Options for continuing TotW

shutyertrap · Jan 27, 2016

We are really coming into the final stretch of tables yet to be played in TotW. I have always avoided putting current season tables in, as console owners are very behind and a lot of people in general aren't always up to date. Thing is, we only have 13 tables left before needing to get into Season 5 machines. So the question is, what do we do moving forward?

I have no intention of dipping into Season 5. Would you guys be interested in playing any Zen tables as TotW? Should we start over with all the tables? What about putting together 'theme' groupings that would make for interesting Tournaments? Think Lawlor's 'disaster' tables ES, WW, FH, and RS in one month, or all the kickstarters, or nothing but EMs.

Or is this whole thing played out and you guys don't wish to continue with TotW/TotM? I hope not, but I do feel the enthusiasm waning. I promised a year + of doing this, essentially to get through all of the first 4 seasons. We've just hit year 1. There's 3 months worth of tables to go before decision time. I'd appreciate all your thoughts.

EldarOfSuburbia · Jan 27, 2016

I voted to stop entirely. Re-treading tables we've already done is going to get tired even quicker than the current round. So we've missed a few out, big deal.

I don't play Zen so any move to Zen will rule me out entirely - it's not going to encourage me to start playing Zen and buying Zen tables.

Now, if/when Zacc appears on Steam, that might be a different matter entirely.

Voof · Jan 28, 2016

I think mixing them up would reduce your attendance even more, I love the tournament though and would love a full season. If you do a zen however I'd probably get involved too.

superdan · Jan 28, 2016

Just my opinion that is as valid or invalid as anyone else's. Games outside tpa should be separate tournies imo. Totm should definitely continue and be TPA centric...and games re-introduced in some way or form. I think it may be interesting to change the format. a lot of ways to do this...round robin, match play, brackets, certain goal accomplishment, so forth.
I think one of the problems is that all level of players keep getting matched together and the bottom people are tired of being at the bottom and top people tired of being at the top. It needs divisions.
Something else that would be cool is to play for some prize as simple as ribbons. Very inexpensive but would be surprised how coveted they would be. At any rate, too many players to not continue it. When you get down to one or two players like my failed goal score tourney, then yah, time to hang it up.
Cheers, Dan

vikingerik · Jan 28, 2016

I'd like to see it keep going. I know I haven't been participating, but that's really because I've been busy every-single-last-Saturday consecutively since June.

To keep it fresh, change up the tournament format. Farsight's tournaments are interesting because they engender new strategy development, by the time limit. What format could we do? Pin-golf comes to mind, which is also strategically interesting and straightforward to play and administer.

I'd say to finish TOTM through all the season 4 tables, then cycle through everything again on a new tournament format. Even with ~20 players worth of interest, it's still worthwhile, we don't have to always hit the early heights of 50.

Themed groups wouldn't be as interesting. I get tired of grinding through modes on one Lawlor table, never mind four. Variety in a tournament is better.

I wouldn't care about Zen or anything else (except maybe Timeshock), keep this on TPA.

Xanija · Jan 28, 2016

I haven't been following the TotW for a while now, just because I don't play TPA as much as I used to. I've been playing a lot of Zen the last few months, but it's significantly less during the last few weeks. Without playing the tables during TotW I know I'm not really good in the TotM, which is of course frustrating. I don't think I will participate any more on a regular basis. That's why I voted for "Stop it entirely". I enjoyed it for quite a while, but enough at the moment. This has nothing to do with TotW/TotM as a format (thanks Chris for the idea and time spent for this project), but with a general reduced interest in TPA.

Slam23 · Jan 28, 2016

Don't stop, I think you have a nice formula going here. For myself I was a more involved participant in the early rounds, but that's only because of increased real life pressures and therefore less TPA time in general. Although I'm not a tournament player, I think this is also a major ingredient in this mix. I'll gladly revisit all tables again, even those I would not think to fire up out of free will

Please no Zen, I can't stand their physics. *disclaimer to prevent any possible TPA-Zen flaming: it's my personal preference, I'm happy for pinball that both exist* I will not do Zen.
In appreciation of the work already done by you SYT!

Snorzel · Jan 29, 2016

Picked continue TPA but am open minded. Zen never caught on with me, I will participate if I have the machines and the free time. APC, Timeshock, heck even Space Cadet or Ghostbusters might make a fun change up once in a while. I would play a Zaccaria tourney. Thanks for the continued effort

Crepello55012 · Jan 29, 2016

I like the tourneys best . You need the weekly table to keep things focused. I would like Zen but I don't think you should do it because there would be too many people drop out. Maybe on a Zen dedicated forum. Themes would be good. You've dabbled with themes before I think and it was ok. It's still good fun so it'd be a shame to stop it. As Superdan said if it gets down to just a handful of people then you might as well pack in. But you don't need a poll to tell you that.

MontanaFrank · Jan 29, 2016

I haven't voted yet, but thinking of voting for just having the TotM. IMO, it would be nice to have S-Y-T or whomever pick the four tables that will be in the next tournament, create one thread for the four tables in the TotM section and then run the tournament at end of the month.

Does that sound logical?

Crepello55012 · Jan 30, 2016

Sounds like a very good idea to me Frank. Post the 4 tables at the beginning of the month and then we all know what we are going for in the totm at the end. it's nice to concentrate on 4 tables. 1 can get boring, but focusing on 4 is rewarding I think.

MontanaFrank · Jan 31, 2016

Another idea is to put up 8 or more tables we haven't played yet and do a week poll and the 4 top tables is the TotM. We could also do repeats of tables we did long ago. I don't know how many tables there are left we all can have access to.

shutyertrap · Jan 31, 2016

13 tables left, not counting season 5. I might have to double check my list, but i believe that's what j counted.

Locksley · Jan 31, 2016

I voted continue.

With the upcoming Head2Head there might be some opertunity to do some fun tourny stuff with that.

ccl78 · Jan 31, 2016

MontanaFrank said:
I haven't voted yet, but thinking of voting for just having the TotM. IMO, it would be nice to have S-Y-T or whomever pick the four tables that will be in the next tournament, create one thread for the four tables in the TotM section and then run the tournament at end of the month.

Does that sound logical?

I think this is the option making the most sense right now. I personally wouldn't mind a ZEN season but this doesn't seem to be very popular around here. Just let your military grade randomizer pick 4 tables at the beginning of the month and play these in the tournament at the end of the month. After one or maybe two seasons of this mode we will probably have enough new TPA material to start with TotW again.Or we will have Zacc.

Nightwing · Jan 31, 2016

Count my vote as just doing the monthly tourney.

Johni3w6 · Jan 31, 2016

Voted for Let's do TPA TotW all over again, but could have easily voted for Let's stop with TotW but keep monthly tourney.

Extork · Feb 1, 2016

Johni3w6 said:
Voted for Let's do TPA TotW all over again, but could have easily voted for Let's stop with TotW but keep monthly tourney.

Exactly. Maybe we could meet in the middle somewhere. So, the week before TotM is when we talk about the tables and practice

Johni3w6 · Feb 1, 2016

Extork said:
Exactly. Maybe we could meet in the middle somewhere. So, the week before TotM is when we talk about the tables and practice

That's sounds like it could work.

Crepello55012 · Feb 1, 2016

This is where Frank Montana idea works. We know the tables a month in advance so if you want to discuss them you can do so.

Options for continuing TotW

What would you like the future of TotW/TotM to be?

Let's do Zen TotW next

Let's do TPA TotW all over again

Let's mix Zen and TPA

Let the community put together TotW themes

Let's stop with TotW but keep monthly tourney

Let's just stop entirely

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