League General Discussion Thread

I’m happy with the direction this discussion has taken, but wanted to add my input. To help you understand my perspective here’s how I would describe myself:

• OOB only player – currently no intentions of branching out
• Hyper focused – I prefer to play 1 game at a time and analyze it to death, rather than keep multiple games going, resulting in:
• Roughly 3-4 games played per year

I’ve become disinterested in the league for two main reasons:

1. The focus on BM3 and PTV would mean historically that I have to force players to play OOB in the playoffs and create resentment (last year is case in point) – so I’d rather just not play
2. The 8 game minimum to compete in the higher playoff bracket means I’ll probably never get there, even if I did make the jump to BM3

I think the idea of multiple playoffs based on game version solves the most problems. It means no one has to acquiesce to a version in the playoffs that they don’t want to play. (In regular season they already don’t have to because they can just say “no thanks”)

My one caution is to be careful how high you put the minimum game thresholds for playoff participation.

I’d like to suggest that the playoffs are the most enticing part of the league, and that the higher you set the minimum game threshold, the more casual players like myself are likely to abandon it.

I understand that it’s easier to manipulate your PPG or have an inaccurate PPG with a low number of games. In fact I’m probably a great example of this in 2020. I have the second highest PPG, but I’m certainly not the 2nd best player.

It’s definitely true that BM3 and PTV are the most popular versions here, but the pipeline of new players is primarily full of OOB and casual players, and that needs to be considered.

Since I first presented the idea of 3 different playoff tournaments, I thought I should weigh in again. I think that it is well established that 8 games played is the minimum standard for qualifying for the “League Champion” playoffs, but only because there are plenty of players that can qualify. After reading Tizkit’s post, and seeing that his 2020 3-0 record came purely from the 2019 “2nd Playoff” playing all OOB against reluctant opponents, I see that there needs to be a separate OOB tournament, and perhaps the threshold for participating in that one is 3 games minimum overall. I like the idea that Gamerman had of waiting until July 1 to establish the minimum games to qualify. A minimum threshold of 3 (instead of 8 overall) isn’t merely to accommodate Tizkit, but all of the other newer league players who invariably start in the league with only knowledge of OOB G40 rules, but will not have time during the year to do 8 games.

Most likely, there will be plenty of P2V and BM3 games played that the minimum qualifying standard for those tournaments will be the traditional 8 games played overall, and maybe 5 games played within the particular ruleset (either BM3 or P2V)

If more than 8 players in any playoff group (OOB, BM3 or P2V) qualify for their respective tourney and want to participate, there can be additional “2nd Playoff” tournaments set up as we currently have.

its not a bad idea to have different caps for different games. It may make much sense to put the cap at 8 for BM and for example 4 at OOB.

I anticipate the die hard BM folks want nothing left behind and want the 8 game cap, its fine. Then OOB could serve as an alternative. AND it should be possible to participate in BM and OOB playoffs given you have enough games. I think it is important not to exclude people though

I dont play PtV so I have no input there

I think there shouldnt be any restriction on joining multiple tournaments if you qualify. There is no reason the best player in BM cant be the best player in OOB and PTV. Just need to set number of games to qualify appropriately (which as others have said needs to be different for different games).

This year there were 16 total games of OOB (at least as of 12/1/20). If you make the barrier to get in the different tourneys too high or too restrictive, there wont be a meaningful playoff to worry about.

@ksmckay As Tizkit said in his post, that the playoffs are the most enticing part of the league, and if that is so, and players know there will be a OOB G40 playoff, then likely there will be far more than 16 OOB league games played by Dec 2021, as players that want to play that version prep and prepare for the playoff.

@owentoo said in League General Discussion Thread:

@ksmckay As Tizkit said in his post, that the playoffs are the most enticing part of the league, and if that is so, and players know there will be a OOB G40 playoff, then likely there will be far more than 16 OOB league games played by Dec 2021, as players that want to play that version prep and prepare for the playoff.

Players knew there would be an OOB playoff this year since it is/was the default. Same as the last few years when the number of OOB games was just a fraction of the number of BM3 games.

@ksmckay Well, that may be true. We shall see. What is for sure is that the default needs to change, or be eliminated…

Is there really enough interest to support separate playoffs for all three? I doubt it. Keeping the playoffs unified with a default map (probably the most played map from that year) prevents fracturing and ensures a robust pool of players. Also maintains the prestige of a single title of “league champion” rather than a bunch of mini titles that were contested by only a smattering of people.

Each game is different, but as others have state, the skillset you use to win is largely transferable between them–justifying a single title.

For this reason I support Gamerman’s proposal. Three separate standings. One end-of-year tourney.

@regularkid said in League General Discussion Thread:

Is there really enough interest to support separate playoffs for all three? I doubt it. Keeping the playoffs unified with a default map (probably the most played map from that year) prevents fracturing and ensures a robust pool of players. Also maintains the prestige of a single title of “league champion” rather than a bunch of mini titles that were contested by only a smattering of people.

Each game is different, but as others have state, the skillset you use to win is largely transferable between them–justifying a single title.

For this reason I support Gamerman’s proposal. Three separate standings. One end-of-year tourney.

I think you are misinterpretting things. Nobody is advocating for what you are saying . Thats basically what we have now and is a big problem.

@ksmckay perhaps I misunderstood. I thought the problem was that the “default” game of for the playoffs was out of line with what a majority of people prefer to play (which is solved by making the default game the one that most people play). What I’m saying is that one championship is preferable to three, even if you maintain separate statistics for each version of the game.

@gamerman01 said in League General Discussion Thread:

Actually, I think we do have the players and the interest to support a separate playoff by version

I gotcha. Well as the keeper of the books, you’'d probably be in a better position to judge that sort of thing. I have my doubts.

@regularkid said in League General Discussion Thread:

@ksmckay perhaps I misunderstood. I thought the problem was that the “default” game of for the playoffs was out of line with what a majority of people prefer to play (which is solved by making the default game the one that most people play). What I’m saying is that one championship is preferable to three, even if you maintain separate statistics for each version of the game.

Its been a long discussion and while I personally agree with that approach, there are dissenting arguments with merit and so the latest proposal by gamerman is a compromise.

@gamerman01 said in League General Discussion Thread:

point being, there are ways to not make the champion of a small pond look equal to the champion of the ocean

Well its not so much about that. Rather, I think playoffs generate excitement, in part, because people want the singular title of “league champion.” One big, end of year event for the entire community. Rather than balkanized proceedings.

@regularkid said in League General Discussion Thread:

@gamerman01 said in League General Discussion Thread:

point being, there are ways to not make the champion of a small pond look equal to the champion of the ocean

Well its not so much about that. Rather, I think playoffs generate excitement, in part, because people want the singular title of “league champion.” One big, end of year event for the entire community. Rather than balkanized proceedings.

Unfortunately you would have to read through a couple hundred posts to get a picture of the entire argument. The new proposal does its best to include every potential player’s desires whereas what you are saying (similar to what we have now) excludes some preferences. If we just changed to BM default, then that would exclude people who prefer OOB (even if thats a small number in this community, it still excludes them).

Is the initial maximum games allowed vs one opponent still 3 with these playoff-qualification tweaks?

I see what you mean.

@ksmckay said in League General Discussion Thread:

@regularkid said in League General Discussion Thread:

@gamerman01 said in League General Discussion Thread:

point being, there are ways to not make the champion of a small pond look equal to the champion of the ocean

Well its not so much about that. Rather, I think playoffs generate excitement, in part, because people want the singular title of “league champion.” One big, end of year event for the entire community. Rather than balkanized proceedings.

Unfortunately you would have to read through a couple hundred posts to get a picture of the entire argument. The new proposal does its best to include every potential player’s desires whereas what you are saying (similar to what we have now) excludes some preferences. If we just changed to BM default, then that would exclude people who prefer OOB (even if thats a small number in this community, it still excludes them).

Good discussion. One that needed to be had. But on a side note the more playoffs there are the longer it will take to crown a champ. The playoffs already take quite some time. And being crowned a 2021 champion when its almost 2023 loses a little something in my book.