Hi everyone! I would like everyone's cooperation with this because whichever option is concluded in the end, will determine the flow of the event and will result in many different things changing: from point system, to time system, etc etc. However, I'll explain how each issue is affected with each vote.
The Matter At Hand
Okay so, as much as I really tried to keep this from affecting current teams and team battles as a whole, it looks like this event is more or less going to do so, which again, is honestly not my intention. Basically the issue today is that: Star Battles (basically Team Battles in this event) will overlap our regular Team Battles outside of the event. Which in turn, could risk making teams inactive during the time this event is going on. The reason being is that, many people will have the mindset of "Why play in regular Team Battles when you can play in Star Fight League and do the same except earn points and prizes?" And after running through many solutions, with each one bringing their own individual conflicts, I'm not sure exactly which route I should go, so I turn to everyone here to make a decision, especially for those who are participating.
Limiting Star Battles: 5 or less per day!
The idea of limiting Star Battles for both this option and the next option means exactly as it sounds: Teams cannot play in anymore Star Battles if they exceeded the amount of play time during that day.
Positives
Spoiler
- More time for Team Battles outside of the event: This is important because the idea is to help this event be able to co-exist with pre-existing Team Battling and Teams. Participate won't direct their entire time onto the Starfight League Event especially for teams who aren't playing in this event and are unable to Team Battle because of this event.
- Excessive Grinding is also stopped here (despite previous limitations such as "Can't Star Battle the same team in a day" clause and the "Time System"). Basically, Teams if allowed could play endlessly while other teams will get tired or burned out and while they are breaking, others are getting more and more points. Grinding is fine, but the keyword is "excessive", this event is supposed to be fun after all.
- Easier Star Battle Reporting: I would change the formula to where you'd post all of the activities within that day in one giant report: from daily point bonuses, tournaments and other mini-events participated, and even Star Battles: all in one.
- Time Zones: Another reason why I created the Star Battling was because originally, this was going to be a series of tournaments, and because of how specific tournaments are (unless they were daily tournaments), people of many different time zones would be affected by this. Teams with Time Zones +7-12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) would find it difficult to find teams active/awake and thus limiting their Star Battles and Point accumulation. Limiting Star Battles does help by allowing teams from other time zones pick times to search for Star Battle rather than force themselves awake past their regular sleep hours.
Negatives
Spoiler
- Not enough Star Battles: The reason I created Star Battling as a daily method of obtaining points is a way to really have fun with your team and to collect points in a beneficial way. There was an alternative way of collecting points, which I'll bring up in a later point, but it was a very limited method to a point of "Why are we even on teams? we don't do anything." By limiting it to anything less than 5, that issue will occur. (Especially since, I based the average amount of points obtained in a day/week through 4-5 Star Battles).
- Time System: Time System would more or less be moot and pointless as well as the Underground Fighting (and Point Betting System). Which I don't mind if they were gone because it would mean less complications, overall.
Unlimited Daily Star Battles!
I'm going to quickly run through this because it's pretty much what we currently have so far.
Negatives & Conflicts (being addressed)
Spoiler
- Overlap of current Team Battles: Which also ties into our pre-established teams risking inactivity as long as this event (and future Starfight League) continue to run during their run time.
- Excessive Grinding
- Time Zones: Those from different time zones will be at a disadvantage unless they resort to extreme measures to Star Battle as much and as often as other teams.
Removing Star Battles as a whole
Star Battles was implemented for the purpose of being able to regularly obtain points on a daily basis, being able to play alongside your "Star Team" more often, and to earn and unlock other benefits. Removing it is a possibility but it also comes with various losses and obviously will require a lot more reworking to a point where I'd have to recreate this event from scratch (thus not being able to allow this to run at the ideal time of June 21st). But again, it is a possibility if it is causing issues both within the event and outside of the event.
Positives
Spoiler
- No conflict with regular Team Battles: Ideally this is what I aimed for and what I would prefer. As I do understand, majority of our team activity is done through team battles, I would prefer there to be less or even no conflict between Starfight League and non-Starfight League events/teams. Meaning a possible of a lack of Team Battles due to players playing in the Star League.
- Tournament Priority: While tournaments are the main theme of Starfight Tournaments as a whole, in this event they played a key feature but not a main focus. That being said, the removal of Star Battles would mean points would be earned through tournaments and the more players from your "Star Teams" the more points you earn as you win each round, with the same idea of spending your team points to obtain "Grand Prize".
- No risk of excessive grinding/Star Battle Hours: Meaning there won't be any issues or conflicts of teams getting/having more points due to time zones in their favor over players with different time zones.
- Underground Takeover: With Star Battles out, I figured another alternative to this is to take the Underground System and turning it into a 24/7 daily event rather than a specific timed event. Basically, instead of generating points, you'd be betting your points in "Star Battles" which would make it an optional activity since the risk of losing your points is available. Of course there would be new rules such as how much you can bet in a day and whatnot but this is possible, in addition, the only way to obtain new points would be to enter in the Tournaments.
- Unlocking Features/Benefits: When you register as a team, whatever clan you registered with is what you're locked in with until you unlocked other clans. This was implemented to prevent constantly switching clans after each Star Battle. However, with no Star Battles, means this would risk being removed due to lack of consistent Star Battles & earning points meaning free and flexibility in clan choice.
- Time System Removal: Without any issues of time zones and excessive grinding, time systems can be removed and features of it can be implemented elsewhere.
Negatives
Spoiler
- Very minimal Team Activity: This event is supposed to encourage teams working together to earn points to get prizes and to overall have fun. Star Battles being a simple yet effective way of doing so, means that without it, there isn't much of "team activity".
- Low Point Generation: Without Star Battles, the only way to generate points is through tournaments, which again does prioritize tournaments. Even with Underground's system being converted to Star Battling, that means you'd all be fighting with the same amount of points shared between everyone.
- Earning/Unlocking Clans: Although it was placed as a positive, a lot of concern that was brought to me was that teams could freely switch between clans thus in lack of a better term: meta filled environment. The idea was to earn the right to use other clans as you participated throughout the event to make things more interesting and personal without fear of "everyone playing the same meta decks" or "counterpicking", which in order to unlock clans you'd need to earn points.
- Time zones: While time zones are no longer affected, I feel as though this can be an issue for tournaments since not everyone is able to participate in a tournament, but I believe this can be overcome.
- In Battle/Daily Event/Achievement Bonuses: While I will try to have a thread up explaining this entirely, short story is: there are specific bonuses that award additional points if the requirements are met during Star Battles, outside of Star Battles, and throughout the entirety of the Starfight League Event. Without Star Battles, these bonuses will only be implemented during tournaments or during the "Underground".
- Redoing the entire Point System: Because the point system was made on the estimation of teams having 4-5 star battles in a day, which later equated to how much points are earned daily and weekly, I'd have to recalculate how much points are teams able to earn in a weekly go without Star battles, which also messes up with unlocking things, the previous point of daily bonuses, and overall points to spend to unlock prizes. Which ties into the following point.
- Delaying the start of Event: Calculating every detail from points, prizes, bonuses, and everything took me about a month to do through multiple trial and errors to assure the point system couldn't exploited through unfair results. This would mean that the event itself will have to be reworked from the ground up to ensure there is no issues which will take me about another month, meaning my intended start of June 21st will be later, by how much: minimal being a month later (July 21st - middle of summer).
So with all of that being said, I really do urge and ask everyone to please vote on the best possible decision for this event. I'm going to leave the poll up until the end of Sunday May 28th, that way people have enough time to read and decide while I also work on getting the other threads up and whatnot. You're only able to vote once and the results of others (not specifically who voted what) will be shown while you're making your vote to see what everyone else thinks of this issue. Also if you have any questions, feel free to ask down below. In addition, you're free to suggest ideas or solutions or point out other pros or cons for any of the options in the comments below. Thank you for your time!