+1 for putting the PAPA back in PAPA-style qualifying. Please.
Lower the prize pool. Anything but changing it to a pump n dump.
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Question, what do we call PAPA style, when PAPA is no longer PAPA?
All IFPA Calendar submissions going forward will be denied if they use the “PAPA Format” since I no longer know what that means 
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PAPA was by far my favorite tournament in existence. It’s a great shame that the objectively best tournament format is no longer used at the best event in the world. Now we can look forward to a pump and dump with horrendous lines and somehow still no DTM queueing action (unless this is going to change) and an even coin-flippier classics that requires you to grind continuously from open to close to have a chance.
I’ll be the first to say it outright: Where and who is providing this mythical feedback that the PAPA format is bad and that switching to Best Game is somehow going to make everything better? I don’t believe anyone has said anything that would make the PAPA crew think that this is the right path to take. I can see ditching the PAPA format for another match play event or something (I wouldn’t do this, but I can see some reasoning behind it), but not the action that is actually being taken. It’s going to alienate both newcomers / casuals (who we have found in Seattle to HATE Best Game as proven at NWPC, although our tournament manages to expand year after year now) and the core players that keep the lights on year after year after year.
One of the biggest reasons I empty out my savings to come to PAPA every year (my bank account usually has less than 4 digits in it after the PAPA trip after flight+hotel+entries) is because of that great great format. It’s gonna be a lot harder for me to justify that trip now, even though PAPA is like a big family reunion every year. It’s so sad to me to see it tossed aside in order to cater to some imaginary audience that I honestly don’t believe exists. If the numbers are not looking good enough to keep PAPA going as-was then maybe it’s either time to end it or pursue alternative means of paying the bills. I just don’t believe at all that the proposed approach is going to do anything positive.
Please don’t take this as an insult. I love PAPA; it’s probably the tournament that’s had the biggest impact on me as a player in terms of motivation and emotional impact upon good (and bad) results. I just wish it didn’t have to end “like this”. There was basically nothing like PAPA; now there IS nothing like PAPA (at least on a significant scale).
Either way, whatever way you decide to go, thank you for the years of amazing events. The PAPA format is an era of tournament pinball that will never be forgotten and always looked back upon fondly by many.
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’ #notlikethis 
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R.I.P. Papa format. Hope PAPA reverts back to it as that what makes PAPA unique and worth attending for me. With the changes I’ll be skipping out as I can go to a Pump n Dump anywhere/anytime and travel less distance and cost.
If it’s things like 0s that are concerns, we did have a discussion on this topic awhile ago ( PAPA scoring schemes ). There are other scoring schemes that can be used to make all of the results more interesting.
One standout example that was given was that 500M on GOT was the same as 2M. @bkerins made the argument that those were below-average scores and shouldn’t be considered, but I would argue that on an otherwise-tied ticket, those scores most certainly should be considered vastly different. Sure 500M is no 2B, but it’s no 2M either.
I haven’t even seen the announcement or whatever, just what was on this thread, so I don’t know all the details right now on explanations for the switch. However, I do wish more consideration was given to widening the scale and keeping the format substantially the same than going PND.
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Since there seems to be a lot of negative feedback from top players, I’ll jump in and say that as a B player the last two times I made it to PAPA, I’m also incredibly disappointed. I’ve had both my greatest success and most embarrassing defeats of my life at PAPA HQ, and I’ve always looked forward to returning as often as I could and espoused the virtue of the format to anyone that didn’t know and was willing to listen. If PAPA goes to a P&D format, which I have no problem with in and of itself, I’ll have to seriously consider if I want to spend the additional cost on travel and lodging to go across the country when I can possibly do two regional events instead for a similar outlay.
Limited PAPA style . . . $300 entry, 6 tickets. Who’s in? 
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eeek, yea, I’d be in, I think I’d still give it a shot, that would be interesting for sure.
Even if finishing better than bottom 10% is a win for me, if the format lives, I’m in.
I think Adam said it the best, but just wanted to chime in to add my support to the “Keep PAPA…PAPA” side. Never got a chance to go, but looked forward to attending in the future. PAPA was the ultimate “TEST YOUR MIGHT” event and even watching the last minute qualifying stream was much more intense and entertaining than the majority of events. Echoing others that would choose to forgo PAPA with Herb qualifying as major tourneys with that experience are everywhere these days.
PS. It goes without saying that any of these criticisms are specifically directed towards the format and not towards the PAPA crew, without whom my competitive pinball experience would be significantly lessened and incomplete.
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C/D player here. This change would almost guarantee I don’t play in PAPA world championships ever. Like others have said, I can get the best game format at any of the other events closer to me for way cheaper. Not to mention I hate pump and dump
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Gene brings up some good points.
First,[quote=“genex, post:49, topic:2108”]
the format seemed so intimidating.
[/quote]
It was an intimidating format to learn while standing in the PAPA Headquarter. This happen, because I failed to prepare thinking the PAPA Format was the same old same old format that I had seen before.
Brian Dominy and Donny White had to explain to me why I might be required to throw out a top score because the ticket would not support it. This was the beginning that cause the opening of my mind to the PAPA Style strategy being involved and which set it aside from other formats. Even the Pinburgh match play style, which is a monster for different reasons. Both of these named tournaments are held annually at the Pinball Asylum because of the complexity and strategic values. Hopefully, for that introduction to what they are missing in Pittsburgh.
Like Keith said, I would hope that integrity is not suffering because of money or prize payouts. If it is, start a gofundme and I will be there to support it.
Second, [quote=“genex, post:49, topic:2108”]
I’m curious to how the feedback to PAPA was based on which categories people competed in.
[/quote]
I just hope it is not just blanding for the masses. Not everyone will understand this PAPA format arriving at PAPA for the first time, it might take some thought and dedication.
Third, I agree and believe that the PAPA crew is awesome and applaud their tireless efforts to make these shows better and better.
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For what it’s worth, I preferred the old system as well, simply because it was different. All the other tournaments around the country did their herbs and pingolfs and whatever, and then there’s PAPA. Biggest tournament, biggest prizes, toughest format. Seems right. Admittedly, I stopped going to PAPA after it got moved from summer to winter/spring… I really liked being able to bug out and run to Kennywood when I hit pinball overload. I have competed in the last two Pinburghs, but you cannot make a Kennywood run in that format.
My vote (if any balloting is taking place) is to keep old format. And move it to May 
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Do I still have to pay $20 at door? lol
I’ll echo what everyone else is saying as well.
My gripes are with the change to the format, the Staff and crew of the Replay Foundation are second to none in my books. I have nothing but admiration and respect for them.
I’d really like to understand better why this change was deemed necessary. I assume they are monetary, but you know what they say about assuming.
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This is some sad news.
Adam pretty much said it best. So I’m not sure what else to say.
I find this an incredibly tragic takeaway - In talking with many other tournament organizers, we always felt that papa offered something special, unique and, quite simply amazing - out of respect we never wanted to steal the papa format - we felt it had its place at the most prestigious tournament in the world.
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PAPA 20 Recent Changes…
Best game format…
Machines from all eras…
Aftermath…
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It’s PAPA’s decision to publish the feedback if they want to. I trust them deeply and am confident they would never make such a change lightly.
Maybe dozens of people shouldn’t have sent feedback panning the format and tournament, or more people should have sent feedback saying how much they like it. Changes get made based on player feedback, they don’t happen for no reason.
I wonder, if PAPA 19 had been a “normal” Circuit event and not a protected one, whether its player-feedback rating was good enough to keep it on Circuit. If not, that would be a strong signal to the organizers that the format and style should be changed.
And, just my opinion, but it’s insulting to some of the best event organizers in the world when top-tier players respond to this by saying the organizers’ decisions are “bullshit” or “a great shame” or “incredibly disappointing” or that the organizers should be “better than this”.
Instead, we should give the organizers some time and opportunity to explain the reasoning behind the changes, and understand that they are not making these choices arbitrarily.
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As a long-time non-fan of pump-and-dump, I too am curious as to where the feedback to make this change came from. Divisionally skewed? Open or Classics? One nice thing about the tickets was if you had a good one in Classics early in the day, you could work on your letter division or just play the building for the rest of the day. Yes, having a good first couple of games and then a zero or two sucks, but as Bowen says, “play better.” I’m fine with a lower A pool if the format is kept; I want the Martian trophy.
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