New updated touney rules

In events where players provide their own playmats, only official FFG X-WingTM Playmats are allowed. This is to guarantee a consistent experience for all players and prevent any advantage players may gain from familiarity with a particular playmat that is not widely available. FFG playmats are widely available for examination and play. If a venue provides playmats for their event, they may use third-party playmats. Players may replace third-party playmats if they provide their own FFG playmat to use.

See the sky is not falling.

I didn't/don't understand the reasoning behind the FFG mats requirement. Would people not become familiar with the FFG mats eventually, especially if forced to play on them? That's the reason for dumping the 3rd party ones. In fact, given the variety of images from 3rd party mats, it's more likely, people would gain familiarity with the FFG ones and the GF9 mats(as they are fairly common everywhere anyway).

What they were banning other mats for is going to happen with their own mats within months if not done by some people already. Just seems pointless.

Well done FFG, 2 for 2 on the stupid decision and fast reversal. Be careful about making that level of mistake again,

See, FFG isn't the dread overlord many were making them out to be.

I think one of the intents was if people brought their own mat, that they had studied, and knew they were going to play on it. However, the way the rule was originally worded was just stupid.

See, FFG isn't the dread overlord many were making them out to be.

This is a perfectly fine rule. Well done, FFG.

This is why I drink the FFG cool aid. They listen.

I didn't/don't understand the reasoning behind the FFG mats requirement. Would people not become familiar with the FFG mats eventually, especially if forced to play on them? That's the reason for dumping the 3rd party ones. In fact, given the variety of images from 3rd party mats, it's more likely, people would gain familiarity with the FFG ones and the GF9 mats(as they are fairly common everywhere anyway).

What they were banning other mats for is going to happen with their own mats within months if not done by some people already. Just seems pointless.

Did you read the updated rule? They specifically address why. Because anyone has a more equal opportunity to familiarize themselves with the FFG mats, nobody will get an advantage. If you have some random mat you know really well others don't have the same chance to learn it.

I just wish someone from FFG would pop in here, and say, "Whoops! Our bad."

I didn't/don't understand the reasoning behind the FFG mats requirement. Would people not become familiar with the FFG mats eventually, especially if forced to play on them? That's the reason for dumping the 3rd party ones. In fact, given the variety of images from 3rd party mats, it's more likely, people would gain familiarity with the FFG ones and the GF9 mats(as they are fairly common everywhere anyway).

What they were banning other mats for is going to happen with their own mats within months if not done by some people already. Just seems pointless.

Did you read the updated rule? They specifically address why. Because anyone has a more equal opportunity to familiarize themselves with the FFG mats, nobody will get an advantage. If you have some random mat you know really well others don't have the same chance to learn it.

That's what I don't get. What is there to familiarize yourself with? The play mats are purely decorational, other than their dimensions.

This ruling isn't as fixed as it seems...

In events where players provide their own playmats, only official FFG X-WingTM Playmats are allowed.

Okay, so players can only bring their own maps if they happen to be FFG maps. Players can't bring any thing else - GF9 and other aren't legal still.

This is to guarantee a consistent experience for all players and prevent any advantage players may gain from familiarity with a particular playmat that is not widely available.

Okay, fair enough. If we all have the opportunity to pre-measure things at home and practice on the same map, it's cool. I'd have to suggest though that through all the time of FFG supply problems for their ships, maps like the GF9 ones were pretty available. Moreso than most FFG product.

FFG playmats are widely available for examination and play.

FFG being widely available is up for debate. However, we'll take it that their supply problems are disappearing with the problems of the ports being resolved and that there will always be stock available from FFG to distributors to FLGS.

If a venue provides playmats for their event, they may use third-party playmats.

Okay, so a FLGS can still use ther own maps if they have them. So they're not making the FLGS go out and buy two dozen new maps just to use for X-Wing. That's good. But...

Players may replace third-party playmats if they provide their own FFG playmat to use.

You get to use your own personal map! This is probably the most broken part of this rule. If you don't like the fact that you're being made to use a map that you haven't had a chance to pre-measure at home (i.e.: your own FFG map), you can use your own FFG map that you pre-measured at home. Wait, I hope you didn't subtly pre-mark your own playmat with markings that you're familiar with and that may be difficult for your opponent or the TO to notice did you? No? Okay good. Play on, on your own personal map! Playing on that nasty third party map you're unfamiliar with may make it more difficult for you. You know, because randomness. What if two players both bring their own FFG maps and both want to use their own? Who decides then which map to use, if they don't want to use the third party map the FLGS provided?

Anyways, wearing my Chicken Little costume here, and weilding my Anti-Falling Sky Umbrella... I just don't get it. The old tournament rule of "Don't play on your own map" which made sense and was seemingly easy to manage was entirely tossed out in the name of their own financial expediency. I get that they're trying to add legitimacy to their tournaments by having an enforceable map standard, but it just seems to be entirely mishandled.

How is it any different than insisting someone use their official templates instead of a third party's?

Haha, one whole day of public outrage before the decision was adjusted. Glad they listened.

And Slugrage, playmats aren't subject to FFG supply problems. FFG prints them at their headquarters in Minnesota and ships them from there. They never touch the slow boat from China.

This is a perfectly fine rule. Well done, FFG.

No it's not. It fixes the problem for stores and TOs, not the players.

I don't own an FFG playmat so I can't play on one often enough to get familiar with it. So I won't be at any less of a disadvantage if someone is brings a FFG playmat than if they had brought a third party playmat. Why is it okay for someone to have an advantage just because they bought an FFG playmat? The new rule defeats the whole purpose of forbidding players from bringing their own playmats. There is no reason to change the original playmat rule other than to push sales of their own product. That's something I expect from Games Workshop, not FFG.

I didn't/don't understand the reasoning behind the FFG mats requirement. Would people not become familiar with the FFG mats eventually, especially if forced to play on them? That's the reason for dumping the 3rd party ones. In fact, given the variety of images from 3rd party mats, it's more likely, people would gain familiarity with the FFG ones and the GF9 mats(as they are fairly common everywhere anyway).

What they were banning other mats for is going to happen with their own mats within months if not done by some people already. Just seems pointless.

Did you read the updated rule? They specifically address why. Because anyone has a more equal opportunity to familiarize themselves with the FFG mats, nobody will get an advantage. If you have some random mat you know really well others don't have the same chance to learn it.

i read it and it doesn't solve the problem of some players bringing a mat that they are familiar with that their opponent may not be familiar with. The original playmat rules prevented this. The changes FFG made actually introduce a problem that didn't exist before.

And if the opponent doesn't want to play on the FFG mat that the other player brought, he doesn't have to, as what the TO has set up is the default.

But let's be honest, where are the mats coming from for the vast majority of tournaments? The players.

Seriously guys? All the outrage over the ruling, and now they've adjusted it so that something better (while the initial rule was fine) is now in place, and there's STILL complaining?

Seriously. Sometimes hanging out around here is more dramatic than the early afternoon on cable. People, the rule is in place. Stop arguing about whether you like it, or whether it's perfect in your eyes and just accept that it is what it is. It's not really going to change a single thing about you or your tournament results. Learn to fly the little star fighters best - that's what wins or loses tournaments, flying the ships and putting together competitive lists. This mat thing is secondary, and people just need to chill and let this thing die.

Jacob

Seriously guys? All the outrage over the ruling, and now they've adjusted it so that something better (while the initial rule was fine) is now in place, and there's STILL complaining?

Seriously. Sometimes hanging out around here is more dramatic than the early afternoon on cable. People, the rule is in place. Stop arguing about whether you like it, or whether it's perfect in your eyes and just accept that it is what it is. It's not really going to change a single thing about you or your tournament results. Learn to fly the little star fighters best - that's what wins or loses tournaments, flying the ships and putting together competitive lists. This mat thing is secondary, and people just need to chill and let this thing die.

Jacob

It's a bad rule change that deserves to be criticized. If the rule change doesn't bother you, that's great. Then don't post about it and keep the condescending "learn to fly" comments to yourself.

Seriously. I just love it when some forum posters try to prevent others from expressing a view point different from their own by characterizing them as whiners and complainers. That's the only thing around here that needs to die.

The original rule change was badly worded. I honestly can't believe that a company which has consistently shown such good practice and understanding in the way it interacts with, promotes and encourages its community would have deliberately set out to transparently grab cash from TO's (not players, who would have been utterly unaffected by the first change). That they have so quickly adjusted the rule suggests to me that they are still that company which is very much in touch with the community, and cares about the people who help it to promote its worldwide player base and tournaments as much as about the players themselves.

Oh and 'if the rule change doesn't bother you...then don't post about it' is just as elitist and arrogant as you're accusing the other guy of being. It's a forum. You're bothered, he isn't, and you're BOTH able to freely provide an opinion. Shouting 'help help I'm being repressed' as you try and repress someone else isn't exactly helpful to your credibility.

yeah i know i have specific star specs on my HCD mats all mapped out so that i have an overwhelming tactical advantage and am undefeated every time i use my own mat... that said i am surprised they haven't mandated totally flat black mats for elite tournaments with NO markings on them whatsoever. if this was really a "thing"...

Oh and 'if the rule change doesn't bother you...then don't post about it' is just as elitist and arrogant as you're accusing the other guy of being. It's a forum. You're bothered, he isn't, and you're BOTH able to freely provide an opinion. Shouting 'help help I'm being repressed' as you try and repress someone else isn't exactly helpful to your credibility.

Well he basically came onto a discussion forum and said "stop discussing things!" which is sort of a faux pas.

This is still just a joke to me...
Sorry FFG, im happy that you listened but now you make a big pile of garbage of it,,,,
I understand that you wanted to do something to minimize the advantage for players with their own mat but...
The first ruling was actually better even that it was ridiculous...
Just... LOL... seriously... so you said you do it to not give players an unfair advantage with "their" playmats and all have to use the FFG ones...
Now you row back say.. well at least the stores can use 3rd party.... still under the umbrella of fairness...
BUT if i bought my 3rd party mat from that store i still have the advantage dont I?
Dude, you guys just make a joke of yourself...

All that it says to me is...
I will go out buy 3x3 wood plates and paint them black for my FLGS... we don't use MATS anymore,... we use "counter-tops".
DUH

I read the rule with the understanding that 1) you can use what ever mat you want. 2) if you are on the other guys mat, and you don't like it you can replace it with one of the FFG mats. (using the assumption that everyone has access to have played on it and become familiar with it rather then some one off custom mat no one has seen before)

Honestly, if someone is so focused on winning that they use the play mat as a way to do it... they arent someone I will be gaming with, as that level of shitheadedness will keep them from my group. Yes I may come across someone at a tourney like that, but I can suffer one day with this kind of butthead.

Seriously... is anyone using the matt to guage range or movement before the turn... if they really want to nurf this kind of mind game use all black mats with no printed stars or anything... their deathstar mat will be the easiest to try to figure stuff out like this anyway, and any mat with stars could easily me measured out to see what side has the best use of "premeasure " type possibilities..

Does this ever come up in a game.. the shop I game at on Tuesdays and Fridays has the same surfaces ... I barely register the planets and starsnon them, I'm too worried about asteroids and the other players ships.... this is a stupid ruling and just fosters the "you have to buy our stuff" , entality, if they wanted us tonuse their mats exclusively, they should have had them available on day one...