I'm just doing this out of curiosity, so if it's not too much trouble, just read this and stick to the parameters of the post. Unfortunately, I don't know how to create a poll, or if it's even possible on this board.

• The question is, "When you attend a large X-Wing tournament (arbitrarily defined as one with at least six games of Swiss before the cut), what is usually your primary goal in attending?"
• Please respond with simply the text of your primary goal. I know that we all have mixed goals. So, for instance, the goal "win" does not preclude "have fun playing." If you pick "win," it simply means that your primary goal is to win the tournament, whereas if you pick "have fun playing," your primary goal is to enjoy yourself -- win or lose -- playing.
• Feel free to start a secondary topic to discuss the poll's questions and answers, but please do start a secondary topic to discuss this. I'm hoping to get a snapshot of what people will select before they read any discussion or arguments for or against the listed goals, and that's hard to do when the arguments are sprinkled among the responses.

So, the options are:

• Win
• Make the cut / get dice
• Play six or more games of X-Wing
• Have fun playing X-Wing
• Have fun socializing at the event

Make the cut / get dice

Have fun playing X-wing.

But perhaps this poll might be more meaningful if we ranked the options?

So I'd go:

1 have fun

2 play 6 games (more than I normally get in a month)

3 win

4 socialise

5 make the cut.

win a game

So based on your criteria this would only apply to regional or higher events, or maybe a massive store championship. I've only been to one such event in my almost 5 years playing.

At the time my top goal was to make the cut / get dice.

Why? Partly because that means I had a winning record for the day, partly because making the cut gets you name recognition online, and partly because prizes are cool and help justify the high price of entry.

Sadly I did not make that goal.

Winning it all would be awesome, but I'd need to run a meta list just to have a chance which I don't do.

Playing 6 games means nothing as I usually play close to that amount every week between vassal and my LGS.

Having fun playing and socializing are nice perks, but it's harder to have fun at events like these since most people are running meta lists, many of which are no fun to play against. Also I enjoy socializing more at my LGS since they are players I see regularly as opposed to once a year or less.

For me it's win as many, or more, games as I lose and have fun playing and socializing. Any swag I might acquire during a tourney is just the cherry on top. That's why I'm looking forward to the Kublacon System Open. Swag baby, that's why I'm going.

13 minutes ago, Jeff Wilder said:

So, the options are:

• Win
• Make the cut / get dice
• Play six or more games of X-Wing
• Have fun playing X-Wing
• Have fun socializing at the event

If I only get to pick from these, and I only pick one, I would say “play 6 or more games of x-wing”.

Otherwise, the option I would have picked but not present is “get swag”. However, I have no expectation of getting the stuff for winners - I’m talking about stuff you get just for showing up/stuff most of the players will get a chance to walk away with. To me, this is different than “get dice” because I have no expectation of getting the cut or top swag.

Have fun playing x wing

Make the cut.

Actually go.

Look, the geography isn't always conducive for everyone. I wasn't able to go to the New England regional this year due business commitments, and didn't learn about it last year's until after it happened. No other large events exist in my neck of the country.

Play six.

I mean I want to win, I’m rather competitive that way, but it’s all a game to me. Making cut and winning dice and templates was all just a bonus.

Make the cut. I've gotten to attend less than a handful of large events in a couple years of playing X-Wing so when I get the chance to do it I want to do well.

Have fun playing X-Wing.

The tournaments in my area are smaller and I can't really get out to big ones. So usually they are 4-6 game tournaments. I hope to go .500 and just have fun playing whatever jank I brought.

make the cut / get dice

Not flip the table.

Not lose.

I’m gonna follow @Gilarius‘s example and rank them.

1) Have fun playing X-Wing.

2) Socialize.

3) Win

4) Make The Cut/get dice

5) Play 6 games

I personally have a “minimum” goal. I like to at a minimum break even with my win/loss ratio. If I can do that, it’s a good day. Now, if the losses were close games with some nail-biting plays on both sides, it doesn’t really count as a loss to me.

Have fun playing X-Wing

Win. I'll have fun playing and socializing in the process, but if I'm attending a large event I'm there to compete.

Have fun playing X-Wing

Have fun playing X-Wing.

True Confession: I have never attended event, and probably won't, but if I did, this would be my goal.

In this order:

• Have fun playing X-Wing
• Make the cut / get dice
• Have fun socializing at the event
• Win
• Play six or more games of X-Wing

Make the cut.

To win. Now, given my level of experience and skill at the game I don't really expect to win a manor tournament any time soon, but whenever I take part in a competition of any kind, my goal is always to win, within the framework of the rules and fair play.

• Make the cut / get dice

Not that winning is everything, but it verifies my hard work has paid off creating and testing my list and that it was successful. I have the most fun creating lists and testing them. Tourneys are just for verification.