I posted this idea in the S40 Change Suggestions thread but wanted to break it out into a separate thread for conversation.
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Has the idea of a seasonal "Reset League" ever been discussed?
As I see it, the major issue (aside from getting new users, which I see as the principal problem, and retaining current users) is that many players, for whatever reason, are retired or abandoned after the rookie/sophomore tiers. I would take a guess that some combination of discouragement from being on a mediocre team, boredom with the monotonous nature of earning SP at a set (and relatively slow) rate/lack of engagement on the forums or in the gameplanning process, or wanting to scrap a build and start with something fresh are the driving forces behind what is happening.
In any event, we end up situations like this season's Pro tier where there are only 3 active teams. The idea behind a Reset League would be that you would create players/purchase teams that could exclusively play in the Reset League, similar to how pickup players currently work. This players/teams would be available at an increased flex cost relative to normal players but would not require SP boosts. The appeal to the Reset League would be a different wrinkle/twist each season - here are a few examples:
- a season where the rate at which SPs are earned are doubled or 2.5x (I think that it may be smart to include this each season)
- a season where each roster is capped at 24 players
- a season where all skills are capped at 99 for every player
- a season where each player starts with 9 AP
Obviously this is not a comprehensive list, but I'm sure that we could crowd source some good ideas for these seasonal twists.
The appeal would be that the Reset League would, fittingly, reset after each season and all players would be released from their teams. They would then be free to rejoin their previous team or join a new Reset League for the following season with a new twist. The idea behind this is that it may rejuvenate the game and create a break from the monotony for vets while also allowing new players to make mistakes on their builds and learn gameplanning, etc. without the harsh, time-consuming penalty of retiring their player and trying to find a new team at the rookie level. As an added benefit, the league would serve as a way to trial new ideas/features before they make their way into the main game.
I know that this has traditionally been rejected, but I sincerely believe that incorporating SOME type of incentive structure beyond a .jpg trophy for this type of league would go a long way towards curbing some of the apathy and loss of quality players that we're currently seeing. As an example, the flex buy-in for players and teams in the reset league could be increased on the front-end in order to pay some flex out to the team that ultimately wins the league each season.
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I'm sure this is a somewhat half-baked idea because I'm typing it out at work, but I think the logic behind it is sound. Once upon a time, a now-dead game called Court Rivals introduced a similar league and I'm certain that it added over a year of lifespan to that site. If an idea like this is instituted correctly (or another "big swing" type of overhaul of the current system) then I truly think that it can inject some life (and flex purchases) into the game which can be parlayed into a more active/robust userbase in the main game.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Has the idea of a seasonal "Reset League" ever been discussed?
As I see it, the major issue (aside from getting new users, which I see as the principal problem, and retaining current users) is that many players, for whatever reason, are retired or abandoned after the rookie/sophomore tiers. I would take a guess that some combination of discouragement from being on a mediocre team, boredom with the monotonous nature of earning SP at a set (and relatively slow) rate/lack of engagement on the forums or in the gameplanning process, or wanting to scrap a build and start with something fresh are the driving forces behind what is happening.
In any event, we end up situations like this season's Pro tier where there are only 3 active teams. The idea behind a Reset League would be that you would create players/purchase teams that could exclusively play in the Reset League, similar to how pickup players currently work. This players/teams would be available at an increased flex cost relative to normal players but would not require SP boosts. The appeal to the Reset League would be a different wrinkle/twist each season - here are a few examples:
- a season where the rate at which SPs are earned are doubled or 2.5x (I think that it may be smart to include this each season)
- a season where each roster is capped at 24 players
- a season where all skills are capped at 99 for every player
- a season where each player starts with 9 AP
Obviously this is not a comprehensive list, but I'm sure that we could crowd source some good ideas for these seasonal twists.
The appeal would be that the Reset League would, fittingly, reset after each season and all players would be released from their teams. They would then be free to rejoin their previous team or join a new Reset League for the following season with a new twist. The idea behind this is that it may rejuvenate the game and create a break from the monotony for vets while also allowing new players to make mistakes on their builds and learn gameplanning, etc. without the harsh, time-consuming penalty of retiring their player and trying to find a new team at the rookie level. As an added benefit, the league would serve as a way to trial new ideas/features before they make their way into the main game.
I know that this has traditionally been rejected, but I sincerely believe that incorporating SOME type of incentive structure beyond a .jpg trophy for this type of league would go a long way towards curbing some of the apathy and loss of quality players that we're currently seeing. As an example, the flex buy-in for players and teams in the reset league could be increased on the front-end in order to pay some flex out to the team that ultimately wins the league each season.
-
I'm sure this is a somewhat half-baked idea because I'm typing it out at work, but I think the logic behind it is sound. Once upon a time, a now-dead game called Court Rivals introduced a similar league and I'm certain that it added over a year of lifespan to that site. If an idea like this is instituted correctly (or another "big swing" type of overhaul of the current system) then I truly think that it can inject some life (and flex purchases) into the game which can be parlayed into a more active/robust userbase in the main game.






























