That was a lot of fun, though I didn't get to meet most of you guys.
I'm glad my first vgc wasn't a total massacre for me, and I reaaally needed a new ds.
Sorry for coughing so much, was on the back end of a cold. hope you guys had a good time too
Yeah, you need to burn that coat of yours. I think it's a biohazard by now.
My own impressions (From my limited number of battles):
1) Not as many trick room teams as I had expected.
2) Not as many gimmicky smeargle teams as I had expected.
3) WAaaaAAay more Kyogre teams than I had expected - and I expected a number of them.
4) I found the first rounds actually very competitive. The use of legendaries game just about anyone the ability to hit hard - even those unprepared to really compete competitively.
5) Abomasnow teams dominated. I can't quite remember Zerowing and Fish's teams (and they probably wouldn't want me give them away until the video is up - and it was recorded), but lots in the top 16 had Abomasnow combos.
6) Matchups were not exactly random, but you also didn't fight the person standing next to you. There were a number of tables (40ish in the first round?) and they filled up one side, and then filled up the other side. The people I stood next to in line I didn't even see after the first round - and I certainly didn't play them.
7) Organizationally, the event was pretty good. Lots of waiting, especially while the event staff set up the finalist ladder. But the MC of the event was...eh....okay. At least he kinda knew what was going on. And he was sufficiently cheezy/lighthearted to look like he was enjoying himself. Marilland, on the other hand, was such a limp fish. I was waiting for him to expound on the intricacies of matches that he was watching. Some play-by-play action. He was mike'd up the whole time. But no. Very quiet.
8) Checking for hacks: I didn't see anyone get bounced in the first three rounds, but they checked EVERYONE who made it to the finalist lounge. And I saw between 3-4 people get bounced for having hacked guys. One guy was really irate. I was just jazzed that my Japanese *highly suspicious* Zapdos made it through. But if you cheat, they WILL get you. They take your cartridge and put it in a binder if you make it to the finalist lounge and it's one guys ONLY JOB to check every cartridge.
9) You do have some opportunity to switch items on your guys between rounds, but the pace is pretty fast. And they also scare the bejezus out of you by saying that if you are purposely slowing down play, they will disqualify you.
10) I didn't get a good count of the finalist lounge players, but they gave out 14 byes. It was random. The ones without byes played on, and then the ones with byes came in the next round. My perception was that the extra round for the non-bye'd people thinned the herd a bit and the people with byes ran into some pretty difficult competition. May just be my perception...
I'll leave it at an even ten. Thanks Bug Marc and Bro-to-Bug-Marc. One of these days, I'll figure out how to take down your bro...