The Cogs - Season 2 Rules and Format

[Moo]

Simple may be the way to go. After a set time limit, winner is whoever has scored better. If scores are even, winner is whoever has most combined hull health total. If that is also even, who knows... maybe just coin flip to determine winner.
Should mean more incentive to actually attack in order to avoid a less than satisfactory end...

[Moriarty]

Or you know snipe better.

[RearAdmiralZill]

I'll give it to BFS for having the endurance to better the Gents in the last long-winded match. It's their choice to go when they wish and it payed off.

Now about the streamers losing focus and talking about anime during firefights............

[Sammy B. T.]

On the one hand, that does drive me crazy. However, how much can we really expect when three matches take what? 2 and half hours of ineffective sniping and hiding? Of course meta discussion is always appreciated, however, even if it was good meta discussion, how long can that really last?

[N-Sunderland]

After about 20 minutes of sniping, Qwerty and Swallow aren't even talking about meta anymore. After 30 minutes of sniping, they're not even talking about GoIO. After 50+ minutes of sniping... Well, I'm not sure, because I've already muted the stream.

That's the thing here. It isn't in anybody's interest to have matches this long. It makes the viewers bored, it makes the players waiting have to wait longer, it makes the stream lose viewers, and it doesn't really benefit the players either. There needs to be a time limit.

[Strite]

After about 20 minutes of sniping, Qwerty and Swallow aren't even talking about meta anymore. After 30 minutes of sniping, they're not even talking about GoIO. After 50+ minutes of sniping... Well, I'm not sure, because I've already muted the stream.

That's the thing here. It isn't in anybody's interest to have matches this long. It makes the viewers bored, it makes the players waiting have to wait longer, it makes the stream lose viewers, and it doesn't really benefit the players either. There needs to be a time limit.

The problem then is finding a balance between the game deteriorating in to a long-ass snipe fest or an out and out 5 minute brawl. Hey, don't get me wrong, brawl matches are awesome fun to play in and I'm sure are probably the most entertaining for stream viewers too but if you impose too short a time limit then brawling is going to fast become the go-to play style which pretty much eliminates variation.

[N-Sunderland]

Exactly, and that's why you need to keep the time limit high enough that the teams play normally, but low enough that playing the sniping game means risking running out of time.

[RearAdmiralZill]

And what happens when time runs out? Team with most kills wins?  Wouldn't that potentially ruin any chance of comebacks?

[RomanKar]

It's not like the teams don't know the score.  If they want to comeback, then they have to do it in the allotted time.  You know, like in Football or Basketball.

And some may say, "well, sniping teams won't do as well because it's harder for them to come back and the other team can just hide." 

My answer: if you can't handle that, don't snipe.

Hour long matches are unwatchable.  Half hour for a 2 team DM is more than enough time. Otherwise it becomes a game of who has the least amount of patience, and the answer is "the audience."

[N-Sunderland]

Hour long matches are unwatchable.  Half hour for a 2 team DM is more than enough time. Otherwise it becomes a game of who has the least amount of patience, and the answer is "the audience."

Very well said. Salute.

[Captain Smollett]

I am a bit worried about teams with an advantage deciding to run and hide.

If a team of double Pyras were up against say a Junker Galleon on a map like Paritian Rumble, they could go up by one kill and easily run away for the rest of the match which would be way more boring than a sniping match.

Also one of the first really long matches in the Cogs, the gents paddling match, was actually one of the most fun to play in as it transitioned from a really hard fought sniping fight into a really hard fought brawl.  That match took around 35 minutes.

That being said an hour seems like a bit too long for a match when you have people waiting to play.  Even if a time limit isn't put on, I think the casters should just leave the match after 30 minutes while the ref remains and then start the next match.  This way competitive teams could shoot at each other for no effect as long as they want and no one would have to watch them do it allowing everyone to win.

[N-Sunderland]

Actually, that's a pretty good idea, Smollett. That'd leave everybody happy without having a chance of screwing it up for the sniping teams. I'd only feel bad for the ref.

[Squidslinger Gilder]

Gents match didn't have to go that long. I kept moving along the scrap looking for openings to exploit. Problem was the Gents were not giving any. Vid doesn't show it but a couple times I had gotten alongside the ship and was looking to see about slipping under it but Gent positioning changed. Its the risk of running against a galleon + pyra and the Gents are just too dangerous to take risks with.

Having the option of the casters going on to other matches works for me. Golf does this. It doesn't follow the same person the entire game, it would be too boring. It cuts in back and forth for highlight shots.

[Strite]

I think Smollett's nailed it actually, good suggestion bud.

[Squash]

Even if a time limit isn't put on, I think the casters should just leave the match after 30 minutes while the ref remains and then start the next match.  This way competitive teams could shoot at each other for no effect as long as they want and no one would have to watch them do it allowing everyone to win.

This. This fixes all things.