A few years ago, I was running Armada store and regional championships in our area for a couple of stores, but since I got too busy, most stores in our area have quit applying for them (we are down to 1) and only one store in the area applied for the Legion Rally Point. This one store that still does them charges pretty high registration fees. The problem I think I am seeing is that we are running fewer of these "regional" level events, with lower attendance, and I have to ask if we are pricing our players out of the organized play system. I am told these newer, much higher registrations are to cover the cost of the kits. Looking over the Legion kit, I am not seeing $300 to $400 in value in that. If the choice boils down to buy a new unit expansion, a candy bar, & a Dr Pepper (including tax) and play the game, or pay to play 3 games and get 2 alt art cards, are those players really going to turn out?

So, are we pricing players out of these events? Is that intentional? Is it good for the game? For organized play?

How much are they charging?

The first one in my area (aka, within a few hours drive) is charging $25. Not sure about others.

1 hour ago, Alpha17 said:

The first one in my area (aka, within a few hours drive) is charging $25. Not sure about others.

That’s probably the upper limit for what I’d pay. I feel for the stores, who probably have most of their space dedicated to people not buying product for the day, and they have to pay off the expensive kit.

Hmmm. I'm attending one on Saturday and the cost is only $10 and is capped at 24 players so either the store is taking a hit on the cost for the kit or the kits are not that expensive.

Depending on travel distance, I'm not sure I'd personally pay more than $25 for an event.

I am seeing a lot of $20-25 fees, and hearing claims that the kits cost the stores anywhere from $350 to $500 (there is not any transparency in this). We have had real trouble keeping ongoing communities for Armada and Legion locally as it is, so anything that makes it even more difficult for us to sustain our player base is a real concern to me.

FWIW, I am running an X-Wing Hyperspace Trial (that games version of a Rallypoint) at my FLGS in about two months are we are charging $25/player for that. The kits are in the hundreds of dollars for a store and we can reasonably fit 64 X-Wing players.

Comparing X-Wing to Legion, you need half the space per game and you don't have to supply terrain, just mats. If a store is charging $20-25 for a RPQ, then that doesn't sound unreasonable. You also have to consider how much space the store has to devote (or possibly rent) to accommodate the number of players they are expecting, plus what other business they may be losing to run the Rallypoint.

$25 is probably the upper limits for me, but only because every RPQ is at least 2 hours away from me. The further I need to travel, the better the prize support needs to be (especially as a mediocre player with no hope of ending in the top 3).

$25 is too high in my opinion. A lot of price hikes in various aspects of gaming have been justified along the lines of adding value in ways I don't want or need. Someone can talk till their blue in the face about why it makes sense, at the end of the day I'm not spending $25 for a spot at a table.

The most I think I ever spent for a store game was $10 and that covered pizza and cake for everyone.

On ‎5‎/‎10‎/‎2019 at 8:18 AM, TauntaunScout said:

$25 is too high in my opinion. A lot of price hikes in various aspects of gaming have been justified along the lines of adding value in ways I don't want or need. Someone can talk till their blue in the face about why it makes sense, at the end of the day I'm not spending $25 for a spot at a table.

The most I think I ever spent for a store game was $10 and that covered pizza and cake for everyone.

Registration fees are likely a combination of kit costs + expected turnout. It doesn't look like a lot of stores are expecting big numbers and from what I can tell of the costs, the fees aren't unreasonable, so a way to help this out is to try and grow communities so that stores have a better idea of turnout. It's probably also a function of this being the first event of this level most stores have run.

4 hours ago, MasterShake2 said:

Registration fees are likely a combination of kit costs + expected turnout. It doesn't look like a lot of stores are expecting big numbers and from what I can tell of the costs, the fees aren't unreasonable, so a way to help this out is to try and grow communities so that stores have a better idea of turnout. It's probably also a function of this being the first event of this level most stores have run.

And for other people that CBA can make sense but not me. $25 to play against a parade of unpainted armies so that I MIGHT grow a bigger community isn’t worth it to me.

23 minutes ago, TauntaunScout said:

And for other people that CBA can make sense but not me. $25 to play against a parade of unpainted armies so that I MIGHT grow a bigger community isn’t worth it to me.

You really gotta get your communities on it. We to a 12 person local (not an RPQ) and all 12 were painted.

12 minutes ago, TalkPolite said:

You really gotta get your communities on it. We to a 12 person local (not an RPQ) and all 12 were painted.

Good for them! Around here everyone seems really dedicated to using unpainted stuff. I haven’t seen 12 painted armies, not counting mine, in 20 years of store gaming. I saw one lizardman army, one space marine army, and one ork army. Plus a painted dwarf, Riekland, and undead warband for Mordheim. I can specifically recall them because I have seen so few. More recently I saw two painted armies for Legion. I once saw a fully painted game of Flames of War going on.

At the RPQ I went to yesterday, out of the 13 people we had, I think we had maybe one or two that weren't painted, with the occasional unpainted mini in an otherwise painted army one or two more times.

As for the price, I still think it is a bit high, but I have to say, the trophy is pretty nice, and I can see it costing a little bit in and of itself.

there is a store in Ontario charging 100$ but are promising 1000$ in prizes. It's capped at 40 people but that basically means every participant will walk away with minimum 25$ worth of prizes which translates to 75$ to attend, which is probably why i wont.

I will not play in a rallypoint qualifer if the cost to enter is more than $10

On 5/17/2019 at 6:47 PM, Darth evil said:

there is a store in Ontario charging 100$ but are promising 1000$ in prizes. It's capped at 40 people but that basically means every participant will walk away with minimum 25$ worth of prizes which translates to 75$ to attend, which is probably why i wont.

Care to name names? I'd like to know which one to skip.

On 5/26/2019 at 6:36 PM, cleardave said:

Care to name names? I'd like to know which one to skip.

Hooded Goblin, the price has been brought down to 70$

My nearest event in the UK (Athena Games, Norwich https://www.facebook.com/events/639243483137085/?active_tab=about ) is charging £25 or around 31USD which, when you add in parking, refreshments and travel comes in at around £50 for the day.

Loving the prizes but it's abit steep...