Announcing the $3000 ESOC Winter Championship 2020!

[Mitoe]

I like the format. The payouts for the advanced division should be fine, I think. I don't really expect anyone to be underhanded enough to intentionally drop to the advanced division for some easy pocket change, especially given the potential consequences. Hopefully the prize will incentivize some of the "advanced" players to improve even more.

Disappointed to hear that several good players may be opting out of this one.


Thank you @HeadKilla for your generous contribution to the community.

[HeadKilla]

put away the prize for 4-8 form advanced and put it for highes division i guess. prbly want be playing in this, just unfortunate timing

No thank you. I like it the way it is. Have a good winter.

Wow, insane to see you can't handle criticism at all.

We are all imperfect.

[[Armag] diarouga]

Disappointed to hear that several good players may be opting out of this one.

I hope the next tourney will be in July/August so that I can play. Still, I wouldn't really have fun playing EP7.

[Mitoe]

Disappointed to hear that several good players may be opting out of this one.

I hope the next tourney will be in July/August so that I can play. Still, I wouldn't really have fun playing EP7.

You are completely unavailable in January/February?

While I understand the concern about EP7 (there are many changes I disagree with as well), this is not the final iteration and it will change before the final release.

[HeadKilla]

Disappointed to hear that several good players may be opting out of this one.

Me to. I might have my favorites, but they need opponents.

[edeholland]

Winter is coming

not being annoyances. but where did you get those fundings?. It would be fair to spell lit all out for us to z

Edited by Comm Team to improve readability

I Paid.

Just to clarify before anyone thinks this tournament is funded by just one person: we got part of the prize pool from donations, but nowadays our Twitch channel also brings in a good amount of revenue. Subscriptions and playing advertisements can give up to $200 in a good month. There is also YouTube revenue, but from what I understand that's basically canceled out by the website costs.

[flontier]

Yes and thats kind of stupid to think about that because according to the format, if you win your 2 first placement games in pro division you are in quarter final so in the top8 and you are assured to win at least 100$.
But if you loose in purpose in one of the 2 first round, you get into the advanded division, and you can earn maximum 150$ if you are #1 which means taking a risk for only 50$ difference, except if you are living in the street (and i doubt you would play aoe3 if its the case), it seems ridiculous to try to grab 50$ ....

Then on the other side, if you dont loose on purpose you get into the top8, which give a chance to access into the top 4 and its 200$ assured.
So i dont see any point to lose on purpose except if you are a big idiot.

But anyway, these money discussion are a bit sad because even if money can be motivating for many players, 95% of us should sign up for fun and not for the money which is some sort of a bonus. Thats a very bad spirit imo.

[[Armag] diarouga]

Disappointed to hear that several good players may be opting out of this one.

I hope the next tourney will be in July/August so that I can play. Still, I wouldn't really have fun playing EP7.

You are completely unavailable in January/February?

Same as usual, I'm available to play my tournament games but unavailable to practice

While I understand the concern about EP7 (there are many changes I disagree with as well), this is not the final iteration and it will change before the final release.

I guess I'll see that if there's a tournament in July

[[TLDT]Amsterda]

put away the prize for 4-8 form advanced and put it for highes division i guess. prbly want be playing in this, just unfortunate timing

No thank you. I like it the way it is. Have a good winter.

Wow, insane to see you can't handle criticism at all.

While criticism has several definitions I'd say stating your preferences without any underlying argument can hardly be called criticism and just disagreeing with it without providing an argument in response shouldn't be seen as being unable to handle criticism. Even if you were to call it criticism there's nothing to learn from.

[HeadKilla]

Disappointed to hear that several good players may be opting out of this one.

I hope the next tourney will be in July/August so that I can play. Still, I wouldn't really have fun playing EP7.

Would that make it nearly a full year off form competitive play? Man I take a couple weeks off and I forgot all my hotkeys.

I am not high enough level to really feel the changes in EP7 so I cannot speak to that. But, playing should be about fun, yours and others. If you recognize you wont have fun in an event and choose not to play, that is a good call to make. But please don't put energy into getting others to share your opinions (even if ultimately your opinions become fact) and potentially prevent players from participating.

Like if your grandma brought JELLO over for dinner. You dont like JELLO and you are not going to eat it. When the bowl of JELLO is passed your way, you simply move it along to the next guest. You don't hold the bowl to say how much you dont like JELLO and why your Grandma is stupid for making JELLO when she could have made something else. Just let the people that enjoy JELLO eat their JELLO and the next time your Grandma makes Pistachio pudding instead, you can get in on that.

[[Armag] diarouga]

Show hidden quotes

put away the prize for 4-8 form advanced and put it for highes division i guess. prbly want be playing in this, just unfortunate timing

No thank you. I like it the way it is. Have a good winter.

Wow, insane to see you can't handle criticism at all.

While criticism has several definitions I'd say stating your preferences without any underlying argument can hardly be called criticism and just disagreeing with it without providing an argument in response shouldn't be seen as being unable to handle criticism. Even if you were to call it criticism there's nothing to learn from.

I've explained many times why I don't believe that the EP7 is good and I don't have the motivation to explain it another time, and I don't think I really need to explain what's wrong with a 500$ tier 2 tournament, it's more than some of the big top tier tournaments.

[[Armag] diarouga]

Disappointed to hear that several good players may be opting out of this one.

I hope the next tourney will be in July/August so that I can play. Still, I wouldn't really have fun playing EP7.

Would that make it nearly a full year off form competitive play? Man I take a couple weeks off and I forgot all my hotkeys.

I hadn't played for more than one year before the NWC. I can get back to shape in 1 or 2 weeks if I play 6+ hours a day.

I am not high enough level to really feel the changes in EP7 so I cannot speak to that. But, playing should be about fun, yours and others. If you recognize you wont have fun in an event and choose not to play, that is a good call to make. But please don't put energy into getting others to share your opinions (even if ultimately your opinions become fact) and potentially prevent players from participating.

I think that the making of the EP was very unfair. Most of the top players disagree with many changes and with the new EP philosophy but still, only one guy decides in the end. I spent a lot of time trying to make the EP better in the best 3-4 years (even if some people spent more time than me) and it makes me really sad to watch it becoming worse than the RE.

Like if your grandma brought JELLO over for dinner. You dont like JELLO and you are not going to eat it. When the bowl of JELLO is passed your way, you simply move it along to the next guest. You don't hold the bowl to say how much you dont like JELLO and why your Grandma is stupid for making JELLO when she could have made something else. Just let the people that enjoy JELLO eat their JELLO and the next time your Grandma makes Pistachio pudding instead, you can get in on that.

Talking about the EP (cba to argue over the prize distribution), it would rather be like we have a family dinner and we all bring some food but in the end grandma decides that we're only going to eat JELLO while knowing that half of the people don't like it. It would be a dick move, yep.

[HeadKilla]

Show hidden quotes

Winter is coming

not being annoyances. but where did you get those fundings?. It would be fair to spell lit all out for us to z

Edited by Comm Team to improve readability

I Paid.

Just to clarify before anyone thinks this tournament is funded by just one person: we got part of the prize pool from donations, but nowadays our Twitch channel also brings in a good amount of revenue. Subscriptions and playing advertisements can give up to $200 in a good month. There is also YouTube revenue, but from what I understand that's basically canceled out by the website costs.

Yeah, I dont know anything about where the rest of the money came from. Pretty sure most of it was donations. Doesn't half of the donations received during streams go towards future events?

[[TLDT]Amsterda]

Show hidden quotes

put away the prize for 4-8 form advanced and put it for highes division i guess. prbly want be playing in this, just unfortunate timing

No thank you. I like it the way it is. Have a good winter.

Wow, insane to see you can't handle criticism at all.

While criticism has several definitions I'd say stating your preferences without any underlying argument can hardly be called criticism and just disagreeing with it without providing an argument in response shouldn't be seen as being unable to handle criticism. Even if you were to call it criticism there's nothing to learn from.

I've explained many times why I don't believe that the EP7 is good and I don't have the motivation to explain it another time, and I don't think I really need to explain what's wrong with a 500$ tier 2 tournament, it's more than some of the big top tier tournaments.

EP7 is a completely different discussion from what you were responding to. Regarding the tier 2 tournament obviously you'd need to provide arguments or at least show that there's popular support for your suggestion if you actually wanted to change his mind.

[HeadKilla]

Talking about the EP (cba to argue over the prize distribution), it would rather be like we have a family dinner and we all bring some food but in the end grandma decides that we're only going to eat JELLO while knowing that half of the people don't like it. It would be a dick move, yep.

I cannot even imagine a world where Grammy's are such dicks. You are in a dark place.

[harcha]

this is some freshness. now i know how i will be spending my holidays

Perhaps you should spend the holiday's working on your punctuation??? But after that work is done, the Winter Championship will be ready for you.

whats wrong with my punctiation, care to elaborate?

[HeadKilla]

this is some freshness. now i know how i will be spending my holidays

Perhaps you should spend the holiday's working on your punctuation??? But after that work is done, the Winter Championship will be ready for you.

whats wrong with my punctiation, care to elaborate?

It is perfectly fine. I was only teasing.

[princeofcarthage]

Wouldn't have hurt to throw in a 100 $ prizepool for beginner as well tbh, just so that they also have some financial motivation to play the series.

I had thought the same thing, why not just pay everyone? But at the lowest level is where we suspect the most likely scenario of foul play. Much harder for my code to catch an Int. player trying to play at the beginner level than it is to detect at the higher level's. So, money on the bottom would prolly just get soaked up by the middle.

We are talking about barely 100 or could even do less in a 3k tournament, it may or may not be soaked up by a higher player but the incentive itself of winning some cash is enough for a tournament to run smoothly rather than turning into year long jokes.

[Mr_Bramboy]

Top players are so spoiled :(

Back in my day we'd be feasting over a $25 Saturday Smackdown.

[HeadKilla]

Wouldn't have hurt to throw in a 100 $ prizepool for beginner as well tbh, just so that they also have some financial motivation to play the series.

I had thought the same thing, why not just pay everyone? But at the lowest level is where we suspect the most likely scenario of foul play. Much harder for my code to catch an Int. player trying to play at the beginner level than it is to detect at the higher level's. So, money on the bottom would prolly just get soaked up by the middle.

We are talking about barely 100 or could even do less in a 3k tournament, it may or may not be soaked up by a higher player but the incentive itself of winning some cash is enough for a tournament to run smoothly rather than turning into year long jokes.

The beginner division is intended to be an entry into the tournament scene for new players. Adding the pressures of cash prizes with the chances of souring the tournament experience by getting matched up against a try-hard money grabber playing down a division or two, is not worth the risk. At least in my opinion. If we are laughing at my opinion for a the next year, then it will have been a good joke and well worth it.

[KINGofOsmane]

Holy shit 2.5k

Sompu back to competition

[princeofcarthage]

Show hidden quotes

Wouldn't have hurt to throw in a 100 $ prizepool for beginner as well tbh, just so that they also have some financial motivation to play the series.

I had thought the same thing, why not just pay everyone? But at the lowest level is where we suspect the most likely scenario of foul play. Much harder for my code to catch an Int. player trying to play at the beginner level than it is to detect at the higher level's. So, money on the bottom would prolly just get soaked up by the middle.

We are talking about barely 100 or could even do less in a 3k tournament, it may or may not be soaked up by a higher player but the incentive itself of winning some cash is enough for a tournament to run smoothly rather than turning into year long jokes.

The beginner division is intended to be an entry into the tournament scene for new players. Adding the pressures of cash prizes with the chances of souring the tournament experience by getting matched up against a try-hard money grabber playing down a division or two, is not worth the risk. At least in my opinion. If we are laughing at my opinion for a the next year, then it will have been a good joke and well worth it.

Don't be so defensive, if my memory serves correct there were second chance or other tournaments without prize incentives which later on got dragged unnecessarily simply cuz players weren't willing to put any serious effort into scheduling etc. Also on side note no one's laughing at your opinions. I am just saying it wouldn't hurt to spare a few dollars for the winner of the beginner division (at least winner if not 2nd 3rd). They are also going to put equal efforts and probably play higher number of matches. This will also ensure higher participation and retention rate of players.

[deleted_user]

Show hidden quotes

Wouldn't have hurt to throw in a 100 $ prizepool for beginner as well tbh, just so that they also have some financial motivation to play the series.

I had thought the same thing, why not just pay everyone? But at the lowest level is where we suspect the most likely scenario of foul play. Much harder for my code to catch an Int. player trying to play at the beginner level than it is to detect at the higher level's. So, money on the bottom would prolly just get soaked up by the middle.

We are talking about barely 100 or could even do less in a 3k tournament, it may or may not be soaked up by a higher player but the incentive itself of winning some cash is enough for a tournament to run smoothly rather than turning into year long jokes.

The beginner division is intended to be an entry into the tournament scene for new players. Adding the pressures of cash prizes with the chances of souring the tournament experience by getting matched up against a try-hard money grabber playing down a division or two, is not worth the risk. At least in my opinion. If we are laughing at my opinion for a the next year, then it will have been a good joke and well worth it.

Don't be so defensive, if my memory serves correct there were second chance or other tournaments without prize incentives which later on got dragged unnecessarily simply cuz players weren't willing to put any serious effort into scheduling etc. Also on side note no one's laughing at your opinions. I am just saying it wouldn't hurt to spare a few dollars for the winner of the beginner division (at least winner if not 2nd 3rd). They are also going to put equal efforts and probably play higher number of matches. This will also ensure higher participation and retention rate of players.

I hate you.

[Riotcoke]

Show hidden quotes

Wouldn't have hurt to throw in a 100 $ prizepool for beginner as well tbh, just so that they also have some financial motivation to play the series.

I had thought the same thing, why not just pay everyone? But at the lowest level is where we suspect the most likely scenario of foul play. Much harder for my code to catch an Int. player trying to play at the beginner level than it is to detect at the higher level's. So, money on the bottom would prolly just get soaked up by the middle.

We are talking about barely 100 or could even do less in a 3k tournament, it may or may not be soaked up by a higher player but the incentive itself of winning some cash is enough for a tournament to run smoothly rather than turning into year long jokes.

The beginner division is intended to be an entry into the tournament scene for new players. Adding the pressures of cash prizes with the chances of souring the tournament experience by getting matched up against a try-hard money grabber playing down a division or two, is not worth the risk. At least in my opinion. If we are laughing at my opinion for a the next year, then it will have been a good joke and well worth it.

Don't be so defensive, if my memory serves correct there were second chance or other tournaments without prize incentives which later on got dragged unnecessarily simply cuz players weren't willing to put any serious effort into scheduling etc. Also on side note no one's laughing at your opinions. I am just saying it wouldn't hurt to spare a few dollars for the winner of the beginner division (at least winner if not 2nd 3rd). They are also going to put equal efforts and probably play higher number of matches. This will also ensure higher participation and retention rate of players.

Just because you'd be in the beginner division

[princeofcarthage]

Show hidden quotes

Wouldn't have hurt to throw in a 100 $ prizepool for beginner as well tbh, just so that they also have some financial motivation to play the series.

I had thought the same thing, why not just pay everyone? But at the lowest level is where we suspect the most likely scenario of foul play. Much harder for my code to catch an Int. player trying to play at the beginner level than it is to detect at the higher level's. So, money on the bottom would prolly just get soaked up by the middle.

We are talking about barely 100 or could even do less in a 3k tournament, it may or may not be soaked up by a higher player but the incentive itself of winning some cash is enough for a tournament to run smoothly rather than turning into year long jokes.

The beginner division is intended to be an entry into the tournament scene for new players. Adding the pressures of cash prizes with the chances of souring the tournament experience by getting matched up against a try-hard money grabber playing down a division or two, is not worth the risk. At least in my opinion. If we are laughing at my opinion for a the next year, then it will have been a good joke and well worth it.

Don't be so defensive, if my memory serves correct there were second chance or other tournaments without prize incentives which later on got dragged unnecessarily simply cuz players weren't willing to put any serious effort into scheduling etc. Also on side note no one's laughing at your opinions. I am just saying it wouldn't hurt to spare a few dollars for the winner of the beginner division (at least winner if not 2nd 3rd). They are also going to put equal efforts and probably play higher number of matches. This will also ensure higher participation and retention rate of players.

I hate you.

???????????????? What did I do to you now.