As a TD who runs a lot of free to enter events, the collection aspect is what feels like a pretty big PITA. If I was making suggestions, I'd probably prefer a nominal annual membership fee to the IFPA instead. All of the events can still do what they want as far as free/buy-in and those that don't do the membership (because they don't care on that high of a level) won't get any WPPRs. The event can still be worth what it would be under today's % system.

I'd pay annually. I'd rather not have the headache of collecting $1 per player per event. Forcing that will have an impact on our already small tournament player base.

Also, your WPPRs don't retroactively kick in once you pay. That way there aren't fence sitters who wait til the end to see if they want to pay up. Open enrollment up on OCT of the previous year and that gives players plenty of time to activate for the next year.

For 2018, a player would be able to register starting in October of 2017. New players would be different and could have a window to sign up. I was thinking more along the lines of handling existing players.

I tried that here in the beginning. New players get crushed once or twice and never come back. I wish we had a strong player base like some other areas but we aren't there.

It's not the $1. It's the additional hassle I will have. Whatever.

Is IFPA providing a chart for % payout from the SCS? I don't think there should be an option for that to vary from state to state.

Cool, thanks. Anything is better than nothing, but it looks like I'll have to improve on my past results a little bit. 16th in 2015 and 9th in 2016. Shooting for 8th or better now, assuming I even make it this year. Phoenix has exploded this year and Tucson is not seeing growth at the same pace. It's there, just not nearly as much as up north.

Can you send some my way? Seriously, in a metro area of a million people the scene here is very small. We have added some new players in the last 2 years and that's great, but it's been super slow. I've advertised, and done some other marketing things, but have yet to crack the code. Average events aren't even over 10 players. If we could get to 20+/-, I'd be happy.

This is why I was not thrilled with the announcement. When you are in an area where the tournament scene is not strong you want every new player you can get. I started running my bi-weekly events with a $5 buy in. The pot was 60/40 for first and second. We had a few new players over several weeks who played once and got crushed (in spite of being coached after games to help them learn the rules) and then never came back. It didn't take many weeks of that before I got rid of the entry fee.

I'm all for funding the SCS finals and Natls, but having to start asking everyone for their dollar at events that used to just be coin drop feels lame. I don't think any regulars will care here, but it doesn't change the fact that I feel like a panhandler in that situation.

Duplicating the IFPA points system is actually super easy. It's the data management that might not be any fun. They list the two formulas on the page as to how the decay plays out for an event and the calculation is very simple as well. I had a spreadsheet that I used to calculate all of the points each place could expect for an event. I used to keep a list of players and the bonus points they provided as well. I have no idea where that spreadsheet went, but if you are willing to skip the bonus points, anyone who is decent with Excel could set this up.

I have put on a few fund raising events in the past for local youth sports groups. That went pretty well, but outside of the actual youth assn. we didn't really try to reach out further. I bet we could do something with local charity groups and start getting the word out there.

Free entry events don't typically have a payout.

I'll have to talk to them about it. I know it would be some goodwill just to post that everyone's IFPA fee will be covered by the bar. Some nights, I know they do really well with my group there. Other nights (normally low turnout ones) people see that it will be a quick night and don't even order.

No worries. There are so many tournament formats (which is great) that the options are too much to keep everything straight at all times. I actually try to do different formats in the various events I run so when players travel they aren't seeing things for the first time. Prior to that, everything was just a linear "everyone play these machines once and Danesi's tournament program will tell us how things are going" style. Now there's a good mix.

I've had 2 players already ask if they can work something out for Tucson Pinball League because they want to travel to Phoenix to play the Starfighters monthly. Both events are the first Saturday of the month and SF will get over 40 players and TPL will get ~15. I'm not going to stop TPL, because it's not just for people collecting WPPRs, but it will impact TPL WPPRs if players pass to do other events that are larger.

I'm not saying this is a $1 thing, and I also doubt it could be a top-20 for SCS thing since I recognize there is little end result difference between uncapped event count or top-20 going to SCS. It's just a fact of PHX growth crushing Tucson growth and I live in the losing corner.

Feedback none the less I guess. I'll keep running 36+ events a year and trying to grow the player base.

I don't think anyone in my regular group is concerned about the $1 because most of them that tried made it to SCS in 2017 and will likely do the same in 2018 when there is a payout. I do see it as a head scratcher to some of my less skilled players because they won't make it. But, I put word out that I was looking for a tournament sponsor and I think I found one, so it may all be moot. I run free to enter events though, so I can't just reduce the payout and keep the fee the same.

I have a carrot for my events though, as small as they may be. Everything (that I run) but TPL counts towards the city championships, so keep showing up or you won't make that and I have a good start on tiers of prizes for that.

For sure, and that puzzled me. PHX has a 5X population advantage and yet it was only APPL and Zapcon up there compared to 50+ events in Tucson. Tracy deserves a lot of credit for what has happened up there. I'd love to have a 40 player event, ever. I think the most I've ever done is 19. That snowballs because more players allows for me to buy more/"better" games and hopefully attract more players. That may never happen here, but if I want to try for SCS this year I will have to go to PHX for sure.

But the new TD interface lets them cancel those instead of bugging you. There is even an "are you sure" message. The new interface is pretty nice.

When might the 2018 SCS standings go live? There's a certain screenshot I'd like to take before Starfighters points get added to the mix.