TWLD Predictions.

[Exalt]

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.

in a perfect world you can have 5 players that are good enough to not choke at the same time, too bad

[Epinephrine]

in a perfect world you can have 5 players that are good enough to not choke at the same time, too bad

In perfect world sure, but when does that ever happen? Someone usually chokes unless it's a blowout game. We aren't professionals, SS is played by kids on their weekends, no one gets paid to play it.

[Epinephrine]

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 dunno blood. Most underdog teams are underdogs for a reason. Because they suck. And they suck because first and foremost they do not have the will to win (or they can just plain suck ). I've been on many bad squads before in various zones in SS, and I've been on many that whenever they play a good squad they have already lost the game in their minds before it started.

In TW that can be something as simple as 'omg they have sika, he's unbeatable'. That thinking makes no sense to you Blood, because you have the 'will to win when necessary' and that's why you are a good player. Most people and most squads do not have this.

You can see this frequently in both situations. In one, a team may get 'blown out' but 1 player will never give up and fight back 3on1 to win the day. In another, a team will go down a player, and the remaining will say '5on4 vs -f-? we're doomed' and just play crappy and lose.

If most people here had the will to win, TW would be a completely different place.

That's why when predicting season winners, there are 3 factors to look at.
1) Skill
2) Clutch play
and most important of all
3) The will to win

[Exalt]

so basicly everything I said you are agreeing with

[Tyson]

I dunno blood. Most underdog teams are underdogs for a reason. Because they suck. And they suck because first and foremost they do not have the will to win (or they can just plain suck ). I've been on many bad squads before in various zones in SS, and I've been on many that whenever they play a good squad they have already lost the game in their minds before it started.

In TW that can be something as simple as 'omg they have sika, he's unbeatable'. That thinking makes no sense to you Blood, because you have the 'will to win when necessary' and that's why you are a good player. Most people and most squads do not have this.

You can see this frequently in both situations. In one, a team may get 'blown out' but 1 player will never give up and fight back 3on1 to win the day. In another, a team will go down a player, and the remaining will say '5on4 vs -f-? we're doomed' and just play crappy and lose.

If most people here had the will to win, TW would be a completely different place.

That's why when predicting season winners, there are 3 factors to look at.
1) Skill
2) Clutch play
and most important of all
3) The will to win

Heh, funny you mention Sika because I was just thinking about the same thing just now. A week ago when I was on Pandora we started winning dd's and one day we were playing -Final-. When -F- accepted the game and Sika entered the arena first thing this guy named Eelam (one of Pandora's players) says is "holy shit we are going to get creamed, Sika's here"

and we did. We lost something like 50-34

And I am thinking to myself (wow), whats the point of even playing this game if you are going to mention something lilke that. And I even managed to get the morale up by wining squads like Syndicate, Disoblige and Rampage in dds.

And exalt, you are wrong when you say "it only applies to lower squads". If not all of it at least some of what Epi and I said applies to every TWLD squad except the one that wins it all. That squad is the one that is most disciplined and that squad is the one that that is least bothered by all of this.

[Epinephrine]

No Tyson, the squad that wins it all usually is the one that realizes all this stuff the MOST and thus actively works to beat it. It is always important to have a winning attitude, both in not underestimating or overestimating an enemy.

And Exalt I don't completely agree with what you said, because you said it only applies to 'lower squads'. It applies to everyone.

[Scoop]

This is one of the reasons why I love disoblige. There are still a good bit of the core players of diso that still play reguarly. These guys dont choke because they have played just as long / longer than these guys you are talking about tyson. Granted, they may just suck that round or something but they dont get intimidated. Anyways that was a pretty useless post. ^-^

[Foreign]

Alright, I'm going to make a quasi-asshole-ish post, but I've been up a long time so I don't care.

First of all, season 6 Rampage was the favorite and lost to Elusive in the semis (mentioned above). Also, season 8 -F- wasn't the favorite to win, Venom was (aka Elusive v3.0). -F- beat Venom in the semis, though. Siege was the underdog in Season 3 when it won.

So it really isn't all that cut and dry. To be honest, since TWD started it's been a toss-up between three or more squads each season.

Second, if any of you assheads really believe half of the shit that you talk outside of the game, the intimidation rule in the game only applies to people in squads that are completely outmatched skill-wise.

And in closing, this season there are at least four squads with an equal chance to win: Rampage, Disoblige, Syndicate, and Dice.

Add in the other three good possibilities Sake, -Final-, and Thunder and you have your entire playoff grid filled plus 1. No telling who will win, but I am guessing it will be one of the squads who gets a bye week in the playoffs. Who will that be? I guess we'll find out, but it's certainly not set in stone ESPECIALLY considering last week's matches.

[Epinephrine]

Alright, I'm going to make a quasi-asshole-ish post, but I've been up a long time so I don't care.

First of all, season 6 Rampage was the favorite and lost to Elusive in the semis (mentioned above). Also, season 8 -F- wasn't the favorite to win, Venom was (aka Elusive v3.0). -F- beat Venom in the semis, though. Siege was the underdog in Season 3 when it won.

Siege was underdog in Season 3 true, but thanks to how TWL was set up in the time of season 3, the outcome was never in doubt. Siege beat -F- in round 1, before all of Elusive's players joined -F- and turned it into the powerhouse that won pyramid league that season. Without a playoffs to rematch Siege, siege basically beat newbie teams for the rest of the season and cakewalked to victory.

In season 8, I'd hardly call Venom 'Elusive v3'. I think only Rule was the only person on Elusive and he's not even a wb! In fact anyone familiar with the internal workings of that squad would know they didn't really have much of a real chance as they never practiced and had internal problems with people not showing up to games. Keep in mind that even though at first a lot of Syndicate members joined, most quit and joined other squads thanks to extraordinarily bad leadership at the top (Code I'm looking at you).

If you're going to call them Elusive v3 though, you can call Pirates season 8 as Elusive v3 cause 2dragons and I were on it, and Pirates got to TWLD finals :P.

[Foreign]

i was more looking at the fact that fieryfire was on it, as well as a lot of future syndicate players (which i classify as elu v4.0 :P)

the point is there wasn't really a clear winner between 2 teams.

[Epinephrine]

i was more looking at the fact that fieryfire was on it, as well as a lot of future syndicate players (which i classify as elu v4.0 :P)

the point is there wasn't really a clear winner between 2 teams.

FF was on Siege far longer than on Elu. He was only on Elu for a few months total.

[Blood]

I perfectly agree there's much more to a TWL match than just 5 pilots vs 5 pilots to 10 deaths. What I do not agree with is Tyson's claim that the overdog, if you will, has a clear-cut advantage to the underdog because of pressure. I've played underdog matches, you go in without having anything to lose. I've also played on overdog matches, you go in with having everything to lose. Count in the intimidation factor and you'd be pretty even psychologically, I'd say.

[Miku19]

I think Tyson doesn't mean overdogs or underdogs, but the intimidation that comes from established players that have won a lot and have that "aura" around them saying "you make a mistake I'll kill your team." The established player doesn't necessarily have to be better or anything.

Sure, it's all in the head of the newer player, but that's how it goes.

[Sirius]

it shows you have confidence but I didnt see any of you in Season 9 twld finals - Tyson

Wasn't playing subspace during season 9

And yes Rampage was the favorite of Season 6

And I agree with Blood, if anything ever gets my psychological steamroller swerving, it's when I put something on the line with certain types of shit-talking or gloating. Before doing that I got nothing to lose, everything to win, and all the surprise to look forward to.

[Blood]

I think Tyson doesn't mean overdogs or underdogs, but the intimidation that comes from established players that have won a lot and have that "aura" around them saying "you make a mistake I'll kill your team." The established player doesn't necessarily have to be better or anything.

Sure, it's all in the head of the newer player, but that's how it goes.

That, my friend, is the definition of the overdog-underdog setting.