Rules Revisions

[RednaZ]

This is an idea that has been brought up in discussions. However, one possiblly large problem is if scores dont count, replacement squads might have very little motivation to show up each week. Do you think getting a chance to play a TWL squad is enough motivation?

I think it is. But if it's not, having a 50% chance of a match is still better than having no match at all.

[Underground]

I think it is. But if it's not, having a 50% chance of a match is still better than having no match at all.

Agreed.

[Mantra-Slider]

Yes, probably why my response makes the most sense, as I've experienced it.

thats probably why most people think you are an idiot by now :wub:

[Money]

yellow cell phone user! mines red.

[Flub]

This is an idea that has been brought up in discussions. However, one possiblly large problem is if scores dont count, replacement squads might have very little motivation to show up each week. Do you think getting a chance to play a TWL squad is enough motivation?

the chance of playing in twl for a new squad is very appealing, it is a great oppertunity to show your skills and play against other squads in their full strengt.

[Mela]

-----------------------------
Soft lock will take place after the first Round of TWL (not including preseason).

Hard lock will take place after Round 3 of TWL.

Reason: To prevent squadhopping and make sure players are dedicated to their TWL squad.

Are players allowed to join another TWL squad, if their squad dissolves after round 3?

[MirrorriM]

Are players allowed to join another TWL squad, if their squad dissolves after round 3?

no

[HateTheFake]

How about just keeping this aspect of TWL the way it was.

-Replacement squads for teams who drop out.

-Scores count.

As I said before, we come wait all off-season for TWL. We come to play, not get freebies.

this

[Doc Flabby]

How about just keeping this aspect of TWL the way it was.

-Replacement squads for teams who drop out.

-Scores count.

As I said before, we come wait all off-season for TWL. We come to play, not get freebies.

Its still unfair however as the replacement squad is normally easier than the one that drops...

I would agree with that, if the players of squads that drop can't play for any other TWL squad (including the replacement). So basically if your squad drops, TWL is over for you. (not sure if this was the case last season)

Also maybe captains of dropping squad from dissolving should be banned from capping next season.

[Capital Knockers]

Its still unfair however as the replacement squad is normally easier than the one that drops...

I would agree with that, if the players of squads that drop can't play for any other TWL squad (including the replacement). So basically if your squad drops, TWL is over for you. (not sure if this was the case last season)

Also maybe captains of dropping squad from dissolving should be banned from capping next season.

I like this idea, to a degree. The staff should be able to look at the captain and decide. If it's someone that obviously fucked over their squad, didn't know what they were doing - alright. However, if it was a good captain, that always showed, tried to keep the players - someone respected. Let's say (heaven forbid) Warpath makes twld, and the players get mad and leave, and they suffer inactivity or something. Would you really ban someone like nemi from capping another season? A squad like Spastic is another good example, captains have been there a long time, if they got screwed, dont ban them for capping again.

[Sirius]

Well, concerning the replacement squad issue...it could provide for that 'new talent' or whatnot that staff is trying to promote and supply competition in TW with if you guys allow squads to replace dropout squads.

Look at Solstice. Originally when I was informed of what TWD was and we signed up to try and compete in stuff like that and leagues...it was a week until TWL qualifications. For a fresh squad of unknown talent, that was not enough to qualify and we didn't have all the stuff we needed for TWL anyway.

3 months later, when Shriek finally dropped out of LD around week 7, we were with 1780 + points in DD, a constantly updating roster of what back then consisted of mostly new talent that is now split amongst elite squads, 30 + win streaks in DD, and over 400 points more than 2nd place in the ladder. But we were most definitely ready for TWL, and we showed it by losing our first match (which was the first match of TWL for most everyone on the squad, Escalate, Killermech, Deck, me, Fission etc.) against Egyptian, but winning the other two, including a match vs Light, a top contender of the time.

We may have obviously not had a chance at getting into playoffs even if we won all matches, but we were very excited to be in TWL. And it gave us a chance to get used to TWL enough through the last few rounds, to be able to go into it boldly in the next season. So, in the same sense, some 'new talent' squads may replace in this case as well and try out their potential at future TWL involvement, and even if not, it's still better than a bunch of auto-wins anyway.

[Vehicle]

My main issue of contention is, like most everyone else, with the replacing of squads. In my opinion, you're shooting yourself in the foot if you have hard lock after round 3 but don't let new squads into TWL if older ones dissolve.

The bread and butter of this zone is the older players but the plate is the newbies. Without them, there'd be a shit ton less players online so I think it's important to take them into consideration. The hard lock after round 3 would encourage the creation of new squads only if the possibility existed that they be able to get into TWL.

If you eliminate that possibility, there would be no incentive to create (or, for that matter, join) a non-TWL squad during the season reducing TWD to simply a place to scrimmage. And considering the ample pressure on the whole SS community to try to attract new players, this just seems detrimental to me.

Now for the harder part of my argument, my suggestions. I realize that there could (and likely would) be unbalanced competition if you allow a new squad to replace a dissolved one because the newer squad is probably not as good. So, I would suggest that for squads that dissolve early in the season (say by week 3, which is unlikely,) just replay the games during the make-up week.

For those squads who dissolve late it's a whole different monster but I don't think that giving a by to one squad a week is the solution. I think it's important to allow inclusion for those on the outside so I would suggest admitting a new team and, if each squad plays each other squad during the regular season, halving the results of all the games played by both the dissolved squad and the new squad. This way, significantly less weight would be placed on these games but they would still count for something.

And finally consider what would happen if, say, three squads dissolved and this rule were in place.

[MirrorriM]

Just to update everyone: the replacement squad rule and the surprise qualification rule have been removed. Things will work like they did in the past for these 2 things. Also, I put in another rule about returning TWL finalists.

[Infrared]

so is there a date for qualifications somewhere? other than sometime in october?

[royCE]

the #1 squad on the ladder should replace the squad that drops out.

That #1 squad should continue playing twl, however, they should not be allowed to actually compete for playoffs, or anything, but instead play to effect the squad they are actually in a match with, meaning, they wouldnt really be competing for themselves, but actually making the other squads that play them work for their wins. If in case the actual twl squads lost to the replacing squad, they would be greatly effected for the rest of the season.

i think this would bring a more exciting feel to twl, and anyone losing to this replacing squad would be upsets worth talking about.

as for the squad that replaces the drop outs, they should be happy their facing some of the best squads in TW, and that should be enough :/