Some essential questions - where do I find the answer?

[Exuro]

I would like to ask a few questions I have not found an answer in this sub-board.

I've read a lot about who should be admin, how the new league should be named or how to handle bans.

What I am still missing are answers to more essential questions.
Maybe someone can point out whether this was already discussed and where I can find it?

#1
The traditional leagues lost most players while hardly any new players were joining.
How will this new league deal with this, what is the plan to add/ win new players?

#2
The skill gap between new players and the established playerbase is too big; additionally, new players are not welcome in most of the higher ranked/ old teams. Are there any plans to make it easier for new players to join the new league, or more specific, be included in the actual matchplaying?

#3
The main reason to play in a league is to match other teams.
How will this new league create more activity? How do you plan to offer more match opportunities for the teams?

#4
For those players being part of a ducati and a gu team, how do you expect them to decide in which team to stay?
How will you handle players who do not answer in time which team they want to stay in?

#5
Considering this new league being gu-centric, are there any plans to somehow include those players staying in the remaining (then defunct, former) ducati-teams? The same for players staying in a skeleton team to keep its history or just making sure no one else can take over the team.
Are those players just lost for matchplay?

#6
How and when was the info gathered what players actually want or expect from a new league? What kind of players were interviewed (only league players, or non-league players, too? Were they asked why they don´t join / have not joined yet a league?

[figurines]

#1
The traditional leagues lost most players while hardly any new players were joining.
How will this new league deal with this, what is the plan to add/ win new players?

This should say "bzflag lost most players"...the question is how to attract players to bzflag...the league always picks up a % of active players

#2
The skill gap between new players and the established playerbase is too big; additionally, new players are not welcome in most of the higher ranked/ old teams. Are there any plans to make it easier for new players to join the new league, or more specific, be included in the actual matchplaying?

In my mind the issue is that the public servers are NOT league maps-so players don't gain any of the skills that they need to successfully compete in league matches. At this point we have players with THOUSANDS of hours in this game, but the new players are interested in DRASTICALLY different maps (flag maps mostly).

#3
The main reason to play in a league is to match other teams.
How will this new league create more activity? How do you plan to offer more match opportunities for the teams?

I think this is easily answered by looking around the forums. Multiple maps, RED/PURPLE, Special Events etc.

#4
For those players being part of a ducati and a gu team, how do you expect them to decide in which team to stay?
How will you handle players who do not answer in time which team they want to stay in?

Kick all players out...team captains re-invite new players...active teams stay. There's a solution somewhere, but I don't think it really matters - players will play if they love the game, not because of what team they are on or not on....

#5
Considering this new league being gu-centric, are there any plans to somehow include those players staying in the remaining (then defunct, former) ducati-teams? The same for players staying in a skeleton team to keep its history or just making sure no one else can take over the team.
Are those players just lost for matchplay?

If Ducati Teams become LESS active after the switch they'll still be playing 0 matches...so I dont see the difference to how it is currently. If players wish to join inactive teams they can already do that in either Ducati or GU league... Teams that are active will get more players... teams that are inactive will have less players and that's how it ALWAYS has worked.

I'm also not sure about "GU-Centric". I'd say that league play at the moment is GU-Centric, but the new league will be active on whatever map is most popular (as has always been the case, just currently spread out among multiple leagues). Perhaps Ducati will become popular again...or maybe a 1 shot no obstacles no rico map will be the most popular...or a 5 shot 4 level rico map will. I'd be hesitant to place limitations on which maps will be popular and I sincerely hope we can move to maps that are a bit friendlier, more fun and dynamic to beginners

#6
How and when was the info gathered what players actually want or expect from a new league? What kind of players were interviewed (only league players, or non-league players, too? Were they asked why they don´t join / have not joined yet a league?

Players have always had to ask to join league's, why should we now go and ask them if they want to join or not? Will we ask them every month?

I personally am less interested in what the players want. We should give players what we think they need and be willing to change as criticize and concerns arise. That being said there seems to be people opposed to change and who want everything to stay the same-or prefer complicated measures as opposed to trying simple things and dealing with complications as they arise. I'm not sure what to say about people with this attitude. Leagues are dead or dying and something needs to be done and sometimes it's best to just do things. One can always find criticism

[macsforme]

Exuro, you raise a lot of concerns which (in my perspective) do not have to do with merging the two leagues together. This merger does provide an opportunity for some other changes, but we cannot fix all of these things all at once. Most of the issues being discussed have to do with the logistics of taking two systems and making them into one. That is what we should focus on in this context. The other issues are important and worthy of discussion once this step is complete.

#4
For those players being part of a ducati and a gu team, how do you expect them to decide in which team to stay?
How will you handle players who do not answer in time which team they want to stay in?

As of right now, we plan to ask everyone to pick manually by leaving the team they prefer less. For conflicts that remain, the merging script will assign those players to whichever team they are on which has an earlier creation date.

#5
Considering this new league being gu-centric, are there any plans to somehow include those players staying in the remaining (then defunct, former) ducati-teams? The same for players staying in a skeleton team to keep its history or just making sure no one else can take over the team.
Are those players just lost for matchplay?

What? Every effort has been made from the beginning to include ducati players equally. However, we can't force people to be involved or to post here, and ducati has had very little activity lately. Hopefully consolidating everyone into one league will increase exposure to other available maps and increase interest all around.