Told ya.

Uhh hi.

 

We're supposed to start the real actual season this weekend. We currently have (or do we) 14 squads.

Critical Mass and beastfu are already looking more or less like they might not make it. This will suck a massive amount of dongers if/when I schedule for 14 and they then drop out. One squad out would mean one BYE. Two squads out would mean two byes. Or rescheduling for 12 teams, which is a hassle.

 

If we axe 2 teams after one round, I think the math works out for scheduling for 12 and recreating round 1 from games that were played (force beastfu vs. CM round 1). Then move around some of the other games to keep the remaining rounds in the season somewhat uniform. When I did this, the recreated round 1 had 2 match-ups from round 10 and 2 from round 9, making those rounds look silly.

 

Fixing the schedule for 12 teams after 2 rounds is pretty much impossible.

 

But what we might be looking at for this Sunday (yes it was round 6 in the randomized schedule, which I also had randomize 3pms and 4pms. Too bad it didn't assign them 3/4 or 4/3. So I'll end up changing those up a bit.

<div> </div>
<div>6<span> </span>Assassins<span> </span>-<span> </span>Slopships<span> </span>4pm<span> </span>-<span> </span></div>
<div>6<span> </span>Starfire Elite<span> </span>-<span> </span>Llamas<span> </span>3pm<span> </span>-<span> </span></div>
<div>6<span> </span>Outlaws<span> </span>-<span> </span>Backarrow<span> </span>4pm<span> </span>-<span> </span></div>
<div>6<span> </span>Critical Mass<span> </span>-<span> </span>beastfu<span> </span>3pm<span> </span>-<span> </span></div>
<div>6<span> </span>Symphony<span> </span>-<span> </span>WTF?<span> </span>3pm<span> </span>-<span> </span></div>
<div>6<span> </span>Sterling<span> </span>-<span> </span>The Dark<span> </span>4pm<span> </span>-<span> </span></div>
<div>6<span> </span>Cosmic Rift<span> </span>-<span> </span>Dropships<span> </span>4pm<span> </span>-</div>
<div> </div>
<div>One (bad) option is of course to throw in another pre-season round but require squads to show up. Then schedule the above for real round 1. Then possibly remove CM and beastfu if they no-show twice in a row.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I miss pyramid, it's so much more flexible </div>

Hey so out of no where I have an issue loading subspace. Everything else seems to work fine on my PC.

When I try to open subspace I just got an hourglass which never goes away and the program never opens.

It's "running" in my system processes and if I try to force quit it through task manager I get this error:

 

 [attachment=5538:error_ss.JPG]

 

Any ideas?

Yes. I know. People are pushing for the season start.

But I'd rather take an extra week of pre-season and have none of the bots fail miserably. The plan for the season schedule is to still generate it in advance and possibly even toss in the times.

 

Here's the laziest scheduling ever, yet to be put on the bots:

<div>3pm:</div>
<div>3PM<span> </span>Beastfu vs The Dark -- 1289496</div>
<div>3PM<span> </span>OUTLAWS vs Cosmic Rift -- 1289497</div>
<div>3PM<span> </span>Slopships vs WTF? -- 1289498</div>
<div> </div>
<div>4pm:</div>
<div>4PM<span> </span>Dropships vs Symphony -- 1289499</div>
<div>4PM<span> </span>Assassins vs Critical Mass -- 1289500</div>
<div>4PM<span> </span>sterling vs Llamas -- 1289501</div>
<div>4PM<span> </span>Backarrow vs StarFire Elite -- 1289502</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Ass vs. CM looks like a repeat match-up, but they never played last week so it's all good.</div>

<span style="font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:rgb(160,160,255);">nillerk></span><span style="font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:rgb(160,160,255);"> guys, gruntster is in a lineup</span>
<span style="font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:rgb(160,160,255);">nillerk></span><span style="font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:rgb(160,160,255);"> i nominate homie for nicest guy in all of earth</span>

Assassins 

 

Top 6:  Saiyan (98), Sika (96), Buny (92), Kdak (91), Mop (88), Nadai (87), Develop (96)

 

Best starting Combination: Saiyan, Sika, Mop, Nadai

 

Since Develop has indicated that he will not be playing this season, Assassins' lineup will be thin and they'll be very beatable as they lack of the depth of last season as they've lost a core two core pilots (Develop and Nacre).That being said, I haven't seen Kdak in ages either, and I don't consider the rest of the Assassins roster to be worthy of much consideration on an elite team like Assassins. So look for Saiyan, Sika and Buny to play feature roles on Assassins this season with strong supportive play from Mop and Nadai. Without Nacre and Develop, Assassins is very beatable and very likely has lost the top spot to Outlaws or The Dark. 

 

Rank: 3

 

The Dark

 

Top 6: Da Monkk (97), Blink (93), Diablo (90), chrono (88), Benji (86), Yellow Hammer (86)

 

Best starting combination: Da Monkk, Diablo, Blink, chrono

 

This team certainly isn't lacking in depth, featuring elite talent like Monkk and Blink. Outside of their top 6, they have capable players in Myth, swamp thing and 9-Volt. So many good players. So little playing time. They have enough depth to beat any team on any given Sunday. With their foes on Assassins and Critical Mass critically weakened, these guys are the BEST bet to win league this season. Monkk is still a top 5 carry, with good chemistry with Blink, and they have tremendous support talent in Chrono/Benji/Diablo. Nillerk is being critically underrated and deserves more playing time. He's a glue guy, very similar to Mop. I consider Yellow Hammer to be a Monkk lite so they can play interchangeably, although Monkk is the superior talent. 

 

Rank: 1

 

Sterling

 

Top 6: Rage (98), Seismic (89), Maimer (85), Nine (85), Plarep (84), Massacre (83)

 

Best Starting Combination: Rage, Seismic, Maimer, Nine/Plarep

 

Sterling isn't as deep as you would think and their success is almost entirely reliant on Rage showing up every Sunday and carrying his team to victory. Outside of Rage, they lack elite talent and carry many good - but not great players who may not have the talent to keep up with the mercurial Rage. Although they have 13 rostered players, outside of their top 6, they're either prone to choking (Pseudo), rust (Zeit, BloodyEssence, Primos) or just sucking (SuperDan). Seismic is a great player but one who can't put the team on his back, so that duty would fall onto Nine's shoulders if Rage doesn't show up. Nine is a dynamic pilot who has loads of potential and I have a lot of faith in him. Maimer is a good support player - Look for him to be Rage's support wingmate, and finally Plarep, while being a solid pilot isn't dynamic, but he plays very intelligently and is reliable.

 

Rank: 5

 

Part 2, 3, 4 coming later.

 

Note: Those are player ratings in the brackets - Not random numbers.

Hi guys,

 

It's a slow Monday morning here so I thought I'd spend some time analysing the opposition this season. Hopefully this inspires others to do the same, always interesting to hear peoples views on potential line-ups.

 

Disclaimer: I haven't been active for a few seasons so I may have called it wrong in many cases, apologies if I hurt your feelings!

 

Assassins

Top 5: Sika, Nadai, Mop, Develop, Saiyan

Comments: I've never played with Buny but I've heard good things. He and Saiyan are interchangeable in the 5th spot. Except for Nadai I haven't seen them praccing much yet. The tilt factor is pretty strong here with Sika and Nadai both prone to choking, but when they playing well they will roll over any team in the league. I'm not sure if I prefer the old Assassins who were a bit more stable and preferred to grind down the enemy (aiti, tak, mop, +1). They could certainly use 1/2 more active recruits but I think the current roster is solid.

 

Backarrow

Top 5: BugKiller, Tunahead, Superwolf, Surrey, Fedu

Comments: Great to see so many old B.I.A. players back in action. However, they've got a long way to go before they are at their peak again but guys like Hook and Jinxi have the potential to transform this roster into a great team if they can put the hours in. Superwolf is one of the newer players here but he's got great aim and movement - a real tough opponent. I hope to see them add a few more players to bulk out the roster more. However, they are praccing alot and often have 8 or 9 guys online. Candyman is good in the right line-up, I don't think this one suits him though. They certainly have the potential to push for a 5op 4 spot, whether that happens is totally dependent on how much they practice and whether the BIA players return to form.

 

Beastfu

Top 5: Gold Teeth, Wobit, zAiR, ibex, Marshall_Law

Comments: I don't know much about these guys - aliasers or new players perhaps? Hopefully the latter. Gold Teeth I think I played with on Rebels and he was reasonably solid. Wobit was on Secret but hasn't been active in league for years. The other three I'm not too sure about. Can't really comment on their potential but with them the best of luck.

 

Cosmic Rift

Top 5: Savage, GhostBuster17, Greg, McLaren, Pog

Comments: A real mix of players here. Some guys with heaps of league experience and some are fairly unproven. Some names on this roster are worrying and should only be allowed off the bench in unimportant games - otherwise they are liable to choke horribly. As it stands I think CR is a mid-league team who can definitely pose problems for some of the higher tier squads if GB17/Sav are on form, they can push for a top 5 spot but I think when things get serious they lack the depth to compete and need a few more solid recruits who can step in and make a difference if someone doesn't show or needs to be subbed.

 

Critical Mass

Top 5: Three, designator, Ozn, boolean, Antihuman

Comments: Lots of aliasers here and I'm not sure who's who. The players I have listed are solid and can hang with anyone in the league. However they lack depth and could use someone who is able to turn it up in big games. If they solely rely on Three to make the plays (which I doubt, but its a possibility) then they could have problems but there is enough experience here to ensure that they can challenge for a top spot. Despite only 8 rostered members, its a quality over quantity team and all of the guys can turn up and play well.

 

Dropships

Top 5: Skimm, Plutorus, Joe. Jr,  A suicidal dentist, Hallowed.

Comments: These guys are really improving and have become a cohesive unit who can present a challenge to most squads in the league. They aren't a free win anymore and I look forward to seeing them cause a few upsets. They've picked up some solid pilots and whilst some are still a little green, there is a good mix of experience there with Plutorus and suicidal dentist. Joe Jr. is a good focal point for the team and skimm is a strong defensive/support player. 

 

Outlaws:

Top 5: Krilyu, Caerbannog, Eric Clapton, KingNewbie, Enforcer

Comments: Really stacked roster with guys who prac alot and have tonnes of high end league experience. Plenty of potential subs who could almost create an entirely new squad and compete for the title themselves (Legacy, Crescendo, Captor, Barbarian, Hibachi). I think it will be between Outlaws/Assassins/Critical Mass/Sterling battling it out for the top 4 with Outlaws taking the title. They put in the hours and have the deep roster needed.

 

Slopships

Top 5: Shiny, Stigma, Nude for Satan, Bargeld, based god

Comments: Seem like the Dropships b-team? Great to see more squads in the league and I hope these guys enjoy the season. I can't see them posing many challenges to anyone except beastfu, SFE & WTF? The roster is deep and squads like Slopships are vital to the longevity of this zone - welcome guys!

 

Stafire Elite

Top 5: Shikaa, ufotable, Mauler, MFA, Medicus

Shikaa is a great pick-up and if Mauler is active then the duo can do some serious damage. Medicus is solid in a spider (I think?) which is always an annoying ship to play against. Ufotable seems like a solid new player who will be an important element to this team. This is one of the stronger SFE line-ups in my memory and they shouldn't be underestimated. Definitely one of the strongest mid tier teams if they prac.

 

Sterling

Top 5: Rage, Seismic, Maimer, Plare, pseudo

Comments: Strong roster. Would have been nice to see a few more old names come back too (Hat, Onslaught, Cloud) but I like the combination of experience and skill. Plus, they aren't afraid to pickup less experienced guys such as Nine and Twista who are solid players that can come off the bench and hang with the top squads. Rage is one of the best offensive players in the game and Seismic is a great support player who makes intelligent flanks and set-ups for this team. I haven't seen much of Maimer recently but he's always a good opponent. Pseudo is excellent when playing well, terrible when not. If you catch him on a bad day he will choke, if you catch him on a good day he will dominate. The problem is that there is no consistency. I think we see Sterling come into their own in the playoffs and look forward to some good games between them and Ass/CM/Outlaws/TD.

 

Symphony

Top 5: US, Peeking Duck?, High Gain, Denied, Cicada

Comments: Peeking is doing a great job of bringing Symph back and bringing new players into our zone/league. I commend him for starting something new and doing a great job in building his squad. Their first season back wont be easy but they have a good mix of experience and dedication with lots of the new guys praccing hard and improving (Edgar, Gambit, KillerCam, lute). In a couple of seasons these guys will be tough opponents. Right now I see Symph competing with SFE/WTF and beating Beastfu/Slopships. However, they can certainly climb higher if they continue to practice and work hard.

 

The Dark

Top 5: Da_Monkk, Blink, 9-Volt, Benji, chrono

Comments: Really nice roster here with a mixture of DS/TD guys, all of whom are skilled and experienced. Like Outlaws, the bench is deep with enough players to make up another full squad that can compete at the top (Diablo, YELLOW HAMMER, Mercury, swamp thing). The key player here for me is Benji, if he gets practising he and returns to form he can be a beast to play against. They are a very offensive side and Blink is great at providing a solid support/flanker who cuts off the enemy and sets up kills for Monkk/chrono. Definitely a contender for top spot.

 

WTF?

Top 5: Savman, a-soul, Stories, weed, scub

Comments:Great to see this squad back in action. I haven't seen them practising much but that could be a time zone related thing. Savman has alot of league experience and they need him to be active. I think WTF will compete with Symph/Beastfu/Slopships in the AML category of the league and will find it hard in their first season back. However, I hope they stick around and look forward to playing vs. them this season.

 

 

 

 

 

Games are SETUP and ready to play. The bot server is still unstable and I'm afraid it will remain so until Microsoft fixes their update. Play if you want - we'll set up more games for next weekend, regardless.

 

OPTIONAL due to bot server instability -- Sunday Sep 7th

 

3 pm:

Outlaws - The Dark (semi-finalists from last season) 1289207

Backarrow - Llamas (pro playoffs from last season) 1289214

Dropships - SFE 1289215


4 pm:

Assassins - Critical Mass (rematch of finals) 1289220

Sterling - Cosmic Rift (new teams for this season) 1289218

Slopships - WTF? (new teams for this season) 1289219

Beastfu - Symphony 1289221

 

Show for your game anyway and some play can still be had...

see my post below...

 

--hallu

1. Can we not make every green equal one of three things: brick, thor, rocket?

 

2. Shark sucks.  Make the antiwarp cost normal instead of 150.

 

3. How about rewarding people for good aim and making direct bombs 850 for everything but weasle.  Heck i'd say make it 900.