VHLE! Awesome! Let’s do more!

[DMaximus 1,046]

The virtual hockey world is still reeling from the announcement of a brand new league, the VHL:E (more commonly referred to as the VHLE).  The target of this league is players who need a little more time to prepare for the demands of the big league, the VHL, but have outgrown the minor league, the VHLM. Let’s take a look at some of the details and I’ll share my thoughts

 

First, I’ll say I think it’s great to have the option to even create a third league. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, this league keeps growing and I think it’s fantastic. A big congratulations to everyone who positively contributes to this community, this league is possible because of you. I think this league is a wonderful idea. More meaningful jobs, more meaningful games, more hype, more everything. All of that is great.

 

It seems inevitable that the VHLE will grow while the VHLM will shrink. (This might be where one could regret calling it the VHLE, now preventing teams from just being able to move from the VHLM to the VHLE to accommodate the increased number of players staying in the VHLE for longer than the VHLM. Although, it could be funny to take a VHLM team and slap a European city name on it, like the Munich 21^st. Similar to what then NBA did with the Lakers and the Jazz, where the mascot name makes no sense for the city.) I say inevitable because, just naturally, the TPE difference a player needs to earn to leave the VHLM is different form the VHLE.

 

Here’s the new TPE caps:

VHLM: 30-199 TPE

VHLE: 200-399 TPE

VHL: 350+ TPE

 

On first glimpse, it appears that it actually requires you to earn more TPE to leave the VHLM (169 TPE) than the VHLE (150 TPE). That is true but only for new creates with no carry over TPE who create within 3 weeks of the trade deadline. After 3 weeks, the catch up TPE will give a new player at least 24 TPE, making it require less TPE to make it out of the VHLM. For most people, it will require more TPE to get out of the VHLE, meaning more players in the VHLE, less in the VHLM. Ultimately that will mean more teams in the VHLE and less in the VHLM.

 

As an ex-VHLM GM, it hurts a little to see the downgrading of the M. But change is good and I think the league should embrace this new structure. To really make the VHLE succeed I think these changes should be implemented:

 

1)      Increase the starting TPE for new players. I think 50 TPE should be the new starting TPE for any player. Since the VHLM is development focused, we should want to get players out of the M as quickly as possible, let them learn the ropes, learn how to earn, learn how the league works, and then move up in the world. Currently if someone starts at 30 TPE and earns a healthy 10 TPE/week it would take them 17 weeks to be able to graduate from the M. That’s 2 seasons in the M. Clickers earning 6 TPE/week will take 28 weeks to graduate from the M. 3 or possibly 4 seasons. That’s a really long time for someone to be in a development league, especially if there’s now another league they have to go to before making the VHL.

I know, I know, we’re trying to fight TPE inflation. 20 TPE is a lot. Just to give to everyone Thankfully we can make some minor adjustments to keep things under control. Maybe don’t start the catch up TPE until the season starts. Maybe keep 30 TPE the starting point for recreates, so that carry-over TPE doesn’t get crazy.

 

2)      Double all point tasks for all VHLM players under 200 TPE. We really want to encourage players to contribute and rewarding with TPE is a great way to do that. Of course, this could be abused by someone staying in the M for an additional season just to earn double PTs, so we prevent that by stopping the doubles at 200 TPE. Honestly, I think all tasks should be doubled but I’d be ok with just doubling point tasks. Side question for this, why do we double the practice facility for the M, but nothing else?

 

3)      Allow players to move up from the M to the E during the season. This is the death knell for the M. But it should happen. We want to reward people who earn TPE. Why force them to stay in the bottom league if they’ve earned enough to move up? So let’s let them move during the season. Have a waiver system or something in the E to sign anyone who goes over 200 during the season.

 

4)      Prolong the player’s draft experience. As a player getting drafted is one of the most exciting moments in their career. We should try to make that happen as much as possible. We’re currently setting a player’s VHL draft to the season after they create (technically this isn’t completely accurate because if you create after the trade deadline it’s 2 seasons, but that’s irrelevant for this discussion.) That means any player who creates after the season begins but before the trade deadline and is under 200 TPE will be drafted in the VHL, VHLE, and the VHLM in the same season. Not only is this confusing, it robs the players of getting the full draft experience for all drafts. They only get this shortened draft experience with their VHL team being so far in the future it’s almost meaningless.

 

To fix this, we should change the draft eligibility rules so that a player is ineligible to be drafted in the VHL until after they’ve been drafted in the VHLE.  That makes sure the player can’t be drafted by both leagues in the same offseason. Of course, there would be exceptions for players who want to skip the VHLE and go straight to the VHL, just let them declare for the draft. Maybe declaring for the draft makes you ineligible to play in the VHLE or something.

 

5)      Change one of the draft styles. Ok now I’m getting a little out there, but the standard draft is fun and all. But what if we made one of the drafts an auction draft? Each team gets $100, teams nominate a player for auction, blind auction determines who gets the player. Or a snake draft where the order is decided by a sim tournament where the GMs get to create their own team with 1,000 attribute points to distribute or something. Not sure either of those are the best answer, but let’s talk about ideas and come up with something. Let’s spice up the draft!

 

I’m interested to hear your thoughts on these ideas. Thanks for reading!

[Beketov 9,140]

14 minutes ago, DMaximus said:

To fix this, we should change the draft eligibility rules so that a player is ineligible to be drafted in the VHL until after they’ve been drafted in the VHLE.  That makes sure the player can’t be drafted by both leagues in the same offseason. Of course, there would be exceptions for players who want to skip the VHLE and go straight to the VHL, just let them declare for the draft. Maybe declaring for the draft makes you ineligible to play in the VHLE or something.

This isn't that severe into it but that does lead into the SBA / EFL style that basically all the BOG agree is a bad idea: uncapping. The reason we wanted to keep the draft date being set by the creation time and not being a user choice at all is because if the user has a choice they'll always delay as much as possible to earn the max amount of TPE possible. In this case, if I'm reading this correctly, that would mean stopping at 199 to avoid the E draft, spending an extra season in the M (thus clogging up the developmental league), and then declaring straight for the VHL draft. So this would clog the M and skip the VHLE; solving no problems at all AND would result in people waiting around for potentially weeks doing nothing so that they can have an "uncapping" season.

[Banackock 8,160]

Interesting article. I’m not a fan of players leaving mid-season, nor the double point tasks until 200 TPE. That’s massive inflation and all that jazz. I don’t see much of the benefit other than getting the players out of the VHLM. I’m hoping and think with what we got now, things will do pretty well. I’m mostly interested to see how the VHLE does with “parity” and roster sizes. 
 

I do agree there has to be a better way to make the draft more exciting and involved for everyone. Maybe a theme week for the draft week too where members have to focus on scouting graphics or articles? Drafts have improved quite a bit but can always do more. 
 

Im not too sure what to think about bumping it up to 50. I don’t think I the too much of a harm but only puts them ahead by 1.5 weeks. If you’re fully active, shouldn’t be much of an issue. If you aren’t, the. You shouldn’t be excelling as fast as the others. Offers realism which I like too  

[Banackock 8,160]

Just now, Beketov said:

This isn't that severe into it but that does lead into the SBA / EFL style that basically all the BOG agree is a bad idea: uncapping. The reason we wanted to keep the draft date being set by the creation time and not being a user choice at all is because if the user has a choice they'll always delay as much as possible to earn the max amount of TPE possible. In this case, if I'm reading this correctly, that would mean stopping at 199 to avoid the E draft, spending an extra season in the M (thus clogging up the developmental league), and then declaring straight for the VHL draft. So this would clog the M and skip the VHLE; solving no problems at all AND would result in people waiting around for potentially weeks doing nothing so that they can have an "uncapping" season.

I disliked how the SBA does it. It was my first time going through it and man… an entire season without tasks sitting and waiting at 199.. in a league I’m obviously not as involved in.. great way to kill activity IMO (as in, lose a member..)

[Beketov 9,140]

5 minutes ago, Banackock said:

I disliked how the SBA does it. It was my first time going through it and man… an entire season without tasks sitting and waiting at 199.. in a league I’m obviously not as involved in.. great way to kill activity IMO (as in, lose a member..)

Exactly why basically everyone in the BOG is against an uncapping system. It rewards a lack of activity, it straight up encourages it.

 

I don’t think our system is perfect but the catch-up TPE definitely helps balance it and I think it’s overall better for activity.

[DMaximus 1,046]

14 minutes ago, Beketov said:

This isn't that severe into it but that does lead into the SBA / EFL style that basically all the BOG agree is a bad idea: uncapping. The reason we wanted to keep the draft date being set by the creation time and not being a user choice at all is because if the user has a choice they'll always delay as much as possible to earn the max amount of TPE possible. In this case, if I'm reading this correctly, that would mean stopping at 199 to avoid the E draft, spending an extra season in the M (thus clogging up the developmental league), and then declaring straight for the VHL draft. So this would clog the M and skip the VHLE; solving no problems at all AND would result in people waiting around for potentially weeks doing nothing so that they can have an "uncapping" season.

 

That is possible and definitely not a good outcome. One of my other suggestions with players immediately going to the E when they get over 200 TPE would solve most of that issue.

[DMaximus 1,046]

Week 2/2 claim