Warrior General Games

This game is expensive. It's demoralisingly expensive, especially when you build a dot that's subpar from the moment of inception. (Scroll down to the bold bit to skip my rant.)

The GLB2 community, especially Ellix, Adderfist, Ghanima and Raid have shared some of their secret sauce on dot-building, but as the great writer, Tolkien, once wrote:

"Your quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while all the Company is true."

GLB2 is a dot-builder at heart - sorry to burst any tactians' bubble here, but it's true. If you want to be semi-competitive, or at least have a chance of causing an upset against coaches who can build the perfect dot from Day 1 (with a lot of help from the Pay-To-Win DLC that is GLB2Scout), then you're gonna be in a lot of pain. A lot. Of pain.

It's time to overhaul the dot building for beginners or those returning to GLB2 (like me). I run a team called Quiçama (Kissama) Park Rangers that had a fruitful first run with immense help from the coaches I listed above, but I wanted to try out a new run with less input from the GLB2 greats, and I have come to the stone cold realisation that it's nigh on impossible to compete without the intervention of superior dot builders.

The tactical side of the game is subpar and is clearly secondary to dot-building. Good dots win virtually every time, whilst bad dots (that are expensive to buy with real money/flex) are no match for CPU rostered teams run by good coaches.

So: new players, on the whole, build bad dots from the moment Day 1 kicks in. Bad dots lose to CPU players. New players face good dots and get murdered, even when the opponent isn't even trying. New player gets demoralised and leaves/gives up. Where is the incentive to stick around? Join a Discord channel? Watch some Youtube vids? You really need to invest time as well as money to just about avoid getting a whooping. I joined a Discord channel and even watch YT vids on this game and still get a hiding from CPU rostered teams. I need to getgud, I guess.

It's time to level the playing field

Anyone who has played Pen and Paper D&D knows that there's more than 1 way to build an initial player with Attribute points and perks, etc. The Random build, the Preset, the roll dice and allocate the highest scores to key attributes, etc.

In GLB2, there's just 1. An empty canvas of 5,5,5,5,5,5 with 5 more points to spend. Good dot builders know where to start. Beginners don't. The game is virtually dead on arrival at this point. And the vicious cycle of demoralising defeat after demoralising defeat spirals out of control and the coach leaves GLB2. Ahem, I digress...

Introduce the Random Build.
It's Chaos and designed for the one who wants to experiment and know that defeat is likely. But sometimes you just might find a gem of a build that might grab your attention and you might want to stick around for more. This might spice up the experience for battle-worn veterans.

Introduce the Preset Build.
Have logical archetypes for each position. Want that Gunslinger QB? Then there should be a preset that can be tweaked to your liking. Pocket Passer? Got that covered too. It goes something like 3,1,10,7,4,10. Those Perks? Yeah chuck in Thick Skin/Scholar/*cough*DUAL THREAT*cough* (logical innit?!?!). Yep even recommended Height and Weight will be thrown into the mix so stop bamboozling noobs/rookies/beginners/the clueless

And as 3 is always the magic number, the 3rd option is for the expert: The Empty Canvas Build.

But that's not all

Nooooooooo. It doesn't end there!

So you've built your Pocker Passer with 3,1,10,7,4,10 and those key Perks: Thick Skin/Scholar/*cough*DUAL THREAT*cough* (I sure hope you didn't forget the *cough*DUAL THREAT*cough* for a Pocket Passer) and now you're presented with a bunch of yellow bars and grey bars.

I know, I know what you're thinking, "Oh man! I'm gonna have my Joe-Cool QB max out his Pass Consistency and hit up some Conditioning cos you want him on the field FRESH on every possible down. He's my stud after all..." STOP!!!!

Seriously STOP! Don't rely on your logic. Instead how about GLB2 lend a helping hand with recommending where to put your points? As a beginner, let the game do the thinking for you.

What?!?!?

Click on a Plus sign.. any plus sign and it goes GREEN. So why not have preset builds with the green bars filled (this option can be turned off for GLB veterans should they wish). You can then decide whether to confirm the recommendations or adjust them to your taste. Wait... Pass Tech just started with the green bar at 70? WTF?!?!?!?!?!

Yeah.

See those milestones on the Current Career Tier bar? Yeah? Those are level-ups. Beginners ought to get help there too. Every step of the way. And once they feel comfortable or they've gotten the gist of dot building, then they can turn off the option for SP recommendations - like a pro

But but but... the skill gap will narrow to placate the new players. Why should a veteran bother trying to get better at the game?

Guess what? The lowest common denominator of a coach just got a better squad. If that's not incentive enough to get better tactically or via the Empty Canvas dot building, then I don't know what is.

I think the idea isn't a bad one. Maybe one day I can get the gumption to do a whole library of build of the weeks so something akin to this eventually exist regardless.

YES

Both! Yes!

Originally posted by ellix
I think the idea isn't a bad one. Maybe one day I can get the gumption to do a whole library of build of the weeks so something akin to this eventually exist regardless.

Ellix, your works on player building is second to none, but you will appreciate that
- not everyone, especially beginners, will read the guides
- the guides will drop from page 1 in due time, and due to the lack of a search function and threads closing after 60 odd days, I'd expect newer coaches not find your wise words
- the creators of GLB2 should have an active role in encouraging newer coaches to stay on, not bamboozle them from inception. We already have pop-ups when creating the first player, so the tech is already there to do so when guiding a new player through the Presets, etc.

For new players there needs to be a peewee/newbie league. Rookie is too competitive. Allows them to learn the game without getting demoralized.

What is to keep someone from creating and alt account and feeding on new players?

Originally posted by agerm73
What is to keep someone from creating and alt account and feeding on new players?

I did wonder about that too. Not sure there's a perfect answer to that but in GLB1 Peewee had tiers at least. The hope is it wouldn't be spammed with alts.

Just don't give out regular trophies in that league, and the incentive for it dwindles

Peewee league is like a Band Aid. Newer players are probably more accepting a L against veteran players with chock full of well built dots.

However, I'd argue that beginners/returners will find losing to CPU rosters run by veteran coaches far more demoralising. Spend cash. Build dots. Lose to a cheap team because they built dots inferior to CPU players.

Originally posted by Mango Fandango
Peewee league is like a Band Aid. Newer players are probably more accepting a L against veteran players with chock full of well built dots.

However, I'd argue that beginners/returners will find losing to CPU rosters run by veteran coaches far more demoralising. Spend cash. Build dots. Lose to a cheap team because they built dots inferior to CPU players.

Wouldn't say it's a bandaid. In other games, there's beginner levels. Here we match Vet agents with brand new agents who know nothing about the game mechanics. A true peewee league would match them with one another as opposed to those who already know the ends and outs. When I joined GLB1, I was in a bottom tier rookie league, which is exactly where I needed to be. And people losing to CPU teams do so because of play-calling, not dots. It's very easy to predict what CPU teams will do since they never change their game plans.

My Stream Team streams are meant to show brand new players and returning players how to do this. If there are topics that you would like us to cover please let us know.

Originally posted by BoDiddley
Wouldn't say it's a bandaid. In other games, there's beginner levels. Here we match Vet agents with brand new agents who know nothing about the game mechanics. A true peewee league would match them with one another as opposed to those who already know the ends and outs.

I'd like to see how they'll create a PeeWee league with the handful of agents as there are already. Also, having a league of beginners who cannot dot-build will not encourage dot-building development. It's like rewarding a child with ice cream in a thunderstorm: there's nothing to eat. PeeWee League will not encourage half-decent dot building like a template/preset or (for the more hardcore) following the guidance of a dot-building expert who is using GLB2Scout. People get better when they feel they are challenging better coaches. I felt better when playing San Diego and Holy Church in the big games and even stealing a win here and there.

Originally posted by BoDiddley
When I joined GLB1, I was in a bottom tier rookie league, which is exactly where I needed to be.
Yep. But there was a depth of agents/coaches out there in an environment of people who were figuring things out. GLB2 has been figured out tenfold. Ellix on the Academy chat recently "gloated" (for a better word) that he could build 30+ rosters that would be competitive as he has programming experience. The critical advantage in this game is dot-building and understanding how to game the system.

It's a completely different kettle of fish.


Originally posted by BoDiddley
And people losing to CPU teams do so because of play-calling, not dots. It's very easy to predict what CPU teams will do since they never change their game plans.

CPU rosters run by veterans aren't predictable and know the meta inside-out. Losing to well-coached CPU players when you've invested cash/flex is demoralising and there is no mechanism in place to encourage good dot-building habits. The new coach/agent has to figure out how to distribute the Attribute Points, watch youtube, join a Discord channel, buy a subscription to GLBScout, complain to veteran dot builders, and then lose to CPU rosters run by veteran coaches.

CPU teams are trash; CPU rosters run by veteran coaches are not, and the CPU dots may even be better than the dots you spent real money on building, especially in the lower tiers where new people are thrown into that environment.

Oh and before anyone suggests nerfing CPU players. Don't. Again, that's a Band-Aid.

Teach good dot building to beginners. That's the work of devs, first and foremost.

Take a leaf out of Wizards of the Coast. Go on, GLB2 is a RPG at heart after all, is it not?

Originally posted by agerm73
My Stream Team streams are meant to show brand new players and returning players how to do this. If there are topics that you would like us to cover please let us know.

Your channel (and Kvothe) are the 2 channels I'd recommend any new coach to follow and learn. But that takes time, money (flex, etc) and a helluva lot of patience.

Beginner dot builders are at a huge disadvantage at the initial dot-building stage, the initial distribution of SP stage, the progression of SP distribution stage and the tactics stage. It would take an exhaustive set of YT videos to explain why SP are spent at level 6 then at 7,8,9,10, etc per player and per player variation. If you can do that, then I would highly appreciate it. But if not, then I fully understand. The onus is not upon you nor other unpaid volunteers.

Devs: Fix the dot-building disparity for beginners/returners. The game is a blank canvas with virtually no assistance or tooltip for the uninitiated to understand the game.

Originally posted by agerm73


Ummmm moderator Agerm? Congrats!

Originally posted by Mango Fandango
CPU rosters run by veterans aren't predictable and know the meta inside-out. Losing to well-coached CPU players when you've invested cash/flex is demoralising and there is no mechanism in place to encourage good dot-building habits. The new coach/agent has to figure out how to distribute the Attribute Points, watch youtube, join a Discord channel, buy a subscription to GLBScout, complain to veteran dot builders, and then lose to CPU rosters run by veteran coaches.

CPU teams are trash; CPU rosters run by veteran coaches are not, and the CPU dots may even be better than the dots you spent real money on building, especially in the lower tiers where new people are thrown into that environment.

Oh and before anyone suggests nerfing CPU players. Don't. Again, that's a Band-Aid.

Teach good dot building to beginners. That's the work of devs, first and foremost.

Take a leaf out of Wizards of the Coast. Go on, GLB2 is a RPG at heart after all, is it not?
We have a whole forum section for dot building. When most came here, they asked questions and people are happy to help. There's a ton of guides, dot build examples there too. Even a "Build Help" subsection within it

Originally posted by BoDiddley

We have a whole forum section for dot building. When most came here, they asked questions and people are happy to help. There's a ton of guides, dot build examples there too. Even a "Build Help" subsection within it


You're missing the point... again. Guides, YT, Discord, etc., etc., etc., is great and all that but stray just a little because of a skewed build priority will totally wreck a season for a beginner/returner.

https://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/game/884722
Point in case... this scoreline doesn't happen 9 days ago. The QB had the "wrong" stat at the "wrong" number - Pass Awareness. I get the coach to jump it up 20 points and everything is fine and dandy again. I was so shocked at the first game of the season (35% QB pc) that I just spammed screens for the sake of it. Then came the CPU roster run by a good coach. BOOM! Defeat. I suck. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I almost threw in the towel for the season.

As for asking questions. I'm one of them. I even irk the veterans... intentionally. I need a reaction in order to learn. Because I want to learn.

QPR's first run was full of questions. Result? 2 titles and 3 more final appearances right up to Veteran.
QPR's second run was less reliant on the experts because I should have gotten the gist of something. Right? WRONG.

In Rookie, QPR's OL was pathetic (all my guys, all my money) and defense was in chaos. The season was a write-off after 4-5 games. Kvothe messaged me on Discord with tips on how to improve the pass protection. A veteran had to step in without me asking. Do you get it??????
I was prepared to face another long ugly season because our QB could only complete 35% of his passes with the same playbook that I had success running the first time around.

Perhaps it's me? I'm stubborn and willing to learn to the point of infuriating those to that I ask questions. But after almost a year of coming back to GLB, I am virtually none-the-wiser in the dot-building department. Tactically, I'd say I'm semi-competent enough to give Ghanima itchy feet (but not good enough to own him), but if left to my own devices and just read page after page after page after page after page after page of guides and forums on dot-building I'd have packed it in some time ago.

This is my 2nd run. For the 3rd I might just completely abandon the guides and rely solely on what I have learned on dot-building. It doesn't take much imagination to guess that I'll probably get the Player Creator all wrong... and then probably give up. Well, I might just run out of flex first - whichever, I guess.

The game does not encourage good RPG dot-building. If anything, the experience is regressive to those that aren't into the whole spend SP spending thing when all they want is some competitiveness on the field.