Tournament Play

[soul taker]

If this game goes to exclusive LE tournament prizes I'm done. I've had enough of the cut throat play with Herocix and Star Trek attack wing. I've watched a venue that had a large following for both games lose all of the local players to power gamers that come just for the exclusive prizes. One of the things I like about the Ares games is a lack of this. If this game goes down the same road I'm and will find some were else to spend my money. Why can't trophy's be prizes? Oh yeah because they have no resale value and that is really the only reason for having exclusive models.

[7eat51]

If this game goes to exclusive LE tournament prizes I'm done. I've had enough of the cut throat play with Herocix and Star Trek attack wing. I've watched a venue that had a large following for both games lose all of the local players to power gamers that come just for the exclusive prizes. One of the things I like about the Ares games is a lack of this. If this game goes down the same road I'm and will find some were else to spend my money. Why can't trophy's be prizes? Oh yeah because they have no resale value and that is really the only reason for having exclusive models.

On a practical note, I cannot see the day when Ares would produce exclusive tournament prizes - the cost to the company would be way too high.

On a personal note, I would not advocate for such prizes either. I am in full agreement about keeping the game friendly. Rules lawyers, gaming bullies, arrogant players, and alpha-gamers are menu items for me.

What I would like to do is participation prizes in terms of ships - fee covers ship. If there is a "grand prize" it is something that is donated, e.g. book, ratlines, extra counters, etc. - nothing that would be worth the effort to resell. I want to keep the focus on gathering to play, not on winning prizes. If need be, I would dispense with any grand prize.

[Nightmoss]

If this game goes to exclusive LE tournament prizes I'm done. I've had enough of the cut throat play with Herocix and Star Trek attack wing. I've watched a venue that had a large following for both games lose all of the local players to power gamers that come just for the exclusive prizes. One of the things I like about the Ares games is a lack of this. If this game goes down the same road I'm and will find some were else to spend my money. Why can't trophy's be prizes? Oh yeah because they have no resale value and that is really the only reason for having exclusive models.

Rob, you're echoing much of what I've said also, but I don't see Ares going this route. For one they're not big enough to afford that kind of support and I also don't think that's in their corporate mindset.

On a practical note, I cannot see the day when Ares would produce exclusive tournament prizes - the cost to the company would be way too high.

On a personal note, I would not advocate for such prizes either. I am in full agreement about keeping the game friendly. Rules lawyers, gaming bullies, arrogant players, and alpha-gamers are menu items for me.

What I would like to do is participation prizes in terms of ships - fee covers ship. If there is a "grand prize" it is something that is donated, e.g. book, ratlines, extra counters, etc. - nothing that would be worth the effort to resell. I want to keep the focus on gathering to play, not on winning prizes. If need be, I would dispense with any grand prize.

+1 ^

I think participation events without exclusives is the best starting point. Local gaming spots can facilitate this without a lot of support from Ares (beyond their stamp of approval of course).

[David Manley]

If this game goes to exclusive LE tournament prizes I'm done. I've had enough of the cut throat play with Herocix and Star Trek attack wing. I've watched a venue that had a large following for both games lose all of the local players to power gamers that come just for the exclusive prizes. One of the things I like about the Ares games is a lack of this. If this game goes down the same road I'm and will find some were else to spend my money. Why can't trophy's be prizes? Oh yeah because they have no resale value and that is really the only reason for having exclusive models.

+1

[csadn]

If this game goes to exclusive LE tournament prizes I'm done. I've had enough of the cut throat play with Herocix and Star Trek attack wing. I've watched a venue that had a large following for both games lose all of the local players to power gamers that come just for the exclusive prizes. One of the things I like about the Ares games is a lack of this.

Can I get an "amen", brothers and sisters?

As someone pointed out: It isn't just the one-off prizes which are the problem -- there is a certain subspecies (in more ways than one) of gamer who takes pride in "d***-waving" about his tournament successes. I ran into enough of those in the '90s, if I see the word "tournament" attached to a game, I walk. (My personal favorite was the computer-programmer with the $90K/year job who still lived in his parents' basement rent-free, and spent all of his disposable income on _Magic_ cards; it was illustrative when he got suckered into a "sealed deck" event, and got his a** handed to him repeatedly.)

No Tournaments -- not today, not tomorrow, not ever, *NEVER*.

[Andy Blozinski]

I just ran a Flames of War tournament. Here is how I worked the prizes:
It was a $15 entry fee. I had a 2012 Nationals tournament objective prize. I just never used it. But...it goes for something like $50 on Ebay.
We had (12) players.
Every player got a $10 gift certificate to the store we held the event in. This left $60 left over in entry money.
I then gave the top player a choice of an additional $20 gift certificate or the Kelly's Heroes tank mini. If he didn't take it, it goes down the line of choice.
Top Allied, Axis, Africa and Eastern Front players would each get an additional $10 gift certificate.
If anyone chose the mini, their gift certificate prize would go the lowest scoring player as encouragement.
The top Axis player finally took the mini.

So...all the entry money ultimately went to support the store, and everyone got the effect of hardly having spent any money on the event at all as they pretty much got paid back to buy stuff they wanted.

[Nightmoss]

I just ran a Flames of War tournament. Here is how I worked the prizes:
It was a $15 entry fee. I had a 2012 Nationals tournament objective prize. I just never used it. But...it goes for something like $50 on Ebay.
We had (12) players.
Every player got a $10 gift certificate to the store we held the event in. This left $60 left over in entry money.
I then gave the top player a choice of an additional $20 gift certificate or the Kelly's Heroes tank mini. If he didn't take it, it goes down the line of choice.
Top Allied, Axis, Africa and Eastern Front players would each get an additional $10 gift certificate.
If anyone chose the mini, their gift certificate prize would go the lowest scoring player as encouragement.
The top Axis player finally took the mini.

So...all the entry money ultimately went to support the store, and everyone got the effect of hardly having spent any money on the event at all as they pretty much got paid back to buy stuff they wanted.

Sounds like it worked to everyones advantage and you can't knock that.