VOTE for modus operandi Season VIII

[Vazdru]

Time for some changes or never change a running system?? You may decide it!

First of all some key facts for season VIII and requirements for voting

* first registration period for [HLL]Season VIII will be open from 25.10. till 8.11.
* [HLL]Season VIII starts 8.11. and ends 31.1.10
* everyone with at least one [HLL]participation may vote for his preferred settings of [HLL]Season VIII (A-D, see below)
* it is assumed that the voter is willing to participate at [HLL]Season VIII with the selected modus


Alternatives for modus operandi [HLL]Season VIII


A:

• same procedure as every time â€" no modifications of actual settings for [HLL]Seasons
• sponsored price-pool (Vazdru) will range between 3-5 booster for the winner
• sponsors welcome 

pros: participation for free, attract a wide range of players, casual play, fun is in the front - not money or prizes
cons: less competitive, many nominal members, lots of participants lose motivation if they get out of reach for top ranks/price


B:

• there will be a entry fee for every participant
• the money/boosters will be collected before season starts
• the top 30% will get prices (e.g. ~ 50%, 30%, 20% or 40%, 25%, 20%, 15%)
• money: cash or bank transfer; boosters: handover or by mail

pros: boost changes to get a price, attracts more competitive players, participants will stay as long there is a change to reach a top rank/price
cons: entry-free, league do not longer offer a "test ground", probably smaller number of participants, maybe clime becomes more tense/tough

b1: EUR 5 or 2 Booster (latest edition / Zendikar)
b2: EUR 6 or 3 Booster  (extended legal, > 80% M10, Zendikar, ARC)

example:

11 participants
b1: winner 9 Booster, runner-up 6 Booster, 3rd 4 Booster, 4th 3 Booster
b2: winner 13 Booster, runner-up 9 Booster, 3rd 6 Booster, 4th 5 Booster


C:

• there will be play-offs for T4 after season ended

pros: participants longer have the change to become the Highlander (get the prize!)
cons: T4 needs some extra time


D:

• combination of B + C

votes!, helpful suggestions and improvements welcome

[pyyhttu]

A.

I'm not interested in boosters or prizes. This league is all about casual testing, new ideas and archetypes. Then there are the time constraint issues. I'd like to see this league to be as accessible as possible. Also, if you are going to get money involved, how do you handle the judging and authenticate the actual results? Do you realize how much work these things require e.g. in magic-league.com?

Whoever is going to be motivated to orchestrate this for the first time, might just end up getting a burn out in the end.

[Mythrandir]

For me the HLL is an amazing platform to test decks and have some (competitive) highlander fun.
The biggest problem for me is the drop-out or players that don't play after losing 2-3 games straight, which i really don't think the entry fee will help that good, unless the league gives prize to more players, e.g: 1-8th. And for what i understood, the entry fee would only give to the 1-4th which isn't as different as right now (although better prizes).
Also there's a huge problem with the fee mode, it becomes much more less relaxed and things like MWS crashes (which are quite frequent) could become (more of a) a problem and a reason for ppl to become really upset.

As for the play-offs, i don't think it's a bad idea at all, but i'd prefer it as separate event, like a soccer cup. For example once or twice per year we could do a HL with play-off of the X top players of the HLL ladder (this one could be made with no-change-decks rule between games).
Also this one could be made with an entry fee for better prizes, since the top X would be (at least most of them..) players that have been around for a while. The "cons": players might feel left out if they didn't make the top X of the ladder (but also could become more motivated to play the an entire league to reach a higher position in the ladder, although they had lost any chance of getting a prize in that current league)

After saying this, i vote to maintain to current league, which i don't mind to send a couple of boosters or HL "staple" cards to offer as prizes, so that Vazdru isn't the only sponsor.
Although i prefer the current version, i'll still play whatever mode wins, even if with a fee envolved.

[Sensenmann]

The reasons have been claimed. So I only vote for option A.
Although I'd like to see less participants dropping out of the league after a couple of games, I don't see a solution to this problem. How to motivate someone to play if they don't want to loose again  .

[lio123]

I vote for A and agree with all comments above. I know i can't reach top4, because i like playing my own crappy decks sometimes

[Sturmgott]

I also strongly vote for A.

I'm with those that see the HLL as a testing ground for new ideas and decks. We should not put any obstacles in the way of those that would like to participate.

To motivate those that stay in the league until the end of a season and play all their games despite not having the chance to go top 4, I'd recommend to have some part of the prize pool go deliberately to randomly chosen people in that group.

Apart from that, I'd like to see everything continue like the way it was/is!

Aside from all that, a huge "thank you" goes out to Vazdru, whose voluntary work makes this all possible after all!

[Vazdru]

Thx for your input.

* Season VIII is going to take place
* modus operandi is A - that is to say there will be no major changes in its procedure in comparison to season VII
* price pool is 5 booster (2 Zendikar, 1 M10, 2 older ones) + x (depends on -voluntary- donations) 
* a tournament for the top 8 of the ladder will be offered at end of this year; entry fee will be cards or boosters (no money) - infomation will follow