Not sure why, but nobody seems to have noticed or wanted to mention these changes here even though they will likely affect everyone who wants to play competitively or qualify for the protour. (I guess there was nothing to whine about haha)
[On my phone, so will link later]
General gist:
- no more PPTQs! Wow, that's a relief. Instead, events will offer direct qualification for the protour.
- larger WPN stores can create their own bespoke events with protour invites as the prizes (again, wow)
- qualifying for the protour locally will get you a berth on the next protour in your region. This seems net-positive with saving on travel costs, although in some instances you could be waiting a little while.
- protours will now be held at GPs (now called 'Magic Fests') and the top 8/prize giving for the protour will happen on the Sunday of the GP. This means there'll be an audience (big plus).
- 'magic fests' despite having a slightly wonky name (magic gatherings? Anyone?), will have additional and better events throughout, host the protour, and also disseminate prizes in the main event more evenly (i.e. Better prize support lower down the rankings). No word on specifics here but it's been confirmed to be the case.
That's all I can remember right now. All of it seems really positive and I'm surprised nobody's talking about it. Especially axing PPTQs.
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Just like OP, I like all the changes except for the name "MagicFest". What would you rather tell you´re family, non-playing friends and co-workers that you´re going to, a MagicFest or a Grand Prix? One sounds supremely dorky and the other sounds like a serious competition. I´m still going to call it a GP. But a name is just a name, it doesn´t matter a lot, and all the other changes look like great, tangible improvements.
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When I hit my 3000 post mark, I'm gone for good.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Just like OP, I like all the changes except for the name "MagicFest". What would you rather tell you´re family, non-playing friends and co-workers that you´re going to, a MagicFest or a Grand Prix? One sounds supremely dorky and the other sounds like a serious competition. I´m still going to call it a GP. But a name is just a name, it doesn´t matter a lot, and all the other changes look like great, tangible improvements.
I just tell people I'm going to a convention, it's what they are after all. Not sure why MagicCon or something like it wasn't chosen.
MagicFest is actually a festival of prestidigitators and they've notified Wizards as such.
Edin Magic Festival has trademarked their event as Magic Fest, and are now in touch with Hasbro apparently.
Overall, these changes don't affect me except that I can win a PT invite as a regular event and then trade it for cash and so on.
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The "Crazy One", playing casual magic and occasionally dipping his toes into regular play since 1994.
Currently focusing on Pre-Modern (Mono-Black Discard Control) and Modern (Azorious Control, Temur Rhinos).
Find me at the Wizard's Tower in Ottawa every second Saturday afternoons.
MagicFest is actually a festival of prestidigitators and they've notified Wizards as such.
Edin Magic Festival has trademarked their event as Magic Fest, and are now in touch with Hasbro apparently.
Overall, these changes don't affect me except that I can win a PT invite as a regular event and then trade it for cash and so on.
I've seen ads for the "Fog City Magic Fest" in San Francisco before. There is also a festival for Harry Potter fans called "Midwest Magic Fest". It will be interesting to see if they need to actually change their name, as usually the Hasbro legal team is the one sending out cease & desist letters and not receiving them...
Overall, I see these changes are a net positive. They seem like a move back to the original PTQ system, but with additional emphasis on Grand Prix (now Magic Fest) weekends having more than just a GP, and that Pro Tours will be held with multiple events going on simultaneously (similar to how old Worlds Weekends used to work I presume). It should be interesting to see how they handle Europe and APAC countries in all of this, but I'm sure that there is a way to do this correctly.
General gist:
- no more PPTQs! Wow, that's a relief. Instead, events will offer direct qualification for the protour.
Good riddance. The PPTQ system pretty much swelled to the really old-prerelease system (they were once large-scale events as well) and fell to pretty much the same issues and became obselete.
- larger WPN stores can create their own bespoke events with protour invites as the prizes (again, wow)
Great. Shame the recent string of other decisions have rendered the future of the LGS to be in a decline (due to the likes of the Amazon changes and Mythic Edition among others), so I this change might not be as everlasting as the rest.
- qualifying for the protour locally will get you a berth on the next protour in your region. This seems net-positive with saving on travel costs, although in some instances you could be waiting a little while.
- protours will now be held at GPs (now called 'Magic Fests') and the top 8/prize giving for the protour will happen on the Sunday of the GP. This means there'll be an audience (big plus).
Nice. This will raise visibility of the pro play scene, one of the issues brought up during the issue that happened during Worlds. I'm not too swell on the "having to wait" part though, especially when the GP schedule pretty much showed a decrease in frequency of non-US GP tournaments.
- 'magic fests' despite having a slightly wonky name (magic gatherings? Anyone?), will have additional and better events throughout, host the protour, and also disseminate prizes in the main event more evenly (i.e. Better prize support lower down the rankings). No word on specifics here but it's been confirmed to be the case.
Like most people, the name doesn't resonate with me. Personally it feels more like an inFESTation than festival. But as pointed out in an earlier post, several other parties are also utilizing the name so there might be another change down the route.
Major edit: Thanks to feedback, I consolidated my wordy post into its essence. Appreciate all the suggestions.
I read your comment twice and am just a little confused how you managed to morph your point into a rambling complaint about the state of LGSs, amazon and booster sales?
Let's be clear: this thread isn't about that. None of the changes above relate to drawing support away from LGSs or (in the abstract) the economics of selling boosters. Grand Prix events aren't there for "sales reach".
It's cool that you're passionate, but that whole rant at the end belongs somewhere else.
I've seen ads for the "Fog City Magic Fest" in San Francisco before. There is also a festival for Harry Potter fans called "Midwest Magic Fest". It will be interesting to see if they need to actually change their name, as usually the Hasbro legal team is the one sending out cease & desist letters and not receiving them...
Well Hasbro tends win lawsuits brough against them. Its when they try to sue is that they usually lose. So as long as Hasbro doesn’t try to sue them, they’ll be ok.
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WOut of the ground,I rise to grace...W BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
I read your comment twice and am just a little confused how you managed to morph your point into a rambling complaint about the state of LGSs, amazon and booster sales?
Let's be clear: this thread isn't about that. None of the changes above relate to drawing support away from LGSs or (in the abstract) the economics of selling boosters. Grand Prix events aren't there for "sales reach".
It's cool that you're passionate, but that whole rant at the end belongs somewhere else.
My apologies. I know the thread isn't about that, but I consider any external changes that the avenues that these changes go through (WPN-LGS, GPs) to be part of the relevant context. A habit on my part to consider the whole overall picture when discussing about specific changes. I've cut short of the rant in the original post, but left the geist because I personally feel its relevant, even if it's not something we as players desire.
Edit: Cut short some more rambling that was initially in this post. Force of habit.
Please don't derail this discussion with contextually unrelated issues that you perceive to be negative.
Alright, that is understandable, but here's where I have to admit I don't quite grasp the context of the discussion. Bluntly put, the opening post was mostly a list of established facts that need no discussion since the message was clear, so I tried starting one by putting it to the nearest context we had. It's fair you think bringing in the context from other recent decisions derail it from the context of these changes and don't wish to discuss the overall implications here, but then I have to admit that I have trouble finding something within the context to discuss. It doesn't help that pretty much almost every other post is either about the bad naming of MagicFest (which is only one small section of all the changes and something we all pretty much agree and settled on so no discussion there) and/or the legal ramifications of using the name since there are apparently quite other parties using the same term as well, but that's arguably also contextually unrelated to the overall changes to competitive/pro play.
This is either going to make me sound stupid for not grasping it or arrogant if I somehow made it sound like this thread was pointless and I'm actually cringing a bit to ask this but I do really want to have a good discussion about the topic so I'll honestly ask: exactly what is the context we're supposed to be discussing?
EDIT: The next post has been removed in favor of consolidating the essence of my opinions into an edit of the first post. Really appreciate the feedback from various parties regarding my post structure.
what is the context we're supposed to be discussing?
- changes to the qualifying process for the protour
- protour competitions themselves being held alongside GPs in the same venue and the implications there
- how protour invites won from local tournaments will give regional protour spots and not force you to fly across the planet to compete, instead having to/letting you wait for the next one in your area.
- how local WPN stores can give protour invites as prizes
- how they are improving the prize structure of GPs
- how they are improving the coverage of protours
- the name change to Magic Fests
- other related discussion on the improvements to these large events and competitive/pro play, as well as the visibility of pro play.
NOT:
the deal with amazon
The "decline of LGSs" (according to you)
if your self-professed window into the competitive scene is "playing nontournament 75% commander" once in a while, I feel confident suggesting that you won't be satisfied by the topics in discussion here, and may not actually have or want a strong opinion on any of this. That's totally fine btw. Ranting about other stuff isn't so hot though.
I skipped four posts in this thread. I believe they're easy to identify.
You can start new threads. You don't have to hemorrhage words that are irrelevant to the topic. Also, derail is a standard description and not an invitation to muse further.
Please don't derail this discussion with contextually unrelated issues that you perceive to be negative.
I'll honestly ask: exactly what is the context we're supposed to be discussing?
Dude. It's not that hard.
This is the " Everyone thinks 'MagicFest' is a stupid name except the one guy at WotC who thought of it and clearly has nekkid pictures of the rest of the employees" thread.
All of your other stuff belongs....frankly back in 2007 at the latest. Magic has been systematically raising the entry barrier to fun for quite a long while now, and therefore grown more incestuous regarding the people we get to play against. The only saving grace is that nearly every other form of gaming has flown down the path of chasing whales even faster than Magic has. I really feel sorry for any of you young people who think that the current gaming environment is the way that it always was, or should be.
Lol at the self-published 4pt novel. Glad to see a new system being put in place, WotC needs to keep it up, theyre just so easy to hate on these days!
Now if we can just get those modern-only boosters...
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[On my phone, so will link later]
General gist:
- no more PPTQs! Wow, that's a relief. Instead, events will offer direct qualification for the protour.
- larger WPN stores can create their own bespoke events with protour invites as the prizes (again, wow)
- qualifying for the protour locally will get you a berth on the next protour in your region. This seems net-positive with saving on travel costs, although in some instances you could be waiting a little while.
- protours will now be held at GPs (now called 'Magic Fests') and the top 8/prize giving for the protour will happen on the Sunday of the GP. This means there'll be an audience (big plus).
- 'magic fests' despite having a slightly wonky name (magic gatherings? Anyone?), will have additional and better events throughout, host the protour, and also disseminate prizes in the main event more evenly (i.e. Better prize support lower down the rankings). No word on specifics here but it's been confirmed to be the case.
That's all I can remember right now. All of it seems really positive and I'm surprised nobody's talking about it. Especially axing PPTQs.
Stay reasonable, be mindful of your expectations and don't feed the trolls.
Doomsdayin'
I just tell people I'm going to a convention, it's what they are after all. Not sure why MagicCon or something like it wasn't chosen.
https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/big-changes-for-tournament-players/
Edin Magic Festival has trademarked their event as Magic Fest, and are now in touch with Hasbro apparently.
Overall, these changes don't affect me except that I can win a PT invite as a regular event and then trade it for cash and so on.
Currently focusing on Pre-Modern (Mono-Black Discard Control) and Modern (Azorious Control, Temur Rhinos).
Find me at the Wizard's Tower in Ottawa every second Saturday afternoons.
I've seen ads for the "Fog City Magic Fest" in San Francisco before. There is also a festival for Harry Potter fans called "Midwest Magic Fest". It will be interesting to see if they need to actually change their name, as usually the Hasbro legal team is the one sending out cease & desist letters and not receiving them...
Overall, I see these changes are a net positive. They seem like a move back to the original PTQ system, but with additional emphasis on Grand Prix (now Magic Fest) weekends having more than just a GP, and that Pro Tours will be held with multiple events going on simultaneously (similar to how old Worlds Weekends used to work I presume). It should be interesting to see how they handle Europe and APAC countries in all of this, but I'm sure that there is a way to do this correctly.
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Good riddance. The PPTQ system pretty much swelled to the really old-prerelease system (they were once large-scale events as well) and fell to pretty much the same issues and became obselete.
Great. Shame the recent string of other decisions have rendered the future of the LGS to be in a decline (due to the likes of the Amazon changes and Mythic Edition among others), so I this change might not be as everlasting as the rest.
Nice. This will raise visibility of the pro play scene, one of the issues brought up during the issue that happened during Worlds. I'm not too swell on the "having to wait" part though, especially when the GP schedule pretty much showed a decrease in frequency of non-US GP tournaments.
Like most people, the name doesn't resonate with me. Personally it feels more like an inFESTation than festival. But as pointed out in an earlier post, several other parties are also utilizing the name so there might be another change down the route.
Major edit: Thanks to feedback, I consolidated my wordy post into its essence. Appreciate all the suggestions.
I read your comment twice and am just a little confused how you managed to morph your point into a rambling complaint about the state of LGSs, amazon and booster sales?
Let's be clear: this thread isn't about that. None of the changes above relate to drawing support away from LGSs or (in the abstract) the economics of selling boosters. Grand Prix events aren't there for "sales reach".
It's cool that you're passionate, but that whole rant at the end belongs somewhere else.
Well Hasbro tends win lawsuits brough against them. Its when they try to sue is that they usually lose. So as long as Hasbro doesn’t try to sue them, they’ll be ok.
BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
My apologies. I know the thread isn't about that, but I consider any external changes that the avenues that these changes go through (WPN-LGS, GPs) to be part of the relevant context. A habit on my part to consider the whole overall picture when discussing about specific changes. I've cut short of the rant in the original post, but left the geist because I personally feel its relevant, even if it's not something we as players desire.
Edit: Cut short some more rambling that was initially in this post. Force of habit.
Alright, that is understandable, but here's where I have to admit I don't quite grasp the context of the discussion. Bluntly put, the opening post was mostly a list of established facts that need no discussion since the message was clear, so I tried starting one by putting it to the nearest context we had. It's fair you think bringing in the context from other recent decisions derail it from the context of these changes and don't wish to discuss the overall implications here, but then I have to admit that I have trouble finding something within the context to discuss. It doesn't help that pretty much almost every other post is either about the bad naming of MagicFest (which is only one small section of all the changes and something we all pretty much agree and settled on so no discussion there) and/or the legal ramifications of using the name since there are apparently quite other parties using the same term as well, but that's arguably also contextually unrelated to the overall changes to competitive/pro play.
This is either going to make me sound stupid for not grasping it or arrogant if I somehow made it sound like this thread was pointless and I'm actually cringing a bit to ask this but I do really want to have a good discussion about the topic so I'll honestly ask: exactly what is the context we're supposed to be discussing?
EDIT: The next post has been removed in favor of consolidating the essence of my opinions into an edit of the first post. Really appreciate the feedback from various parties regarding my post structure.
- changes to the qualifying process for the protour
- protour competitions themselves being held alongside GPs in the same venue and the implications there
- how protour invites won from local tournaments will give regional protour spots and not force you to fly across the planet to compete, instead having to/letting you wait for the next one in your area.
- how local WPN stores can give protour invites as prizes
- how they are improving the prize structure of GPs
- how they are improving the coverage of protours
- the name change to Magic Fests
- other related discussion on the improvements to these large events and competitive/pro play, as well as the visibility of pro play.
NOT:
the deal with amazon
The "decline of LGSs" (according to you)
if your self-professed window into the competitive scene is "playing nontournament 75% commander" once in a while, I feel confident suggesting that you won't be satisfied by the topics in discussion here, and may not actually have or want a strong opinion on any of this. That's totally fine btw. Ranting about other stuff isn't so hot though.
You can start new threads. You don't have to hemorrhage words that are irrelevant to the topic. Also, derail is a standard description and not an invitation to muse further.
Dude. It's not that hard.
This is the " Everyone thinks 'MagicFest' is a stupid name except the one guy at WotC who thought of it and clearly has nekkid pictures of the rest of the employees" thread.
All of your other stuff belongs....frankly back in 2007 at the latest. Magic has been systematically raising the entry barrier to fun for quite a long while now, and therefore grown more incestuous regarding the people we get to play against. The only saving grace is that nearly every other form of gaming has flown down the path of chasing whales even faster than Magic has. I really feel sorry for any of you young people who think that the current gaming environment is the way that it always was, or should be.
Now if we can just get those modern-only boosters...