Looking back to the state of the invite leagues previously, I think it was obvious that a re-drafting was required. Too many teams were above or below the skill level of the division they were placed in and this obviously needed to be rectified. Yet the way this was done, this draft competition, is not solving this problem.
Being a double elimination competition, your success is entirely based upon your seeding. Many teams who made it into the top 16, which is effectively main, did nothing to get there. For example, my team Encore (E-N, ENCORE!) beat mBw (team 2) and SYF Spud's team to make the top 16. Spud's team only had 4 players so you can't call that an achievement, and mBw are mBw. So what exactly did we do to make the 16 and probably make main. I believe we will perform quite well in main, especially as we are a team formed only weeks ago, but we have done nothing to deserve it. Also, let's look at Snapback's run into the top 16. They've beaten Emphatic and Rizen. These victories are hardly enough to earn a main spot, though with Frenchy, they'd probably win every game in main 16-0, how could they not?
This may be countered in saying that it has been announced that admins will be picking the leagues, rather than basing it entirely from the draft comp. But could admins really justify not putting the top 6 teams in I and the next 8 in main? I don't think they could. In this format, there is very little room for decisions from the admins. So what if a team has a bad day? What if they are unable to get 2 members of their core to play on the day? What if a team doesn't realize they have 2 matches on the one night and are forced to strat during the warmup period? If any of these situations occur and a team does not put forth an adequate representation of the level they are at, they will be under placed, with no exceptions. I know MindFreak have seriously been struggling with inactivity lately and as a result lost a game that they probably shouldn't have. What is going to happen if they don't make the top 6? Would they be placed in main when they could still compete easily in invite? I'm not saying this situation will occur, I'm pointing out the problems involved with this system of drafting.
So why do we have this system drafting the entirety of next season? Since we're playing without any form of anti-cheat, the temptation to cheat is far too enticing for some players, obviously. Blitzy and drapht have already been caught, but those two are certified morons. For any player that is smarter than them, getting away with cheating would not be too hard. Some people could probably even convince themselves that it is morally justifiable. "Everyone else is cheating, why shouldn't I?" or "I know I can play cg-i, this is just reassurance". If I was not such a moral compass, maybe I would be tempted, because it's just that easy at the moment. Using this system, you only have to win a few games and you're in main or invite, so why not? At least EAC had a placebo effect. Cheating was not seen to be so easy.
I was going to go into some organization issues with the competition here, such as lack of notice before the competition began and having two matches on the one night, but they are only more faults in a system which I think we have already established is broken. So far I have only presented problems and not offered a solution. I hate it when people do that, so I'm going to present my own system of drafting:
First off, drafting should never be done on the basis of one competition. This means multiple competitions, but it also means selectors are required. So I would propose a panel of selectors, with one large competition, which is not double elimination, and multiple ODCs for those selectors to work with. This way, teams are able to prove their level consistently and one or two easy wins or horrible loses does not under or over place them. This would also give the admins/selectors a superior amount of control. The correct people would have to be selected for these positions (Spud is certainly not among them). This system also prevents the problems we had before this draft comp was announced from reoccurring. Teams had died and new teams, which had no way of making an invite division yet were at that level, had formed. There was no way of drafting these teams into these divisions fairly and ultimately the only option was another draft competition. If we continue on our current path, we will be facing another draft comp at the end of next season. I don't think we want that.
Overall the draft competition has been run quite well, aside from finding out we had to play two games in the one night at 9:20 on said night. Organization has been good and Samson has obviously been hard at work catchin' dem cheaterz. I respect the work the admins have done, though I don't believe they will be getting the correct results.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Physical health, the key to playing at your peak.
While there is no immediate connection between grueling physical exertion and playing computer games, there is a connection between good physical health and good mental health, both of which are necessary to perform at your highest level. The articles on this topic that I have read over the past few hours indicate that I have at least one serious health issue that is restricting my performance, something I'm going to have to work on if I want to win a few games in cg-i this season.
Here in Victoria we have to take standardized tests every few years, from grade 3 all the way through to year 9. The first piece of advice I was given by both my teachers and my parents was to eat a healthy breakfast the morning before the test. Apparently this promotion of healthy eating has a direct correlation to increased test results. Researchers have found that eating a good meal in the morning stimulates brain activity throughout the day. This logical continues into all activities. If you're physically prepared, there's a higher probability you're mentally prepared.
In an article published in the Mental Health Journal in November of 2000, Dr. Jennifer C. Panning explains that “physical activity has been shown to help with being emotionally and mentally fit.” Dr. Panning uses an example of overcoming depression via exercise and continues by explaining how improving one’s physical health is a sure-fire way to improve mental health and emotional stability. One of the more prominent examples in Weenus’ article described an irate personality that brought down the team. Dr. Panning suggests that exercising regularly is an effective method to overcome stress and anxiety problems. Could exercise be the solution to a fighting team? No, that’s not very likely. However, exercise would help alleviate some of the tension (Panning).
One of the most important factors in individual Call Of Duty development is reduced reaction time. The faster you react to an event, the more likely you are to make the correct play (You're on tap wall on strike, you hear a jump close to you outside cafe. Reaction time is the difference between realizing he just naded you, moving and living or sitting there to take it on the chin.) In the March 2006 issue of Neuroscience Literature the article “Physical exercise facilitates motor processes in simple reaction time performance: an electromyographic analysis” examines the impact exercise has on reaction time. At the Université de Provence in France, scientists put a group of people to the test and found that “exercise improves simple RT [reaction time] performance.” The study went on to state “physical exercise improves late motor processes” and found that reaction time was at its peak during exercise. With that in mind, I don’t recommend anyone doing cardio in between (or during) rounds (I think I may have seen Omen jumping around while Synic was trying to clutch last Saturday); however, the information provided suggests that adding exercise to your daily routine will improve your play.
One of the paradigms associated with gamers is a lack of sleep. It’s not uncommon to observe someone playing from early afternoon to midnight. When it comes time for an ODC you might see a team play their first match at 10:00AM in the morning and be forced to wait an hour between each match. That waiting period is draining on a person wishing to play; one’s intensity drastically changes as the day comes to a close. Even more common is the team forced to play into the early hours of the morning as a result of their success at a LAN. When was the last time you heard of a Respawn concluding before 2:00AM? Whatever the case may be, all of this playing (or lack thereof) requires a lot of mental strength and energy. With a strong physical foundation, a player has a better chance to endure the lengthy hours required for competitive gaming. Essentially, the better physical shape you’re in, the better chance you’ll have at fragging someone through the small gap in the smoke across the Strike street at 4:00 am in the morning.
Here are some examples of players and teams taking it to the next level by practicing sound physical lifestyles to promote better performance. Unfortunately, COD examples aren't exactly easy to find, so they're all from Counter Strike... Sorry!
The most comical example of improving physical health for the benefit of better Counter Strike performance surfaces in the stories I’ve heard about the days when Michael “Hare” O`Toole was the captain of United 5. Hare demanded perfection from his team and this stance sometimes resulted in extraordinary means. An article from a member of this team told about Hare asking (requiring) the team to run laps before a match to stimulate their mind and body. In theory, exercising lightly before a match would speed up reaction time and result the players' minds being alert and active. However, doing light cardio before a match seems a little over the top to me. I can see it now: MindFreak running laps up and down the street outside MidCity prior to their grandfinal match against Immunity, after reading this article.
My favorite example of physical health awareness in Counter Strike occurs between Mark Dolven and the Pandemic players. Mark advocates positive lifestyles and insists that all of his players get a good night's rest and remain sober during LAN competitions. Mark went as far as stating that in order to join the Pandemic roster you must agree to a strict (yet professional) schedule during LAN competitions, including the aforementioned requirements. When was the last time you saw a professional athlete go out and party late into the night prior to a major competition? It just doesn’t happen. This isn't really as relevant to us, but it's still the same concept, emphasizing the importance of physical health.
Having read the studies and looked at many more examples than these, I know now that my horrendous sleeping pattern, which involves going to bed at 6:00AM some nights and 11:00PM on others, could be having a serious impact on my performance. Just think, how much better could you be if you were as buff as Tekkno?
Oh look it's 3:00AM... Damn...
Here in Victoria we have to take standardized tests every few years, from grade 3 all the way through to year 9. The first piece of advice I was given by both my teachers and my parents was to eat a healthy breakfast the morning before the test. Apparently this promotion of healthy eating has a direct correlation to increased test results. Researchers have found that eating a good meal in the morning stimulates brain activity throughout the day. This logical continues into all activities. If you're physically prepared, there's a higher probability you're mentally prepared.
In an article published in the Mental Health Journal in November of 2000, Dr. Jennifer C. Panning explains that “physical activity has been shown to help with being emotionally and mentally fit.” Dr. Panning uses an example of overcoming depression via exercise and continues by explaining how improving one’s physical health is a sure-fire way to improve mental health and emotional stability. One of the more prominent examples in Weenus’ article described an irate personality that brought down the team. Dr. Panning suggests that exercising regularly is an effective method to overcome stress and anxiety problems. Could exercise be the solution to a fighting team? No, that’s not very likely. However, exercise would help alleviate some of the tension (Panning).
One of the most important factors in individual Call Of Duty development is reduced reaction time. The faster you react to an event, the more likely you are to make the correct play (You're on tap wall on strike, you hear a jump close to you outside cafe. Reaction time is the difference between realizing he just naded you, moving and living or sitting there to take it on the chin.) In the March 2006 issue of Neuroscience Literature the article “Physical exercise facilitates motor processes in simple reaction time performance: an electromyographic analysis” examines the impact exercise has on reaction time. At the Université de Provence in France, scientists put a group of people to the test and found that “exercise improves simple RT [reaction time] performance.” The study went on to state “physical exercise improves late motor processes” and found that reaction time was at its peak during exercise. With that in mind, I don’t recommend anyone doing cardio in between (or during) rounds (I think I may have seen Omen jumping around while Synic was trying to clutch last Saturday); however, the information provided suggests that adding exercise to your daily routine will improve your play.
One of the paradigms associated with gamers is a lack of sleep. It’s not uncommon to observe someone playing from early afternoon to midnight. When it comes time for an ODC you might see a team play their first match at 10:00AM in the morning and be forced to wait an hour between each match. That waiting period is draining on a person wishing to play; one’s intensity drastically changes as the day comes to a close. Even more common is the team forced to play into the early hours of the morning as a result of their success at a LAN. When was the last time you heard of a Respawn concluding before 2:00AM? Whatever the case may be, all of this playing (or lack thereof) requires a lot of mental strength and energy. With a strong physical foundation, a player has a better chance to endure the lengthy hours required for competitive gaming. Essentially, the better physical shape you’re in, the better chance you’ll have at fragging someone through the small gap in the smoke across the Strike street at 4:00 am in the morning.
Here are some examples of players and teams taking it to the next level by practicing sound physical lifestyles to promote better performance. Unfortunately, COD examples aren't exactly easy to find, so they're all from Counter Strike... Sorry!
The most comical example of improving physical health for the benefit of better Counter Strike performance surfaces in the stories I’ve heard about the days when Michael “Hare” O`Toole was the captain of United 5. Hare demanded perfection from his team and this stance sometimes resulted in extraordinary means. An article from a member of this team told about Hare asking (requiring) the team to run laps before a match to stimulate their mind and body. In theory, exercising lightly before a match would speed up reaction time and result the players' minds being alert and active. However, doing light cardio before a match seems a little over the top to me. I can see it now: MindFreak running laps up and down the street outside MidCity prior to their grandfinal match against Immunity, after reading this article.
My favorite example of physical health awareness in Counter Strike occurs between Mark Dolven and the Pandemic players. Mark advocates positive lifestyles and insists that all of his players get a good night's rest and remain sober during LAN competitions. Mark went as far as stating that in order to join the Pandemic roster you must agree to a strict (yet professional) schedule during LAN competitions, including the aforementioned requirements. When was the last time you saw a professional athlete go out and party late into the night prior to a major competition? It just doesn’t happen. This isn't really as relevant to us, but it's still the same concept, emphasizing the importance of physical health.
Having read the studies and looked at many more examples than these, I know now that my horrendous sleeping pattern, which involves going to bed at 6:00AM some nights and 11:00PM on others, could be having a serious impact on my performance. Just think, how much better could you be if you were as buff as Tekkno?
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Kingston Pro League: A season in review
For me, the beginning of the Kingston league feels like forever ago and the dramas of that first failed draft competition almost forgotten. Back then I was pretty skeptical about the new admin team. As inexperienced as they were, I thought we were in for another season of delays and broken promises.
After my initial dismay over an entire season being drafted by a single ODC, the season turned out quite well. The competition in most leagues was close, with some unexpected teams performing well. For me, this was Qlimax from I and Empathic and Quantum from M. The league also ran smoothly, with few delays, disputes or server issues and an admin was usually around if you had any problems... Well, until the finals.
The seventh and final round ended on May 30th, which is now approximately two months ago. What the hell has been going on for these past two months, and why does a finals series almost take longer than a season? First there was that ridiculous parallel dispute, I heard the admins begun looking at the demoes a week into dispute. A bit shabby considering it was holding up the finals. Then challenges for the finals were slow in being sent out, and even then they had no time limit, leaving teams free to take as long as they want to set up a match. How many weeks have Archaic and Chimera been messing around with their challenge? Not only am I excited to see who will win but I'm keen to get started with next season.
So what is happening with next season? We have teams such as iM, x5, fray and cj3v(?) that are clearly above the standard of amateur, yet there is no spot for them in the higher divisions. And even if there were, if these teams were elevated into these divisions, while this could fix some imbalances, it would create a dangerous precedent which would be based on the digression of the admins. Also, the death of Zotic and Surefire (R.I.P), this leaves two spots in Main. How will it be decided who takes these positions?
Personally, I think next season a time limit on challenges should be introduced. This way we don't get two matches in one week because the opposition couldn't find the time to play you. Also, get rid of inferno, that shit is aids. What changes do you think should be made next season?
I can't wait to see how next season will eventuate. How will Zenith do in cg-i? Will the new Mindfreak and Qlimax lineups perform as well as the old ones? Will a team rise up to finally defeat the kings? Only time will tell.
After my initial dismay over an entire season being drafted by a single ODC, the season turned out quite well. The competition in most leagues was close, with some unexpected teams performing well. For me, this was Qlimax from I and Empathic and Quantum from M. The league also ran smoothly, with few delays, disputes or server issues and an admin was usually around if you had any problems... Well, until the finals.
The seventh and final round ended on May 30th, which is now approximately two months ago. What the hell has been going on for these past two months, and why does a finals series almost take longer than a season? First there was that ridiculous parallel dispute, I heard the admins begun looking at the demoes a week into dispute. A bit shabby considering it was holding up the finals. Then challenges for the finals were slow in being sent out, and even then they had no time limit, leaving teams free to take as long as they want to set up a match. How many weeks have Archaic and Chimera been messing around with their challenge? Not only am I excited to see who will win but I'm keen to get started with next season.
So what is happening with next season? We have teams such as iM, x5, fray and cj3v(?) that are clearly above the standard of amateur, yet there is no spot for them in the higher divisions. And even if there were, if these teams were elevated into these divisions, while this could fix some imbalances, it would create a dangerous precedent which would be based on the digression of the admins. Also, the death of Zotic and Surefire (R.I.P), this leaves two spots in Main. How will it be decided who takes these positions?
Personally, I think next season a time limit on challenges should be introduced. This way we don't get two matches in one week because the opposition couldn't find the time to play you. Also, get rid of inferno, that shit is aids. What changes do you think should be made next season?
I can't wait to see how next season will eventuate. How will Zenith do in cg-i? Will the new Mindfreak and Qlimax lineups perform as well as the old ones? Will a team rise up to finally defeat the kings? Only time will tell.
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