Dear FFG Organized Play,

Your decision to hold Regional events on November 25 ^th , 2017 on Thanksgiving weekend is a tremendously poor idea and inconsistent with your scheduling sensitivity around other highly revered American holidays that are known primarily for family travel.

Your nearest scheduled event to Christmas will be December 16 ^th , 2017 where two events (for Armada and X-Wing, respectively) are scheduled over a week before the holiday. The first events in 2018 will be a week after New Year’s Eve on the next Sunday. Much like Thanksgiving, these days are also traditionally held as celebrations to be enjoyed with family and friends. Most of your own employees probably have plans to enjoy these days, and Thanksgiving weekend, in close contact with family and will find that stepping away from that to spend the entire day gaming with strangers at a remote location to be difficult at best, or unacceptable at worst.

It may not be possible now to reschedule the five regional events that have been placed on November 25 ^th , 2017 even though many players, myself included, would rather you do so. But at least I ask on behalf of many Americans that you work to better separate future events from major travel holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. It is frustrating to have to choose between going to a local event and missing valuable time with visiting family and traveling to a distant location at significant expense.

Sincerely,

thecactusman17

I don't know exactly how they picked these dates, but presumably the stores running them did?

I bet if you have enough people call/go to your store and tell them they won't have anybody show up on that date then they might reschedule.

Yeah I'm pretty sure the stores themselves submit the dates, not FFG. I would try to contact the stores holding those Regionals.

There might be people who welcome an excuse to stay away from familiy and spend time with like-minded people and friends, no matter what the holiday. So I find the decision on the dates - whoever is responsible for those - rather considerate.

Oh shockers, there's another side to an argument..?!

1 hour ago, Fourtytwo said:

There might be people who welcome an excuse to stay away from familiy and spend time with like-minded people and friends, no matter what the holiday. So I find the decision on the dates - whoever is responsible for those - rather considerate.

Oh shockers, there's another side to an argument..?!

Well, but it's not a store tournament. It's Regionals, perhaps the only higher-level competition in a premier tournament that some people get to participate in all year. I was really worried that the ones near me would be around that date.

-ryanjamal

@Fourtytwo I'm sorry you don't get along with your family.

@thecactusman17 I imagine the stores holding these events on Thanksgiving weekend checked with their local players, whom probably make up the lion's share of planned attendees, before setting the date. Kinda sad the stores wouldn't keep travelling attendees in mind. Seems like poor planning.

I'm frustrated that there just seem to be far less Regional events in general this year.

But yes, the events are set by the stores holding them, not FFG.

I don't see any Regionals Scheduled on the weekend after Thanksgiving on the website. Are there others that have been added? If so, where is a list of other stores with tournaments not on the FFG site?

5 hours ago, qwertyuiop said:

@Fourtytwo I'm sorry you don't get along with your family.

Maybe it's more the other way round, or I was just being tongue-in-cheek for the sake of presenting a different perspective. Maybe my humour is a bit too dry.

Anyways, planning tournaments and conventions around a holiday actually is a two-sided thing. On one hand, you have people who travel to visit family and friends and can't or won't attend an event scheduled around a holiday, on the other hand, you have people who do not easily get a day off to travel to a tournament or a convention and welcome those being scheduled around a holiday. I can easily imagne one of the latter writing an open letter to make an appeal to schedule events around a holiday, not on a non-holiday.

9 hours ago, Fourtytwo said:

Maybe it's more the other way round, or I was just being tongue-in-cheek for the sake of presenting a different perspective. Maybe my humour is a bit too dry.

Anyways, planning tournaments and conventions around a holiday actually is a two-sided thing. On one hand, you have people who travel to visit family and friends and can't or won't attend an event scheduled around a holiday, on the other hand, you have people who do not easily get a day off to travel to a tournament or a convention and welcome those being scheduled around a holiday. I can easily imagne one of the latter writing an open letter to make an appeal to schedule events around a holiday, not on a non-holiday.

Is the Saturday after Thanksgiving really that big of a holiday?

Honestly asking. My family celebrates the day of, and sometimes does some Black Friday shopping (very low key though, not until like 9:00 AM on Friday) but the Saturday really isn't that big of a deal.

Even so, I know a lot of people and organizations like to hold events the weekend of holidays. For instance, there are a lot of weddings on Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends, because it can be assumed that a lot of people will already have the time off anyway. In the long run, it actually helps with turnout. Maybe this is the reason?

Regardless, sorry this personally did not work out for you.

1 hour ago, subtrendy2 said:

Is the Saturday after Thanksgiving really that big of a holiday?

Honestly asking. My family celebrates the day of, and sometimes does some Black Friday shopping (very low key though, not until like 9:00 AM on Friday) but the Saturday really isn't that big of a deal.

Even so, I know a lot of people and organizations like to hold events the weekend of holidays. For instance, there are a lot of weddings on Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends, because it can be assumed that a lot of people will already have the time off anyway. In the long run, it actually helps with turnout. Maybe this is the reason?

Regardless, sorry this personally did not work out for you.

It's more the travel. Lots of people travel out of town for Thanksgiving. Not everyone's family is local. Whether it was FFG or the store, it was a poor choice if they want to maximize their attendance.

4 hours ago, subtrendy2 said:

Is the Saturday after Thanksgiving really that big of a holiday?

Honestly asking. My family celebrates the day of, and sometimes does some Black Friday shopping (very low key though, not until like 9:00 AM on Friday) but the Saturday really isn't that big of a deal.

Even so, I know a lot of people and organizations like to hold events the weekend of holidays. For instance, there are a lot of weddings on Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends, because it can be assumed that a lot of people will already have the time off anyway. In the long run, it actually helps with turnout. Maybe this is the reason?

Regardless, sorry this personally did not work out for you.

Small Business Saturday, Man! Though, 99% of LGS probably fit that mold.

Memorial Day and Labor Day aren't the biggest travel holidays of the year. And with the amount of wasted plastic in IA, the Arbor Day/Earth Day celebrators probably stay away. Too far to bike or not enough recharge stations en route.

On 11/4/2017 at 11:32 PM, RogueLieutenant said:

I'm frustrated that there just seem to be far less Regional events in general this year.

But yes, the events are set by the stores holding them, not FFG.

For X-Wing there's exactly 1 less regional than last year's cycle.

For IA there's 2 less.

It's less, but not "far" less by any means.

Keep in mind they've added another game to the cycle (Destiny) which stores also have to juggle around.

1 minute ago, miguelj said:

For X-Wing there's exactly 1 less regional than last year's cycle.

For IA there's 2 less.

It's less, but not "far" less by any means.

Keep in mind they've added another game to the cycle (Destiny) which stores also have to juggle around.

lol ok. There's no IA in the entire state of AZ which is a first, and the root of my frustration.

2 hours ago, miguelj said:

It's less, but not "far" less by any means.

It is "FAR" for RogueLieutenant and I! We've got at the least a one-way 6 hour drive for an event!

All jokes aside, it just feels like a kick to the nuts, we had 4 store championships, what gives? I know one big and popular store couldn't apply for a regional due to one-time mitigating circumstances. But were all other stores scared and didn't even bother applying at all? Can't believe that.

Well if I can get away for a weekend at least we won't have to deal with bad weather, ice, or snow. If I'm having a good hair day I might even put the top down...

We might have to organize like a carpool and roomshare to reduce costs... maybe...

Anyone down?

21 hours ago, MadFuhrer said:

We might have to organize like a carpool and roomshare to reduce costs... maybe...

Anyone down?

I'd be interested if I'm free, I'm sure others are, too. ****, the 2 closest ones(ABQ and Brea, CA) are on the same day...

On 11/5/2017 at 2:51 AM, Fourtytwo said:

Maybe it's more the other way round, or I was just being tongue-in-cheek for the sake of presenting a different perspective. Maybe my humour is a bit too dry.

Anyways, planning tournaments and conventions around a holiday actually is a two-sided thing. On one hand, you have people who travel to visit family and friends and can't or won't attend an event scheduled around a holiday, on the other hand, you have people who do not easily get a day off to travel to a tournament or a convention and welcome those being scheduled around a holiday. I can easily imagne one of the latter writing an open letter to make an appeal to schedule events around a holiday, not on a non-holiday.

If you have a hard time getting a day off in general, then days off around holidays are especially hard to get off. In America, weekends and holidays are nothing special for the working class. They are the busy days when even more customers show up.

15 hours ago, TauntaunScout said:

If you have a hard time getting a day off in general, then days off around holidays are especially hard to get off. In America, weekends and holidays are nothing special for the working class. They are the busy days when even more customers show up.

Depending on what industry they're in, of course.

I think all we can say for certain is different people are in different circumstances.

4 hours ago, subtrendy2 said:

Depending on what industry they're in, of course.

Well the gaming stores are in the retail industry. If the stores are driving the dates, my gut feeling is, it's because the retailers know they have to be at work every day from November 1 to January 1, so it makes no difference to their plans.

"It depends" is an accurate addendum to everything, I speak about large averages. Even if your industry is no busier around the holidays, the competition between co-workers for any given day off goes up around that time of year.

Edit: This takes place on Black Friday weekend. Maybe the stores are trying to make it into a huge marketing deal. Don't know. But no one working retail can take off several days to travel far that weekend.

43 minutes ago, TauntaunScout said:

Well the gaming stores are in the retail industry. If the stores are driving the dates, my gut feeling is, it's because the retailers know they have to be at work every day from November 1 to January 1, so it makes no difference to their plans.

"It depends" is an accurate addendum to everything, I speak about large averages. Even if your industry is no busier around the holidays, the competition between co-workers for any given day off goes up around that time of year.

Edit: This takes place on Black Friday weekend. Maybe the stores are trying to make it into a huge marketing deal. Don't know. But no one working retail can take off several days to travel far that weekend.

Ah, I thought you meant people getting off for work in general. I see.

Well anyway. Once I figured out that was Black Friday weekend, and that the date was chosen by the stores, I think we have our answer. That date, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, is apparently now officially known as "Small Business Saturday" and I bet the gaming stores want to dovetail the regionals with other stuff they have going on.