As we continue to host these PLs, we strive to make them better and better each time, and would love to hear your input on how you want Winter League to be formatted/play out this year!
Looking at the previous Winter League, we had 6 teams with a 6v6 week, with teams up to 15 players, which is significantly smaller than VGC PL I and II. With the new generation in tow, we are potentially looking at 8 teams with an 8v8 week, to increase the number of potential players in the league. The reasoning behind (preferably) avoiding 7v7 is because ties generally make the standings and competition closer, while rewarding teams for more dominant performances. This would be the same format and size as VGC PL I, but obviously all of these numbers depend on interest and how many manager/player signups we get (So please vote on the poll if you haven't!)
Another thing that could be touched on is budgeting. Last year we had a total 120k budget for up to 15 players (8 starters, up to 7 subs), with managers costing 15k. This system worked relatively well, but we'd love to hear your thoughts on budgeting! In addition, do we want to look into retaining players from the previous year? If we were to implement retains, it would likely be the same price as the previous year +3k, a fair price to pay to keep a player.
And now for the biggest topic for discussion: Formats
With a new generation and format, the biggest point of contention would be the formats played, mainly legacy formats. With Sword/Shield now being a legacy format, the way we tackle legacy must also be altered. How many slots and which formats should be rotated? We'll always have a legacy player-base, but finding a fine balance between having enough Gen 9 slots and having enough legacy will always be tough.
Personally I'm looking at 1-2 Legacy slots (most likely in Gen 8), which would allow for legacy to be played while keeping the spotlight on the new Gen 9 format. We could also considering rotational slots, with formats changing every week to include more formats into the mix.
Below is a proposed timetable for when this tour will play out! In terms of "double weeks", instead of having 14 days to play 1 game, we will have 14 days to play 2 games, making scheduling much more feasible.
Proposed Schedule: (Assuming for 8 teams, Week 6 and 7 will be removed if we end up running with 6 teams, PL would then end Feb 26)
Manager Signups Dec 5-Dec 11
Player Signups Dec 12-Dec25
Draft Dec 30
Week 1 + 2 (Double week for Regionals) Jan 2 - Jan 15
Week 3 Jan 16 - Jan 22
Week 4 Jan 23 - Jan 29
Week 5 Jan 30 - Feb 5
Week 6 Feb 6 - Feb 12
Week 7 Feb 13 - Feb 19
Semifinals Feb 20 - Feb 26
Finals Feb 27 - Mar 5
[Note I'm probably missing 1-2 big Regionals in there, but the start and end times will be the same regardless]
Let us know what you think, and what you want to see in a potential VGC Winter League II!