The Monday Poll makes a triumphant return to VFTD! This week it's all about RaceTo MAXX. Should it stay or should it go? Will it impact your decision to compete in the PSP? I'm not thrilled with the category but I think there are lots of varying opinions out there and I'm curious. Besides, it it wasn't MAXX VFTD could'a asked who will win CPL in Bitburg--like the North American audience could care less or whether any team will show up for Chicago APL that isn't affiliated with Camp Pendleton Paintball Park. (Okay, that's maybe a tiny exaggeration but it's still funny 'cus you know it's nearly true.)
When you vote choose wisely 'cus you only get to pick one answer. You are however allowed to vent to your heart's content in the comments so if you have a take on this whole MAXX business and voting didn't satisfy your desire to express yourself don't hold back. Let's hear the good the bad and the ugly.
And for our European friends feel free to venture your opinion on how Art Chaos will do in Bitburg. Do they get their act together or does some unwanted chaos continue to disrupt their performance?
Vote early vote often.
When you vote choose wisely 'cus you only get to pick one answer. You are however allowed to vent to your heart's content in the comments so if you have a take on this whole MAXX business and voting didn't satisfy your desire to express yourself don't hold back. Let's hear the good the bad and the ugly.
And for our European friends feel free to venture your opinion on how Art Chaos will do in Bitburg. Do they get their act together or does some unwanted chaos continue to disrupt their performance?
Vote early vote often.
Posts
8 comments:
Is there also an option to "not have surprise formats after registering?"
I think the biggest issue is when the league decides that they will change the format before the event after all payment and travel preparations are done. They basically have the teams by the balls at that point. The only next move is to not play the next event.
Obviously, its hard to say no to more teams wanting to play. It's more money that may not come back.
The players got an experience that was less than expected.
The refs had to work harder for the same pay? Or did they get paid more?
Where did the money go at least?
Were there any concessions for anyone?
I'm actually not really angry about the format. I played one day of it and got pretty used to it quickly but these are real issues.
They should at least add a disclaimer that after you pay you are subject to any and all changes that could happen before the event and that you should not expect to pay for what is advertised.
Have played and reffed that system for a few years now. It felt all wrong for a first tournament or two, but now can't think of a better way.
The system will always make sense for the league and never for the players IMHO.
I do not know of any player that prefers turnovers that vary in time, over a steady 2 minutes every time.
For the league it is obviously a way to save time (and thus a field).
I have often questioned how much time is actually saved, because a lot of time is lost between pairs of matches, because you need to move 4 teams out of the pits and the next 4 in, rather than having the next 2 teams ready to go instantly.
It would be interesting to see an actual calculation of time saved, because I have a sneaky suspicion it is not as much as you might think.
We've been using this format in Europe for a long time now (had to giggle with PSP giving it a fancy name like MAXX to make it look original).
to explain the difference in time saved, in 2 race to 4 matches, if both games are won 4-0 with 2 minutes between every point thats 12 minutes of breaktime where refs are doing nothing.
compared to 2 4-0 matches on MAXX, thats a total of 3.5 minutes of breaktime. and do remember the 12 minute break does not include the time taken to carry out 2 pit changes, compared to the 1 it takes on MAXX.
For saving time, MAXX is a dream, but what it does do, is degrade the viewing experience since every time you start getting in to a match its interrupted by another one you may not be interested in. For this reason its a good thing to use this on the divisional fields but where possible, its a great thing to keep the 2 minute breaks on the pro field. makes webcast etc much more enjoyable.
MAXX format just showed how much refs would manicure the field with the break periods, without the break time. The paint wasn't raked from the back side of bunkers and the immense amount of paint dripping from the front and sides of nearly every bunker. Refs were run ragged on the first day, second day was better as the time was increased to one minute. Reffing was more difficult as the prep time was cut to nearly nothing, I personally witnessed 4 separate events in which a player appeared to have a hit and 3 times it was from them entering the bunker and paint that wasn't raked broke on them as they entered, and once a hit on the backside of the bunker transferred to the players leg. Where a well kept field would not have this issue and I was only one ref I'm sure others have witnessed similar events or maybe even called players out on paint that should have been removed.
The format made it more difficult from a reffing standpoint as the field was rarely clean and that makes a big difference to officiate from. Also your reffing more matches and I know many of the refs struggled to keep there masks clean, as you get hit you'd have to clean it on the field or not be in position for the next point that was going to start.
There was improvement throughout the days however I don't feel that it should have been dropped on the players. I'm sure the PSP will retool this format a bit and it will be improved.
And we will see if the numbers of teams that sign up drops as teams claim they will not be playing this again.
Nick,
Empirical experience doesn't make for fact. Otherwise I could tell you that all players can handle short and variable pit times because I saw amateurs do it for three years of NSL play.
There will be a transition period for MAXX to become part of the game. It may require PSP to hire designated field cleaners that hustle between points to get the worst bunkers. Or it may just be back to the old days of more rub(ala Chris Lasoya circa 2005).
Paul,
As I'm sure you are already aware, MAXX is a band aid. Being able to accommodate more teams in the schedule will require more parking per field/day. Soon enough that will mean new venues or multiple weekends to distribute the load. How long before some divisional players aren't even competing the same weekend as pros? Or do we start pushing D-3 toward a more regionalized format?
I think people misunderstood the point I was trying to make :)
If viewing the format on the basis of "2 matches under the old system" vs "2 matches under the new system"... it is pretty obvious how much time is saved.
But, if viewed over an entire day, the numbers change.
As long as there is only 2 x 2 pits per field, the time spent clearing out the pits and getting 4 new teams in, is time lost, compared to the old way of doing it.
So, I was questioning how much time is actually saved during a field/day.
I have no doubt time is still saved... but I am wondering if it is as effective as some may think.
Can anyone enlighten me as to how many matches a Maxx field ran in a day at the last event?
Should MAXX reappear at some point--at this stage I honestly don't know what's going to happen--I am confident in saying the short-comings and failures have been and will be further addressed so there is no chance of a repeat performance. Now whether teams are willing to go that way is another issue.
Patrick
I've brought up similar points. At some point it's understood the event structure simply has no place to go. In the meantime everybody does the best they can.
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