JandPDS
New Member
I wish we could go back to the way it used to be a few years ago when rankings points were just for fun and did not mean anything. Tournaments were a lot more laid back and relaxed and no one cared if a City Championship in one place had 50 players in an age group and a top 16 cut, while another City Championship in another area had 14 players in an age group and a top 4 cut.
Back when it was ok if a player was able to attend 4 State Championships and 2 Regional Championships in the same year if they so felt inclined. Back when a player could belive that it was not insane to experiment with a brand new red face paint deck in a City Championship, only to have it have it fail. That would not be all that big of a deal, as it would have no lasting effect on you as a player after that one event was over and done. Back when a player who had already won a prior City Championship would go 4-0 and drop out of the top cut after swiss so that some other player could take home a medal who had not yet won a title. Not like today were players drop after going 4-0 in Swiss play because they dont want to risk loosing any gained points in the top cut.
The game today is still great, and I really enjoy Organized play and the Premier events, but the atmosphere had indeed changed at Tournaments and not for the better. The forced small top cuts put such pressure on each and every game that there is almost no room for error and an early round donking can be fatal. The added pressure of ranking points and pefect record in tournaments is causing there to be less civil game play at all levels. I know of many long term players, who were playing tourneys for fun and for love of the game of Pokemon, but not necessarily to win events, who have either stopped playing altogether, or have seriously considered doing so. Our league just lost one player who was of a 3 year league member and also one of our Leage Leaders, he left because he was no longer enjoying the direction that he felt the game was heading.
Keep track of ranking points because they are fun. (My personal goal each year is to finish in the top 10 of my States age group.. this year I am 9th) But just make them exactly that just for fun. Then they can give invites to Worlds to the Regional Champions and to the Nationals T16 players. Or just give invites to the Top 32 at Nationals only. Either way would be a fair way to distribute them, and a lot less stressful then the system that is currently in place. Then no one would have to worry about a single bad tourney in November ruining their chance to participate in worlds, or a T2 loss to a much lower rated player would not be so horrifying. And everyone else could just go back to enjoy playing the game of Pokemon, and as often as they would like.
Back when it was ok if a player was able to attend 4 State Championships and 2 Regional Championships in the same year if they so felt inclined. Back when a player could belive that it was not insane to experiment with a brand new red face paint deck in a City Championship, only to have it have it fail. That would not be all that big of a deal, as it would have no lasting effect on you as a player after that one event was over and done. Back when a player who had already won a prior City Championship would go 4-0 and drop out of the top cut after swiss so that some other player could take home a medal who had not yet won a title. Not like today were players drop after going 4-0 in Swiss play because they dont want to risk loosing any gained points in the top cut.
The game today is still great, and I really enjoy Organized play and the Premier events, but the atmosphere had indeed changed at Tournaments and not for the better. The forced small top cuts put such pressure on each and every game that there is almost no room for error and an early round donking can be fatal. The added pressure of ranking points and pefect record in tournaments is causing there to be less civil game play at all levels. I know of many long term players, who were playing tourneys for fun and for love of the game of Pokemon, but not necessarily to win events, who have either stopped playing altogether, or have seriously considered doing so. Our league just lost one player who was of a 3 year league member and also one of our Leage Leaders, he left because he was no longer enjoying the direction that he felt the game was heading.
Keep track of ranking points because they are fun. (My personal goal each year is to finish in the top 10 of my States age group.. this year I am 9th) But just make them exactly that just for fun. Then they can give invites to Worlds to the Regional Champions and to the Nationals T16 players. Or just give invites to the Top 32 at Nationals only. Either way would be a fair way to distribute them, and a lot less stressful then the system that is currently in place. Then no one would have to worry about a single bad tourney in November ruining their chance to participate in worlds, or a T2 loss to a much lower rated player would not be so horrifying. And everyone else could just go back to enjoy playing the game of Pokemon, and as often as they would like.
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