What Nick said…

Also, instead of searching for the exception(s) that prove the rule, why not just let “Invent Your Own Format” be the blanket approval to HAVE FUN at FNM, as intended?!

d:^D

Originally posted by Nick Rutkowski:

IMO Asking questions about obscure formats seems like a recipe for disaster. The best use of FNM is having a community play formats they like as a whole. Having too many options will cause people to not show up or be confusing for new players. FNM shouldn't be complicated.

IF you run a small 8-player weird event how do you deal with the 9th player? The potential for alienating some of the players is too high of a risk(player leaving) with little reward (different format).

FNM should be inclusive and inviting for all. Not exclusive.

Are you here referring to only running a weird event and not a regular FNM event alongside it, running both which is too many options and confusion, or both of those scenarios?

I have found that letting players decide what to play when they get there can cause lack of attendance with the all events. Your events start later than scheduled because players are standing around asking their friends what they're playing and everyone responding with “IDK what do you want to do”

From a TO perspective: players need a little guided help on making these decisions. So provide less options. Having a planned schedule for weeks in advance where each FNM they have a small number of choices. ie. draft and special event or constructed and something else. Will create an expected player experience. They know what they are walking into. Most players are happy just showing up and doing the same thing every week.

From what I've seen the reason lots of crazy events are being suggested is because the judge is bored and wants something new. They've been running the same thing for months.

I'm sure there's people out there who have a different experience. This is just my opinion based on my experiences.

The place I play most often is pretty much guaranteed to have a Standard
event (it has consistently run 20-40 players and has been running since the
store opened). For other events, it has a whiteboard where players can sign
up for the three most commonly requested events: Modern, Draft, and
Commander. If other things get requested by players, that option can be put
up as well. The top states that the event will only fire if enough signups
happen by 15 minutes before start time.

Dominick Riesland, aka Rabbitball
Creator of the Cosmversal Grimoire
“As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil, then
their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to
destroy.”
- Christopher Dawson

One of the smaller shops near to where I go to school has a fairly low, but regular, attendance. Most weeks, they have between 10-12 players for constructed, or they struggle to get 8 for draft. With one of the regulars at the shop nearing completion of a cube, I had a couple of questions about their proposal to run cube for FNM formats:

Firstly, I presume we sanction it as a casual event, but does this qualify for the store for their requirements about FNM events and such?

Secondly, can we give out promo's for winning in this event since it's a casual event? Or is that the point of this change, that we CAN hold other formats and make a build-your-own format fnm and still award the promos for it?

Third, I presume that, despite it not being anything other than a casual event, we still do have the authority to deal with “big issues” the same way as at a regular old constructed FNM, right? I.e. David Bertoncheatyface doesn't get to pull shenanigans just because it's not a competitive play format?

Originally posted by Michael Warme:

Firstly, I presume we sanction it as a casual event, but does this qualify for the store for their requirements about FNM events and such?

The new FNM paradigm lets you run casual format FNMs, yes. I'm not certain of the sanctioning details exactly.

Originally posted by Michael Warme:

Secondly, can we give out promo's for winning in this event since it's a casual event? Or is that the point of this change, that we CAN hold other formats and make a build-your-own format fnm and still award the promos for it?

That is indeed what this change achieves - that you can have the FNM Promos for any format - as long as you are still playing Magic.

Originally posted by Michael Warme:

Third, I presume that, despite it not being anything other than a casual event, we still do have the authority to deal with “big issues” the same way as at a regular old constructed FNM, right? I.e. David Bertoncheatyface doesn't get to pull shenanigans just because it's not a competitive play format?

Please do!