Originally posted by Robbo
1--I am afraid the predicate you mention is an underlying consideration that has to be made here when trying to package paintball. We have to take into account the fickle nature of the viewing public when it comes to not switching from one channel to another or not re-attending an event.
You say no sport has automatic first time appeal, I am not sure about that but what I am sure about is this; some sports can bore me ****less automatically and I am merely advocating a format that insures against this.
I am also convinced that the less complex a game, the more likely it will appeal in its initial presentation and so people will be more likely to keep it switched on (or go again to a tournament) if we keep it simple.
2--Your next point regarding casually sacrificing the players of today for agendas that are purely selfish, is I think, directed toward me (let's not fcuk about here Paul) and maybe two other people but Sergei is independent from all that cr@p and will have no truck with any of it and it is his ideas that I hope we will adopt, not mine.
I just happen to agree with him wholeheartedly.
Whatever petty animosities or agendas that may have erupted in the past are soon forgotten when the ‘real’ big guns spout forth and in this case, when Sergei opened up all our eyes, I for one, was willing to change my views on things.
3--Our vision of the future is a default version as my original vision encompassed X-Ball for Europe being integrated into a world series with the NXL which was on offer to us a year back, for whatever reasons (it matters not now), we did not go down that road which left us high and dry if we wanted to follow a similar evolution that the NXL now enjoys.
There is no provision whatsoever in the NXL to include any European involvement which means we have to make our own destiny and take advantage of any opportunities that will allow us to strut our stuff.
4--I don't see you now mentioning similar PSP mandates on their tournament series a year back when they drastically changed the goalposts for all their tourney teams just so's they could accommodate the NXL.
5--As for what questions need to be asked at this stage of the game, I think I will trust Sergei to come up with the goods on that one and I will also trust his answers.
6--As for field sizes, I don't care as long as you can play attractive (aggressive) games of paintball on them.
Peace
1--something on first glance may have more or less interest to different people but what I was getting at was that a sport's fan appeal and thus it's longevity is based on much more than a first impression. This issue can easily be consigned to the chicken or the egg category and I can see your point.
2--absolutely not aimed at you nor did I ever suggest the motivation was purely selfish. Even when I disagree with you I don't doubt the sincerity of your position. My point was that within the community of those with the power to effect change there is lots of differing interests and motivations, many benign and even positive--but not necessarily particularly concerned about the average player.
Nor am I saying any one or group is wrong--only that their goals may not be what a significant number of the current players want (and by implication) if the players want any voice they are gonna have to do more than sit and complain after the fact.
3--my question then is this new paradigm an issue of player competitiveness or is it an issue of competing against the NXL? If it's the later then somewhere along the line I think someone ought to make the case this is worth doing--not simply making it a fait accompli. But, hey, that's just me.
4--actually I was one of the first to decry decisions made by the PSP that in my estimation were tantamount to killing off 10-man--which has occurred. And I usually hammer any and all of the Big Leagues when they do something I take issue with. Oddly, they did it anyway nor is there much point re-hashing it after it's a done deal.
Fortunately for U.S. players the NPPL came along and offered an alternative for all those players who were unhappy with PSP's direction and/or changes. The Euro player doesn't have that option.
5--which is your prerogative. But not everyone has that choice. Their only choice is to accept or reject whatever someone else decided.
6--see 5.
