The E or M?

[Keno 32]

Currently, with the VHLE draft being imminent, I'm faced with a challenge. Either earn enough to be moved up to the VHLE, or stay in the VHLM, earn enough and go straight to the VHL. I've been told staying in the VHLM would surely increase my stats from last year due to me not sharing with league leading scorer Alex Stroheim, and on the rate, I've been earning so far, I'd be able to jump up to the VHL right away, going the VHLE route will likely cause me to play catchup with some of the league's best for some time, and I will likely only spend a season there, before deciding to jump up, but one main factor that has been swaying my decision is the fact that inside advise has told me that the Lockeroom activity within the M is better than the room's activity within the E. Activity is something I value so much, they said that some E teams are active but there's a number of the that aren't and giving I'm set to be a pretty decent draft pick, I don't want to end up on one of those teams that are not active. To be honest, atp I don't know, but I think I will move onto the VHLE. I really appreciate what Cole has done for me and my player, he's kind of the reason I even stayed in the VHL I was going to go inactive but he explained so much to me, and from then on I kind of earned a lot more than what I was earning previously.  @badcolethetitan Thanks for everything.

[AJW 2,158]

I would strongly suggest heading up to the VHLE for three reasons:

 

• You don't have to bank TPE

With my first player I spent two seasons in the VHLM and it was fine, but as the season moved on I was just waiting for the next so I could upgrade my player. So you have to think do I value my player getting more points in the minor league, or do I value being able to update my build and a more competitive league with better players.

 

• You get to see your player progress through the season

I'll be honest my player was TERRIBLE throughout the first half of the season. I think it took my centreman 30 games to score his first goal. The back half of the season was amazing and I think I averaged almost a point per game. Then these past playoffs my player lead the entire thing in points and goals. If you keep earning TPE the way you do, by playoffs your player will be able to make an impact for their team.

 

• I won a cup lol

I just won a cup with the Oslo storm this season in my first season of the VHLE. That's all I've got to say about that.

 

 

Also for your comment on locker room activity, it only takes one voice to start a chant. The locker room will be active if you're in there everyday. Oslo's locker room was so much fun to be in and I met a lot of great people who I wouldn't have met if I didn't move up to the VHLE this past season. So at the end of the day the choice is your's, but I think moving up is a good choice.

[v.2 1,406]

Stay in the M the E is so ass.

[Gustav 6,433]

I'll say first that I really don't like the E, and I'm also probably biased as someone who wants the M to have lots of active, positive members. You'll do better statistically in the M, you'll likely find a more active locker room, and if you're into helping out newer people, there's no better place to do that than on a VHLM team. I would consider all of those legitimate reasons to stay down.

 

However.

 

As a general principle, I'm against the notion that anyone should slow down or stop their earning for any reason. I've seen players encouraged to stay down by GMs (both on higher and lower levels), and that just isn't right. If your earning would naturally take you up to the E, follow that and keep earning. I'd never tell you not to do that. At the end of the day, the VHL is what you choose to make it, and I think you can make a good experience out of it on any level if that's what you want to do.

[nurx 914]

9 minutes ago, Gustav said:

As a general principle, I'm against the notion that anyone should slow down or stop their earning for any reason. I've seen players encouraged to stay down by GMs (both on higher and lower levels), and that just isn't right. If your earning would naturally take you up to the E, follow that and keep earning. I'd never tell you not to do that. At the end of the day, the VHL is what you choose to make it, and I think you can make a good experience out of it on any level if that's what you want to do.

this is important tho. I'm a huge fan of players staying down because it helps with retention and helps with us M GMs putting a big team on the ice. Especially in seasons like this where we don't have huge drafts I would expect that nobody is going to take playing time away from first gens. Of course everyone should have the opportunity to play in the league they want to given the to are able to competitively which is why I'm kind of a fan of VHL expansion by two teams to allow the welfare and welfare+ type players to play a role on a team.

[Gustav 6,433]

1 hour ago, nurx said:

this is important tho. I'm a huge fan of players staying down because it helps with retention and helps with us M GMs putting a big team on the ice. Especially in seasons like this where we don't have huge drafts I would expect that nobody is going to take playing time away from first gens. Of course everyone should have the opportunity to play in the league they want to given the to are able to competitively which is why I'm kind of a fan of VHL expansion by two teams to allow the welfare and welfare+ type players to play a role on a team.

 

I'm not saying I disagree with this, and I absolutely hate it when people pull out the "if you're a solid earner/established member/whatever else that makes you not a complete beginner in any way you do NOT belong in the M because you're STEALING TIME from NEW MEMBERS" argument because I completely agree that those people have a place in the M and can be a great thing for those complete beginners.

 

There's a big difference between "there's nothing wrong with staying down" and "I think you should stay down", in much the same way that there's a big difference between "there's nothing wrong with being in the M" and "you need to remove yourself from the M entirely and make way for the  NEW MEMBERS  who I'm not going to take the time to help but rather criticize the way you do it". If someone wants to be in the M, they should absolutely be given the opportunity for that, and if someone does choose to alter their earning because that's where they want to be, I'm not going to criticize them personally for that as long as it's entirely their decision. If a player decides to do it, that's great, but it should never cross the line into a GM telling the player that it's what they need to do (not that I'm saying you're doing that here).

 

@Beketov has mentioned a few times that we disagree on a lot of things, but something we do agree on is the general idea that it's just the right thing to do to keep earning and not let the league discourage you from that. It's a huge reason why the VHLM doesn't have an uncapping system like the ones we see in other leagues--sure, there's no denying that there are certain benefits attached to that, and that those benefits are appreciated by a lot of people who use it, but there's also a big drawback involved in that it's objectively the best choice for you to make to sit around and be straight-up inactive for a bit once you hit 199. For me, that was almost a full season, and if I were a new member I can't imagine that would be good for my development. So as much as I hate the E, I'd also hate to see players being told to slow down to avoid it for that reason.

 

So yeah. Nothing wrong with staying down, and I agree with your overall point that it's not at all a bad thing for the M if someone were to choose to do so. It just also raises the question of "how do I think earning should ideally work", and I'd always say that you should let your earning take you wherever it will. If you're right up against the cutoff, I think earning (or not earning) just a little bit extra to be where you want is justifiable, but anything more than a handful of TPE and I start to question it.

[Beketov 9,033]

1 hour ago, Gustav said:

@Beketov has mentioned a few times that we disagree on a lot of things, but something we do agree on is the general idea that it's just the right thing to do to keep earning and not let the league discourage you from that.

Hear hear!

 

Everyone should obviously be allowed to choose their own path and they are, I myself am currently having to decide between the M and the E. However Gus’ point is valid that if your earning dictates you should go up unless you stop earning then going up is often the best course of action. After all we did design the limits around player numbers and their performance. If someone must stop earning for multiple weeks in order to stay down then I would argue the VHLM is not the place they belong, even if it’s the place they wish to be. It may seem logical at the time but can certainly hurt in the long run.

Am I going to outright put a stop to it, of course not. As I said it’s obviously a player’s choice. It has always been and will always be my mindset though that there should be no reason anyone is ever actively encouraged to avoid earning. Be that moving between leagues or entering a higher earning bracket, or anything else. People should always earn what they are capable of earning.