I feel it would be more fair to “middle” players if EVO 2012 were seeded using an ELO system. Giving better seeding to the very very top players while the middle and lower players are treated the same just doesn’t strike right with me.
This also means that approved large ranbats (ie WNF) could affect EVO seeding if so desired, because an ELO system can account for “lesser” tournaments.
That was a problem with the old Apex system. Where local tournaments counted toward seeding points. So some players would organize small 4 player tournament or just lie about having a tournament and winning it to get apex points.
Keeping the evo points with just the majors helps to eliminate that problem. Besides the more players that enter a tournament the more players get evo points.
Also why should middle or lower players be seeded?
Technically, everyone is seeded in any bracket. It’s just that (under the current EVO system) most of the seeds are random with a small percentage of players, those who placed highly at majors, receiving non-random seeding above the majority. Using an ELO-derivative ranking system would allow more players to be non-randomly seeded, thereby further smoothing pools.
That said, you make some valid points about cheating in a system where local tournaments count. I don’t think they’d be impossible to address, but perhaps more trouble than it would be worth for the moment. As proof of concept though, see Magic: the Gathering’s ranking system, which allows players to accumulate rank based on local weeklies.