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Should We Have a Fifth Round?

Yes
6
40%
No
6
40%
No opinion
3
20%
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By Armus (Brian Sykes)
 - The Center of the Galaxy
 -  
Regent
Community Contributor
#551431
Mr.Sloan wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:02 pm Whats fun for me when new expansions arrive is that everything is fresh. what will prevail? old stuff, new stuff, and in which combination?
Planing what i consider to be good in theory, facing the "reality" of playing games with it is what i like. :)
Yeah but in a Big Rat meta where's the incentive to try those new things? Why risk rolling out an inferior build when you can play tier one old hotness?
#551433
Armus wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:06 pm
Mr.Sloan wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:02 pm Whats fun for me when new expansions arrive is that everything is fresh. what will prevail? old stuff, new stuff, and in which combination?
Planing what i consider to be good in theory, facing the "reality" of playing games with it is what i like. :)
Yeah but
I try new things with my testplay buddies and fun themed stuff with returning player.

Its for everyone themselve to decide what they do when.
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By Armus (Brian Sykes)
 - The Center of the Galaxy
 -  
Regent
Community Contributor
#551435
Mr.Sloan wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:18 pm
Armus wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:06 pm
Mr.Sloan wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:02 pm Whats fun for me when new expansions arrive is that everything is fresh. what will prevail? old stuff, new stuff, and in which combination?
Planing what i consider to be good in theory, facing the "reality" of playing games with it is what i like. :)
Yeah but
I try new things with my testplay buddies and fun themed stuff with returning player.

Its for everyone themselve to decide what they do when.
I'm sincerely glad to hear that you aren't Big Ratting your test play buddies and returning players.

If anything this experience has taught me what is required if you want to be competitive in online play.

My problem is I'm not sure if what's required to be competitive in online play is anything I actually want to play. Smashing people into oblivion (or building a deck that defends against getting smashed into oblivion) is fun for maybe an event or two - and in fairness it's what I expect for a headliner event like Online Masters or (not a) Worlds - but it gets old quick.

When you can't play a release deck in a release event without getting dick-moved by the sharks, what's the fucking point?

:?
Last edited by Armus on Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Director of Organized Play
By LORE (Kris Sonsteby)
 - Director of Organized Play
 -  
Architect
1E Andoria Regional Champion 2023
2E Andoria Regional Champion 2023
W.C.T. Chairman's Trophy winner 2014-2015
#551436
Armus wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:43 am Clearly I wasn't enough of a big rat to do my own "meta call" and roll in Aggro Borg with Dukat and Bareil as my counterparts to dismantle whichever homeworld would wreck my opponent's strategy.
For what it is worth, the deck I would have played in this event has precisely 1 card from the new set in it (Morphogenic Virus) and is in an entirely different quadrant. The theory being this exact line of thinking - the AQ would be too hot a place to be mucking around in for the release event.
Armus wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 11:43 amLesson learned: If you want to win online, you can only play top tier stuff... so much for trying new things... :?
This has been the status quo online since the Before Times when you had Neal Timmons and Johannes Klarhauser playing regularly 8+ years ago. There have never been any "weak spots" in the online meta - it is shark infested waters, my friend.

EDIT: To be perfectly clear, this is not a criticism nor condemnation of online play. I am just saying online play is what it is, in the constructed environment. If I am signed up to play a gig that has 3+ other sharks in it, I gotta build accordingly. I do not have to necessary love it, but that is the nature of the beast as it were.
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By Armus (Brian Sykes)
 - The Center of the Galaxy
 -  
Regent
Community Contributor
#551438
LORE wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:33 pm EDIT: To be perfectly clear, this is not a criticism nor condemnation of online play. I am just saying online play is what it is, in the constructed environment. If I am signed up to play a gig that has 3+ other sharks in it, I gotta build accordingly. I do not have to necessary love it, but that is the nature of the beast as it were.
Serious question for the OP Director: You're a big advocate of "let the players play"- and rightly so - but what happens when what the players play makes people want to play less?

With online play being the more or less the only gig in town these days, do you see any risk of player loss because people don't always want to swim in the shark-infested waters? If so, is there anything you think you can or should do about it?
#551439
JeBuS wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:39 pm I'd like to see release events be more closely tied to the sets. Whether that's card restrictions or mandatory cards. (He says, not having played in this event.)
ATM i consider it a bit difficult to enforce "playing that expansion" using restrictions or mandatory cards, but i am open to listen how it could be done. I do like themed events. I hosted a "you may only include one affiliation, also devided by [EE] [Fed] Fed, [CF] [Fed] , [Fed] [1E-DS9] etc." so that everyone can play an equaly strong deck. So for Dogs of War would that mean: 50% have to play Staging Ground and 50% Dominion/Cardassian? then pair both groups against each other? Is that what you would like or do you like something else?
User avatar
Director of Organized Play
By LORE (Kris Sonsteby)
 - Director of Organized Play
 -  
Architect
1E Andoria Regional Champion 2023
2E Andoria Regional Champion 2023
W.C.T. Chairman's Trophy winner 2014-2015
#551446
Armus wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:46 pm Serious question for the OP Director: You're a big advocate of "let the players play"- and rightly so - but what happens when what the players play makes people want to play less?

With online play being the more or less the only gig in town these days, do you see any risk of player loss because people don't always want to swim in the shark-infested waters? If so, is there anything you think you can or should do about it?
It is an ongoing struggle, and a question that does not have an easy answer. Invariably, things get awkward when ratings come into play, and ratings and achievements are often at odds with one another. This is, incidentally, precisely why Big Kev sat out of this event and is instead running concurring exhibition matches with whomever wants to play him. He has a number of ideas he wants to try out, but does not want to have to put his huge rating on the line to do so. That statement is not intended as an advertisement, it is instead intended to get to the point - I would encourage ALL of you to play more exhibition matches than you presently do. We as a community tend to only reward tournament play, but I can honestly say that as the sitting DoOP I do not care how you play - just that you do play. Play with a friend over Lackey in the evening, or play on the weekend with your local group. Do something bananas like Warp Speed Highlander or similar. Just play, and have fun remembering why you got into this crazy game in the first place.

To the underlying question, Brian S. touched on it above and I think the easiest solution is limiting the format - be it sealed, Academy, by property logo, etc. I have personally been playing in the monthly ID Draft events, and these are (by their nature) good games that could often go either way. Win or lose, close games are the best games played in STCCG, in my opinion. That said, standard constructed events are where the most NPE's come from, and it is easy to see why. With all the tools available, invariably someone's "achievement" is to win the event whereas yours might be just to play Vidiians or something. If you are playing constructed, you ultimately have to adjust your expectations. We often cannot have our achievement cake and eat it too after we win the tournament.
#551451
LORE wrote: Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:15 pm I can honestly say that as the sitting DoOP I do not care how you play - just that you do play. ... Win or lose, close games are the best games played in STCCG, in my opinion. .... If you are playing constructed, you ultimately have to adjust your expectations.
:thumbsup: to all three.

Regarding Close games: Thats why i love decipher swiss in combination with ELO ranking to have player play with others who have an equal strong deck and/or playing skills.
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By Boffo97 (Dave Hines)
 - Gamma Quadrant
 -  
Retired Moderator
#551531
Discussion of whether online events should be rated or not has been moved to its own thread.
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By Spock with a Goatee (Stephen R Sanders)
 - Beta Quadrant
 -  
#551667
Great to catch up with you and a game well worth staying up for. Thanks as well for bringing me up to speed on the new cards and tech that I've missed over the last few years.

Can't wait to play an in person game at a certain famous Arby's in San Diego post-COVID!
SirRogue wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:35 am SirRogue squeaks by with a FW 100-80 over Spock with a Goatee. Tremendously fun game, thanks for staying up to play!
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