I was thinking about this right before the first ENL cycle actually but thought it would be too much of a radical change. When the second cycle came around again, I didn't bother with it because there was already a lot going on (maps, admin mod update etc.). Anyway, wouldn't it make sense to lower the round bonus instead of combat bonus? I guess it just gets complicated when choosing which one favours the winning team most...
But gold aside, I would propose instead to change the match length to 12 rounds (3-3-3-3). There aren't many games where matches take 90-120 minutes and really, it causes all kinds of problems with scheduling, player gathering etc. If matches were 12 rounds (50-60 minutes) teams could play 2 or 3 matches a night... this would make it easier to run more tournaments synonymously. When things like the Nations Cup come around, I want the ENL to be able to keep going at the same time. At 20 rounds, this could be a little tricky.
Furthermore... if we as a community ever want to take this thing even further (LANs, tournaments etc.) then 2 hours for a match just isn't viable.
And there's another reason I think the community should make the move to 12 rounds: At 20 rounds, the best team almost always wins. I can't name a sport or a game or anything where the best team always wins, other than Warband. There are so few upsets in the Warband that it acts as a detriment to excitement factor of the league. At 12 rounds, weaker teams have a much stronger chance of coming out on top, either through smart tactical decisions... a few chance kills or perhaps a great solo effort, turning the tide of a round that turns out to be the decider. So I think as a whole, it will make Warband matches (and, by derivation, Warband leagues
) more interesting.
So that's my case for 12 rounds.
On a similar theme, I think we should move to 8 players with class limits (limit being maximum of 3 of any class). Firstly on 8 players: This is for similar reasons as the move to 12 rounds. It gives weaker teams more of a chance to take a round, thus making matches more interesting and meaning individuals have to stay more focused. I think everyone knows when you're on a winning team, you can pretty much switch off at 10v10. I guess the same will be true at 8v8 to an extent but hopefully less so. The 8v8 move, in particular, comes from a desire to see the Warband competitive multilayer scene in a viable position to move forward. That's what the ENL is about anyway and there are hardly any esports that go above 6v6 (most have 5v5/4v4 then doubles and singles). I know Warband isn't like other games and that's why I'm not proposing 5v5 should become the standard (although I'm thoroughly enjoying the Nations' 5-a-side tournament) but I do think a move to 8v8 would help seat Warband in a better position to become a bigger and more popular esport. That's what I want and I think it's what most people in the scene want.
As for class limits... way back when discussions like this came up before, I didn't really agree with idea of messing with what the game has laid out. But I've been thinking and looking at successful esports, how they operate etc. and these sort of restrictions are commonplace among almost all of them. Now I think almost everyone can agree on the need for class limits below 10v10 and I know many would even argue in their favour, regardless. I proposed a maximum of 3 of any class because that seems sensible but obviously it's just an idea.
The one problem (or half problem) I can see with class limits is that some factions depend on certain classes in certain situations... although with the restrictions imposed on both sides and the fact we have a sensible system in place for side-swapping (no offence America
), I think it'll work out fine even if it does shift the faction map balance. We could do with a shakeup.
