Although we will continue to play because we have a chance of making money at the CPL, the prize distribution needs around a 500% increase before it really starts to make a significant difference. Just imagine if you could place top 20 at the CPL (which is literally top 20 in the world) and come home with 5 to 10 grand apiece. Now THAT is what I call a reason to continue professional play. Either the CPL needs to dramatically increase its prize winnings, or provide another option that would give the community enough motivation to suit our needs as professional gamers. The CPL is only twice a year, once every six months. If the CPL could host an event once a month, or even once every other month, for the exact same prize distribution as they are doing now, that alone would practically solve every problem wrong with today's community. The worst part about Counter-Strike and the CPL is that each is random, unpredictable, and sparse. A team that practices 6 months has an easy chance at blowing one round due to whatever random occurrence in the game and going home with absolutely nothing. If the CPL were held more often, then teams would be able to rebound from one undesired event, yet still have the motivation to practice for the next one that would be right around the corner. This way it would be more balanced between the already-established teams and the upcoming teams that want to carve a name into the community. It would also round off the randomness between teams and average out winnings accordingly. This would give the entire community an incredible boost in purpose, as well as financially provide much more stability within teams. Also, think about all the new sponsors that would jump on board. If they knew they could sponsor a team six to twelve times a year that could possibly win a decent amount of money, which in turn would pay off the sponsor and make them money, sponsors would explode throughout the community. Having more CPL events would also eliminate the drop-off that we see in the community after each CPL. Hardly anyone cares enough to play Counter-Strike regularly after each event, as the time interval between the next event is so large that isn’t worth the practice; this is especially true since a team can change rosters several times within a period of six months. Subsequently, an increase in the number of events would provide more reason for teams to stick together, as the team would be attending many more events together.

I'm not sure why the CPL doesn’t host more events. The event is obviously making money with each CPL; else, the business would have failed long ago. I'm sure that if six to twelve events were offered per year, then there would be just as many people attending each event as there are at current events. SK and the other Europeans would surely still attend. They would have little reason not to attend. In fact, they would have a much larger reason to attend, and possibly even move into the United States. There isn't much hope of another league like the CPL coming into the scene and providing us with the winnings that the CPL does. Everyone watched CyberX fail miserably, and although the event had flaws that are independent of the events shortcomings, I believe its failure still depicts what often happens to most new leagues trying to host huge events. If they don't have experience, it will probably fail. CPL has proved beyond any doubt that it can handle tournaments well and provide the stability for professional gaming. Now all they need to do is increase the tournament winnings or host more tournaments. Of course, I am aware that the CPL has introduced the One Million Dollar World Tour that will begin next year. Unfortunately, this isn't exactly of what I was describing and hoping for. This $1,000,000 tour will include 10 stops, thus breaking down each individual tournament to a $100,000 prize. As already described, this really isn't that much. Secondly, the tour does not help the American scene. Only one tournament will actually be held in America. As for the nine others, how many teams will actually be able to continue to attend? A non-LAN proven team will find it difficult to gather the funds and massive sponsorships that would allow for regular attendance. Possibly 3D, u5, or NoA might have the funds, but what if they do badly at one event? Will the sponsors hang on and still send the team across the globe to the next event? Only time will tell. The Europeans are able to come to America twice each year and compete at the CPL. Unfortunately, this would not work backwards for American teams, as they would have to attend nine other events out of this country, which is clearly more difficult than what the Europeans would encounter. There are also many more LANs in Europe, where sponsors can attach to teams because of the extra tournaments possibilities. Although the nine other locations haven't been released yet, I'm sure many of them will be concentrated around Europe. This seems like a tour to gather individual nation's support in each country instead of having the best teams in the world simply follow each an every tournament. I wouldn't be surprised if only the participants of the country each tour is held in were the only ones allowed to compete in them. Wouldn't that change the face of things? Anyway, this is obviously a step in the right direction, but not the most direct or positive one for the American scene at the moment.

Next, I’ll address CAL as a factor. CAL serves two purposes amongst the CPL and the community. Primarily, it gives top players a way of competing amongst other top teams, trying out new skills, toning teamwork, obtaining fame, sponsorships, etc. Secondly, it allows for lower players to experience Counter-Strike to the fullest effect competitively, and gives the lower teams a chance to try and make it to the top. The folly between these two is that CAL and the CPL are disjoint. While CAL effectively serves as a catalyst for the community when viewed alone, it cannot manage to do the same when viewed in scope with the CPL. CAL isn't like a regular season of baseball where a team plays 162 games (respectively the CAL season) and then plays in the World Series (or doesn't, due to the record of the team). The CPL, previously paralleled with the World Series, is minimally related to CAL. Your seeding at CPL is based primarily around previous CPL performances and the number of times you have competed, having nothing to do with CAL. If CAL affected CPL rankings (although past CPL performances would take place over CAL performance, such as for the Europeans), then CAL would fit in with the CPL much like a regular season such as baseball does with the World Series. New and upcoming teams would also be able to do well in CAL and receive a better seeding at the CPL. With the current CPL seeding process, a top team literally has no reason to play in CAL other than the fact that it keeps the team on a regular schedule through maps, as well as possibly allows for greater sponsorships. The top European teams like SK do not play in any online leagues. Obviously, that directly proves that CAL truly is not needed in order to be the best and to play at your best. However, several other factors are involved as well. Because top teams understand that CAL is not needed, Counter-Strike losses its importance, as does the entire league. Everything begins to melt from within because of this correlation. The thrill and excitement of matches lasts a long time when you first join the league, but eventually it subsides and both players and teams no longer care. This is prominently visible in CAL-invite. About two-thirds of every team has a record below .500. There are only about four to five teams that really prepare and try hard in CAL. This completely destroys competition, as well as reason for others to obtain CAL-Invite status. A few teams destroy all the others, and the mid to bottom teams do not care one bit. Why should they care? Dedication to their job does not matter greatly at this point. A couple seasons ago, you could spam for a scrim through channels like #invitescrim, and five teams would message you for a scrim. Nowadays, you're lucky to find one scrim that isn't a pug. The same people have been in CAL-invite for years now. There is little new blood, thus there are few new naive players pushing the division, if any. Here we run into our next big problem amongst the community. But, before the problem can be understood, the reasons why the problems exist must first be explained.

Three main characteristics make up each individual player in game. First is your mental ability, second is your skill, and third is your experience level. Each of the three can be simplified into the following: your mental abilities are what characterize you as a smart or ingenious player. They are mostly God-given and cannot be directly focused or worked on to improve. They will obviously improve as you learn more about the game and your experience increases, but this will eventually cap off. Your second ability, however, can be directly worked on and improved. Your skill in game can be related to your ability to control recoil, your ability to aim, and an overall ability to kill your opponents faster than they can kill you. These elements can be practiced both in game and out of game, such as playing Java shooters like at www.missionred.com. A player can practice as much as possible in public servers, and over time their skill will increase with or without direct league experience or mental ability and intelligence. The third element, experience, works within the other two and directly affects every second you are in the game. Your experience can only be improved by playing the game regularly and over an extended period of time. It is what divides the old from the new players. In the end it becomes the most important and pivotal category that makes or breaks a player. Unfortunately, the game is developed in such a way that skill (the only characteristic that you can actually work on independently to improve) is only mildly important, considering the other factors at the top levels of competition. It takes a certain mental intuition that will slice you from the top and into the all-star category. Certain people have a genius when it comes to the game, especially in regard to outsmarting opponents and developing strategies. Despite any amount of dedication that you might possibly muster, it cannot replace experience. You will only be able to go so far and achieve so much without the experience of a top player amongst a top team. This is why it can be seen and explained by retired players coming back into the game. I specifically remember an interview with Jaden after he came back to play competitively. One of the questions pertained to him worrying about getting back into the swing of CAL-invite. He explained that skill is the only category that actually is affected and becomes worse after not practicing for lengthy periods of time, but that it returns within a few days (or perhaps even hours) of practice for someone in CAL-invite. Your mental ability, as well as your experience, never depreciates. Therefore, returning to competitive Counter-Strike is simple. You can only grow and expand over time. Regardless of any natural mental cap or the skill one obtains, experience is by far the most obtrusive factor of all when it comes to being “pro.”