Mattey makes a good point: TWL in need of changes?

[ogron]

Hey Veloce, maybe Downfall would start on other squads, maybe that's a good reason to not hoard all the fucking basers you Penetrate sons of bitches. Hey, we already have 13 good basers, you know what this squad really needs? Fucking 20 more basers! You are the New York Yankees of subspace and I hope all of you end your careers like Lou Gherig.

TWLB Winners:

S8: Dice
S9: -Final-
S10: Dice
S11: Dice
S12: Penetrate
S13: Dice
S14: Penetrate
S15: Dice

TWLJ Winners:

S8: Dice
S9: Syndicate
S10: Thunder
S11: Thunder
S12: Thunder
S13: Thunder
S14: Sk8 (Thunder)
S15: Dice

In the last 8 seasons, Dice/Pene have won 7/8 basing titles, and Dice/Thunder 7/8 javing titles.

Season 7 was the start of the decline of the TW population and the consolidation of the majority of the good players into several dynastic squads began in Season 8. Prior to that, there was a different winner every year. Good squads that build up new talent, give the status quo a challenge, lose, dissolve, and all their talent gets assimilated by the top 2/3 squads, then the process repeats.

This isn't a complaint, I think these dynastic squads should be commended for having been so dominant over such a long period of time and having such managerial acumen to stay on top, but perhaps we could trust-bust these monopolies, without completely throwing the system out, and get a more competitive game going, while still maintaining the legacy of those squads?

There's enough talent on the benches of most of top 4-5 squads to make another 3-4 squads or seriously bolster the rosters of mid-tier squads to make them serious contenders -- you have guys like SquallFF8 who were starters in the finals last year sitting on the bench... seems like a complete waste.


Potential Idea:

You take 10 squads every year, and allow them to keep 10 core players, and have a draft for the rest.

So, for argument's sake, let's say Dice chooses to keep these 10 players as their core:

Cape
Stayon
megaman89
cripple
JAMAL
a2m
tabarnak!!!
domi
waven
oder


Still a pretty dominant force, but they dont get to keep Glavitik, Mikes, NL>Triggger, wbm, riske, sphinx, paska, LF, Leitz, grandmastahs, Delectable, best, dsb, evildeed, tiny etc. unless they draft them.

I think it would make the league better, more competitive, and help keep the game alive. Also, if new pub map system were put into place to help retain new players and promote basing and getting new guys into ship 3 ASAP and getting kills in FR, could really help keep this game alive.

Just a thought.

[Burnt]

Bad idea. People like the freedom to choose which players they squad with, take that away and it will only make people quit and kill the game even faster.

[the_paul]

Interesting idea. I like the idea of mixing up the squads, but I'm not sure this is the way to do it. Shit, I'm not sure if there IS a way to do it

[Heisman]

Unless the players who have been playing on dice thunder etc want to leave to somewhere they will forsure start, then its not gonna happen. Any big changes in the game at this point would be detrimental. If the 10 other good warbirds on fierce and 20 great basers on pene that don't want to start because they rather be with their friends and get ribbons, than so be it.

[Downfall]

This topic has been brought up before, in different forms. Like the effort, but think its a bad idea.

[Jerome Scuggs]

Interesting idea. I like the idea of mixing up the squads, but I'm not sure this is the way to do it. Shit, I'm not sure if there IS a way to do it

yeah either delay twl and have a few draft leagues, or do twl, a totally new system would be a hassle

[Chuckle]

i've always wondered what TWL would be like if players could just play LD with a group of people (say about 8), LJ with a different (or some overlapping players) group of people (again about 8), and LB with another group of people (group of about...12?). these mini squads would be static/locked throughout season

not sure if this would erase the dynasty aspect of TWL, but this would probably lead to more teams at the very least and => more competition

and having one squad triple crowning wont happen...but a player being part of 3 core teams that win could be more likely and more meaningful...this erases the stupid fact that random bench players get carried to TWL rings

[Spacely]

i think would be fun to make a beta test league with a ladder that runs a playoff every other month then reset. each time this starts the staff would take like the top 30 LD players all time that are still active and break them into 5 groups of 6(could get some interesting combinations each reset) then whoever wants to make a team of 6 and join can then after 6 weeks the top however many have 2 weeks to do a playoffs

maybe is a dumb idea i jus some ol stoner guy

[project dragon]

A draft would be an interesting approach, but since players are free to leave and join squads as they please, will they stay committed to their chosen squads, or simply leave and return to the status quo.

I would like to consider our high influx of players due to our attempt to triple-league it, though it mostly looks like a swell of warbirds on our lineup. I don't know if it's something as captains simply saying "hey, player x, we have no use for you, get off", when they help to contribute to the squad on more levels than just being "TWL starter" material. I do not feel pressured to make anyone leave my squad if they do not play in TWL, because they are great partners to have when playing TWD and training/providing input.

Hoarding seems like an incorrect word to use. It would imply that we are doing whatever is in our power to stop players from leaving. You should know that captains do not have this power, and that all players have the power to leave and join other prospective squads in order to get playing time. We took some losses to our spiders when mino, temp, and pave left, and for the most part it was mainly due to the issue of inactivity that you speak of. But that was almost always the players choice, not the captains.

Yea, we like to recruit quality players. But who doesn't? We have never forced anyone to stay, and it is always rewarding to see past teammates succeed in their respective squads.

[Veloce]

If this is the replacement for TWL, pass...maybe I'm in the minority here but I'm on my squad because of the people, and there's definitely more than 10. In the end I do not care how we play and if we ever decided to go inactive when I wanted to keep playing, I'll likely become as P_L is to spastic.

Not sure how people can say that we are like the yankees. Nobody is intentionally hording players. People are welcome to join if the captains approve. I don't think anybody except ignite has any sort of ability to prevent a player from leaving or entice a player to join. I think penetrate and dice have better staying power than many squads and that's the only reason we are viewed as you're pointing out in this thread.

In basing, we've had the same core group of people for years now and we fortunately get some nice pickups that we can take advantage of in the league games to fill in for the few we've lost. In the end, where people go as far as squads is their own call and certainly not mine. I don't pay anyone..

How can this really be considered as the replacement for TWL? Isn't this why we did draft league?

[renzi]

We took some losses to our spiders when mino, temp, and pave left

im sure losing those 3 was such a HUGE loss with tsumetai, royst, solacer, trasher, squallff8, acidbomber, zhou, turmio on the roster as well

[Iron]

Potenza made playoffs on the first twl we play while having only 20 players on twl roster, we've beaten "vet" squads like dice and thunder (ld), fierce (lj). I really dont think changing twl will make it better. Squads should just practise more and work harder if they wanna get on twl.

[project dragon]

im sure losing those 3 was such a HUGE loss with tsumetai, royst, solacer, trasher, squallff8, acidbomber, zhou, turmio on the roster as well

Where did I say huge? But when people say we have star players on our bench that we are hoarding, I see that as absurd. We are not hoarding anyone. Quality players are free to make their own decision to stay or leave, just like those three did.

[Spacely]

do you guys think as many people would sit on the bench if the badge for win was limited to 7+1 for owner or something?

[Supreme]

1. Hoarding isnt an issue of forcing players to stay. Hoarding is having a lot of good players in your squad even though they dont play twl.

2. When 2 squads win 90% of the last 8 seasons you know..well its obvious isnt it.

That being said you cant force members to split because people (I dont anyway) dont join squads cause they have good players but because they feel comfortable there.

Ps: More draft is an idea, but would probably take way more organizing.