I think there needs to be an incentive to join the bigger 'main' tournaments. Perhaps a 1000 TournaPoint bonus for the winner would encourage more people to join. This could encourage more competitive tournaments, as those who are only looking to play to get on the TournaPoint leaderboards (generally the better ones too) have a massive incentive to play. You need to split the micro tournaments away from the major tournaments. Give the major tournaments more hype and prestige. The current system isn't bad, it's just being handled in a less-than-satisfactory way.

I like the micro tournaments anyway. Anything can happen in that one frame, adding excitement, and they are far more accessible to those lower down in the rankings who wouldn't have a hope of winning a tournament otherwise. It gives them a sense of satisfaction and that drive to come back and play again. After all, FP is, in a sense, a business, and therefore the more people they can entice to come back and play again (through devaluation of the tournaments or whatever) the better.

I do agree that friendly tournaments are now a bit pointless however.

surely though 3 micros one after the other is a bad thing? as they all enter the "main" tournament so only 2 or 3 enter micros (i've seen it happen) and wheres the prestige in that? there isn't any, if this site had 1 micro and a main tournament on the hour (both different types so don't create problem of 2 people entering micro) would be better as more players would enter.

even snooker schedule is good as we don't have 15 min tournies but usually 30 mins unless its early hours.

Don't forget you're viewing this through the eyes of an extremely accomplished player.

If the 2 people who enter both have a rating of ~650 with a 30% win rate, they'd be chuffed to win a tournament, no matter how small, because under the old system it simply wouldn't be possible for them to get past the first round. If you entered and won every micro for the hour, then it may get tedious because it's not a challenge. Therefore, going back to my point above, they need to advertise and incentivise (if there is such a word) the major tournaments that happen on the hour so there is that challenge there for the people who want/need it.

If people are unimpressed by the micro tournaments, then simply don't enter them! Give the lesser guys a chance! The pro players know how little prestige come with the micro tournaments, just give the people who do like them a chance to have some fun

i hardly enter them anyway been here 5 years and won less than 20 tournaments, sums it up

This is the only sound argument for the inclusion of micro's in my opinion and I agree to what you are saying to a certain extent. The entire concept just needs tweaking to get a very good system in place.

Those tweaks should take place on the foundations of the older system though. So I guess you could say tweaking is being a bit kind. Restrictions(in so many ways) may well go a long way to solving a variety of issues with the current system to be honest, if changes in general are really not fancied. It might give off a similar vibe to letting a house though.

It clearly needs work, but it clearly can be great!

Edited at 13:53 Wed 28/03/12 (BST)

I personally like this system with micro tournaments as it means that i have something to do while waiting for a big tournament. Also i would like to add that the ranking structure is so off balance in tournaments that playing normal ranked games are practically worthless, and therefore micros give me the option to chose how i rank up (or down as it seems)

what people don't get though is what is the point having 3 micros one after the other every few hours? when ive been online on 2nd and 3rd micro ive only seen 4 people max in one of them. keep 1 micro on 30 mins and rotate the hourly ones, seems fairly simple to me

or just remove the micro tourney win stat on our profiles which deems them worthless again, apart from the tournapoints and rank

^^ Or, how about the opposite. Keep Micro wins as a separate stat as it is now, but make them friendly like the original tourneys.

That way for those with less time, they still provide a goal, but shouldn't be such a distraction from the main tourneys for those going for medals and/or rank.

that works too

Best suggestion (can't remember who it was now so apologies) was to remove TournaPoints from Micros. Other than that they serve a purpose in allowing players who don't have the time to devote to playing a full tournament the opportunity to play games at the same ranked weighting.

What has been lost from the 'old' days is the ability for some players to simply compete in ranked games only (no tournaments) to try and achieve the best ranked score possible. This is because of the half weighted ranking in normal ranked games. If you could introduce automatically paired ranked games at the same ranked weighting as exists in tournaments that would go some way to fixing that.

In terms of the schedule, the problem is that there are now seven game types with three variations of tournament for most of them. Therefore reverting to one tournament per hour means most tournaments would only feature once per day on average.

It would be better to have the longer, major and more prestigious tournaments on the hour - ie the standard tournaments and Marathon tournaments for 8, 9, UK, Straight & Random - and then have the 'quick hit' tournaments - 8 Arcade, 9 Arcade and the Speed variations on the half hour as 'fillers'.

But that's just my opinion!!

if you could gain no tournapoints from micro (or if made friendly) and no win credited on profile then im all for making micro continuous (could have a link from homepage) so that could be for those who just want quick games (so both arcade can be included in fact you could have all game modes running at same time if you wanted), then you can still have hourly tournaments which those going for a medal can go for (no Arcade game modes) and then eliminate friendly altogether.

could that work?

I was just about to suggest no tournapoints for micros, leave them for fun quick tournaments, this meaning people who play for tournapoints will join the main tournaments which means there could be more people entering.

Leave the Micros Alone!

I might be in the minority but there are those on here like me that like them!

Granted the schedule needs to be changed so the Micros don't interfere with the Regular Tourneys.

I also don't think you should NOT be able to be join more then one Tourney at a time! Many time I've gotten a BYE because my opponent was busy in another Tourney.

never said remove them just adjust them, the part in bold is where my idea comes into it, no tournapoints for micros, hide them from view and make them continuous so you have to use homepage to enter (could be a tab under tournaments just for micro) that way people who want micro can enter them willingly where its just rank at stake where the main tournies have tournapoints so you get more entries.

so...

Main Tournaments - hourly, 25 hour rotation
Micro Tournaments - remove from view, no tournapoints, continuous
Friendly Tournaments - eliminate

As for one who remembers the old days where tournaments had a good 50 + entrants on every hour making them challenging i vote for a removal of micro's and friendly tournaments.

keep the main tournamens on hourly, 25 hour rotation and keep them ranked with tournapoints if necessary.

the way things are at the moment, are terrible.

I say again... Leave the Micros Alone!

You want recognition for playing Regular Tourneys! I want Recognition for playing Micro Tourneys! If you take way the Tournapoints then what is the point in playing?

If you make it harder for us who want to play in the Micros to find them to join them then we will leave and not be here at all. Keep in mind I am a Premium Member! If you take away from the site what I enjoy, when my membership is due... I WILL NOT re-new!

just because your a premium member doesn't mean your special, neither does Admin or Moderator, spinner said it himself even admins has to follow the rules etc.

micro is and should be a quick tournament for those who don't have time for the main tournament, you would still get a win credited on your profile so theres your recognition, plus with my idea you could enter a micro anytime you feel like it just not for tournapoints.

I'm a premium member and i think friendly's and micros are a waste of time, same with tornapoints, just don't see the point, was fine the way it was a few years ago.

Don't fix what ain't broke.