The future of the Gold competitions.

[bigdealdave]

Is there no way to bring the Gold league back to 8 teams and only have the 8 conference winners play and use it as a format for the Champion of Champions?

[iwopp]

I think the argument is that people playing the gold league are gaining an unfair advantage via training and morale during the close of season. Also, if you're savvy you can dodge paying for friendlies, and still get full benefits.

The only obvious solution is to scrap it and any other leagues where you gain an advantage

[Angele]

I think the argument is that people playing the gold league are gaining an unfair advantage via training and morale during the close of season. Also, if you're savvy you can dodge paying for friendlies, and still get full benefits.

The only obvious solution is to scrap it and any other leagues where you gain an advantage

Unearned benefits (other than signing up for a PL) should be available to all - or none?  But some extra benefits can be earned. Qualify for any evening cup and there are immediate benefits when cup rounds are played over those that don't qualify (and the more rounds passed through, the greater the benefit over a season).  Which is, IMO, fine, But scrapping the Gold League and any other leagues where an "unearned" advantage can be gained surely doesn't have to happen. Keep any unfairly beneficial competition (with the history) but remove the extra training benefits.

And BTW, Is it me or am I imagining a (slightly petulant) resistance from some to the idea of bringing the Gold League in line with other PLs? 

If there are to be some leagues with bonuses, maybe there could be one for females and one for males?  Existing managers only. Loads of blokes competing for places in their league and (as far as I know) only three of us gals taking up spaces in the other league (apologies to any other female managers that are out there. How about making yourselves known?). 

Or just scrap all training benefits from daytime competitions (except Friendlies) and make sure all daytime PLs get gelling benefits for the players that take part.  Is my opinion. 

[Ryanparker9]

Everyone keeps saying that you get an unfair advantage that's not for all. But that's just wrong. It is for everyone, it's not password protected. Absolutely anyone can enter and everyone knows the benefits. If you desperately want to enter pay attention to when it ends. I haven't missed one in ages because I watch when it ends. It's also posted on the log in page and on the forum.

If you take away the benefits of the gold leagues then you will probably lose a few peoples second and third teams and thus make the whole game worse. I think it's a great way of gaining something without paying a fortune.

Please don't change anything. If you want in then enter. If you enter then set up its just etiquette.

[The Borg]

See this hotted up abit. It’s gone from people taking it seriously to training benefit.
The age old arguement that has always been a sore subject in my eyes. The flaw in the system.


Anyway, just so you know I have figured out how to take the training benefit away from these official comps ( I haven’t yet) but it is indeed possible. Thats without changing anything the comps can remain wihout training!!!!
This can solve the problem. Put everyone on a level playing field when training players via friendlies. Just let me know what you think? I can do it for the next restart of the comps.
I will attach a poll to this thread if you want to keep your identity concealed. It’s great to have views on this.

I’ll be open with mine. My view has never changed. Remove the training. Reason - make a fairer game, Get people to spend money which in turn will keep the game running.

[Angele]

Everyone keeps saying that you get an unfair advantage that's not for all. But that's just wrong. It is for everyone, it's not password protected. Absolutely anyone can enter and everyone knows the benefits. If you desperately want to enter pay attention to when it ends. I haven't missed one in ages because I watch when it ends. It's also posted on the log in page and on the forum.

If you take away the benefits of the gold leagues then you will probably lose a few peoples second and third teams and thus make the whole game worse. I think it's a great way of gaining something without paying a fortune.

Please don't change anything. If you want in then enter. If you enter then set up its just etiquette.

And have you considered how lucky you might have to be to have net access when the places become available?  People might work in jobs where they aren't able to log-in, or lives that occupy them in other ways? 

Frankly, if you are that desperate the that's your choice then I will make my choice and keep good my promise to try to enter and make things "interesting".  Perhaps other might even join me? 

As for "etiquette", doesn't that involve something about standing back and letting others go first?   

[northstar]

See this hotted up abit. It’s gone from people taking it seriously to training benefit.
The age old arguement that has always been a sore subject in my eyes. The flaw in the system.


Anyway, just so you know I have figured out how to take the training benefit away from these official comps ( I haven’t yet) but it is indeed possible. Thats without changing anything the comps can remain wihout training!!!!
This can solve the problem. Put everyone on a level playing field when training players via friendlies. Just let me know what you think? I can do it for the next restart of the comps.
I will attach a poll to this thread if you want to keep your identity concealed. It’s great to have views on this.

I’ll be open with mine. My view has never changed. Remove the training. Reason - make a fairer game, Get people to spend money which in turn will keep the game running.

I'm with you Borg. Remove the training benefits and keep the league and the history. i also like the idea mentioned before of a gold 8 team league for the champions of the conferences. it would be a nice addition to the history page..

[Ryanparker9]

Everyone keeps saying that you get an unfair advantage that's not for all. But that's just wrong. It is for everyone, it's not password protected. Absolutely anyone can enter and everyone knows the benefits. If you desperately want to enter pay attention to when it ends. I haven't missed one in ages because I watch when it ends. It's also posted on the log in page and on the forum.

If you take away the benefits of the gold leagues then you will probably lose a few peoples second and third teams and thus make the whole game worse. I think it's a great way of gaining something without paying a fortune.

Please don't change anything. If you want in then enter. If you enter then set up its just etiquette.

And have you considered how lucky you might have to be to have net access when the places become available?  People might work in jobs where they aren't able to log-in, or lives that occupy them in other ways? 

Frankly, if you are that desperate the that's your choice then I will make my choice and keep good my promise to try to enter and make things "interesting".  Perhaps other might even join me? 

As for "etiquette", doesn't that involve something about standing back and letting others go first?   

I work aswell, I log on twice a day and have never missed out. But I also play all my friendlies so I'm got gaining any advantage. I just want to win one.

And as for the etiquette, in this particular instance I'm referring to the fact that we all enter leagues trying to win and as such don't give others unfair advantages. But if you would like to cause anarchy and go against this particular etiquette then so be it.

But it seems I'm in the vast minority in keeping it advantageous. Never mind.

[davidvangaal]

I think if Borg is able to remove the training benefits then that's the major issue solved. There wont be such a clamour to sign up as soon as the competition opens and hopefully  then the entry wont be so arbitrary as to be just this who happen to be online at the time.  You could go further and have a sign up sheet on the forum, like the FL, with password controlled entry to make sure entry was fair  ( e.g. points in managers table if you want the comp to be high standard,  or  give entry to those who have made the most number of unsuccessful applications if you want it to be "fair" )  but removing the training benefits is probably the most important step. 

[Wizard]

Training benefits or not (I'm personally not fussed about training benefits), I think they will still be popular and places will fill up quick. I know that I like taking part in them because of the prospect of a lovely shiny SL trophy in my history cabinet at the end of it, so I'm not 100% convinced that most people necessarily sign up just for the training benefits... I didn't even know about them until recently.

These competitions feel prestigious and official (much like the SL Official Server Cup, which we all know fills up very quick), so there won't be a shortage of people signing up for the Gold Competition and the Preseason Gold. Whether people remember to set up for their games or not is beyond anybody's control, but I think that's the case for every competition/league.

[Baggio]

Frankly, if you are that desperate the that's your choice then I will make my choice and keep good my promise to try to enter and make things "interesting".  Perhaps other might even join me? 

As for "etiquette", doesn't that involve something about standing back and letting others go first?   

Or perhaps no one is quite as childish to ruin a competition people have spent credits to join and are trying to win.

I may have to come back to conf 8 and bring you back down to earth again Angele.

[Cove]

My view is that removal of the training benefit from the gold league is a TERRIBLE IDEA.

If people want equality, then ADD training benefits to other private leagues, or ADD benefits to EVERY private league. That way everyone gets the chance to maximise their training benefits, no one has an unfair advantage.

If training benefits are removed, then the players with the deepest pockets will buy the best players as they always will. However, those who buy the second rate players will never get the chance to improve those players. Removing training benefits WILL KEEP THE STRONGER PLAYERS STRONG BUT WILL LEAVE THE WEAKER PLAYERS MUCH WEAKER.

Like i said, removing the private league training benefits is a terrible idea.

[Cove]

I will add, if I can't train my team to be competitive, then why continue to play? Extra training benefits level the playing field for all.

[Ryanparker9]

My view is that removal of the training benefit from the gold league is a TERRIBLE IDEA.

If people want equality, then ADD training benefits to other private leagues, or ADD benefits to EVERY private league. That way everyone gets the chance to maximise their training benefits, no one has an unfair advantage.

If training benefits are removed, then the players with the deepest pockets will buy the best players as they always will. However, those who buy the second rate players will never get the chance to improve those players. Removing training benefits WILL KEEP THE STRONGER PLAYERS STRONG BUT WILL LEAVE THE WEAKER PLAYERS MUCH WEAKER.

Like i said, removing the private league training benefits is a terrible idea.

Fully agree Cove.

[cha4zz]

I will add, if I can't train my team to be competitive, then why continue to play? Extra training benefits level the playing field for all.

Cove, this is what friendlies are for. The argument is that the playing field is more level if we remove training benefits from the gold leagues, thereby not benefitting those that are able to be logged in more often and get one of the 16 spots available.