5 hours ago, Ardaedhel said:

Holy crap, Maarek has Grit! o.0

I legitimately had to go look at the card to check after it was pointed out.

6 hours ago, moodswing5537 said:

Totally agree. These are some of the best battle reports online. Great job guys.

BTW, who all is going to worlds from the land of "everything here can kill you"?

Thanks!

Also sadly no one to my knowledge, at least not for Armada.

It seems the distributor cocked up, but basically nationals for us this year is going to be after Worlds. This really hamstrings anyone from going as the nationals winner gets their return flight and accomodation at Worlds covered (which is how I was able to go last year). Really depressing for the Armada community here.

6 minutes ago, Captain Weather said:

I legitimately had to go look at the card to check after it was pointed out.

Thanks!

Also sadly no one to my knowledge, at least not for Armada.

It seems the distributor cocked up, but basically nationals for us this year is going to be after Worlds. This really hamstrings anyone from going as the nationals winner gets their return flight and accomodation at Worlds covered (which is how I was able to go last year). Really depressing for the Armada community here.

To be fair: This is not a Distributor Issue.

This is an Organised Play - Transition to May-Track-instead-of-November-with-everything Issue.

NO-ONE in the WORLD had their Nationals before Worlds... Neitehr did anyone have Store Championships after Worlds.... We got Regionals, rather than nothing, basically.

Expect your Nationals - to be held anytime in the next 12 months, to provide you with everything you need to get to the Next worlds, which would be May 2018...

But for 2017, the "rest of the world" as basically out of luck, because of the limited Time of the Changeover Period.

6 minutes ago, Captain Weather said:

It seems the distributor cocked up, but basically nationals for us this year is going to be after Worlds.

Wait, isn't this the case for everybody this year? I thought we were going just Regionals straight to Worlds this year due to the compressed timeline, then getting back on track next year.

Even if so, though, it does certainly suck much more for our upside down brethren, who depend on the help to cover the pretty high airfare to get here. Sorry, dudes!

Just now, Ardaedhel said:

Wait, isn't this the case for everybody this year?

Just now, Drasnighta said:

I pretty much just assume it's going to happen at this point.

2 minutes ago, Drasnighta said:

1 minute ago, Ardaedhel said:

I pretty much just assume it's going to happen at this point.

You two should get a room!

6 minutes ago, Drasnighta said:

To be fair: This is not a Distributor Issue.

This is an Organised Play - Transition to May-Track-instead-of-November-with-everything Issue.

NO-ONE in the WORLD had their Nationals before Worlds... Neitehr did anyone have Store Championships after Worlds.... We got Regionals, rather than nothing, basically.

Expect your Nationals - to be held anytime in the next 12 months, to provide you with everything you need to get to the Next worlds, which would be May 2018...

But for 2017, the "rest of the world" as basically out of luck, because of the limited Time of the Changeover Period.

Sorry you're correct. Also yes that was what we inferred that nationals will be sometime before next Worlds to cover for it.

I'm going to take something of a bully pulpit here and say no matter whose fault it is, it was pretty egregiously stupid and could have / should have been avoided. I don't think we should be giving either FFG or the distributors the luxury of brushing it off with the excuse of 'oh but the transition period'.

The public announcement for the change to the new track came March 16th 2016. I would also presume that there had been internal knowledge of it at least sometime prior to that (maybe a month or more at least you would figure for a change this big). That's over a year away from Worlds 2017.

That is more than enough time for FFG OP or the rest of the world distributors to sort their **** out to make sure Nationals happen in the various Non-US countries. Literally all they have to do is pick a date and start planning around it (I understand planning takes time - but see earlier, you had over a year guys). Hell go like around the time we are now March 20th-ish - that's a year they had from the announcement of the change to a date they could have held Nationals in, it's late enough into 2017 that you don't have to worry about holiday impacts from Christmas, but its still early enough away from Worlds (six weeks) that you allow your National champion time to prepare the trip.

I don't understand the point of shortening the cycle for non-US countries when realistically the only tournament that truly matters for them is Nationals to get them to Worlds or at least give them access to it through a guaranteed entry ticket.

We've now had all our Regionals in Australia and now we kind of don't have any big tournaments to look forward to for roughly 6 months.

Don't take this rant as against you Dras, it's just something that's been bothering me for a long time, that the community so readily accepts the 'transition period' excuse when the involved parties had over a year to sort their **** out.

They didn't, it's entirely their fault, and it negatively impacts those communities because now its really hard to get someone over to Worlds.

I don't disagree.

I just want the Blame to go where they Blame should, that's all.

As it is, all they've stated on any nationals is that they're "floating" timing, so they can potentially change them up in the year....

And yes, you've had all your Regionals.

However, Store Championships open immediately after Worlds in May - so you should be getting some information on them in the meantime - which would be under the 6 month mark - more like the 3 month mark...

Trust me, its not any easier for someone who happens to live in Canada, and on the other side of the Continent to Worlds - because although FFG HQ is closer to us than our Distributor - our Distributor is who we deal with, too - again, on the other side of the Continent...

And also remember - I'm an ExPat Aussie I grew up in Country Victoria, so I know intimately just how difficult it is to organise anything for Gaming

Fair. BLAME THEM ALL.

Right my point was that shortening it like that, without a Nationals, I don't see the point of.

Also we're suspecting our SCs will be later than the opening of that track (hence the six month projection), though hopefully we're wrong.

Yeah fair call, I think its just crappy to all the non-US communities really.

I wouldnt have minded a local tournament organised by the distributor between the regional champs here for a shot at a May 2017 Worlds flight/accom prize since they all have eligibility for a Worlds ticket.

Since that cost is delayed to the year after anyway.

37 minutes ago, Captain Weather said:

Yeah fair call, I think its just crappy to all the non-US communities really.

Do all of the non-US Nationals pay your way? I thought that was kind of hit or miss at the local distributor's whim?

Also, afaik US Nationals/NA Championships are after Worlds, too.

Not saying it's not worse for you guys, especially the Aussies, and I absolutely sympathize... But keep in mind it's not free for most Americans, either. A quick Google suggests it's around $600 more to fly from Sydney to Minneapolis than from San Antonio. Which is many dollars, but when you're talking in terms of spending $1000ish anyway for the week, it's not an order of magnitude difference.

It's crappy all around, but "unfair"?... eeehhhh...

works out to be far more than $1000 for aussies, after flights accommodation food and travel our other guy who went to worlds last year on his own funds spent almost $5000 which is about $3500~ USD

Yes, but what he is saying is the difference is about $600.

Because Food + Accommodation are going to cost the same weather you're from Australia, Canada or any distance other than "Local"....

The only thing that really changes in comparison between the price points, is the Airfare.

- And that is the comparison that he is making...

Now, not reaseaching in particular, just as a general overview:

Melbourne to MSP (Including Hotel) = $1309
REF Travelocity:

Calgary to MSP (Including Hotel - same hotel) = $698.
Ref: Travelocity:

Now, of course, in those comparisons, the only differential is the Airfare - the rest will be identical (Hotel, Food, etc).

So yes, indeed, the difference between flying from MELBOURNE to MSP, and from CALGARY, which is on the same continent, and let us face is, about 18-22 hours less flight time... Is about $600.

Of course, with $1300 not including Food, Inter-City Travel to Roseville, etc... I wouldn't be at all surprised if it cost $3500-5000 for the Trip.

I'd just expect to only save about $600, despite the fact that I live on the same Continent (And consequently, am about the same Distance away from MN that San Antonio TX is)

To be fair (heh) I didn't say it was unfair, just crappy.

Obviously America is huge, so for someone in San Antonio, like yourself if I recall correct, it might not be that much cheaper. The point is though that there are plenty of Americans for whom it is a cheap flight, or even a day trip in the car from. American representation at Worlds is always kind of a non-issue. It might be hard for you guys specifically but there will be plenty there overall. Not true for the non-US countries; and yes I'm aware that not all distributors paid for their champions (shout out to Laurence the U.K. Champ on that front).

Crappy all round though really is my point, let's not get bogged down on who has it better or worse.