Having looked at the forums over the past few days, I'm beginning to become concerned over just how many people actually play UFS nowadays. The forums aren't as active as they used to be, although I wonder whether thats due to people just not going onto the forums or whether, like some of the threads posted recently, people have just stopped enjoying playing. Now, bearing in mind that me and a few others will be trying to come to America from the UK in order to play in Worlds, I'm sure people can understand my concern.

If I'm honest, since Set 8, I stopped playing UFS because I enjoyed playing UFS, I continued to play it because I enjoyed playing the person on the other side of the table. I've met countless people through playing it that I would call my friends even though they live on the other side of the country, or even the world. People were right in saying that Set 8 and 9 turned UFS into something quite different and ugly from what it was originally, and we as players had been let down quite a few times. I didn't like playing UFS very much at all, until now, that is.

I really do think that UFS is starting to take a positive turn. The bannings of June/July not only changed the game itself for the better, but it also changed people's attitudes toward the game for the better as well. Or at least it has here. People have started becoming interested in watching people play games of UFS where they didn't before, and people are more interested to learn what is going on than they were before. Our player base took a dive after the single set announcement, which is understandable, but it is on the mend again, so it seems. The Fight Night kits were a brilliant idea, and it is reaping it's rewards in new players. I bought two of them myself so that I can recruit them myself, and I have gotten interest for them.

I think the biggest problem that our playerbase has with UFS, is that the existing playerbase is very competetive, so it probably is very difficult for people to get into it from our standpoint. Perhaps this is the case with other playerbases as well. One thing I will merit Yugioh for, is it's accessibility. People might play extremely competetively, but there is something in Yugioh that just makes it fun even if you don't win. UFS isn't quite the same, although I believe that that is solely down to the people who play it rather than the game itself.

Our playerbase has 8 or 9 regular UFS players and another 5 or 6 who play less frequently. With the Fight Night kits, we're hoping to get at least another 4 or 5 into the game, if more turn out, then even better. How does everyone elses playerbases look right now? Are they on the increase because of the bans and the more attack-friendly meta? Or is it shrinking because of the single set announcement and the foiling being taken out or even the bans?

I can definitely agree that the game is very daunting for both new players wanting to get into the game and experienced players trying to teach people the game.

I have a couple of potential new players who really want to learn to play UFS as they no longer have anyone to play Yugioh against (score 1 for UFS). Only problem is; they watch me play a game against my girlfriend (as we only have enough cards to build our main competative decks) and see learning the game as a challenge (fair enough the two people in question are not the most persivering of people). They are very competative people by nature and the fact that they are eager to learn, but not learning could be a statement in its own right.

The only other thing I can think of in terms of overall playerbase is perhaps a lack of promotion outside of circles who already play UFS. To play a game against more than 1 person (who I live with), I have to drive nearly 2 hours. The nearest shop that sells UFS boosters is 2 towns away and the most recent pack they have is Cutting Edge (which they ran out of when my girlfriend found out they were selling for 50p each to deplete stock they weren't selling off).

I don't know if this is as much an issue overseas, but in the UK it seems that we are like a few small UFS colonies that occaisionally meet up at tournaments.

Expanding our existing playerbases in each town with UFS already established is great; but couldn't we also look into perhaps holding more demonstration events in 'untapped resources' (sorry, couldn't resist)?

I agree with Joe that in comparison to the past year; now is probably the best time to try and recruit new blood into UFS as it has made its way more back to its roots (no more excessive Response wars and negation). I stopped playing around the time when Blood Runs first came out and Evil was nigh unstoppable (and ridiculously expensive); I honestly didn't think I was going to get back into the game, but here I am using Forums for the first time too!

Lets build an army of promoters and hit the streets, towns, halls and game shops

I have been terribly unsuccesfl in recruiting lately.

I ran the 3 year anniversary event, got all 16 starters used in a tournament of sorts, gave stuff out. Following week I had 14 players to fight for the playmat and some other materials. I allowed it to be constructed. I allowed my regulars to play... I probably lost a few new people's interest as a result of that.

Since then only one of the 'new' players has stuck around, and three players that were definitely going to play from another town south of CBus, though they mostly go to fight Team UFSHouse in Dayton lately (which is fine, if any of those guys/gal are reading). I have also been rarely able to attend Friday night sessions, and though I keep saying to myself I will come and plan to come and advertise as such, a few more Saturdays with some kind of Promotional kits that are availible... I have been unable to sit myself down and take that time off. Fridays and Saturdays have just been entirely too busy in non gaming situations for me to be able to do these kinds of things.

As such, my play group is at 2 regulars, one that shows up late, and another guy that sometimes shows up on time, sometimes late, and a last membor, who hadn't showed up for a few weeks now but apparently did last friday (?), of course with myself on occasion, and finally it is a possibility that some of the 3 from down south come up.

So that's 3 solid, with 6 occasionals.

We stil have our regulars in NYC, our biggest problem is still getting new players involved. Since we lost Neutral ground we have been playing at JHcomics which is awesome, but its not the kind of place to have a massive recruitment drive. Most players are there for magic and could not give a **** about another game, no matter what you bribe them with.

Sadly the downfall of the economy wound up hurting all games in NYC. That being said, the regulars here in NYC are not going anywhere.

Locally we have about 6 people who play in UFS tournaments, depending on their moods, however, we have another group of players who only buy cards and never participate in any events. I spoke with them and they simply don't want to play with anyone but their circle of friends at home.

tournaments have been difficult to run with the lack of real interest, but we keep trying every thursday.

Right now people just don't have the money to start a new card game, and those that aren't into card games already find UFS' rules to be incredibly daunting.
Hopefully we will see a few new players anyway this summer.

I remember the day when we had big tournements like 2 years ago, but now 3 people show up to a booster draft. which is myself my boyfriend and the store owner. everyone quite or moved and the 4 people that dont play competively have all the good cards but dont want to play. So the rare chance we get to go to an outside tournament is the only tim we get to play other people than ourselves.

money is an issue but they spend so much on the other games they play, to getn crap cards or to stop playing that game a week later. the people here are just plain confuseing.

In April, i co-hosted a Regional in San Jose, CA and we drew 18 players, both locally and even a group from AZ (thanks Arch!). Also, SoCal and Sacramento was Repp'd at our tourney. I was set to take over the role of being Scout for that gamestore, and had even started recruiting back the 'older' players who left, also shortly after Sets 8 and 9. All said, i was ready to start hosting tourneys with about 6 - 8 regulars, including myself.

Unfortunately, that same day of the Regionals, i had a huge falling out with the former Scout, who'd been one of my best friends for over 2 years. As a result, i don't frequent that particular gamestore any longer, as it could lead to potential violence. No one else was going to step up and claim the Scout role, and after speaking with one of the store managers, UFS has pretty much died out there.

However, when i can get time off from work on Saturdays, i do play at a gamestore in Santa Cruz, and they have 5 or 6 regulars that are just silly about the game, esp since the bannings and errata's.

Planning on going to ARmed_Pirate's LA tourney in August, and i guess they're expecting 35-ish players to attend. Seriously...CAN'T WAIT!!!

Thank you FFG and Steve and Hata for recognizing there was a real problem with many cards and then actually doing something about it. You have restored my faith in this game and made it fun again!

Protoaddict said:

It seems like we lost some of the less comp. players though that didn't really come down to JH's. We'll see at ECC though.

i've had anywhere from 3 players, including me, to none to 6 players, i've had 3 new players that cannot decide if they ever wanna show up or not and it's really hurting my player base, add into the fact that the store's owner decides to have HIS games[L5R and Magic] on the same day that my tournaments are and well it draws from my players... it's agrivating.

N.J.

well we got 6 who play at least sometimes and at least 4 who play everyweek but its summer so all the students are gone from school we could possibly have anywhere from 10-12 when they all come back

Ours is diminishing like crazy were losing most to the naruto crowd. Thats adds to the past ones we lost to MTG and WOW. My only hope is the orlando crew said they were going to start coming down.

Whatever we see at worlds, is probably the same folk we see every year and what we'll always and only see lol.

I'm really trying to be more open to other CCGs (given that I'm tired of the "one game" mentality of most gamers these days... clickey jerk wads), but honestly, I do not understand the appeal to Naruto. lol

SEXY JUTSU OF COURSE!

We have a core of four now, since one of our girls moved to Dallas to be betray us, er, I mean be with the love of her life.

We have about 4 or so people who show up on-and-off, and as of next week 2 newer people who look like they may be around for awhile. /crosses fingers

Ok then, everybody seems to be having the same sort of thing happening with their playerbases diminishing. Then let me ask this: Is this something that we, the players have to try to rectify? Or is it something FFG themselves should pay more attention to? Or is it a case that isn't solvable at all?

I sincerely hope that it isn't the latter, but I also don't think it's something that FFG should have to do by themselves. We shouldn't have all the responsibility, but it makes you wonder why new players aren't being pulled into the game, doesn't it? I do think it's because the UFS community needs to be more casual perhaps. I've been making flyers and things for UFS Fight Night to put into my local shop and for their customers to contact me if they wanted any further information about it. Maybe other people could try doing the same thing? (For those that do put themselves out to improve things, I admire and commend you)

my playgroup will sometimes get 12 people, but most of the time we only get 4 or 5. one of the big problems is the diference in expierience between our newer players and our older players. because most of us don't go to alot of regionals, we tend to play our competitive decks every week and so it can be quite duanting for new players.

Our playerbase has seen a jump lately, or at least at the grassroots level.

We usually have 5-7 players depending on who shows/decides to play. The latter is key, granted the reason we have less than 5 at any event is becuase the 5+s don't necessarily get along with one another on any given day of the week. So yeah, there is some attitutde problems and barriers, but there always will be with a competitive game, and there always will be with people in general.

Lately our Scout has got a lot of his personal friends, mostly x-VSers, to start UFS again and in a friendly league, once a week from 2pm - store close on Sundays (i.e. 6 or so) with a limited card pool.

Basically anyone who wants to play in this league only needs to buy one starter and 3 packs of boosters (so I guess it is sealed in a way). Every week players are allowed to buy 3 more packs of boosters, and trades are allowed within the league.

This has been a pretty big hit! We have (including the 5-7 regulars, i.e. competitive players) an additional 10-15 who play in this league. i.e. I think we would have ~20 if everyone was there at any given Sunday, and usually we see 15+.

Hope this lasts, I'm going to make sure I don't scare them away. Or try my best!!! Sorry Scout, but I am enjoying it more now that I turned Siegfried (hated him) into Rashotep - mwahahaha.

- dut

Our recent tournaments have fluctuated between 4 and 10, though there was a 14-person tourney maybe a month ago that I missed?

Basically, we saw something like 6 or 7 new (to Gameology) players who all showed up one to three times (though usually not on the same day)... but I haven't seen them in a while. It's too bad; they all seemed like really cool guys: good sportsmanship, patient, and a good sense of playfulness.

I hope we see them soon, and I hope they show up for (and know about) the regionals on Aug. 1.

We have like four regular players. We had 6-7 again for a while but Frostmane decided it'd be cool to steal and try to sell some of Scuba's cards, but he's a certifiable idiot so he got caught and got himself banned from more or less all local game stores... and with him gone his girlfriend won't show either. Yay drama. On top of that, Kris and myself have lost a lot of interest in the game lately due to the huge amount of suck that permeated the game in the last year and being tired of hoping it'd get better every time something changed (new set, banning), and having our hopes dashed repeatedly.

Tiny Syphilis and the latest wave of bans are (again) encouraging, though...