What is the VHL?

[bigAL 2,176]

It's always so hard to describe what we have here.

 

We pay big bucks to Youtubers to advertise the VHL, but they have a hard time explaining what we do here, how we do it, and why they should join. 

 

I feel like our current advertisements don't do the league justice. People sign up because the Youtuber told them to, but they don't stay because they didn't know what they got themselves into. We're not NHL Be a Pro mode, for better or worse. It's a fine line between selling something and telling the truth about it, but I want to explore what we do and how we can convince people we're worth joining.

 

***

 

The VHL is the internet's premiere simulation hockey league. 

 

What is a simulation hockey league?

A "sim league" is exactly what it sounds like: we play sports, but we don't 'play' sports. Think of Be A GM mode in NHL: no one actually plays their AHL affiliate games, we just sim over them. Press the button, the computer computes, and the game spits out a complete recap of everything that happened. Someone wins, someone loses, someone scores goals, someone makes saves.

 

In the VHL, we simulate using STHS (the Simon T Hockey Simulator). Simon is just a guy in Quebec who coded an entire simulation hockey engine. One of our guys presses the button, and out comes a game report.

 

We have three leagues: our minor league (VHLM); our European development league (VHLE); and our major leagues (VHL). Each of those teams have their own teams, run by GMs, and compete for their own trophies and awards. 

 

What does it mean to be a simulation hockey player?

Your role is to be a simulation hockey player.

 

You'll create one player. You'll give them a sweet hockey name, pick a position, and play a ten or so season career. You'll get drafted to the VHLM and work your way up the ranks of professional hockey. You'll get the thrill of hearing your name called in the VHL draft. You'll score goals and fight. You'll ride the highs and lows of a long season. You'll make the playoffs and compete for the Cup, or miss out and feel immense heartbreak. 

 

Off the ice, you'll be one of the team. Each team has up to twelve or so real life, human players just like you. You'll talk strategies, schedules, wins and losses in your discord locker room. You'll celebrate the achievements of your new friends, or start beef with players on other teams.

 

Your GM and AGM make up your teams front office. They are the ones that scout players, draft prospects, make trades, and set the line-up. They're experts at understanding the league, helping new players, and building a successful franchise.

 

How do I git gud?

You want to be the best. Not every player will become a generational talent like a Condor Adrienne or a Rayz Funk, but it's worth a try.

 

STHS has a variety of player attributes that you want to level up. The attributes are different for skaters and goalies, but either way, you make the choice to build the kind of player you want to be. If you want to be a fourth line goon, you can increase your Fighting or Checking or Strength. If you want to be a silky smooth playmaker, bump up your Skating and Puck Handling and Passing. Your goalie might want to work on Reaction Time or Rebound Control. It's up to you to make the best player possible.

 

What do I actually have to do?

In order to level up your player, you need to earn TPE. TPE (total points earned, don't worry about the acronym, it's just TPE) is a classic progression system for forum-run simulation sports leagues.

 

You earn TPE by creating content for the league. Any sports league only exists as much as people pay attention to it. I know nothing about cricket because Sportsnet.ca doesn't publish any articles about cricket, they don't show highlights, and they don't talk about it. If they produced cricket content, I'd definitely buy into it, but they don't so I don't.

 

In the VHL, we need you to create content to bring the league to life. 

 

Some people like to write articles. You can write short articles (~200 words) or you can write longer stories (500+ words), for different amounts of TPE. These can be recaps of drafts or playoffs, or a certain storyline throughout the season, or analysis of a team or player's progress. You can be as creative as possible; as long as it's about the VHL, it earns you TPE.

 

Some people like to create graphic art. They play with Photoshop (or one of the great free alternatives) to create epic forum signatures for players, like Cowboy Prout or Nico Pearce. Others make infographics to show stats or celebrate a special moment. The graphics wizards here are always happy to give feedback, tips and tricks, and overall help you become a better artist. There are stories of people learning to do graphic design here as a high schooler and turning into a lifelong passion and a paying career, which is awesome. Again, you can be as creative as you want. As long as it's about the VHL, it earns you TPE.

 

Some people make podcasts about the league. You don't have to be Jeff Marek or Steve Dangle to have a hockey podcast, these days anyone can record a voice memo while they're driving on a road trip and upload it to Spotify. Like graphics, learning to record, produce, and share a podcast is a great transferrable skill that can both help you do cool things outside of the VHL, and earn you TPE.

 

Otherwise, you can earn TPE by being part of your team. Each week, your team hosts a Press Conference. Speak to the media, answer the questions, and you'll earn your TPE. 

 

The other way to earn TPE is to get a job. GMs, league commissioners, and updaters all get job pay. These jobs are competitive: you have to apply, interview, and be the successful candidate. Not everyone gets to be a GM, there's only so many teams in the leagues.

 

There's a weekly cap of how much TPE you can earn, so you don't have to worry about the eager beavers going hard and becoming way better than you. If you're too busy one week to do a "Point Task", you can claim "Welfare". Click the button for some free TPE, but beware: it's not as much as writing an article or making a graphic.

 

What else is there to do here?

All the actual hockey, TPE earning, and league affairs happen on the forum. The real community exists on Discord.

 

We have a bumping Discord server with over 600 members. People hang out, crack jokes, talk NHL, or just whatever in the #general channel. There are special channels for talking about the VHLM or VHLE; for getting hyped about the drafts; for sharing great articles; for asking questions and helping others with graphics. There are non-VHL channels too: we have a lively League of Legends community; a big group of members will often pick a new game and play together, like Minecraft or Pokemon MMO; there's a "health club" where people share workout and healthy eating stories; and we have a hilarious Jeopardy channel where Alex Trebek tests your smarts.

 

In addition to the main league server, each team in the VHL has their own server. Here, your team has its own locker room where you can talk about the games, get hyped on a playoff run, get team-specific info from your managers, and generally build the camaraderie that comes with being on a sports team.

 

The hockey is all on the forum, and the Discord is the place to make friends and be social around the league. The two parts of the league complement each other well. 

 

What now?

Yeah, you think this sounds like something you'd be into? Head over to www.vhlforum.com, check out some of our work, and when you're ready, press the CREATE A PLAYER button in the header. 

 

Welcome to the VHL!

 

***

 

Damn, that was wordy. How about a shorter one too?

 

Come join the VHL, the internet's premiere simulation hockey league.

 

Like when you skip games in NHL's Be a GM mode, we press a button and our virtual hockey teams play each other. Teams win and lose, players score and fight, goalies make saves and shutouts. It's legit hockey, just simulated instead of live.

 

You'll create your own player, and play on a team made up of other real-person-controlled players. You and your new teammates are managed by your team's GM and AGM, and will guide you through your career. You'll get drafted, you'll work your way up through the minor leagues, you'll experience the highs of winning it all or the heartbreak of coming so close.

 

The VHL Forums are our own version of Sportsnet.ca or ESPN.com. YOU become the reporters, telling stories from the league, recapping highlights and seasons. You can write stories, or create graphic designs, or record podcasts to help build the excitement and lore of the VHL. You get to be as creative as you want in building the VHL universe.

 

Creating content for the website is the way to level up your player. Each article you write or piece of art you produce gets you TPE. Upgrading your player costs TPE, so the more you contribute, the better you'll get.

 

Will you be a silky smooth playmaker, with high stats in Skating and Puckhandling? Or will you be a face-punching goon, specializing in Checking and Fighting? Will you become a legendary goalie, carrying a team to the playoffs and to glory?

 

The choice is yours.

 

***

1639 words

 

[a_Ferk 762]

That's a good point at the beginning, and I feel like the league can be difficult to explain to someone who has never encountered something like this before. I think the best I've ever seen the league explained was when we did that thrash gaming youtube ad. He made it pretty clear that is was an online forum, and that it was not NHL be a pro mode. (Just look at how successful that S75 class was). I feel like this article would be good to link to first gens that are asking "what the heck did I get myself into?". Anyways good read, 10/10 article.

[bigAL 2,176]

Claim it again and give it a bump, 2/3

[bigAL 2,176]

sick , I still have one more claim: 3/3