TWLD Predictions.

[Sirius]

In response to Tyson's post

Actually I kind of feel the opposite in a way. Though I understand what you're saying, I can also see favorites choking because they feel the pressure of the expected win they need to live up to.

But what I feel opposite to in a way, is that I think motivation which can lead to overcoming those kinds of squads actually comes from the opposite; I remember when I first started getting into the scene of competition in this game, the big 'giants' hovering well over my inexperienced head gave me something to look towards and something to admire in a competitive spirit to overcome. I brought into the light through that a lot of now-considered top players through my response to the existing 'giant' competition. It motivated me to try and build up myself as well as my 'reachable recruits' like pubbers etc for the squad to levels of overcoming that.

On the other hand, these days I don't feel competitive because like you said, those names are just names, not so much giants to me anymore. It doesn't seem like anything special to beat those squads because I find my environment not so much different from any of theirs...I don't see the fun challenge to overcome and whatnot. It actually makes me kind of miss my older days, and feel like maybe even going into some switch back into newbieness under some random shitty alias and just starting some random attempts from newb pub squad startings.

But I doubt I'd ever do it, probably wouldn't be the same with how the game changed my expectations and outlooks on things in-game over time.

But that's just my two cents

[Zazu]

Last season was the most revolutionary season in the history of TWLD (from my point of view). In that final game, Sk8 vs Syndicate the ice was finaly broken. And then when sk8 dissolved the ice again formed.

The biggest challenge for a warbird is to not lose before the game even starts. Someone like Demonfaze for whom I have alot of respect for has built such a huge reputation around him and his squad that he can play at 50% and still win LDs. Not because he is better than someone on Rampage who tries 100% but because Syndicate is expected to win by everyone. That is what puts pressure on the opponent. Losing to Syndicate then becomes natural to the opponent.

With that said I will say that Syndicate or -Final- will take it all unless the challenger alienates themselves from all the drama and starts to look at names as just names, not giants.

Just my 2 cents.

Think it's easier for a lot of people to play against 'big names'. Because there's less pressure !
Why ? Because they're not expected to win vs the big names. It can only get better.. And most people try harder vs good squads because (like Sirius said) they admire them and want to compare themself to the big boys.
The best thing is just to see this as a game and don't read 'names' as 'skills' but just as 'player names'. Everybody is just human. Not like Sika or whoever has the biggest name, can't be beaten.
Lifts the pressure off your back and you'll perform way better.

[Foreign]

What Blood said: most of us on Rampage already have a TWLD title or three beneath us. People like Syndicate are just "new Elusive" to most of us, although they are very skilled. That is what makes it fun, though, in my opinion. I'd feel pretty nerdy to be intimidated by a team like Syndicate after nearly a decade of facing squads comparable to or better than them. Every once in a while a squad arises with that something extra that nobody has done before (Dice is an extremely good example), but TWD has a way of taking away that advantage through repetition (again Dice is an extremely good example). By the time playoffs roll around I'm sure everyone will be well-acquainted with each other and the squad with the best 5 individuals (on that particular day anyway) will win.

[stuckup]

I think that Randy Couture is going to beat Tim Sylvia. So what Im trying to say is I belive in the old school vs any new school. Dont think that we will just get rolled over. killing me smalls

[Scoop]

I am excited to play rampage on sunday to test ourselves out.

[Tyson]

Well I am glad that all of you are confident but when you look at the facts you will see that I am right.

and the facts are:

Season 9 = Sk8 (most revolutionary season in TWLD history)
Season 8 = -Final-
Season 7 = Syndicate
Season 6 = Elusive
Season 5 = Siege
Season 4 = Siege
Season 3 = Siege
Season 2 = Elusive

What this chart above shows is that up until season 9, no ordinary TWLD participating squad could win the title. The TWLD championship was strictly reserved to the most favored. Is it still reserved for Syndicate and -Final-?? To me it seems that way.

Like I said above, the biggest problem for warbirds today is that they lose before the match even starts. Remember that a squad duel is not just a 5vs5 game. A modern day squad duel consists of these:

Predictions - Predictions that do not favor SquadA will increase its chances of losing. My advice to a warbird competing in TWLD is to not look at them at all.

Names - Goku2007 will lose to Blood because Blood is more popular than he is. Sirius and Zazu you have already denied this and thats fine, it shows you have confidence but I didnt see any of you in Season 9 twld finals. With that said, Sk8 is the only squad that can claim this, no one else can. Oh and squad owners, the second one of your players mentions "OMG they have PlayerA, easy win" you have nothing to look for in that squad duel. You already lost on the basis of names. Your player is focusing on the WHO aspect of the game.

Squad History - Same scenario. Savanger will lose to Syndicate because Syndicate is considered a giant. Squads, you have nothing to look forward to if you think this way. The moment you say "we are playing against a hard squad" you have just diminished a good percentage of you wining the game.

Gameplay - Finally, if you can not pay attention to anything above and just focus on the gameplay, you will have a good chance of wining.

I have alot more to say on warbirds but I'll leave it at this.

Oh and one more thing. I really do appreciate sk8 winning the LD championship but at the same time I do not wish for these kinds of seasons to happen frequently. Why? Well because if every season was won by a different squad from here on, the skill required to do these things would disappear. Everything would be based on chance or rather yet a bullet which just happens to be shot in the right direction at that time.

[Blood]

Most of the things you say make no sense really. You claim that underdogs lose because they're afraid of playing the favourites? Don't you think you should take into account the underdogs' will to beat the favourites and make an upset and, like it has already been mentioned, that the favourites are usually under incredible pressure not to lose to the underdogs and be humiliated?

I don't mean to sound arrogant here but it's pretty obvious you've never really played in the big games. The powerhouse squads win because they are simply better, psychology plays into it but it doesn't decide the matches.

[Underground]

SKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE :wub:

[Miku19]

Actually I have to say I agree with Tyson, and you could say Tyson has experience in this since he's been on grapevine for a few seasons, the squad that chokes when they gotta play syndicate/elusive.

Warbirding is pretty much just concentrating and thinking, and if you're intimidated you're obviously going to make bad decisions that might throw the game away.

[Blood]

Again, if Grapevine folds in those situations, it doesn't necessarily apply to other squads. And you too, Miku19, missed my point.

[Jones]

actually, i thought elusive was an underdog compared to rampage in season 6

[RednaZ]

I personally play a lot better against good people, I just get lazy when I notice my opponent isn't very difficult to beat. The resulting rec however is the same cuz the good guys are just that good

[Tyson]

Most of the things you say make no sense really. You claim that underdogs lose because they're afraid of playing the favourites? Don't you think you should take into account the underdogs' will to beat the favourites and make an upset and, like it has already been mentioned, that the favourites are usually under incredible pressure not to lose to the underdogs and be humiliated?

I don't mean to sound arrogant here but it's pretty obvious you've never really played in the big games. The powerhouse squads win because they are simply better, psychology plays into it but it doesn't decide the matches.

I think I am pretty much dead on when it comes to describing some of the problems of todays warbirds. They might not apply to you but they certainly do apply to the majority of squads I have been on. Again you have to look at the facts, there have been no TWLD surprises until Sk8 in Season 9. My argument is that this is because of intimidation.

I am going to say this once more. A squad duel is not just a 5vs5 match to 50. There is alot more involved that can have an impact on the final outcome.

As for whether I have any ground to stand on? I played in TWLD Season 7 Finals and I have led United Force to TWLD Playoffs last season. I have been on a few squads now and already I can say that the majority of them suffer from the things I mentioned above.

[Exalt]

tyson is right but his theory only applies to lower end squads that are new or semi-new to twl and/or playing these "oldbie" vets

squads like united force or w/e last season fits the example, they have some decent enough players but in the end they are too new to this game to ignore the fact that they are playing a person thats played years and years longer than them, and honestly thats a hard thing to ignore, unless of course you started around the same time as these players

but the main factor with it all is that its VERY hard to find in this game a clutch player that will not choke with pressure... squads that include players from syndi and -f- have been known to NOT choke under this pressure so they win games. But in the end you always always always have one or two people on the losing team that just cant handle the pressure and they choke

another major factor is that the majority of TW doesn't know how to play the game the right way, and they never will because theres no one really to look up to except a select few players, and frankly these lower end players never will want to get better at the right things because the rest of TW is doing the same type of style they are, so why SHOULD they change? But they also never realize that the way they play they will never win, even if they pull off the good record it doesnt help the team, and if their team does bad it sure doesnt help themselves at becoming that clutch player

[Epinephrine]

Actually Tyson is more correct than you think. There is much more than just the actual game. There are things like recruiting tactics, trash talk tactics, false information, deception, and proper coaching to 'peak' at a proper time. It takes a lot of things perfectly arrayed in order to be consistantly good. You might be able to fluke a season or two if you happen to assemble a good group of players, but to always win, you need to do it all. Don't cheat though, it's wrong

As for choking, that is what proper coaching and proper recruiting is for. It's called running a squad. You should always assume that 1 person will choke, and 1 person will play sub-optimally and have 2 subs ready for every game.