FFA Masters League

 

Welcome to Season 23

If you're like me, the beginning of each new season brings with it excitement and a feeling of competitive ambition. A new season is a clean slate in which all players begin on equal starting ground -- it is a chance for new and upcoming players and veterans alike to prove to their competitors that they are worthy of recognition. Ultimately, a new season is an opportunity to reach towards the prestigious FML champion title.

Last season our players went through a grueling four-and-a-half month bloodbath from start to finish. This season we wanted to bring you a shorter, more classic format reminiscent of the earlier seasons of FML. With great pleasure, the FML team presents to you the format for Season 23 along with the Round 1 pairings.

Season 23 format:

• Main season: consists of 4 rounds
• Pairings: first round will be completely random. Rounds 2-4 will use swiss-style pairing (the top 4 ranks are paired, the next 4, and so on)
• Scoring: each match will use the familiar 25-10-10-5 scoring, with +1 bonus point awarded for getting the top in-game score (if the player didn't win the match)
• Eliminations: after the 3rd round, players with no chance of making it into the top 10 will be eliminated
• Playoffs: at the end of the main season, the top 2 ranked players qualify for the final match. Players ranked 3-10 will play 2 semi-finals matches. The 2 winners qualify for the final match
• Semi-final pairings: ranks (3, 5, 8, 10) form one match, and ranks (4, 6, 7, 9) form the other.
• Championship: the winner of the final match is crowned the Season 23 champion

The following maps will be used:

Round 1: Silverpine Forest
Round 2: Emerald Shores FML
Round 3: Sanctuary
Round 4: Harvest of Sorrow
Semi Final: Twilight Ruins
Final: Deadlock

Round 1 Pairings

Please find your match in the listing below. Then proceed to schedule your game in the corresponding scheduling thread. Round 1 will end on Sunday 7/31

M1
  TOCKA_3EJIEHA9I
  QQs
  Slythe
  Junkerzam

M2
  WeAkUD
  LssL
  Airenikus
  Mog[skynet]

M3
  Tleilaxu
  Renaud
  Ena1337
  Noexxx

M4
  mrSweets
  j33.
  Steppinrazor
  Jaodd

M5
  ztsoso
  b100death
  Zs.SuperCumulo
  ObserveAndLearn

M6
  ARcTic.KYOTO
  Ponty
  Pinballmap
  AlienWareOwnZ

M7
  GEASS
  Kent2566
  Dinamo
  Tyrant66

M8
  Under.Sta
  Fetta_ook
  Letshavesomefun
  Eshan

M9
  Reinforcement-
  Red7z7
  Darkermirror
  aarnikratti

One final note - I want to remind everyone that we are a small community and that all of us are here to enjoy the game we love. While there is a strong competitive nature to the game, we should respect one another as people in a shared community. For those of you new to FML, or just need a refresher, please read through our detailed FML rulebook here: http://ffamasters.net/index.php?page=1.

Great write up and intro, thank you for setting all the rules and giving all the information for the whole season at the beginning, thats awesome

My only concern is deadlock as a Finals map - that map is known to favor certain races, especially elf and UD, and is largely unfair for orc - maybe switch a more balanced map in for the finals

I know you mean well Eshan but you shouldnt ask for major rule changes such as map choices during an ongoing season, its insulting to the admins.

As feedback for coming seasons its a good comment though.

Great job red, looking forward to play the classic format of FML.

Then post your schedule in M1 :P

no andorhal, fountain of manipulation, polynesia, marketsquare in map pool, dont like this maps ?
emerald shores 

we did use market square almost any season. And Emerald Shores is editted. it contains an additional tavern and only 4 fixed spawning locations.

there is still the possibility of being sandwiched, right ?

Yes for such a short season format we can't play on all the maps we love such as market square and deathrose (also, I'm flattered you mentioned fountain of manipulation).

We believe we have chosen a good lineup that has variety and switches things up from last season. Among the maps typically used for finals (Twilight, Deadlock, Market), Historically Deadlock actually makes for better, more balance games than Market, and Twilight was used last season.

I really like the map choices for this season. Deadlock in finals will be epic! I don't think it's that bad for human/orc to be honest. Maybe Eshan is right that it's not the best orc map, but really when u think about it it's only because they can't get imba items like blink dagger, claw +15 etc... If orcs just learn to macro well and transition well from t2/t3, which all orc players seem to struggle with for some reason, it should not be a big deal.

All in all I don't see a reason to complain about the maps. The only issue is islands, but that's only a problem if the players are stupid enough to let it happen :-)

Lastly it's ok to be critical but one should also respect that admins have spent time to make it an enjoyable season. One can always come with constructive criticism at the end of a season.

I really like the map choices for this season. Deadlock in finals will be epic! I don't think it's that bad for human/orc to be honest. Maybe Eshan is right that it's not the best orc map, but really when u think about it it's only because they can't get imba items like blink dagger, claw +15 etc... If orcs just learn to macro well and transition well from t2/t3, which all orc players seem to struggle with for some reason, it should not be a big deal.

All in all I don't see a reason to complain about the maps. The only issue is islands, but that's only a problem if the players are stupid enough to let it happen :-)

Lastly it's ok to be critical but one should also respect that admins have spent time to make it an enjoyable season. One can always come with constructive criticism at the end of a season.

Just lol
Deadlock is a trash map.

You can still change the final map to twilight/market/gold rush