Comments on: A Story and a Thought – Of PTQs and Invitations

By: Adam Edelman

Adam Edelman — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 08:02:46 +0000

I am conflicted about the idea of a points system. On the one hand, it creates a strong incentive for good players to play and applies positive selective pressure for the PT (ensuring that PT players are indeed pros), but on the other hand it opposes the rather egalitarian efforts of WotC, who seem to be trying to say (through planeswalker points and PTQ’s) that anyone can be a pro, not just people who can afford to go to as many tournaments as possible.

On another note, I am personally opposed to any idea of “special exemptions” (though if anyone ever deserved one your friend does). I believe that if a rules system exists, especially if it exists to preserve a specific level of play or to ensure a fair playing field, that violating that system (for any reason) is inherently opposed to both of those goals. Anyone who doesn’t qualify wasn’t a good enough player (by the metrics they used to measure player quality) and if you elevate one player to pro status because of celebrity you are not incentivising good play but good advertising. I would not mind improving the metrics (see my comment on points above) but once rules are established, they should be followed.

By: Ryan Overturf

Ryan Overturf — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:16:00 +0000

In reply to Mike. How would having a point system stop them from also inviting the big names? Dave Williams absolutely was getting special invites back when ELO invites were a thing, so you're only disagreeing with me in part. If anything you're adding an addendum and not disagreeing at all.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:11:15 +0000

I have to disagree with you. I think the nebulous nature of the sponsorship invites is part of what makes it good.

To my mind, the Pro Tour exists for two reasons. One, because humans in general and guys specifically are very competitive. Any activity that can be a competition has some sort of higher level of play. I mean, there’s a Rock, Paper, Scissors world championship. The PT provides that competitive outlet for Magic. Two, because we like to celebrate excellence. Being on the Pro Tour is basically saying “I’m one of the best in the world at this thing”.

As you said, sometimes, you have a bad tournament. I had a very good shot at T8 in Lincoln last year before I ended day 2 with a slide. I turned around, went to a PTQ the next weekend and went 0-2 drop. Sometimes, you get bad luck for a match. Or a tournament. Or a week. Or an entire season. But being one of the best in the world is not something that changes just because you had a bad week. Being a name player who draws spectators doesn’t change just because you didn’t qualify one season.

Sponsorship invites give Wizards a tool that allows them to bring those players onto the Tour. It gives them a tool to make the Pro Tour exactly what it says it is, a tournament where the best players in the world compete. Making sponsorship invites into a numbers game means it’s just another bar set that won’t catch the players you’re trying to catch to begin with.