Hi there, I'm currently working on something pertaining to upcoming ESHL tournaments, and there has been alot of interesting discussion in Nuge's post "The Forfeit Problem" (Link here: https://www.leaguegaming.com/forums/index.php?threads/the-forfeit-problem.297668/ ) I was curious of where the esports scene of NHL thinks league structure should go. So I wanted to present his hypothetical question: If you had to choose ONE of these options for the NEXT SEASON of ESHL, which one would you choose? 1. League Gaming as a whole stays the same. - ESHL becomes a $150 buy in for EACH TEAM, with a season that runs parallel to the LG season (Wed- Thurs, schedule dependent on signups). Top 8-16 teams make playoffs, but no relegation will happen as everyone will be in the same division. 2. League Gaming becomes more of a casual league, similar to how FNP/SNP are run, with it being a more pick up game variant, but less competitive. Perhaps a rank system similar to CR/how other esports titles have a "competitive ladder" (GB's for COD, ESEA/Faceit for CSGO, Challenger ladder for LoL, etc.) - ESHL becomes a fully fledged out league, with the following division structure: Premier: 16 Teams, 8 teams make playoffs, 16th place is relegated automatically, while 15th and 14th place play in a "play in tournament" with 2nd and 3rd place of Challenger division. Challenger: 20 Teams, 8 teams make playoffs.First place in playoffs gains automatic promotion to Premier division. 2nd and 3rd place enter "play in tournament" with 14th and 15 place of Premier. Bottom 3 Teams will be relegated while the 17th place team will play the 1st place in Open for the Challenger Spot. Intermediate: 35 Teams, Top 16 Make Playoffs, Bottom 5 teams are automatically relegated, while 29th and 28th place play in a play in with 6th and 7th place in Open. Open: 63 Teams, Top 16 make playoffs, 1st place will play against 17th spot in challenger. (if they lose will simply promote to intermediate.) Top 4 in playoffs after 1st will be promoted to intermediate. 6th and 7th will play 29th and 28th place in play in tournament. These numbers are based off of: There are currently 2414 players on an active roster. Assuming at least 50% of players play here: 1207 Players / 9 players per team = 134 teams rounded down. Top 16 in premier is due to the current format having top 16 make playoffs, and is a normal number for other pro leagues in esports. These are VERY exaggerated and very long term future stuff, but I wanted to make them as different as possible for division sake. All discussion is encouraged, be sure to vote!
ESHL becoming the main focus of LG would be preferable to just adding buy-ins for ESHL. The main benefit of LG, for me at least, was meeting new people to play with/using the chatbox to find pickup games. The actual league can be fun, but wouldn't everyone rather be playing with a group of 6 that they can choose?
Just have a qualifying round. As an example 8-12 groups of 4 teams depending on how many join.... the community can rank each team to make sure the top teams are distributed properly among the groups. Each team plays 2 games vs each team in the group... top 2 teams from each group advance to next league format round and then a playoff. I believe this would allow any team to enter if they want, play 6 games and if they don’t qualify then they are out. Would limit the forfeits, give everyone a shot and create a more competitive league format
The format of regular LG imo should remain largely unchanged. I've been playing since S26 and the progression that is possible is really captivating imo. Check this out: I was a TC in S26 I cracked a lineup in S27 After a full season I felt that I observed enough to "outsmart" my way to a memorial cup. S28 I co-owned the Oshawa Generals with my lifelong best friend (I went into bidding because it made no fiscal sense to have a goalie officially in management) - we took things VERY seriously and we won the Mem Cup and I was awarded MVP of the Mem Cup Playoffs I got drafted and sent right down to the A I asked for a trade to get me closer to a team that would call me up to the N I finally caught a bid in the N for a struggling team that traded me as a favor to a team that sent me down after a couple weeks I've established myself as one of the "go-to" goalies in the A but have been trying to get back to the N ever since So there's a personal journey there. For me that journey is more important then some of the games themselves. The history, the stories, the players that I still talk to from that Mem Cup squad - we know each other's kids names etc. The big problem with regular LG is related to this post I made this week on Twitter https://twitter.com/TheGreech35/status/1185195219609948161 LG for various reasons doesn't make too much sense with which player is playing in which league. I truly hate to call anyone out and I feel like a giant douche right now but here's an example... for many many seasons there was a manager in the N that had unsuccessful teams. Many people would do anything to not play for the guy which I'm very sure contributed to his struggling teams. Season after season until recently we would see his name on the owner list and as soon as the draft and bidding started we all know how that team would end. Yet there his name was... why? He wasn't good enough to skate in the N by most peoples standards but he owned a team? Yeah I get it, the guy was reliable and we need reliable owners... And now he's a goalie and most would argue that he is worse at that position and still doesn't belong in the NHL. Meanwhile you've got a veteran goalie like Killtarded sitting in the AHL? Maybe Killtarded lost a step, who knows - but there are many others in the A or even C that are better in net then some of the NHL goalies. A ton of us studied the position for years and I see first time goalies - multiple people who switched to G for the first time in the N right now. Fuck that noise. There are a TON of better goalies in lower divisions then those guys. It's offensive honestly and it gives people nothing to strive for if they know roster spots at higher levels will be taken up by peoples best friends or whatever. I try to convince myself that this happens in real life too... that's how I personally deal with it. But these first time goalies in the N would be like me switching to defense and remaining in the AHL. Makes no sense unless my play can back it up, and their play cannot from what I see. So all that said, I'd put some kind of relevant prize for normal LG. Give people something to play for. Maybe charge $1 per person to sign up for normal LG. Boom you've got significant prize money right there. Good luck getting people to pay money to play ESHL. A logical person would only pay if they thought they had a chance to win and only a typical few teams ever have a shot at winning. So knowing that you will lose, why would you pay? I'm all for growing ESHL, that would be my PERSONAL reason for paying - knowing that I will lose but growing this thing is important to me. But even then, there are some elite players who act like absolute fucking assholes on this site and on Twitter so the idea of me paying to line their pockets is never going to happen. I'm happy to pay knowing that the prize money will keep guys like Jackoo around - he's been a great guy who plays at a high level and never has a bad thing to say about anything. But I'm not paying shit if there's a chance it's going to go to a public racist for example. Sorry for the rant y'all. Much love to everyone who keeps this being the best NHL league on planet earth.
