add). Even so, the results are not on the DCI website yet.

And that was in August.

SO... while some players may eagerly await the immediate gratification they get when TO's are quick, the rest of us have learned patience.

I hardly think anyone is leaving this game, or even playing any less, just because they have to wait a whole week to see the change in their DCI rating!

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From: The Vast Midwestern Waste | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
ukpokemonpro

Member # 518



posted December 13, 2002 02:27 PM      Profile for ukpokemonpro   Email ukpokemonpro    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Well what can I say ... I could rant about all the Tourneys I have TO'd, about advertising and prize support and all the other things we TO's do on top of normal life and trying to keep Pokemon going and then we get told YOU CAN DO BETTER!

Well prove it, do it and see what you feel like at the end of a grueling session of Tourneys you get in and I often switch my PC on and post the results there and then .. but not always because sometimes I am too tired...

Bah it's hardly worth the reply.. Prove it.. try posting your results on Wednesday or Thursday and see if they are up for your next tourney.. sometimes we miss the web update .. doesn't mean we haven't posted the results though!

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From: Gillingham, Kent, UK | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
Prof. Douglas Zuver

Member # 91104



posted December 13, 2002 04:47 PM      Profile for Prof. Douglas Zuver   Email Prof. Douglas Zuver    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
It is nice to see my first two tourneys listed:
7th Inning Stretch, Dunnellon, FL--14 Players
7th Inning Stretch, Dunnellon, FL--7 Players

I was very, very pleased that the tournament
software made uploading very easy. The DCI
Reporter is a great assest. My Head Judge
was impressed by how much the Reporter does
for you when you run a tournament. [Smile] [Love]

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From: Fort Pierce, Florida | Registered: Jun 2002  |  IP: Logged
Pokenaut

Member # 189



posted December 13, 2002 08:53 PM      Profile for Pokenaut   Email Pokenaut    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
quote:
Originally posted by LizardOTC:


SO... while some players may eagerly await the immediate gratification they get when TO's are quick, the rest of us have learned patience.

I hardly think anyone is leaving this game, or even playing any less, just because they have to wait a whole week to see the change in their DCI rating!

Jared,
Where in any of my posts did you see me even suggest that anyone was leaving BECAUSE of delays in posting results? I cannot count the number of times I have been asked by MANY TO's and Profs for possible reasons why tournament attendance has remained so strong at York. Why the general enthusiasm for making it each and every Saturday to play...and I'll tell you what. It would be simple to just reply " well gee, duh...I guess we're just lucky". BJJ posted weeks ago that he thought part of germinating strong enthusiasm towards competitive play and repetitive attendance was getting the players to start watching their rank. If this meant printing out weekly area rankings for the players w/out internet access, then that was suggested as well. I look at DCI results every Wednesday. I notice trends. I see which locations are usually reported. I also see that those same locations usually have pretty strong attendance figures. Again, make this clear: I KNOW that not all TO's can report electronically, due to lack of equipment and/or OS's that support DCI Reporter. I also KNOW that neither Becky (the other TO at York) not myself are superman (woman? [Razz] ) It is clear to me that SOME TO's CAN TRY to get results in sooner. I truly believe that this is a strong factor in York's success and the success of some other locations. As much time and effort as I put into this game, I KNOW that I can do better as well.
Had I known that so MANY TOs and/or MPs would take the response that you have and take this so darn personally is beyond me. This is NOT about YOU. this is about all of us that promote OP in this game trying harder than we are currently.

"I hardly think anyone is leaving this game, or even playing any less, just because they have to wait a whole week to see the change in their DCI rating! [IMG]"

It actually would be waiting two weeks to see their rank change in your example. We ALL have seen results from a tournament we have been in be delayed for long periods for one reason or another, as per your personal experience with your 3rd place TMP finish. You cannot honestly say you wouldn't have been more satisfied with a quicker posting.

and BTW, you wonderful smilies aren't as funny as you might think. Sometimes your use of them could be considered insulting. If you think that you "personally" are doing your best then FINE. Obviously your work done in your area have boosted numbers greatly from what I have heard. You should be proud. Obviously this post is meant to give a nudge to TO's in areas where there exists the elements needed to get the players enthused beyond what is currently enjoyed.
And ukpokemonpro:
I am referring to posting either electronically or by fax by Monday following the weekend the tournament is played. In my "brief" experience with running tournaments, this has ensured that nearly always the results are up Wednesday. If this post was hardly worth repying to, then why did you bother? Those that cannot get results in these ways this quickly are NOT being discussed or even expected to even TRY and do better OK?? For those using snail mail or not having the time (or fax machine availability) to fax it in early, I am sure everyone at your location is happy to have a place to play. To those people we ALL are indebted.

'Naut

[ December 13, 2002, 09:01 PM: Message edited by: Pokenaut ]

--------------------
Ç...What if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's REALLY all about....Ç

Proud member of Team Poképarents- we play Pokémon with our kids!

Founding member of Team Dead Sneasel-Our team's home is York Comics and Cards in Parma, Ohio

~Being an insomniac dyslexic agnostic, I often stay up all night wondering if there really is a doG~

From: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
ukpokemonpro

Member # 518



posted December 14, 2002 04:40 AM      Profile for ukpokemonpro   Email ukpokemonpro    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
quote:
I am referring to posting either electronically or by fax by Monday following the weekend the tournament is played. In my "brief" experience with running tournaments, this has ensured that nearly always the results are up Wednesday
But this only happens where you can catch the update on Tuesday or Wednesday PM often Tourneys will be played and the update missed even if the TO reports the same day as I mostly do.

As to why bother replying ..

Well your post and title suggest we are not trying hard enough and that is just not true!

You run and report week in week out, you promote and support tourneys for years and then have someone tell you it isn't good enough. YOU CAN TRY HARDER DO MORE AND SEE HOW YOU FEEL!

I think you were a little short sighted not to see the negative responses you were going to elicit from hard working TO's.

TO's do a great job as do Judges/Profs/Dlegates and all the other ambassadors for the game. Don't knock us cos it maybe the last straw.

--------------------
ukpokemonpro

"a meaningless title is just that ... meaningless"

"London Super Battlezone 2003"
quote the judge...

'only joking' on misreported match results: DQ Yep its that serious!


14,000 deck boxes yeah we'll take all of them .... what have I done!

Find the Pokemon League and Tournaments in Kent at:The Gamers Guild

From: Gillingham, Kent, UK | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
LizardOTC

Member # 124



posted December 14, 2002 05:24 AM      Profile for LizardOTC      Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
Well, 'Naut...

I'm sorry that you were offended by my smilie. It was actually not directed at you, but any players to whom DCI rank has become such an obsession that it's slightest movement determines whether they will play or not on a given weekend.

The tone of your post appeared to me to be "look how much better I am doing than all the rest of you inferior slackers out there". Your title says "we" can do better, but you seemed to be saying "the rest of you" in your post.

I didn't like that.

*The smilie above is in no way intended as a commentary on any individual. Any appearance of association with a particular individual is strictly coincidental. Viewer discretion is advised.*

--------------------
"No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." -Yoda

"Sewage Portrayed As Meat...It's not just for breakfast anymore!" -LizardOTC

"Like a bad tooth and an unsteady foot is confidence in a faithless man in time of trouble." - Proverbs 25:19

From: The Vast Midwestern Waste | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
bulbasnore

Member # 703


posted December 14, 2002 12:32 PM      Profile for bulbasnore      Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
quote:
Originally posted by Pokenaut:
He made the point that getting the players in local sanctioned events to look at their rankings and printing out their rankings and helping them get started in monitoring their rise and fall depending on their local leval tournament results went a long way towards sparking interest and participation in these tournaments.

OK, I like this. Something I can use as a TO. Let's keep the suggestions coming. Great topic 'naut.

--------------------
Pokemon TCG is a game for all ages.
6th Place June 2002 WCSC Professor Draft
6th Place July 2003 Comic Con Fan Appreciation Tourney

From: Where you play a kid's game and never T8 in it! | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
bulbasnore

Member # 703


posted December 14, 2002 12:49 PM      Profile for bulbasnore      Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
quote:
Originally posted by GreatFox:
And porting Reporter to Mac would help too. Some TOs, including myself, use Macs and would never think about touching a PC just to use Reporter... 'cause I don't forsee a DCI Reporter for Mac anytime soon. [Confused]

Well, DCI Resnorter is about all I run on my P133 Dell Laptop. I have a better PC in the office and more PCs, Macs & Unix machines (even an IBM mainframe) that I'm very familiar with...my point is 1) I'm set up with PC for reporting and 2) I'm very comfortable with just about every operating system...so, I don't speak from need.

That said 1) other peope do want a different platform for reporting and 2) Reporter is just an awful piece of software and needs a rewrite. Maybe we can start another thread to discuss and or debate (is there any? maybe.) the particulars. Here, I'm going to propose a couple things:

1) Rewrite Reporter. It needs it. Do it in Java:
a) plenty of java talent.
b) with half a brain (see a) java apps can run well.
c) with half a brain (same half, see a), java apps can run well on all platforms (incl. MacOS 9 & X, WinXP,etc.)
2) Go away from 'MS Office Desktop' formats which many people have (like me!), but some people can't get without taking money from their TCG card spending, and go to free internet standards, like:
a) csv, jar or gdb instead of Access for the PIN db.
b) pdf or html instead of Word for all docs (moslty there).

Making the reporting process more accessible and more reliable would likely be worth the investment (unless the guy who is writing this currently has them locked in). Making the files more accessible would also be good for players broadly.

--------------------
Pokemon TCG is a game for all ages.
6th Place June 2002 WCSC Professor Draft
6th Place July 2003 Comic Con Fan Appreciation Tourney

From: Where you play a kid's game and never T8 in it! | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged
Pokenaut

Member # 189



posted December 15, 2002 12:10 AM      Profile for Pokenaut   Email Pokenaut    Edit/Delete Post Report This Thread to Moderators
quote:
Originally posted by LizardOTC:
Well, 'Naut...

I'm sorry that you were offended by my smilie. It was actually not directed at you, but any players to whom DCI rank has become such an obsession that it's slightest movement determines whether they will play or not on a given weekend.

The tone of your post appeared to me to be "look how much better I am doing than all the rest of you inferior slackers out there". Your title says "we" can do better, but you seemed to be saying "the rest of you" in your post.
i]

Perhaps this "obsession" as you called it is what helps spark the continued high turnouts at York. We still continue to hold a weekday evening play session for the more casual play, but frankly we barely have many show up to these sessions at times. The ones that do show are merely playtesting or trading for cards and decks they are gonna "obsess" with come tournament time on Saturday. This is what the DCI is all about btw. And wouldn't you think that your smilie might be insulting towards those "obsessed" players who keep showing up for our tournaments? The "slightest movement" of their rank you referred to does NOT dictate whether they will show up the next week. It dictates the level of metagaming and thought they place into the game rather than assuming they can just continue to show up week to week brandishing the same deck and expecting continued success.

And saying "The tone of your post appeared to me to be" and then use terms not said such as "inferior slackers" is a cheap way to twist what was said in my post. It is both misleading and mean spirited. If you truly believe that you cannot do any better then great! The TO's out there who place little or no importance on prompt results entry are who this post is aimed at. Period.
And ukpokemonpro:What do you think I was expecting as replies to this post? A bunch of TO's and Profs stating "hmmm perhaps there ARE a bunch of times where my energies go into running and organizing and I really HAVEN'T made it a priority to turn in the results quickly...as long as they aren't delinquent"??? Gimme a break. I knew what kind of responses I would get. Same goes for you as goes for Lizard. If you're doing your best, move on to another post. And if you talk to or run into a fellow Prof. or TO and learn that he or she really doesn't follow through with results entry or has the PC but doesn't know how to use reporter, I would expect you to advise them on the BENEFIT of prompt results entry and perhaps even help them learn how to use Reporter.

--------------------
Ç...What if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's REALLY all about....Ç

Proud member of Team Poképarents- we play Pokémon with our kids!

Founding member of Team Dead Sneasel-Our team's home is York Comics and Cards in Parma, Ohio

~Being an insomniac dyslexic agnostic, I often stay up all night wondering if there really is a doG~

From: Shaker Heights, Ohio USA | Registered: Feb 2001  |  IP: Logged


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