I don't know if the league has it in us for another season of USL. I'm hoping we do, because I love this game, and I love playing it with this community, as fucked up, insecure, childish, and downright rude as you fucks are. But something has to change. First Hypocrties folded, and then Foot Clan mid-season. Sure, I think a big part of the inactivity level currently (of the modest game population we do have) is caused by these being the summer months; people have jobs, vacations, fun outside...etc. But I also think a significant component of the disinterest has been caused by the community. Two reasons - we stack squads and we act like dicks. Every season we have two or three squads that are mega-stacked with talent, and the rest of the players trickle out, a little talent here and there, but for the most part comprised of mediocre to poor players. And when those teams play, it's absolutely ruthless as they approach the game like predators hunting their kill, looking to drive the score up so they can boost k/d and put their team on top. The status quo must change. I understand you guys like playing with friends (Mecca). I get that. But you need to learn to settle with 3-4 friends rather than 13, because it's killing what little is left of the game and the competition. This is what I'm proposing: Before next season - if there is a next season - We need to adopt one of two rule changes. Either we 1) HARD LIMIT the squads to 12 players total, and don't change that shit right before the season for ANY reason, be it a squad folds, people complain, people threaten to quit....ANY reason. Or 2) We impose a full draft, selecting 6 or 8 captains from among the community and listing everyone as free agents until everyone who wants to participate in the season is picked up by a squad. I have given this a great deal of thought, and I think only one of those two options is going to make this game last another season and keep it fun for all of the players. You are welcome to disagree and voice a different plan if you'd like, but your #fadetheleague bullshit is irritating. IF THE LEAGUE DOESN'T ACCEPT A RULE CHANGE LIKE THIS....Fausto and myself have decided that we will fold The Division after the playoffs, and both of us will stop participating in USL. I can't speak for other people in the league, but I know at least one other squad is considering the same thing. I'm not trying to make empty threats, or blackmail the league into doing what I want - I believe there is a large consensus on this issue that is only being held up by a few influential players. This game can and should be fun for all the people playing it, no matter your talent level. To achieve that we need better competition between squads, and that means a more even distribution of talent across the squad pool. This season was a complete and total debacle from beginning to end. I think the staff let us down, particularly in settling refereeing disputes. We need to address these issues as well during the off-season, but I think it all starts with how we form our teams as the determining factor for whether or not USL can continue and go forward with another season to begin with. Love to hear all your thoughts on the issue, but next season will either be different or it won't have players to play it.

overwatch killed it.

Also true Infinite. Great input.

Ban palm! That nigger nt'ed with an alias he later erased and then he complaint like the bitch he is and didnt allow mecca and apollo to play. They were trying to help FC but a nigger like palm is just a parasite in anything he does!

You can't stop stacking unless you make a draft, and in that case you risk people not wanting to play. A lot of people leave squads and jump to new ones all the time, and so many of the top players refuse to leave their current squads.. why? because people want a choice and a say. I'm all for having another season, and I will personally make a squad.. but you know there will only be 1 strong squad and 2 potential squads that can beat it. Then you have the issue of people playing like huge pussies and basically ruining the game and any chance at having fun for both sides because they want to win. Too many people put winning over the league, and that is why it is ultimately dying. Good players dont want to join bad squads because they want to win, and squads play really gay because they want to win.

So you made this post to become more acfive but are also not playing along with others? How ironic... See you on Overwatch

There's something that everyone needs to understand and realize while we suggest changes. No rule or setting will change the competitive drive of a player. The desire to win will always be present and cannot be changed. I wouldn't want it to, considering that's why I find this game fun. Fun is different for everyone, so it's impossible to make changes that will ensure fun for all. What we should be focusing on is the league being competitive for all, as the desire to win is a simple idea and something that I believe most of us possess. The league isn't dying because people want to win. It's dying because there is a small population (this wouldn't be a problem if we had more people so that we had 4-6 stacked squads out of 9-10+) and that the same one or two squads (and players) are winning each season. It's dying because the same people are winning, the same people are playing together, and the game is stagnant. There have been no major changes to the map, to the itemset, to the league rules. The game is boring when this fact is combined with having the same winners every season (I'm generalizing, but the winners go back and forth within a small group). The same behavior and attitudes have been present since the beginning of the league. The difference is how large the league is. I'm in agreement that if the current conditions continue, this is the last season of USL and probably Infantry (though it will hobble along with 10-15~ people for a while and who knows, maybe even revitalize something else). My largest criticism of a draft league has been that it would exclude and reduce the overall population participating in the league. That isn't an issue now, as the last couple seasons (especially this one) has seen a decrease in participation and population and the trend looks like it will continue. Without doing so, the league may end anyway. A draft league is a good idea, and the idea should be fleshed out more to determine level of interest and features. A limit of 12 would be trimming the fat from these stacked squads. Speaking for myself, I don't know if my will to win above all else is the highest here, but I will undoubtedly attempt to ensure that I have one of the best opportunities to compete. In my opinion, I foresee reducing the limit to 12 will result in less people playing much like a draft league would, but it will not curtail the unrepentant behavior of the league. I believe a draft league is worth exploring. Resolving issues with staff will be an even more difficult task, as there are very few people that are interested in volunteering their time and effort beyond playing. Even fewer still are those who are (or would be) active, engaged and effective when on staff. I'd suggest making a couple polls. One to determine how many players will be active next season, and another to pinpoint what changes the community would like to see (after a number of ideas are suggested).

This league just needs a mercy limit. No one likes to be blown out by +40 kills every week. Dave is right though. I am competitive and dislike losing. Why would I want to play with someone who's played +5 seasons but still can't hold a choke with even numbers or focus fire/push? I just don't get how some people play the game everyday and never get better.

Two reasons, Y. You get out of the game what you put into it. If you try to get better at specific aspects of the game, you should improve. Some players don't have an interest in getting better though, they just want to play the game their way. But even if you do improve, it only goes so far. It's difficult to get better when you're not playing with anyone better than yourself. When no one better than you will play with you because you're not good enough, you're going to be stuck in that loop forever until some kind soul reaches out and sees some potential in you. Mecca would take kindly to this, as he talks about bringing you up in the first season or so. Which could actually be a third reason: if you are playing with someone better than you, but you're not gaining anything useful from it because they're not encouraging or being helpful, it can result in the same loop.

I'll miss you guys jk

True I've done my part to bring new guys in The other captains are shit

The same people win every season.

whats the point in making a squad when the top 2 squads stack? No reason. RIP USL. Overwatch

not gonna lie, dave is kind of hott when he gets serious

We tried roster limit of 13 for the offseason and it killed the league, almost like I've been saying that for the past 2 years. Draft league will ensure the league will be buried. If I was drafted onto a team with manu, pandy, Palm, Dave, or someone else I didn't like or any combination I just wouldn't play. You can call me a baby for thinking that way but I guarantee you I'm not alone. The game is about fun, it's not fun to play with people I dislike. I'm down for one more season though, I'll bring snakes back for one last run. Even if it's a 4 team round robin tournament league id be ok with that as a send off. I think if we just let it fade without a proper good bye we'd all regret it. Infantry is such a unique game we shouldn't be taking it for granted. But the community is just so toxic (I'm part of that) we lose sight of what we have with this game.

The Infantry/USL hype is over. People came back because of the nostalgia factor. We peaked already and now people realize that the novelty is over. It's like playing any other retro game. You get hyped and play it for a little bit then it's old again. There's also a lot of other reasons the game is dead like poor management both in game and the league. But I think even if both were smooth you would still have a decline in the playerbase. There's way too many other games out there that people can get more enjoyment out of these days. Infantry is just that time waster if you really have nothing else to do. I feel bad for whoever paid for the servers because it's a ghost town.

Any other opinions relating to next season? The playerbase will continue to decline and interest will continue to wane. I think its worth changing things up especially if it's the last season. A draft league would run some people away for the reasons Mecca listed (you don't like me Jordan? Fuck you fagit) but it seems that there will be less people regardless. Who knows, going to a draft may remove the most toxic of players and even allow people to get better. Or it may kill a league that is headed towards death anyway. Curious to see how many are interested in the idea, or if there wouldn't be any interest at all. If Romulocks is to be believed, The Division (and probably I&C?) have no interest in another season if its going to be the same thing. Can't blame them, and I think more will have to be proposed than changing the playoff format.

What about a salary cap league instead of draft? That way people could still grab a few of their top friends but still have to pick up some lower tier players. Maybe use the UFL system and set a roster amount and salary cap ?(id recommend 10-12 people max per team in hopes of adding more interest and teams)

I think a salary cap is worth exploring. Who's our resident mathemagician?

Draft league will fail. Look at how the SL draft went. Erics team did well because people saw how well Eric drafted and actually logged on.. then you look at say slashes team that barely showed after w2. That's a micro example of how a draft would work for usl . Salary cap is a new idea but you would turn off people for the same reason as a draft league. Also picking up/loosing players would be a nuisance and would force us to bring back the bench system. I don't have a solution for stacking as it was a similar issue in ctf pl more so because of the whole "I want to play with friends" argument. On a separate note, why the heck are you threatening to remove a squad with players who want to play? When did issuing ultimatums ever result in anything good? As a staff member, fuck you. As a squad player, cool, now I need a new squad since mine is threatening to disband over the league play. Which is failing due to two different issues at play: player activtity (summer/other games etc etc) and discipline/punishments for breaking of rules by staff and players. This was typed on a galaxy 6.