Let's Just Kill Theme Week

[Rin 264]

I hate doing theme week, man.

 

A thread went up earlier this week, asking members of the VHL to submit their ideas for potential theme week topics. The impression (and admission) is that higher ups don't really care to think about it and end up scrambling to put together an arbitrary topic for us to all base our PTs around.

 

But honestly, is that fun for anyone?

 

It feels like all this does is force us to come up with something on-topic to shit out so we can make a reasonable claim for a bonus 6 TPE. A decent number of posts even call out the fact that they're not having fun with the idea, but need to participate in order to keep the max earning streak/dream alive. Is theme week just an antiquated "we do it for the tradition" kind of event that rolls around once a season to grind everything to a halt and make the VHL feel more like homework than a hobby? It's anecdotal and easily assumed at this point, but I put off my PT this week as much as I could because I really didn't care about the theme, or trying to draft something up around it. Finally I mustered the strength to shit something out, and I can confidently say that it's not remotely close to my best, most engaged work.

 

But complaining without providing a solution isn't discussion, it's complaining.

 

Thus, I'd like to propose an alternative: replace theme week with activity week. Keep the doubles week that we look forward to, but change the condition for redeeming it. Instead of creating a PT that fits within an arbitrary theme, a bonus 6 uncapped TPE should be awarded to members that hit the full capped 12 TPE mark for the week. Ideally, this should accomplish a few key things:

 

• Invite less active members to jump back in and interface with the league a little bit more
• Encourage members who are on welfare or welfare+ to give PTs a go, even if you just have one queued up for the ONE week it matters.
• Refrain from punishing active members by restricting what they can submit for a bonus reward
• Refrain from making PT submissions even less accessible to those who already do not submit PTs

 

The most annoying guy you know is already typing up a storm about how the new condition encourages the "rich to get richer," but I disagree. No new TPE is awarded to those who already cap out, and completing the capped TPE trifecta of Trivia/.com Article/Press Conference takes minutes to complete. Simply awarding 6 TPE for submitting anything doesn't encourage anyone to go the extra mile for a themed week (like theme week currently does), so I don't think it's an unreasonable ask to invite members to cap out in order to receive a greater reward. This should be a once-a-season opportunity to nudge anyone who's on-the-fence activity wise and invite them to come interface just a little bit more with us.

 

At any rate, discuss I guess.

Edited yesterday at 01:03 AM by Rin

[Banackock 8,492]

Maybe same week isn’t the problem in the commissioner team is?
 

[Rin 264]

1 minute ago, Banackock said:

Maybe same week isn’t the problem in the commissioner team is?
 

 

The lack of engaging themes isn't the problem. The problem is moreso that limiting PTs to a theme to begin with impedes creative cadence.

 

This week, I was thinking about updating my card generating website to have a customizable back for my PT. Instead, I wrote some bullshit about a player with a decent number of hits or something and called it a day. Unless the theme very luckily aligned with my plans, it was going to suck and grind other VHL projects to a halt.

[Rin 264]

Honestly, @Banackock, you can even spin this to have a more positive recruitment angle.

 

"Now's a great time to create a player in the VHL-- create this week to get an extra 6 points on attributes when you cap out for the week!"

 

...vs something like

 

"Create this week to get an extra 6 attribute points when you write an article about a tough guy"

 

This should be a week where we can easily push for activity on all fronts.

[Banackock 8,492]

15 minutes ago, Rin said:

 

The lack of engaging themes isn't the problem. The problem is moreso that limiting PTs to a theme to begin with impedes creative cadence.

 

This week, I was thinking about updating my card generating website to have a customizable back for my PT. Instead, I wrote some bullshit about a player with a decent number of hits or something and called it a day. Unless the theme very luckily aligned with my plans, it was going to suck and grind other VHL projects to a halt.

Lots of leagues have something similar to this. Right now in the SHL, they’re offering double media to anything related to the world juniors, SHL draft and then next week, the SMJHL draft. I guess those are vague enough to leave your imagination up to whatever you wanna write about on those, but I guess this is too. Tough guys. Most people wrote about tough guys on the ice. I wrote about tough guys on the forums.
 

At the end of the day, theme week is optional. If you partake, you get an additional 6 TPE if you don’t and you wanna write about whatever you want, you only get 6. 
 

Can I be improved? Yeah. I honestly think as the seasons come, it’s an expectations, too. There’s a lot of focus on it and constructive feedback similar to this will serve purpose  

[Banackock 8,492]

15 minutes ago, Rin said:

Honestly, @Banackock, you can even spin this to have a more positive recruitment angle.

 

"Now's a great time to create a player in the VHL-- create this week to get an extra 6 points on attributes when you cap out for the week!"

 

...vs something like

 

"Create this week to get an extra 6 attribute points when you write an article about a tough guy"

 

This should be a week where we can easily push for activity on all fronts.

I’m hoping we hit a home run for recruitment this TDL. We’ve been working very hard behind the scenes for weeks! Maybe even months (more slowly over months with prep work) with things kicking up in gears over the last couple days. 

[AJW 2,350]

I waited all week to find motivation for this theme week and ended up just clicking welfare today. Had no interest in it at all.

[Beketov 9,296]

Please can we?

 

I think I speak for the entire @Commissioner team when I say that we probably dislike it more than anyone else. It’s just TPE for the sake of it and no matter the season it’s basically always just us trying to come up with something that we know everyone is just going to shit on anyway. What’s the point of coming up with something when at least half the league is just going to bitch about it anyway.

 

It’s a relic that exists because people get mad when TPE is removed. It isn’t enjoyable.

[Acydburn 1,628]

1 minute ago, Beketov said:

Please can we?

 

I think I speak for the entire @Commissioner team when I say that we probably dislike it more than anyone else. It’s just TPE for the sake of it and no matter the season it’s basically always just us trying to come up with something that we know

everyone is just going to shit on anyway. What’s the point of coming up with something when at least half the league is just going to shit on it anyway.

 

It’s a relic that exists because people get mad when TPE is removed. It isn’t enjoyable.

[AJW 2,350]

2 minutes ago, Beketov said:

Please can we?

 

I think I speak for the entire @Commissioner team when I say that we probably dislike it more than anyone else. It’s just TPE for the sake of it and no matter the season it’s basically always just us trying to come up with something that we know

everyone is just going to shit on anyway. What’s the point of coming up with something when at least half the league is just going to shit on it anyway.

 

It’s a relic that exists because people get mad when TPE is removed. It isn’t enjoyable.

I honestly don’t think many people would complain about the removal of theme week. In my opinion losing the uncapped 6 TPE for this week does not make a massive difference since in current times players have been able to earn the most TPE ever before. Basically the entire top 25 all time TPE players are S80+… we have enough opportunities to earn.

[Beketov 9,296]

3 minutes ago, AJW said:

I honestly don’t think many people would complain about the removal of theme week. In my opinion losing the uncapped 6 TPE for this week does not make a massive difference since in current times players have been able to earn the most TPE ever before. Basically the entire top 25 all time TPE players are S80+… we have enough opportunities to earn.

With all due respect: you new here?

 

I’m joking obviously but yeah, people have long bitched about absolutely anything that cuts out TPE even as we continue to prove that we have more of it than ever.

 

Mind you the 80+ thing isn’t specifically TPE inflation; that’s the season 9 season careers came in. An extra season of earning is a lot of extra TPE.

[Rin 264]

4 minutes ago, Beketov said:

With all due respect: you new here?

 

I’m joking obviously but yeah, people have long bitched about absolutely anything that cuts out TPE even as we continue to prove that we have more of it than ever.

 

Mind you the 80+ thing isn’t specifically TPE inflation; that’s the season 9 season careers came in. An extra season of earning is a lot of extra TPE.

 

It would definitely cause a shitstorm, but I can honestly say I'd be happier that theme week is gone than sad I'm losing 6 TPE in a season.

[Banackock 8,492]

13 minutes ago, Acydburn said:

[Daniel Janser 2,322]

18 minutes ago, Rin said:

 

It would definitely cause a shitstorm, but I can honestly say I'd be happier that theme week is gone than sad I'm losing 6 TPE in a season.

so it is pretty straight forward, isn't it? Unless one is working on a new alltime TPE record, one can just decide not to participate and create forum content to one's liking. I mean it's not that Beks, Josh, Victor and company are holding a gun to our cumulative head and say 'create something about tough guys, or else...'.

[Triller 1,765]

I can't say I don't like this idea.  Theme weeks are usually a pain only because I have to rush something out that isn't up to my own standards but whether you like it or not it does add some variety to the season.  Do I wish there was something else that added some variety to the season, you bet, but it seems so far that no one is interested.  Plus, if content is king, it isn't bad having a reason to create more.

 

Wait till after S100 to get rid of it though as a S100 theme week is a must.

Edited yesterday at 02:09 AM by Triller

[Rin 264]

21 minutes ago, Daniel Janser said:

so it is pretty straight forward, isn't it? Unless one is working on a new alltime TPE record, one can just decide not to participate and create forum content to one's liking. I mean it's not that Beks, Josh, Victor and company are holding a gun to our cumulative head and say 'create something about tough guys, or else...'.

 

Well, it kind of is. they're not holding a metaphorical gun to our head, but the phrase "create something about tough guys, or else (you lose out on 6 TPE)" is quite literally the condition we're being given.

 

"Unless one is working on a new all-time TPE record" is a false dilemma. There are plenty of reasons someone would want the extra TPE. In my case, specifically, 6 TPE is going to go a long way for a VHLM player that has yet to cap; 6 TPE correlates to 6 points outright for stats that can be improved and have a considerable impact on my player right now. 

 

If I were later on in my career, where passing on some extra points were more viable, I'd be more than happy to just move on. It'd still hurt to give up some additional earning, which is always going to be the case if one just opts not to participate.

[Spartan 4,774]

10 minutes ago, Rin said:

Well, it kind of is. they're not holding a metaphorical gun to our head, but the phrase "create something about tough guys, or else (you lose out on 6 TPE)" is quite literally the condition we're being given.

Yea but doubles weeks exist in the store and stare at you all career, you don't feel like you're being given a condition to go purchase them when you have money and its in front of you. I know it's not the same scenario, but it is a choice to participate in and handing out 6 free TPE is more generous than obligation.

 

That said I'm fine to abolish theme week and just make it an activity week or some other name, either just offering a free doubles week for a PT or the "if you earn 12, get the doubles." I suspect the latter will result in the same complaint eventually - that you're being forced to spend extra time and effort to earn 6 TPE.

[sadie 1,061]

I personally enjoy theme week BECAUSE it makes me create content about something I likely wouldn't have otherwise, it's pushing me out of doing the same old thing. I get where you're coming from though for sure.

 

40 minutes ago, Daniel Janser said:

Unless one is working on a new alltime TPE record, one can just decide not to participate and create forum content to one's liking. I mean it's not that Beks, Josh, Victor and company are holding a gun to our cumulative head and say 'create something about tough guys, or else...'.

also thisit's not mandatory

 

[Rin 264]

7 minutes ago, sadie said:

I personally enjoy theme week BECAUSE it makes me create content about something I likely wouldn't have otherwise, it's pushing me out of doing the same old thing. I get where you're coming from though for sure.

 

also thisit's not mandatory

 

 

The former-- if you feel strongly about having different topics to branch out and try, there's now a thread of theme week suggestions provided by a number of different members to pick up and try. Sure, nobody is forcing you to do so, but theme week as a resource or idea pool is now easier to access than ever. Removing theme week does not equate to removing your ability to try new things.

 

The latter point/quote I addressed above. I don't think it's a particularly strong argument to say "you don't have to, so don't." While we don't literally need to participate, there's strong incentive to do so, and it's that feeling I'm particularly not fond of and suggesting alternatives for.

[Xhekityb123 124]

1 minute ago, Rin said:

 

The former-- if you feel strongly about having different topics to branch out and try, there's now a thread of theme week suggestions provided by a number of different members to pick up and try. Sure, nobody is forcing you to do so, but theme week as a resource or idea pool is now easier to access than ever. Removing theme week does not equate to removing your ability to try new things.

 

The latter point/quote I addressed above. I don't think it's a particularly strong argument to say "you don't have to, so don't." While we don't literally need to participate, there's strong incentive to do so, and it's that feeling I'm particularly not fond of and suggesting alternatives for.

Incentive = Forced to? and you argued that the removal of the 6 tpe wouldnt be a big deal, but it is simultaneously a "strong incentive"? You really just don't have to do it if you don't want. I think it is really just a way to have an event and drive engagement, along with get some topical posts in, I feel like just not following that isn't really a big deal, and it's not like you'd be punished you just wouldn't be rewarded. 

[Rin 264]

4 minutes ago, Xhekityb123 said:

Incentive = Forced to? and you argued that the removal of the 6 tpe wouldnt be a big deal, but it is simultaneously a "strong incentive"? You really just don't have to do it if you don't want. I think it is really just a way to have an event and drive engagement, along with get some topical posts in, I feel like just not following that isn't really a big deal, and it's not like you'd be punished you just wouldn't be rewarded. 

 

I'm arguing that locking a reward behind a required theme is not the only way we can accomplish the goal of having an event and driving engagement.