It's good to hear so many viewpoints.
It is clear that there is never going to be a format of a comp which pleases everyone, but there doesn't seem to be anything negative being said about the big shows.
Some people don't like the head to head play as it interrupts their game, others prefer that format and the social side.
Some want to play their games and leave, others don't mind the wait in between games. (There is NEVER going to be a format where there isn't some wait between rounds, unless there is a timed format)
Some people play to satisfy their own competitive nature, others for the social side, others just to play machines they don't usually play.
Some chase WPPR points, others don't care about them, others want to ditch them all together (which I see as nothing more than cutting off your own nose to spite your face)
Some won't enter because they think they're rubbish, others because of the time and travel for a potentially early exit.
At least we don't have the kind of money they have in the US to complicate matters. That's when people start getting serious.
FWIW
My point of view is that there can't be enough competitions, with as many different formats as possible so it doesn't become boring and stale.
The perfect scenario would be everyone plays the games non-stop the whole day. That just isn't possible.
The next best would be that once they have been knocked out, there are plenty of other machines for them to play. The majority of the comps / meetings in the UK are hosted in people's homes, so that is not always possible either.
I try to vary the different formats for the comps I am involved in regularly (UK League, Monday Night Tilt League, Tilt High Score Comp, World Cup Revisited, Christmas Cracker, As Yet Unnamed) That's 33 different events, held on 21 different days every year!
I also have ideas for other formats of comp - some vastly different from anything seen before - but just don't have the venues to be able to do this.
I understand that on occasion some people can find some of the scoring formats confusing, this is something that all of us organisers need to try and address, BUT anybody who has ever ran a comp will know there are so many different things to be overseeing at any given time, especially if you want to compete yourself, that sometimes this could get neglected. Even something as simple as printing a couple of A3 sheets which clearly outline the scoring and route through the tournament.
I like entering comps not just because, being a fairly decent player, I feel I always have the chance of winning but because I enjoy challenging myself. I think it's highly unlikely I'm going to win the Belgian Open but I still go and enter every year.
Competition isn't just about who finishes in the trophy positions, it's about if you've finished higher than your mate, or someone you don't like, or higher than you did previously.
As for WPPR pts, yes it's not particularly accurate, especially comparing players who play in the US, to players who play in Europe, to those who play purely in the UK, BUT it is the only ranking system currently in place and it's FREE. It does make a fairly good approximation as to relative standings, and there is no doubt that it is a draw to many players. I have heard more than one player say that they're not going to attend an event because it's not worth any points. I hope that this remains in the vast minority, or pinball will start to diminish out of the public eye.
I have been as vocal as anybody direct to Josh pointing out the flaws in the system, but I seem to be a lone voice coming from the UK, so am just regarded as an individual complaining that he isn't ranked as high as he should be. Which although true ;-) is not the reason for voicing my opinions. I truly believe that we have at least 3 players in the UK who could quite easily be in the top 20 in the world, and maybe even top 5, if the ranking system could somehow cope with players competing in different continents.
The WPPR points nonsense needs to be knocked on the head too, what's appropriate for the big meetings in the States isn't relevant for here in the UK. 
