This is not much different than any other certification programs for other careers. Take for example Massage Therapy (mostly because I am familiar with it). There are two companies that provide certifications and insurance that several states require to practice. You have to pay for the membership it doesn’t get you a job, but helps to advance your career. If you think of this program in that same manor, this is a very good thing for the judging industry.
I understand your point of view but I think the analogy breaks down when you consider that massage therapists are actually paid for their work and recognized. This is where the problem lies for the judges, I think (not a judge myself, just got a few friends that were L1).
The pay doesn't seem to follow any kind of rules. So now, on top of not having a realistic monetary compensation for their work, they will have to pay an annual fee. (At my LGS, for a prerelease, there is usually only one judge for 40-50 players, and they got paid 25 euros, a drink and a meal)
Now if the new company can somehow enforce some rules on that regard, and ensures that an LGS has to pay their judge with a predetermined wage, that would be indeed a net progression.
Again, I'm just expressing my opinion on what I've heard of the situation from some friends, so I might be wrong
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Sorry for my possible english mistakes, I'm not a native speaker.
Besat part, there will be yearly dues starting at $100 and going up from there.
This is honestly a much better way to get WotC (or other game companies) to pay their judges instead of just hoping they'll do it. It should also reduce any sort of favoritism or "Old Boys' Club" type of thing that might exist (not saying there is, I don't know enough about the current judge program to say one way or the other.) like it exists/existed in other games' judging programs.
To my understanding, judges will not be paid by this program. They have to pay fees (100$/year at L1, 200$/year at L2 and so forth) and they are only rewarded with foil promos. It is still up to the tournament organizer to pay their judges, and sometimes the pay is next to nothing. This doesn't really look like an improvement to me, at least at first glance.
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Sorry for my possible english mistakes, I'm not a native speaker.
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I understand your point of view but I think the analogy breaks down when you consider that massage therapists are actually paid for their work and recognized. This is where the problem lies for the judges, I think (not a judge myself, just got a few friends that were L1).
The pay doesn't seem to follow any kind of rules. So now, on top of not having a realistic monetary compensation for their work, they will have to pay an annual fee. (At my LGS, for a prerelease, there is usually only one judge for 40-50 players, and they got paid 25 euros, a drink and a meal)
Now if the new company can somehow enforce some rules on that regard, and ensures that an LGS has to pay their judge with a predetermined wage, that would be indeed a net progression.
Again, I'm just expressing my opinion on what I've heard of the situation from some friends, so I might be wrong
To my understanding, judges will not be paid by this program. They have to pay fees (100$/year at L1, 200$/year at L2 and so forth) and they are only rewarded with foil promos. It is still up to the tournament organizer to pay their judges, and sometimes the pay is next to nothing. This doesn't really look like an improvement to me, at least at first glance.