Before you all go pretending that this place has an ignore list ot put me on, I'm not bitching about the game. I actually love UFS because it doesn't try to be another MTG clone, and since it's not huge you can bet your ass that there will be decks you come up with that no one else has (especially no one you can play). Also, I admire the fact that instead of sticking to one liscense, UFS can go between many. It also helps that you pretty much have to be a fighter fan anyway so any liscense FFG chooses will probably whip up roars from the crowd as everyone can play their favorite button-mashing avatar on cardboard.

No, the phenomenon I'm choosing to write about is the player base of these small games. Today, for the second time in a month, our TO and one of the five players around here decided not to show up, and this happened to coincide with another of the five players not showing up (and who's moving soon anyway). Now as you've noticed, a tourney of five people (technically four because ones a scout and gets all the prizes anyway) is bad enough, but when people stop showing up multiple times regardless of the reason, everyone else is left with either taking the punches or just leaving. I assure you, the latter is easier. Now around here there's another store an hour away that ye old Havoc lurks around in, but driving an hour to just lose to the best deck (not because he netdecks but because he invents them) seems to me like borderline masochism. Even if I wanted to, I can't PM so I'd have no idea when to show up anyway. Also, the driving an hour to get there thing.

So we're left with the sad truth that it usually isn't the games' fault, but the players'. If I can't play a game it doesn't matter how cool it is, I'm not spending my money on it just to sit there. Unless it was coincidental that tournaments suddenly happened every other week here and that today's excursion came with no contact about it, you can check Pensacola off on the "places UFS died" list.

Thoughts? Hopefully I didn't get to rambly...

QQ. complain more to your players and go try to recruit more.

FFG has already realized the player base is low and, through the 3rd aniversary events, is trying to up it. but honestly this seems like a personal problem that you have to convince your players to come more

It happens but will happen more frequently if the players aren't dedicated or motivated. I try to keep my players motivated, but there is a limit. Then you'll realize that you need new players and sets to keep things fresh to keep players in and playing. I think the delay of set 12's release have hurt the playerbase everywhere.. just a guess.. I surely got tired of waiting and am very relieved that the set is finally out.

It's not that simple. At least, not around here.

And especially around here, where there's no place that even sells it, and the closest place is an hour drive away (doesn't help that I don't drive). Also doesn't help that there's NOBODY in town anymore (or at least from what I've seen in the past year and a half now) that's even remotely interested in the game. Sure, there's people out of town, but doesn't do any good in that respect when there's nothing to do here x_x

The sad truth is the last bid to get players ended up in me coming back and thats about it. There were other stores with their own player base around here that inevitably got destroyed because no one went to one and the other had the worst scout you could imagine (didn't know rulings, thought he was the best player ever, tried to dbag you on rulings that didn't matter because this isn't for money, etc).

Also, you can't get MTG players to try UFS out with diversity still around and only an eight card sideboard. Sorry but it's not happening.

UFS died where I am. Like, pretty much completely.

For a long time, tournaments had 2 people showing: the scout and me, or the scout and another player. On lucky days we had two others show up.

We actually missed out on the free product to lure new players, because our store was moving locations, and the intention to send an email to FFG got lost among higher priorities.

But the new location is great, and things are picking up. NintendoMan's a regular again. The Logue brothers are making it most weeks. NintendoMan brought his little brother yesterday. Ed, one of our very occasional (and extremely good-natured) players, is making it more regularly.

Best of all, we demo'd to a random visitor to the store last week who seemed interested. This week he brought a friend. He had bought the Rock Howard starter, his friend had bought the Ryu/Akuma battlebox, and they both played in yesterday's tournament. They were among the three losers; I was the third, of course. But they were basically running straight starters, and already have a great feel for the game; plus they're just quality folks. We spent a lot of time at Carls Jr. after the tourney retooling their decks, loading them up with promos and solid cards, etc. Of course, everything will change next week when new product comes in, but we're all psyched.

It's been the second or third straight week of full-blown 6-person tourneys, and it's great to have a playgroup again.

This is, of course, largely chance. But FFG does know about the problem, and the recent promotions have been good steps. If FFG gets some decent ad spots somewhere, maybe things'll improve.

But basically, just because youre playgroup dies, it doesn't mean it won't be reborn. (:

Do you know how many times UFS died in Montreal?

Yeah. That's right.

Similar. Events here were down to 3-6 (with me filling in the four spot when needed), and sometimes just had to cancel entirely. though our actual count of people that 'play the game' was more in the teens, we wouldn't get them every week. Perhaps if i'd decreased tournaments to every OTHER week, but then everyone would ask "whens the event? oh it was last friday? I thought it was this friday!" etc...

Recently with me itnerviewing some people at conventions and some people from the south and some yugi gentle-teens deciding to just play for a bit of fun, we've kicked it up to 10 + people every friday. Which is fun!

So you never know what's going to happen... life is weird. TCG playgroup randomness is weird too!

The best you can do is just show up, enjoy playing the game, whether you win or lose. Get to know your players and hang out with them. Your games will be funner, your decks will be better, UFS will be better for it.

Now to go put the money where my mouth is... or whatever that quote is.

Nash out.