I think this is a pretty good summary of my feelings - if nobody was worried about the money and just had some fun every now and then with some jank I would be a more happy player. Promo cards and some boosters are all I need for my hobby . And besides, with most of these tournaments, you are lucky to break even with all the money you invested into a top deck. Only the few actually make money playing TCGs. So good riddance if they go away.

When people stop playtesting and just start playing, its a beautiful thing.

Hell, I'd be more inclined to try and find a PCQ if they made the trip to the PC all expenses paid. Lucky bastards.

NO!

Winning a fake PCQ gets you 5 PC points and thats it!

It won't get you anywhere near a PC.

It gets you the entry points for a fake 10k that has 2 prizes of paid trips to a PC.

I would still take that, than have to pay to fly from the East Coast to the West Coast, and get a hotel room, seeing that a 10K is $10,000 worth of prizes to the top X people.

Hey Rob,
I'm quite aware of the system changes as the National TO for France sits beside me at work. We've had quite a few discussions about this.

My point was that the PCQ, the only local/national competition you could enter with a hope of getting a money prize was being replaced by a competition that gives out a travel prize.

The hobby league is replaced by DotH and for some reason UDE have though it a good idea to add in an intermediate step, TotF.

I don't necessarily agree with this system, it feels clunky and from a TO point of view overly complex. As far as we are aware there will be 4 MCs per country.

Winning points to pay points for possibility of qualifying to a PC adds layers of complexity that organised play really doesn't need. What was wrong with the system of open entry casual league, local qualifiers & regional events?

Time will tell.

A US 10k is over $10K in prize support for the top 24 players.

A European fake 10k has prize support of 2 trips to a PC.

Are you sure about this? I had heard 4 for Europe. 4 per country would be far better.

Not as good as the old system but good enough that I would stop whinging :p

Please talk to us UDE Europe!

Off the UDE site

"Everyone can use extra cash! The top 24 finishers will win a total of $10,000.
1st Place $2500 (Prize Card & Check) 24 packs"

That's what, 1200 pounds? and a box of cards.

If I had to pick $2500 or a flight and hotel rooms to play cross country I would take the trip. More so if it was to fly half way around the world.

And looking at the Day of the Hero..I would love that over a Hobby League. As it is, I get one EA card maybe two. As often as I have come in first, the .5 packs would be well worth the $10 a month I pay to play.

$2500 (roughly) £1500 and a box of cards for a US 10k win
Flight and Hotel for win at a European fake 10k

A flight from the UK to Indy (The most expensive PC, at least for us) ~£600
Hotel in Indy ~£100 - £200

How is ~£800 (at the most) in travel money better than £1500 cash and a box of cards???

$2500 is about £1330 or €1945

I think in terms of prize support DotH will be a success. For the casual player who doesn't care about larger tournaments, these will pretty much be a hobby league. There are restrictions about how many you can run in a month though.

My biggest problem is that you can't just go to a quailifying tournament.

In US:
Hobby League: Open
PCQ (US): Open
10K: Open

In Europe:
DotH: Open
TotF: Open netting you 5 to 1pts
MC: Pay 5 pts won in a TotF

So in the US you can walk into anything that's not a PC. In Europe you have to "pre-qualify" for an event that allows you to challenge for a PC slot. Essentially you may need to attend 2 or 3 TotF in order to attend an MC and once you do you start again at 0 unless you finish at the top of the standings (I don't have the pts breakdown for finishing positions in MCs just to hand)

Back to the money: the 10K comparison is not valid as there are no 10Ks in Europe any more.

Essentially the arguament states If you are serious, you'll take the slot & associated prize. If you are casual, you'll get product.

If you have other commitments like work or school that would stop you attending a PC even if you won the slot, there's nothing for you. The flights and hotel cannot be traded in for cash.

That's because you failed maths, yes?

we have had this disscussion over and over and it still hasnt changed.

players in europe get far less now than they did before prize support wise.

all we can do now is see who plays and who doesnt.

I still would like to see a poll. I'm not interested in reading again about what is better and how europe is screwed or not. I just want to know how many people would still play if there was no money to win, only product.

I would play, but I think I would spend less.

and a side note you could under the European system qualify for a PC by winning 2 totf, not as stream line as 1 pcq but doable. You could pay your own way, and not go to a MC. Your out about $500 US, that you would have picked up in the PCQs.

While kinda OT, I want to say AMEN FrostyFrog! I agree with that post 110%!