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Blood Bowl: The League Rules? - petrus | |
| The Blood Bowl league rules have always, for me, been a badly engineered section rules which have prevented Blood Bowl from becoming a truly great game. The rules problem is that teams can quickly become very powerful and tough teams can spiral out of control. If every team in the league does that, then it normally isn't a problem. Introducing new teams is. League commissioners very rarely address the issue in my experience, preferring to let you in as "the whipping boy" so that they can get more gold and become more powerful. This is what happened to me. Worse still, I play goblins. For those of you who are not familiar with the suicidal path of lunacy that is Goblin-hood, let me explain. They all suck except trolls. So what has been done to adress this problem and what can be done to adress it? What has been done?Specialist Games have tried to improve the rules through the handicap table and player aging system, to try to prevent uber-players and to even up some matches. It doesn't work.Having used both of these numerous amounts of time all I can say is that it is stupid. Immortal elves that never seem to age can retire after 7 games? Even they aren't that arrogant! Worst of all the aging table effects new players as badly as experienced ones. Just as a player on your new team starts to improve he is suddenly taken away. New players start to use players skills to their advantage only for the player to leave. I'll say it again - it doesn't work. Then there is our not-so best friend the handicap table. Whilst I'm still in rant mode I'll address the issues with this useless piece of junk. This is designed to adjust a huge difference in team rating with something stupid such as "get D6 cheerleaders for this match" the reality is you won't even use cheerleaders (Well, there are a number of situations on the kick-off table where having more cheerleaders can be an advantage.... - Ed)! The table itself was badly designed which would probably explain a lot, but essentaily all Specialist Games have done with the league rules is put plasters over a large wound. It doesn't work - something has to be done. What could Specialist Games do?They could take away handicapping and aging and look at the bare bones rules and agree on a system to help new players. For example, say that all new players begin the league with a team rating equal to the average of that league - that means new players instantly have some advantages. This team rating is achieved by buying above 1000k gold limit.The other option is to rewrite the league rules, which is what SpecGames have just done. Gone are the days of aging and handicaps, in are the days of star players and the underdogs causing all sorts of up starts. Plus team rating has disappeared! (I always hated working that out!) This last solution is the best I have come across so far. However, the damage has been done. The league rules will leave a scar though. The gang rules of Necromunda and the upgrades of Mordheim were based on the old league rules. Where these new rules have helped Blood Bowl, there is still work to be done. (In the case of Necromunda and Morheim, the campaign system will be looked at once a stable and effective league system is available for Blood Bowl, accordingto Jervis - Ed) | |
Want to discuss this? Or anything else? | |
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