Friday, March 23rd, 2007...11:24 am...by Leebo33
A Fantastic Online League
Let’s face the facts. We rarely finish what we start regarding online leagues and tournaments. We try to have leagues or tourneys in almost every sport and invariably those attempts fall apart prior to completion. We have the best intentions. We can even get off to a roaring start, but sometimes the virtual competition fizzles before the real sport has even started.That’s what makes the DSP Winning Eleven League so amazing. It’s nearing the completion of its 8th season! Judging by the dates of the early posts in the league thread, the league is now over a year old. I haven’t participated in every season, but I have thoroughly enjoyed each of my seasons. I’ve played around 15-20 different players, a few that I never would have met if it wasn’t for the league. Based on the results of this season, there is a good chance that next season I will play a handful of people I’ve never played.The league really should be a model for other online leagues. I was trying to pinpoint what makes the league so great and I came up with the following:
- The league’s commissioner, Zeppo, is great at organizing the league’s activies and scheduling. His judgments are firm but fair. He has a passion for the game and the success of the league and that’s an important trait for a leader in any endeavor.
- It doesn’t take a massive time commitment. The seasons are short - usually in the 8-10 game range. The games usually take about 45 minutes to play. Members can freely drop out and return for later seasons.
- The season is time-bound. Extensions, usually a week long, are granted liberally. However, forfeits are handed out when necessary. This really keeps things moving.
- There is a handicap built into the team selection process. The better players take lesser squads than newbies and that makes the matches much more competitive. Plus, the league has adopted the relegation and promotion system that makes soccer so unique and also levels the playing field a bit over time.
- The team selection process is random, although members do have veto power over a couple of selections. Who hasn’t been disappointed in the past when looking at a sign-up thread only to see that your favorite team was selected on page 1? Plus, I’m sure it’s fun for some of the more experienced players to take a new squad and face a new challenge. As a “three star” offline player, I don’t have to worry about that yet and have been lucky enough to draw Bayern Munich and Chelsea so far!
- The game itself is a lot of fun to play. The action is intense and the adrenaline, along with some curse words, can flow redily. If there is a way to “cheese” in Winning Eleven, I haven’t found it or experienced it against me.
- The league has a nice module at Sports Gaming Nation for reporting the results, scoring, standings, etc.
- It’s easy to schedule a game using the league thread, PMs, or XBL messaging.
- Some league members take the time to include write-ups for their games. Sometimes these write-ups are as good as any that you would read in “real life.”
Most of all it’s the people in the DSP community that makes it so great!
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