FFA Masters League

General => News => Topic started by: FML|Mage on October 22, 2014, 10:07:53 am

Title: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Mage on October 22, 2014, 10:07:53 am
:FMLN:

Well, we've heard the questions about when would Season 20 get started and the answer is very soon!  This coming weekend we will be hosting a show match to kick things off, and after that we'll host some custom games for those that are interested.

We will also be announcing the time-frame for Season 20 on Saturday, and asking for your feedback on Season 19 as well!  We couldn't run this league without those of you who want to play in it, and it's very important to us that your experience be as enjoyable as possible.

Stay tuned for future updates and enjoy the rest of your week!

~Mage
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: ostone on October 22, 2014, 10:44:34 am
Lets make a showmatch between all active fml champions:) would be great
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: DV- on October 22, 2014, 11:03:05 am
Double points - fun but bad with cut off system (especially for those noobs who cant win 1 game like persuade and me)

Actually i dont like cut off system at all! Let noobs play till the end!
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Mage on October 22, 2014, 11:40:58 am
Lets make a showmatch between all active fml champions:) would be great

I like this idea a lot, thanks!

Quote from: dv
Double points - fun but bad with cut off system (especially for those noobs who cant win 1 game like persuade and me)

Actually i dont like cut off system at all! Let noobs play till the end!

Good opinions and thanks!  We'll have a thread dedicated to feedback coming out soon with a few other areas we'd like comments so hope we can get some more from you :)
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Pinballmap on October 22, 2014, 11:42:31 am
Double points - fun but bad with cut off system (especially for those noobs who cant win 1 game like persuade and me)

Actually i dont like cut off system at all! Let noobs play till the end!

We are reworking the cards which were used in S19, we will probably remove one of them and change the other.

We are not 100% sure about the format yet, but it wont be an elimination system we used in the previous season.

e: damn mage was faster.

and we are planing some All-star /ffa pro matches. so i agree that Ostone's idea is great :D
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Seksi on October 22, 2014, 12:13:31 pm
Cool guys, good news. 

Maybe this isn't the right spot to say, but I think it would be interesting to consider a round with 6 or 8 players in one game.  (More likely 6)
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Ugrilainen on October 23, 2014, 07:23:56 am
Double points - fun but bad with cut off system (especially for those noobs who cant win 1 game like persuade and me)

Actually i dont like cut off system at all! Let noobs play till the end!

100% agrees!
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Nooblex on October 23, 2014, 01:03:15 pm
Obviously I didn't play last season but the elimination and especially the cards make no sense to me. If you win the game you use your double points card in you're basically already in the semis even if that's the only game you win.

I guess my perspective is FML has always been *competitive* FFA, and for a long time it's been the only place where that gametype exists. Leave the funky stuff out.
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Pinballmap on October 23, 2014, 01:07:15 pm
About the cards. You had to use it before the game happened. And we just used them in S19. we will work out an alternative system for S20.
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Renaud on October 23, 2014, 04:01:59 pm
Actually i dont like cut off system at all! Let noobs play till the end!

Actually, when we don't have the cut off system we use the qualifier system, where noobs don't get to play at all ;)
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Mog on October 23, 2014, 07:34:53 pm
The thing I disliked the most about the elimination system was how the matchups are made. Example: soso and I matched 3 times in the season, and Renaud and I also matched 3 times I believe. It might be just in my head, but I felt like it put both soso and I at a big disadvantage when we matched in the semi final. By that point, it seemed like we were both somewhat annoyed at playing vs the other, and it showed within the game.

The cards were fun, but not ideal. The double point card especially didn't work out as well as maybe it was intended. The sub card, while really annoying scheduling wise, did allow for more strategic play. And the map voting system was great.

That's my opinion at least :)
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Ugrilainen on October 23, 2014, 07:55:02 pm
Obviously I didn't play last season but the elimination and especially the cards make no sense to me. If you win the game you use your double points card in you're basically already in the semis even if that's the only game you win.

I guess my perspective is FML has always been *competitive* FFA, and for a long time it's been the only place where that gametype exists. Leave the funky stuff out.

200% agree! :D

bring back oldschool FML
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|red7z7 on October 23, 2014, 08:09:30 pm
Agree with Mog on that one -- I don't think pairing should ever be based on score, as that causes repeat matchups the entire season.

Double score card should be a smaller multiplier and it might be fair.

Obviously I didn't play last season but the elimination and especially the cards make no sense to me. If you win the game you use your double points card in you're basically already in the semis even if that's the only game you win.

I guess my perspective is FML has always been *competitive* FFA, and for a long time it's been the only place where that gametype exists. Leave the funky stuff out.

200% agree! :D

bring back oldschool FML

400% agree
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Mage on October 23, 2014, 08:17:58 pm
All fair points, and it looks like maybe we should just have this be the feedback thread ^-^

I completely understand the idea of having "old school" FML to come back, and Season 20 will look more traditional.  That being said, people don't want the same season format over and over again.  Season 19 had as many changes as it did because of the fact that the previous seasons had been the same format for a while and players wanted change.  Perhaps we were a bit bold combining so many new elements at once, but I think that overall it did pretty well.  There were certainly parts we didn't like (double score was weighted too heavily) and parts that we really did.

Certain things like elimination will make an appearance again in the future I'd guess, but it's not a format that will be used season after season.  It's a fun way to include more people in FML though since normally only 16 or 20 people make each season.  Last season I think we started off with ~50 which allows for a lot more participation, and a lot of people to get their shot that normally might not. 

Stagnation is the enemy of FML, however we completely understand that players see it as a platform to measure themselves against the best in the game and want it to be a more traditional league.  As such we're constantly working to balance keeping players interested in the game and keeping a pure experience for our users.

Thank you all for the great feedback!  Keep it coming and stay tuned for more announcements.
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Renaud on October 24, 2014, 12:34:46 am
Well we wouldn't have had the same game 3 time, but SOMEONE decided he wanted to switch match!
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Ugrilainen on October 24, 2014, 06:21:25 am
I would like to share my opinion and develop it beyond a simple 200% agree comment.

For me oldschool FML meant that before, it was hard earned to qualify for it. Only the top guns could make it with a double epic round of qualification.

Then the games with an elite of 16 players were all followed and made us enthusiastic.

Now with 50 guys the overall level obviously decreases and I do not think that it is what we expect from FML.

On the ladder and on regularly in inhouse games or other events, all the community can involve and play : the offer in ffa games to be played is numerous.

But we do not have an offer of elite 4 ways games at all! Not only the best players would want that but also the FFA followers would want to see Nooblex vs Yane vs Renaud vs Persuade type of games.

I think last seasons lacked such games because the best were always mixed up with other players a little less skilled.

That is my opinion of course but I wish to see back an elite FML season that we would all fight to have an obs slot like it used to be.

Ugri
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|red7z7 on October 24, 2014, 07:40:45 am
Thanks for the feedback! Let me assure you that we take everyone's feedback on the league into consideration and that many of the concerns you've expressed are actually things we're already planning to address in season 20. I think you'll be happy to hear that some aspects of the oldschool FML formats will make a return in s20 :)

Agree with you Ugri -- FML is the place we all expect to have FFA competition of the highest degree. The place to go to see the very best players duke it out in anticipated 4-ways, where the stakes are the highest because there is no anonymity and players can prepare for matches a week in advance. We plan to maintain FML with that calibre of competition.
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Ugrilainen on October 24, 2014, 08:53:44 am
My take is : 16 is the magic number!
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: DV- on October 24, 2014, 12:51:24 pm
Lvl of ffa skill obviously increased over the years based on early seasons replays.
16 is too little as for me cuz quali is kinda luck based and random.
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Mage on October 24, 2014, 01:49:35 pm
It's a good point, and it's part of the reason we like to mix seasons up.  No matter what number we set it at (unless there's no qualifiers), someone great is going to be left out of the season.  Now, that is part of the fun as well is that even making the league is a big accomplishment but we want to hit the sweet spot on size for sure.

If you look back over the years I'm sure you'll notice a trend starting with Season 10 where we'd have a big group of players (Season 10 there were no qualifiers) followed by more select groups.  With a bigger season last season then you can be sure we'll probably be narrowing it down.

Again, thank you all for the comments and feedback.  You can be sure we want to hear more but the feedback has been great so far.  I love the well thought out and reasoned arguments for or against certain things, and while we won't be able to please everyone you can be sure we'll be giving each point consideration.
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Renaud on October 24, 2014, 05:26:13 pm
We all know the truth guys...
The only reason we did the elimination season, is because I'm unable to win qualifier matches :D
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: Nooblex on October 24, 2014, 05:48:16 pm
Let me add to my first comment. I think there's a few things we all want:

1. Competitive, balanced games with really good players.

2. Big names like Maga, Wreck and Htrt actually being in the league.

3. A chance for newer players to prove themselves and potentially make it in.

I may be wrong, but I think that's what most people want. So let's think about what kind of set up helps that happen.

What comes to mind for me off the top of my head is either having an extensive qualifier (perhaps with the first matchups trying to evenly distribute skill level... so we don't get a Htrt/Seksi/Maga/Ostone game in round 1). Either that or have a few set spots for the top 8 or so (based on previous FML success) and a qualifier for the other 8-16 spots.

That would make it likely that most of the great players get in, but still give a fair chance to anyone newer.

As far as the league goes, I think simpler is better. The same 25/10/10/5 points with a a small bonus for highest score. Good balanced maps all the way through like twilight, silverpine, market, harvest, sanctuary, etc. Top 2-3 players make finals and 1-2 4 person semis for the last 1-2 spots.

If other things are added, make them things that don't promote luck as a factor. Maybe each person gets 1 map veto per season.

Cheers
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|Mog on October 24, 2014, 06:48:47 pm
Well whatever the format is, good thing former champions get auto qualified......right? :D :D : D

But yeah... I have a similar problem as Renaud; losing in qualifiers haha

Jokes aside I agree with both super long posts from blex and mage.

TLDR version: don't want stagnation, but want best players playing for highest level and quality games
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: FML|red7z7 on October 24, 2014, 07:28:54 pm
Just curious if anyone has any thoughts/ideas on fair tie-breakers.

Whats been tried:
-TB points with the cards system
-Checking to see if one of the tied players beat the other in the same game (only looking at wins, keeping 2nd and 3rd equal)
-Checking to see which of the tied players had better performance vs the point-leaders (keeping 2nd and 3rd equal)

What else could be tried?
Title: Re: Welcome Back Folks
Post by: MattiasG on October 25, 2014, 05:41:08 am
Just moved into my new house, internet is set-up but currently only wireless on my macbook.

As soon as I manage to pull a decent UTP-cable in the walls above, I will be glad to play again!