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Focusing Community Turnout at SG Tourney Events

I see how it is. I mention boot camps, Pat follows up, and I lose my share of the credit.

This is vengeance for not scheduling you to cover every minute worth of CB commentary isn't it?
My rider said Top 8 for every game, and I thought that was reasonable!

I'LL BE IN MY TRAILER
 
re "tutoring for ill-performing players": I don't know how big the percentage is, but there is a section of the population that just enjoys the community and doesn't really care if they do well. Some people think they won't or can't or don't have the time to improve in any meaningful way. Not that providing a tutoring panel for players to improve is not worth doing, it's a great idea in general I think (not just for poorly performing players), but I feel like if the goal is "give 0-2ers something to do" then a tutoring panel wouldn't be a 100% hit.

I had a random idea that is probably terrible. But maybe fun? idk. Either way, here it is: What if we did a fantasy league for everyone who placed under a certain placement (say, under Top 32)? Have everyone pick x players and/or y characters. Every time x player wins, or a y is on a winning player's team, you get points. Have whichever 2 players score the highest get the chance to draft 5 players from the tournament and be the team captain for an exhibition 5v5. Whichever team wins, the player that drafted that team could be awarded a prize, monetary or otherwise.
 
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The only problem with a character class is that anyone wanting to learn Squigly is shit outta luck. The entire class would either be pictures of Makoto or complaints about Squigly not having a gun.
 
I'm afraid I don't understand this joke.
One long day later I understand this haha.

I'm a big fan of an 0-2 tournament, we had these at my melee locals back in the day and as a new player I had a lot of fun getting 3rd in one of them.
 
So, to those who are complaining about Big E events - how many of you have straight up talked to him about the problems you had before bringing them up here?
No offense intended, just wondering.
 
I haven't. I have enough friends who I trust that have and confirm everything that has been complained about, though. We've had sg people that care about the community directly communicating sg needs to him and things haven't changed in years.

I guess I could go talk to him? Even if I did, I'm not quite sure it would change how I felt or the community perception. Like Aphro said, anything done for NEC seems like a day late and a dollar short.

For people to migrate back he would probably need to treat local players really well several times in a row to build trust, which probably won't happen. We had to struggle to make good numbers across every event for just preregistration at nec.
 
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So, to those who are complaining about Big E events - how many of you have straight up talked to him about the problems you had before bringing them up here?
No offense intended, just wondering.
Me.
Last Winter Brawl and NEC.
 
The payout issue has been brought up on twitter to him several times only for people to be promised that it's been taken care of but it still hasn't for a lot of people. I know others have contacted him personally about it. It took SIG a long time to get his check from NEC.

Big E could promise Skullgirls a 1k pot bonus and main stage and I'd still rather support something like Frosty tbh
 
Nobody suggested any changes, so I posted the thing with only a few minor edits for grammar, etc.: http://skullheart.com/index.php?threads/an-open-letter-to-tournament-organizers.9074

Will create a URL redirect from http://skullheart.com/TOletter in a minute (EDIT: Done) - let me know if you can think of a more memorable link you'd prefer.

EDIT: It would be good if people - especially top players - could like the article because I need more internet points as a way of showing readers that this is something the whole community is behind.
 
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Inquiry about ticketing costs and expectations (and I'll be a little more open here than elsewhere due to this community always being honest and respectful with me).

CB can likely not do a 2017 event at our 2016 price-points and deliver the same quality level. We don't have to jump to $100+ actual convention prices, but we have to move somewhere up the line.

For those that attended, or would consider attending, where is the line value wise? This is an inquiry about CB specifically but also a greater conversation about 2017 events in general (and one I think fits here given that the target events are all of varying prices and presentations).

Based on a very long & sobering meeting yesterday I think $50-55 is what CB might have to move up to if we're going to keep the presentation level intact. I'm trying to get some cheaper rooms opened up to help alleviate that increase but wanted to talk about it here as well. Its important to me to never try and produce an event you or any other community might feel isn't worth the ticket cost.

Thanks for the replies everyone.
 
$50-$60 is completely fine with me for a huge three-day tournament like CB, but I have to travel internationally so the flight prices dwarf everything else anyway. Other people who live closer to the event probably have more helpful opinions.
 
$50-55
This amount doesn't seem unfair at all. An increase is an increase, but I feel like that's worth it. I feel like the thing that costed the most money was wanting food when we weren't willing to walk/it was late/were tired/were drunk and the only option was expensive hotel food or expensive pizza delivery (or gross dominoes pizza). idk if that's a thing that is just gonna happen, cause every hotel like charging a bunch for bad food and whatever whatever. But for the actual event, that's a fine price.
 
This amount doesn't seem unfair at all. An increase is an increase, but I feel like that's worth it. I feel like the thing that costed the most money was wanting food when we weren't willing to walk/it was late/were tired/were drunk and the only option was expensive hotel food or expensive pizza delivery (or gross dominoes pizza). idk if that's a thing that is just gonna happen, cause every hotel like charging a bunch for bad food and whatever whatever. But for the actual event, that's a fine price.

I'm trying to get more late night food options available in the venue. I'm not confident I can get us out of the hotel-food=up-charge lifestyle but its definitely something I'm aware of. Particularly as a staff member that basically only gets to eat at 1 AM.
 
As a FWIW, Gencon is 90 pre-reg and 120 at the door. 4 day event and slightly different target audience, but it's another midwestern nerd event. Given the area, if you can keep costs to 20 or less per day, it shouldn't be that hard to keep people coming.
 
For a tournament like CB, I wouldn't mind paying $50-60 like Peck said, maybe even $65. I mean it's more expensive than other tournies but CB also offers a lot of great things that other tournies don't so I think even with the difference in price, it's still very worth it. This is my opinion as someone who hasnt' been there before but plans to go next year because he's heard so many great things though to give some context.
 
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$55 is fine by me.

As far as food being expensive, wasn't there a grocery store near the Portillos? Like a Target or something. I mean you still have to make that walk at least once but once you've made it you can have food for the rest of the weekend without leaving your room.
 
As far as food being expensive, wasn't there a grocery store near the Portillos? Like a Target or something. I mean you still have to make that walk at least once but once you've made it you can have food for the rest of the weekend without leaving your room.
Next time, on "Things I Didn't Think of and Now Regret Not Thinking Of!"
 
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I'd argue Gencon normally targets people with more money than what an FGC event would be getting, so I don't think it's a good comparison here.

I think $50-60 is alright for me. It's more expensive but it already is basically the best so it'd be worth it.
 
$55 is fine by me.

As far as food being expensive, wasn't there a grocery store near the Portillos? Like a Target or something. I mean you still have to make that walk at least once but once you've made it you can have food for the rest of the weekend without leaving your room.
There was both a Wal-Mart across the street from the venue by the McDonald's and a Target in the same lot as the Portillos. Then there's a World Market yet another lot further sharing space with Giordano's.

If you can deal with Wal-Mart being Wal-Mart, that's the most efficient route for any emergency provisions you may need since it's closest walking distance.
 
For those that attended, or would consider attending, where is the line value wise?
Paying $60 for a decent or bad tournament sucks.

When I'm already spending $600 on a plane, another $60 isn't a problem since I know the tournament will be awesome.
Anything amount to make sure that venue stays open 24/7 basically because that's my favourite thing.
 
Back to the 0-2 tounament thing I have seen it done at CEO as a single elim tourney once. It was for sf4 though so I think it ended up much more of a hassle then jebaily expected.

The panel idea is great though. You have such a concentration of great players and I feel people will be more comfortable asking things in that kind of setting. See you all at CEOtaku.
 
Paying $60 for a decent or bad tournament sucks.

When I'm already spending $600 on a plane, another $60 isn't a problem since I know the tournament will be awesome.
Anything amount to make sure that venue stays open 24/7 basically because that's my favourite thing.

This is one of the cost factors thats is a struggle point. Its also one of the event features I'm determined to keep.
 
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This is one of the cost factors thats is a struggle point. Its also one of the event features I'm determined to keep.
CB is basically The Tournament for me now, so $50-55 is fine for me. 24hr venue and event-provided setups all weekend is AMAZING, that's easily worth more than Evo is now just by itself. Not to mention stage and stream time, extra events, etc.
Some additional questions: Is the price-per-game going up as well? Will there likely be a spectator fee this time?

So, to those who are complaining about Big E events - how many of you have straight up talked to him about the problems you had before bringing them up here?
I personally pointed him at this thread, and I honestly think complaining in public without having mentioned anything to him first is a pretty ass thing to do, for those that have done so.
 
I think $50-60 is alright for me. It's more expensive but it already is basically the best so it'd be worth it.
another $60 isn't a problem since I know the tournament will be awesome.
$50-55 is fine for me. 24hr venue and event-provided setups all weekend is AMAZING, that's easily worth more than Evo is now just by itself. Not to mention stage and stream time, extra events, etc.
For the majority of people that have attended Combo Breaker, this will be their attitude. It's too good an event to not let happen.
 
I personally pointed him at this thread, and I honestly think complaining in public without having mentioned anything to him first is a pretty ass thing to do, for those that have done so.
The first time I really complained about a Big E event was during/after last Winter Brawl. I haven't talked to Big E directly, aside from last NEC when I thanked him for treating SG players as well as he had that year. At WBX, tho, I definitely wanted to talk to him about what was happening, but I was told not to. KPB was handling interactions with him, and I was told it was better to just communicate our needs to KPB and leave the interactions to them. I'm not sure if that makes me a butt or not a butt, but I hope I'm not a butt.

Butts aside, even after hearing everyone say it's bad and my own experiences, I want to believe that NEC will be fantastic to us. I wanna believe it'll be better than ever and have us all meetup there and everything be amazing. If we have to decide, though, I still wouldn't prioritize it over any other tournament on the current list, especially with how close it is to GUTS and CEOtaku. GUTS especially deserves our attention, and I would be sad if anyone flew out to NEC over GUTS for Skullgirls.
 
I definitely remember bringing up issues from the last NEC (though I don't remember nor think I posted that here on the forum), and remembering hearing that nothing changed from Winter Brawl despite being told some of the issues would be looked into (aside from maybe the Payout stuff, I never heard but I assume that went out better).

That said, I wouldn't personally write off NEC completely myself, since I still enjoyed my time at the event despite the said complaints. I'm just hopeful that things like problems over setups and timely payouts and bracket sizes are all things we don't have to worry about, at the very least.
 
If it helps everything at NEC is gonna be on one floor this time, so we don't have to worry about being shoved onto the lower floor again
 
"There's only one floor so there's no second floor to be shuffled too" isn't super reassuring.
 
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Some additional questions: Is the price-per-game going up as well? Will there likely be a spectator fee this time?

Price per game should remain the same. I want more people to play more things. Only exception will be 1 retro tournament that might be going high-stakes entry to make "why not?" reg less likely. No I won't tell you what the game is.

I'm going to shop spectator sponsorship to companies. Gaming Gen supplied that this year and it was the single most covered news/retweets/etc thing all Combo Breaker cycle. I'm hopeful someone will want to step in and utilize that. If nobody is found spectators will have a fee this year just because cost structures are demanding it. I'm not thrilled on that but its where we're at.

I don't mind running an event where I don't make any money but its important to me that the event can pay the other investors taking risk for it and the staff making it possible.
 
1 retro tournament that might be going high-stakes entry to make "why not?" reg less likely. No I won't tell you what the game is.
3s super-auction tournament go. Tanden Renki for $5! :^P
 
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Make it a week and make it 150 venue and im all for it

7 days.

With me

Your connections will be lagged for months

edit: this is to show that CB is what I look forward to in the first half of the year (maybe even the whole year)

edit2: Frosty Faustings needs more love bc Chicago tournaments have no close competition as of yet imo
 
I've never been to Frosty and I'm scared of new things and places
 
for me it depends on how many are going to frosty. if i know 40+ peeps are going then i will go. There's bound to be a player i would be interested to play there.

As for NEC.... I DUNNO. Phily is basically my backyard and atm i say hell nah. IF people are planning to go then i will definitely go since its easy as hell to manage. Up to the people.
 
Think of cheaper smaller version of CB
it doesnt have 24 hour venue
But the tournament flows smooth as hell
and since its smaller people can actually hang out in the hotel rooms.

*if it means anything, these tournaments and the people who run them make me want to live there.
Weird, i know, but hopefully shows how well they run things

Big E is nice
The tournaments he runs sadly have not been a good experience for me is all
 
for me it depends on how many are going to frosty. if i know 40+ peeps are going then i will go. There's bound to be a player i would be interested to play there.
So if we keep it to 39, all 39 of us get to have a better time? :^P
YOU SHOULD GO ANYWAY!