[mycroft]

...and, of course, since you have to play so much GCC stuff unless you're top-bracket or playing nationals only, there's no reason to learn a non-GCC system. So there aren't many, and those that are are played either by the experts, or by ordinary people who "want to win by ambushing us with their strange methods". Yeah, I know, but that's what the rank-and-file say.

Note that in our district, Mid-chart is available in top bracket of KOs (there are those that say "no team with a bracket designator < 1000 MPs" - so if *every team* in your bracket is 4000+, you can play. This has the same problem that "top bracket of KOs" has - if you're on the bubble, you can't come in with a well-rehearsed non-GCC system, in case you end up being the top team in bracket N+1 instead of the bottom team in bracket N (it's just that N > 1 in that case). And if you haven't accumulated enough attendance points, you're SOL anyway) and in separate Flight A events - including open pairs games.

That's good, right? Well, Separate Flight A is two events (one pair and one team/regional, usually) out of the week, and B limits to 1000 MPs. So there are a lot of the sort of player who says that "you're just trying to confuse us/why should we have to defend against this stuff?" people that have 1150 MPs. Whee.

Of course, these restrictions minimize the number of mid-chart systems (especially those that aren't "bolt-on conventions") played; which minimizes the experience average flight A players have playing against them; which increases their "scary factor"; which increases the complaints when it happens; which minimizes the willingness to expand the number of Mid-Chart games; which...

Note, when I left District 2, they applied the Mid-Chart to Flight A of any Stratiflighted games at sectionals - and there were enough of those to make it worth while. I don't know if that still applies.

Michael.

[keylime]

Here locally, the Mid-Chart is actively practiced even at sectional levels. For example, the sectional upcoming in Arlington advertises it this way:

"Mid-Chart Conventions permitted in all A/X and all Open Stratified Events".

Furthermore there is no 0-500/0-750/0-1000 side game ongoing with the open game. Everyone's in the same grouping.

With regards to KO's tho, I don't know right off hand if there is a delineation that my District/Unit gives outside of what the Mid-Chart states. From what I have read tho, they seem to be relatively liberal in its application of Mid-Chart allowance.