If you really were interested in qualifying in PA, I'd think you'd want to play in all three PAPA classics instead of just the first one. So maybe start there next year?

It also appears that you've never played Pinburgh. These events, along with PAPA A, are the big events that anyone interested in playing in the PA state championship is basically obligated to play. If hundreds of players can come from out of state and outside the USA to do it, a 3-hour drive isn't really that much of a commitment.

If your complaint is that PA is super-competitive with lots of top-ranked players guaranteed to be in the state championship, I don't think anyone would argue with that. But there's definitely a path to success for getting there, and it doesn't appear that you're taking it.

Nope. At the end of the year, each player can elect to play in one state championship. And only one.

Lots of the players who are qualified in PA will not be playing in that state because they will be playing elsewhere.

You can probably get historical data from the IFPA to see where the cut line of the qualifying position that ended up as the 16 seed in all previous PA championships, and see a more realistic picture of what you need to aim for.

Every PA event you play counts toward your state ranking. More events can only be a good thing. I encourage you to play as much as possible.

Based on you saying that you're relatively new, I'll assume that you're still improving. The more you play competitively, the faster that will happen.

The prize pool is for everyone who plays in an event in PA in a given year. And it's funded by those same people. Seems reasonable to me. If anything, the fact that players will come from far away and add a huge value to the PA state championship -- even though they have no intention or ability to play in it -- is a huge benefit to the people who do play in it.

I don't live in PA and I won't be playing in your championship even if I qualified, but I will no doubt contribute a few dollars in 2018 that you have an actual chance to win.

Forgot to mention that Pittsburgh Pinball Open and the Intergalactic Championship at ReplayFX are two other big events that you should play in if you want those sweet PA SCS points.

This is not an exploit. This is how the system was designed.

Ask location owners whether they'd rather have a system that welcomes people who play in 50+ events, or if they'd rather have the players who (you claim) are dropping out but who only play in a handful.

Saying that the SCS system sucks because it doesn't try to put the 16 best players in each state championship is like saying that People magazine's Most Beautiful Women In the World list sucks because it only includes celebrities. Technically true, but whining about it just shows you don't really understand the purpose of it.

Interestingly, I think we both sort of want the same thing. I want lots of people to get really good at pinball, and to be able to be recognized for it. I also happen to think that playing a ton is a really good way to become really good, and I like the fact that the current system encourages exactly that.

Sincerely,
#1 in Massachusetts but not playing there because I don't live there and need to run my own state's tournament so there will be one

https://www.ifpapinball.com/nacs/standings.php

I have no idea who would ever do such a thing.