EPTSo, I like playing chess. I like playing it so much that I pay money to go to tournaments and play against other people. In these tournaments, I have a rating given to me by the United States Chess Federation (USCF). These tournaments are divided into sections where you play against people with a similar rating. Thus, even though I am not very good at chess, all the games I play I have a good chance to win or lose, making all my games exciting and enjoyable. Furthermore, each section has its own prize pool, so I also have a very real chance to win money!
My dream is to have SC2 tournaments similar to these chess tournaments. I will talk about the benefits of having such tournaments and then I will talk about the difficulties of holding these tournaments. But first, why would people play in these tournaments? Let me ask you, did you get a huge thrill from playing on the SC2 ladder for the first time? I sure did. It was so freaking awesome to know that something was on the line, that this game really meant something. I still get a huge thrill from competing in chess tournaments, and I got an even bigger one from competing in some of the early GO4SC2 tournaments, even though I was only diamond league and couldn't really compete. How much more awesome would it be to play at the same tournament as Idra or MC? (In a different section of course). You're no longer just a viewer, you're a competitor. Now you know how the pros feel. You know how Idra felt when he loses two games and six pools the next two. You're right there with them. You glory in your own victories and agonize over your defeats. Agonizing over that game you should have won but threw away. Or the heart-stopping game that leaves you shaking with adrenaline when you should have lost but somehow managed to win. I promise you I have had these experiences at chess tournaments despite my mediocre skill level. And I fucking love it. I can't get enough of it. This is why people would play in these tournaments. This is why I would play in these tournaments.
Now, the benefits:
1. More viewers. These tournaments will drive and maintain interest in SC2, hopefully resulting in more viewers of pro tournaments. If I understand correctly, LoL has many viewers because it has a huge amount of players. Logically, if more people understand and enjoy SC2, then more people will watch it. Just like any video game, people tend to lose interest after a while. But, if people get to play in tournaments, I believe people will maintain an interest in SC2 for much longer. I admit I have lost some interest in SC2, but if I got to play in tournaments against people of my own skill and have the chance to win money, my interest would go up considerably.
2. More money from sponsors. What would you need to play in an SC2 tournament? A keyboard, mouse, and headset, right? For chess, you need a board, pieces, and clock. I own my own board, pieces, and clock because I play in chess tournaments. I do not own my own a gaming keyboard, mouse, or headset, but if I played in SC2 tournaments, I would. Sponsors who sell keyboards, mouses, and headsets would be able to spend a lot more money than they already do on advertising if a lot more people bought them.
3. More interest in coaching. This is good for pro gamers who offer lessons for money. People spend money on books, computer software, and coaching that will make them better at chess. I personally have spent money on books and computer software for chess. For SC2, wanting to do well in tournaments would result in more people willing to spend money on lessons.
4. A hell of a lot more fun for you and me. I already talked about how awesome it would be to play in a tournament. In chess, there are lots of USCF tournaments across the United States every year, some big and some small. There are also international tournaments governed by an international organization called FIDE (that's a French acronym). There could reasonably be hundreds of SC2 tournaments around the world every year.
Now for the obstacles, which I admit, are not small.
1. Lack of a central organization. This is the biggest and most difficult obstacle to overcome. In chess, there is a national organization in the United States (USCF) that gives ratings, and an international one called FIDE. For the SC2 tournaments that I envision, there would have to be a universally recognized, international organization, that gives out ratings and governs tournaments. I have no idea how to create this organization. I believe it is possible to do so.
This organization doesn't have to have authority over all tournaments. Not all tournaments need to be part of this rating system. For example, if the GSL doesn't want to be a part of this rating system, that's fine, no problem. And if they did, they don't have to give up any sovereignty. This organization would just look at the results of the GSL and add and subtract points from the ratings of the players based on who wins and who loses, in a way similar to how points are given and taken away when you lose or win a ladder match. The USCF uses the ELO rating system, and SC2 could do the same.
This organization would just need to have the authority to sanction tournaments that will be rated. In chess, I'm not sure how this happens, but somehow, people get authorized to hold a USCF tournament, and the people who play in that tournament have a USCF rating, and their rating rises or falls based on how well they do in the tournament. Like I said, there are lots of USCF tournaments all over the United States every year.
2. Establishing a rating. In chess, you start out as unrated and when you play in your first tournament, you get a rating based on how many games you win and lose and the ratings of your opponents. But what do you do if no one has a rating? Maybe you could base it off of what league you are in on the Bnet ladder. I'm sure there is some way to figure this out.
3. Cheating. I'm not talking about maphacking. I'm talking about sandbagging or getting someone else to play for you. Chess has some safeguards against sandbagging, limiting the prize money you can earn if you are unrated or haven't played enough games. SC2 could do that too. But it actually doesn't really have safeguards against someone else playing for you. For example, I'm signed up for a tournament in Chicago in a week. There is a $4000 first prize for my section. There's nothing stopping someone better than me from playing in my place and winning. I would just have to be there to show ID and collect the prize. For Starcraft, I guess you would have to play on one Bnet account, and have your rating linked to that account. When you play in a tournament, you have to play on that account and show ID if you win money.
To conclude, I really hope tournaments like these happen someday. Like I said, the biggest obstacle is the lack of a central, international, governing organization. I hope everyone starts talking about this and how to overcome these obstacles, as well as any others people think of. I will try to read as many comments as I can and provide more ideas.
tl;dr I want there to be tournaments where any SC2 player of any skill level can compete against others of a similar skill level for prize money. In my post I talk about the benefits and obstacles to having these tournaments.
. It's nice to know that someone else thinks it's a good idea too.
