VVD made a nice suggestion yesterday by pointing out that large (diverse) groups and a constant threat of inactivity should perhaps give birth to a new point system.

As you all know, the current system is:
2-0 win = 3 points
2-1 win = 3 points
1-2 loss = 1 point
0-2 loss = 0 points

The suggestion for a new point system is as follows:
2-0 win = 4 points
2-1 win = 4 points
1-2 loss = 2 points
0-2 loss = 1 point

So basically it would be nothing more than +1 point to both teams for playing the game, a simple "activity award". If all teams were to play all games, this would have zero effect on anything. (You can calculate as much as you want. Take a look at Division 2B of NQR7 for example, but keep in mind that "Undisputed Paranoic Sensations" got a 1 point deduction that season)

The reason for this change is quite obvious. First of all it might just motivate teams to play their games since they will get at least 1 point from it. Secondly, one can just take a clan such as my own (Dies Ater) and picture the following scenario: We are losing almost all games, have 4 points, a frag difference of -500 and still need to play someone like The Viper Squad. Now obviously we'd have no chance of winning, so why bother? We're still only going to have 4 points afterwards and it would even fuck up our map/frag difference. Playing them would actually just minimise our (already very minimal) chances of reaching playoffs. Although this would be pretty lame, giving WO would just be "smarter". A new point system would change that.

In order to have more valuable data, I have applied the new point system to several final tables of previous NQR seasons, with the biggest impact I found being Division 2 of NQR8 (link). Clans placed 1st & 2nd were automatically qualified for the semi-final of the playoffs, clans placed 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th came into a qualification round (This was before my time, I guess it was 3rd vs 6th and 4th vs 5th).

The clans that made it to the playoffs automatically or could qualify for them were:
1) Suddendeath (8 games played, 22 points)
2) 4Honor (9 games played, 17 points)
3) Death Team (5 games played, 15 points)
4) MNY (8 games played, 14 points)
5) Veni Vidi Vici (8 games played, 14 points)
6) Satanic Slaughter Clan (10 games played, 14 points)
No possibility to qualify:
7) Hyvät, Pahat ja Rumat (5 games played, 13 points)
8) Oblivion (9 games played, 13 points)

After applying the new point system, the tables changed quite drastically as there were only 2 points between 3rd and 8th place, with Satanic Slaughter Clan having played 10 games and Oblivion having played 9:
1) Suddendeath (8 games played, 30 points)
2) 4Honor (9 games played, 26 points)
3) Satanic Slaughter Clan (10 games played, 24 points)
4) MNY (8 games played, 22 points)
5) Veni Vidi Vici (8 games played, 22 points)
6) Oblivion (9 games played, 22 points)
No longer qualified:
7) Death Team (5 games played, 20 points)

I am very fond of the idea as I think awarding activity might be a key to keep the league more lively. However, we admins eventually only try to please the community, so before we change anything, we could really, really use some feedback. Neither do we want to introduce something that nobody would be happy with, nor do we want to miss out on a (possibly) great opportunity. Shoot!

//NQR staff

14 comments | Post new