17 hours of sleep later: I am back from the dead.
First and foremost:
THANK YOU EVERYONE for your support in my first event. I know at times, things were sub-optimal, and sometimes abysmal, but the majority stuck by us and your understanding is, from the bottom of my heart, appreciated. I have so much more respect for all tournament organizers; especially those that run majors and of course, the organizers of EVO. I find myself laughing at my own foolishness as even two weeks ago I was telling Kai that I thought this event was going to be a failure; I thought we were going to have a 100 man SF4 tournament and we would have nothing to fill up the empty time I had allotted. My naivet crushed me.
We had roughly 180 pre-register for SF4 alone, most of whom registered the last two days of pre-registration. Brackets were made. I anticipated 20-30 or so players coming in and we had a few open spots to plug them in. When over 100 players registered 30 minutes before the tournament began, we were already in trouble. Brackets had to be remade completely as a lot of top players came in during the at site registration and we had made such a large case about seeding properly. I’ll say this: Taking the time to seed properly showed its worth as time progressed in the tournament and each match seemed like a nail biter finish. Also, players like UTJ and Bryant the Tyrant really made a name for themselves at Warzone.
However, due to this, we started three hours behind schedule and pools/brackets took us a very long time. Kai tried his hardest to put out brackets as quickly as possible, but we still took a long time. This of course, delayed the other games heavily. My regret with the schedule is really heavy and I apologize from the bottom of my soul to everyone.
James Chen told me: “It’s not about how well you can prevent fires, but how quickly you can put them out.” Though we tried our hardest, I believe I personally failed in this. Again, I have to apologize to all for the delay in the event. You can bet everything you have that lessons were learned, and all problems that occurred during West Coast Warzone this year will be a non-factor next year.
Sans delays, I believe we put on a great show this year. The semi finals and finals of SF4 were incredibly hype. I lost my voice over the duration of the event. Ken I in 3rd Strike was something you absolutely have to see. I got acquainted to BlazBlue and to note: A huge thanks for the understanding of the BlazBlue guys. Your understanding in top 8 really meant a lot to me. I’ll make sure we get a TV that will work for you guys next year. Marvel is the best game ever.
For those looking for KoF12 and HD-Remix, we finished the two games on Saturday night in anticipation of Sunday running beyond schedule, which in turn, actually ended up saving us.
I already have a four page of list of things I will make sure to improve for next year and will be taking all notes in this thread to make Warzone II the best event I can. Thanks again to everyone who came out and supported the event. My promise to you for next year is one you can count on. On to shout outs:
Kai - We did it buddy. I thank you for everything from your knowledge of the scene to being the best show floor manager I could ask for. I could not have done this without you. We’re going to make Warzone II even bigger and better. Thanks for putting up with me; I know I was a ball of negativity for a majority of the time I was with you.
Gootecks - The man who brought me into the scene: Thanks for everything Ryan. Your can-do attitude and undying drive really helped me through the weekend.
Cami - The best stream producer I could have asked for. Your bounce and bubbly personality really gave me the positive energies I needed to get through a really rough weekend.
Keno - Mah boy. I knew I could count on you whenever I needed. Thank you for the late night man power and constant support. You were integral in Warzone’s success. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Warren - You were always there to help with no complaints even at 5 in the morning.
Kara - Thank you Kara. Your smiles and assistance got me through some very long nights. I apologize about the lack of photo opportunities.
To my bracket runners - Thanks for stepping up to the plate: Mr. Bean, ytwojay, Dae, KillerKai, John, Valle, Hellfromabove, Warren, and everyone else. Thank you.
AI/Denjin Crew - Far too many to name, but thank you guys for coming out to support me in my first endeavor in tournament hosting.
SD Crew - Thanks for showing up guys. Definitely made a splash here in the OC. One California Love.
NorCal - Thanks for coming down to my humble event. You guys had a huge showing. One California Love.
Marn - Thanks for making the trip. You showed me a great time when I was in NYC. I could only return the favor. I wish you the best of luck in everything you do. Should your future lead you to California, know you will always have a friend in me.
Valle - You continue to amaze me. Thanks for your support Alex.
Ed Ma - Mr. Ma. I am still so sorry that you had your stick stolen. To whoever took Ed’s stick, and one of my loaner TE sticks, and 3 of my SE loaner sticks, thanks for being a douchebag. Ed, if you need anything from me, let me know.
FilipinoChamp - Good meeting you Ryan. One of the funniest cats I know. “Izzat an infinite son?” “Why we got byes in top 8?”
To everyone else I know I’m forgetting: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.