Should the WCA introduce an event tier system?

[ProStar]

wait a minute...

3x3x3 With Oven Mitts?

Yup. It's an official SEE event: http://speedcubingextraevents.org/Event/333omt

 

[ProStar]

Tier 3 bothers me. It should be alongside tier two honestly.

If records are being set on tier 3 events, when they do go to major championships, there's almost no point since a meta has been developed by then.

That's true. It would really depend on how many events were added. If only a few were added, then all we'd need is tiers 1 and 2. Then SEE could be for stuff like bets, underwater, etc.

 

[Parity Nightmare]

*cough*

As stated in the title, I think that a tiered system of events should be incorporated to the WCA. I personally like @Kit Clement's idea(actually I think he ripped it off from someone else), with three tiers:

Tier 1 - Must be held at every major championship
Tier 2 - Can be held at major championships, but aren't required
Tier 3 - Cannot be held at a major championship

The third tier solves the problem of people saying they don't want an event added because then they have to hold it at a championship: even if you are involved in organizing one, it's impossible for tier 3 events to be held. It still allows tier 3 events to be held at local competitions, so people can enjoy a puzzle as an official event, but organizers don't need to be obligated to hold them. It also lets all the different puzzles people want added to be added, and will lessen the gap between official and unofficial events.

So it could be something like this.

Tier 1- 3x3, 2x2, Pyra, etc.
Tier 2- Mega, 6x6, FMC etc.
Tier 3- Clock etc.

 

[alexiscubing]

So it could be something like this.

Tier 1- 3x3, 2x2, Pyra, etc.
Tier 2- Mega, 6x6, FMC etc.
Tier 3- Clock etc.

Yeah kinda except Mega and FMC would be tier 1 and Pyra would be Tier 0 (the best tier) lol

 

[ProStar]

So it could be something like this.

Tier 1- 3x3, 2x2, Pyra, etc.
Tier 2- Mega, 6x6, FMC etc.
Tier 3- Clock etc.

We'd add events, so you could have stuff like this:

Tier 1 - WCA events
Tier 2 - Redi Cube, Team Blind, Master Pyraminx, etc.
And maybe no tier 3

 

[Cuberstache]

Tier 1 - WCA events
Tier 2 - Redi Cube, Team Blind, Master Pyraminx, etc.
And maybe no tier 3

The idea behind tiered events is just as much to rearrange existing events as it is to add new ones, hence the three tiers. If this becomes a thing, tier two would include things like clock, 5BLD, FMC, and any events that get promoted from the third tier. Here's the best initial arrangement IMHO:

Tier 1: NxNs, OH, 3BLD, mega, sq-1
Tier 2: skewb, pyra, clock, FMC, MBLD, 4BLD, 5BLD
Tier 3: kilominx, team blind (maybe), master pyraminx, feet, whatever other stuff idrc

New events will be added to tier 3, and events can be shuffled around.

 

[ProStar]

Here'd be my ranking for all current WCA events(completely subjective obviously)

Tier 1: 2x2-5x5, BLD, OH, Megaminx, Pyraminx, MBLD
Tier 2: 6x6-7x7(#UnpopularOpinion), FMC, Clock, Skewb, Square-1, 4BLD, 5BLD
Tier 3: None

Introductory events could go in tier 3, and if they gain popularity, then they could be promoted to tier 2.

 

[alexiscubing]

in order of most popular events in general

Tier 1 2-5 pyra skewb OH BLD
Tier 2 mega 6 7 FMC mbld
Tier 3 big bld squan clock

squan and clock could go up, but i think that most people will do events in this order

 

[BenChristman1]

i think that most people will do events in this order

The order that I learned them are: 3x3 (+OH, even though I hadn't done it yet), 2x2, pyra, skewb, 4x4, 5x5, mega, 6x6, 7x7, and squan. I don't any blind events or FMC.

EDIT: I forgot clock. I don't know that either.

 

[alexiscubing]

i learnt in this order
pyra 3x3 2x2 oh skewb fmc 4x4 megaminx clock 5x5
i dont know 6x6, 7x7, squan or any bld events

 

[ProStar]

It would have to be a WCA decision that involved the community at least slightly in order to start demoting events.

Also, I learned them in this order:

3x3, 2x2, Pyraminx, Skewb, Megaminx, 4x4, 5x5, 3BLD, Square-1(currently working on it)

I don't own a 6x6 or 7x7, but I can solve a 9x9 so I'm guessing I could do those pretty easy. And I never do OH and can't really turn properly, so I don't consider myself "knowing" it. Same for FMC, I basically spam CFOP/ZZ/Petrus solves.

 

[CrispyCubing]

Tier 3 bothers me. It should be alongside tier two honestly.

If records are being set on tier 3 events, when they do go to major championships, there's almost no point since a meta has been developed by then.

That's true. It would really depend on how many events were added. If only a few were added, then all we'd need is tiers 1 and 2. Then SEE could be for stuff like bets, underwater, etc.

What if we just added tier two and kept the existing WCA events in tier one? Tier two would be for events that can't be held at major competitions/championships. They would be 'potential' events but could be held at local comps. Tier 2: A puzzle that already has a decent folowing would be suggested. If passed, it would join tier 2. It would then become more popular/promoted and we could consider adding it as a tier one event.

 

[Kit Clement]

The one thing I've learned from this thread is that if this is actually implemented, there will be a lot of people upset with the WCA demoting their current main event to Tier 2.

 

[BenChristman1]

What if we just added tier two and kept the existing WCA events in tier one? Tier two would be for events that can't be held at major competitions/championships. They would be 'potential' events but could be held at local comps. Tier 2: A puzzle that already has a decent folowing would be suggested. If passed, it would join tier 2. It would then become more popular/promoted and we could consider adding it as a tier one event.

I think that this is the best idea. Then nobody would be mad about their favorite event being demoted, and it would be an opportunity to see how the tier 2 events work in comps.

 

[Sion]

I say this:

Tier one: Must be held at major competitions.
Tier two: Can be held at major competitions, but aren't required.

Having a tier that *can't* be added to major competitions just seems almost asinine to me when they don't need to be added in the first place. Saying they *can't* be added pretty much sends a message that they aren't important events at all and could be a bit downplaying to people who practice them.

 

[Kit Clement]

I say this:

Tier one: Must be held at major competitions.
Tier two: Can be held at major competitions, but aren't required.

Having a tier that *can't* be added to major competitions just seems almost asinine to me when they don't need to be added in the first place. Saying they *can't* be added pretty much sends a message that they aren't important events at all and could be a bit downplaying to people who practice them.

The reason for a tier 3 is for an event like feet, where organizers have legitimate reasons to not hold the event. In a world where major championships would have certain events that are optional to hold, there would be great pressure from competitors to hold certain events. Tier 3 allows people to hold them locally if they truly want to hold it, but there is no obligation to hold it if a local org team doesn't want to. No reason to qualify for a major championship, and no pressure from the community at major championships. I think it could open the door to there being a ridiculous amount of Tier 3 events that can be held for fun, but not are not necessarily highly competitive. I think though that SEE is basically doing this already.

 

[ProStar]

The reason for a tier 3 is for an event like feet, where organizers have legitimate reasons to not hold the event. In a world where major championships would have certain events that are optional to hold, there would be great pressure from competitors to hold certain events. Tier 3 allows people to hold them locally if they truly want to hold it, but there is no obligation to hold it if a local org team doesn't want to. No reason to qualify for a major championship, and no pressure from the community at major championships. I think it could open the door to there being a ridiculous amount of Tier 3 events that can be held for fun, but not are not necessarily highly competitive. I think though that SEE is basically doing this already.

So tier 3 would basically be like the sillier events of SEE, like 3x3 with bets. Fun, but shouldn't really be held at a championship

 

[Kit Clement]

So tier 3 would basically be like the sillier events of SEE, like 3x3 with bets. Fun, but shouldn't really be held at a championship

Or things that are incredibly difficult to regulate/run effectively, like Mirror Blocks, Curvy Copter, Speed FMC, etc. The more this evolves the more I honestly think that the true "Tier 3" should just be SEE.

 

[ProStar]

Or things that are incredibly difficult to regulate/run effectively, like Mirror Blocks, Curvy Copter, Speed FMC, etc. The more this evolves the more I honestly think that the true "Tier 3" should just be SEE.

Would it be a possibility for the WCA to officially recognize SEE as the group that handled unofficial events? It would probably lessen the gap that is currently between official and unofficial events

 

[Sion]

Or things that are incredibly difficult to regulate/run effectively, like Mirror Blocks, Curvy Copter, Speed FMC, etc. The more this evolves the more I honestly think that the true "Tier 3" should just be SEE.

Tier 3 should just be really silly stuff that would be hard to take too seriously, like 3x3 with oven mits or 3x3 reverse magnetic