...I think I get it. I think I see what EVO is doing.
We've had all of these controversial issues. Custom moves. 2 vs. 3 stock, and within 2, 5 vs. 6 vs. 4 minutes. Stagelist questions, with how many should be starters, from 3 to 5 to all of them.
Ask yourself this: Were it not for EVO, how many of these would be given a chance? Would most of the community look into custom specials to see what good and bad they bring? Would there be the same discussion as to how the stagelist should affect play?
Or would everyone just stick to what they felt most comfortable with while the major TOs focused on the simplest and most conservative rulesets regardless of if it truly was for the best?
EVO is taking a huge risk by making so many changes to the "normal" national-level rulesets. But by doing this, now the entire community has reason to look into things a significant part of it may never have bothered with otherwise.
They're giving us a reason to test the things that need to be tested.
And while we don't yet know whether custom moves will cause more good or harm, whether having every stage available in the first round, or even whether keeping the stock number at two will turn out to be the right move...by the end of the summer, we'll have a much better idea of what works best.