League Update

[Davross]

Right - thanks for all the feedback Ive been given on this and also a big thank you to Deadmanwalking for adding his tuppence worth the other night and offering his services and skills.

The general consensus is that the risk idea might work and could be fun, but that it is probably trying to run before we can walk. I'd certainly like to return to it in the future but realise it is over-ambitious to start.

Therefore I think the first attempt at this league should be standard fayre with no real exotics or variations, so unless people have major problems with it I propose the following format. This will allow clans a chance to get used to playing this game in a league and allow the admins to sort out the problems and complications of adminning:

1) Teams of 8-12 per side (ideally 12, but some clan leaders will tear their hair out organising this number of people in one place.

2) Each week all teams will play on a map chosen by the organisers - we will try and remove the badly balanced maps from this list. The map will vary from week to week and we will avoid duplications.

3) A match will consist of having a go on both sides - with probably a time limit to keep the length sensible. Tickets for an against will be used to determine the outcome in the event of a draw.

4) The number of weeks will vary depending on the number of entering clans - ideally we start with at least 8 clans in which case it runs for 7 weeks - allowing each clan to play the other.

5) This is a subscription only league - teams must be made up completely of BW subscribers.

With regard to the rules and decision making of the league, both DMW and I were pro a system we used to use in a former league I was involved with - that is a "council" of rules makers who represent senior players from all the competiting clans. Should the outcome of a match, or an admins decision be in question, these people will have the ultimate say in how the result falls.

OK, that is the basics of the idea - now its time to get some idea of uptake. So far G, FUK and my own clan DP have expressed and interest, and I would hope we could count on CIX as well - are there more of you out there.

I am more than happy for the larger teams to have A and B teams provided players are assigned to each squad properly - i.e. cant float from team to team.

Come on people - spread the word and try and recruit enough for a 12 man squad of subscribers.

Comments on the above gratefully received.

Dav

 

[=FUK= Mendez]

Sounds good

 

[MrChumble]

Yup count CIX in. I do have two issues with this format though.

8 players is just far too few for a proper game. I'd suggest 12 as a minimum, or only use the smaller maps (which would be a real shame).

This subscriber only thing...not at all happy with that. My understanding was that BW leagues would remain open to all. They are a good visible face to BW, and a good way encourage people to sub up, but making it a requirement is a really really bad idea. The clans you listed are pretty much it as far as existing BW users go. There are a couple of smaller ones, but you only ever see the same 2 or 3 people from them. Forcing this to subs only is going to limit the number of clans, and the number of players per clan, to a point where the league itself might not be tenable.

Like the Risk system I'd hold subs-only off until BW actually has a userbase that can support that system.

 

[Davross]

MrC - the subs only is unfortunately a requirement for running a BW league for '42. Because of the high CPU load of BF1942, it is only possible to run it on newer hardware and I've been told that new hardware will only be made available for subscribers. If I could change this I would, but the powers-that-be tell me it is this way - or no way!!

Hence the reason for my 8-12 per side - I openly accept that 12+ a side would be more reasonable, but with the number of subscribers needing boosting and this being a new league, I'd rather accept slightly smaller clans and have some fun than limit it.

12+ a side shall be reserved for season 2 - lets just have some fun and a few matches while the new community establishes itself.

Dav

 

[old.Spanjab]

Sounds good to me, count PR^ in.

I think 8v8 is fine really, have you ever tried a smaller game? I've played for about 2 hours in a 4v4 on Wake Island and it worked amazingly well with lots of quick Jeep travel, securing and redeploying. The flags changing colours is an amazing way to ensure action even on an empty map. 12v12 is good too, more than that and it kinda becomes a bit FFA and less squad based tactics imo.

Dav you set up some kind of league website as yet?

I'd also like to volunteer to admin if needed.

This should be cool!

Spanjab
www.pr-clan.com

 

[Scooba Da Bass]

8 a side?

/me enters 3 teams

 

[wildie]

?

8v8

 

[Davross]

8 a side is a minimum Scoobs - I'd like to aim for 12, but we'll have to see what the uptake is.

As I stated, I'm happy for you to have 3 teams if we drop to 8 a side - I'm more interested in numbers of clans before I finalise rules.

Dav

 

[Burratha]

Originally posted by Davross
.....Come on people - spread the word and try and recruit enough for a 12 man squad of subscribers.

Are there enough BW subscribers to go around?

Also, I know of some Dutch guys who would subscribe, but are unable to.

 

[Scooba Da Bass]

tbh that's not much of an excuse, I know of loads of Dutch guys who have signed up, two who in particular I've signed up and they've snet me M&Ms

 

[=FUK= Mendez]

As long as the maps are carefully selected there should be no problems with 8v8 (although 12v12 would be much better and personally I'd accept a smaller number of clans in order to be able to set this as the minimum).

As to the BWSubs thing I think it's fair enough. You can get public games anywhere but a league backed by decent resources is a good selling point for the accounts. It's only 12 quid ffs (or 24 quid if you live abroad) - people'll have paid 3 times that already for a copy of the retail game.

 

[Deathwatch]

The problem for non-uk subscribers is that the only way to subscribe is to use a credit card, which is something a lot of people don't have.

But, if they really wanted to subscribe, I am certain they can find ways to do so.

 

[Davross]

Alright Bas - no need to rub it in that I'm your credit card bitch!

 

[|WarpiG|]

I think a subs only league is a good idea!

1942 is the only game i have played on BW server since the change and i find that there are always a few players whenever i want to play!

but 12 v 12 on a 56k modem is painfull at the best of times.
The players skate around like nutters and tryin to hit a moving plane as it warps around is hard...

i guess i will have to wait till BT or Telewest decide to install broadband in my area before i can enjoy the game with that many players... fat chance of that anytime soon.

 

[Deathwatch]

Not true Kev, you are just my GAME Reward Card guardian

 

[kanonfodda]

i was reading that, and thought, cool a BF league. Then saw the subs only ruling

Only 2 members of the clan are BW subs, so you won't be seeing FTD in a BW BF league, until that rule is removed/relaxed

I'm assuming there are others in the same situation.

 

[Summo]

Yeah, it does seem to be the biggest issue here. It seems there are two, possibly three clans which will compete. So the league could be over in three weeks.

Maybe some major pimping across the Interweb would help, but there are a lot of other BF leagues starting and we seem to be the only one charging. I doubt uptake will be tremendous. :/

That said, I'll still fight to the death, yada yada yada.

 

[eLL Tee]

Why is the league allowing clans to put as many teams as they want ?

Wont this make the larger clans get bigger and bigger till they have 3 - 4 or 5 teams in the same league.


I also saw someone say there are a few clans with only a few members, what chance do they have of getting members if the bigger clans are allowed to keep taking members to put in extra teams.


Would it not be better and more fun to spread the wealth of players, as its going to be Subs only (which i like)

And before anyone says, its up to clan how many they want in there team, yes thats normal if there allowed 1 team per league, as its up 2 the players that dont get played if they just wanna be a groupie or a player.

 

[Will]

Well, the teams would be totally seperate, no crossover of players. And a lot of outside leagues are going to be larger than 8v8 (which is a little bit small, I was hoping for more), so some clans are going to be a bit bigger.

 

[bigfoot]

The Subs only thing is something i doubt will change. Existing BW leagues may well remain free to all for some time to come but new games require new hardware and it doesn't make any commercial sense to keep throwing £2,000 machines at something which doesn't bring in any revenue.

 

[Scooba Da Bass]

Originally posted by eLL Tee
Why is the league allowing clans to put as many teams as they want ?

Wont this make the larger clans get bigger and bigger till they have 3 - 4 or 5 teams in the same league.


I also saw someone say there are a few clans with only a few members, what chance do they have of getting members if the bigger clans are allowed to keep taking members to put in extra teams.


Would it not be better and more fun to spread the wealth of players, as its going to be Subs only (which i like)

And before anyone says, its up to clan how many they want in there team, yes thats normal if there allowed 1 team per league, as its up 2 the players that dont get played if they just wanna be a groupie or a player.

The more than one team per league thing is only down to there not being enough teams to go around. If 8-10 seperate clans sign up I'd have no complaints about being allowed to enter a single team.

We don't force anyone to join, and never have done, and I can't see how, or why BW would want try to restrict us?

 

[eLL Tee]

lets say league has 8 teams and 3 or 4 or even 5 are the one clan, thats sounds good fun innit


Get ur bets in now who will win the league.


Lo bigfoot its [oG-R*B]

 

[Will]

Why would the clan with 3 or 4 teams do any better. The teams would still have to play each other, and I can't see any of [G] following team orders to lay down their arms and lose the match. And Scoobs can eat a rifle round if he tries to tell me different.

 

[Louster]

Uh but he has a point. Even if the teams themselves are no better off, the clan as a whole has a much higher chance of winning overall. And I'd bet that even if you were in a losing team, and your clan won, you'd still enjoy it.

 

[Louster]

I mean, some other team in your clan winning the league overall, and the team you play for losing overall, you would probably still feel as though you'd partially won the league.

 

[Will]

Why would I? I'd not played in their matches, without a doubt we'd have to play with different tags, and I'm sure the team that did win wouldn't let us bask in their glory at all.

 

[Louster]

Right but put it this way: "Team [jErKz] of [G] win the league!!"
It's always going to be a team of a clan.

 

[Will]

You think I won't rip the shit out of the Summo Hairdressing Corp of [G] after my squad jump up and down on them?

 

[Scooba Da Bass]

Originally posted by eLL Tee
lets say league has 8 teams and 3 or 4 or even 5 are the one clan, thats sounds good fun innit


Get ur bets in now who will win the league.


Lo bigfoot its [oG-R*B]

DO...SOMETHING...ABOUT...IT...THEN

Go encourage people to sign up to BW and organise a team. If there are sufficient clans to not need doubles from the larger more organised clans then all the better. I'd like to point out that we've not come to this arrangement with Davross, or anyone else in the league, it's simply down to clan numbers. I see loads of people everynight on the servers without tags, do the legwork, sort a clan out, and get them entered instead of bitching about those clans which have already done so.

There goes my Ferrari esque plans for league domination ;/

 

[Davross]

Scoobs is indeed correct - if we got a good uptake of clans we probably would limit each clan to one entry. As it is, with hind-sight, I think we should limit it to 2 teams per clan for the timebeing.

On the subject of winning, yes Im sure the other team would enjoy the success of their fellows, but it is after all a league with no reward - they don't get anything for coming first other than personal satisfaction.

On the 8 a side point, we will aim for more, but again its down to uptake. There is nothing to stop a couple of smaller clans getting friendly and clubbing together to make one '42 clan - my own clan did this back in the first days of Tribes 2.

My personal hope is that we may start small and build up as seasons go on - by build up I mean more clans and ultimately even larger number of players per team if maps and servers can support it.

I think we need to get things rolling however and if that means 8 clans playing 8 a side then so be it. If nothing else it will give those clans an opportunity to work on tactics and the admins a chance to experiment with server configs.

As a final point, pimp like youve never pimped before. If you are a subscriber, but have others in your clan who aren't, why not encourage them to join. You know BW offer some of the best servers around and that with BW backing, a league has a good chance of working well.

Dav