Subject: I.1

I'm not sure what to say. Just to contrast things, my main sponsor offer was lower than last seasons (both 4*) I also had 4* skybox offering lower than last years 4* as well (the TV and other skyboxes were lower *) Both seasons are running 100 for both marketing too. I also have like 2500 more seating.

I did finish 3 spots lower in season and in playoffs, and had less playoff games. I think I won more CWC games this year tho. The season OTR gain should be close to last years. It wasn't so far...

To some extent it's supposed to be based on some sort of global OTR scale but I don't see it since I'm in the ballpark of just out of the top 100 OTR this season, and most every season for the last few.

What's the point? I don't know... Perhaps don't feel too bad, there are other managers not happy with the sponsor money. Beyond that, you're going to do just fine in 1.1 so in the big picture I personally think you made the right decision to promote now.

I think they're charging too much for staff and arena/facilities. Middle of the road teams are finding it hard to compete. The only work-around is to play the market and do it wisely.

I already sold a couple of players and plan on going through a mini youth movement. That's the only way I can move forward at this time. I'll probably end up demoting next season but this time I hope I end up in a tough league and make the playoffs rather than end up in League 2.4 again and dominate and then promote again too soon.

Any other day and Notsos would have killed me and I would have been happy just not to be shutout cause his team is a beast. But today he has a camp running, so his 2nd line defence is a 39 and his 3rd line defence is a 20. Yet somehow I still can only win in a shootout. Why? Because he played it on low to my very low? And this is just another reason why I have 4 days left til my team is deleted. lol

Bombsville, as a Stars fan, i'm very jealous of you having a player named Morris Modano. I'd actually pay for a nickname if I had him on my team...

I wont be too far behind you bro :/ It's been fun tho! It really has, right?

I somehow pulled off a win while running a training camp. nice

It was fun when I thought I could make up the gap. I don't begrudge leggy for being so far ahead - theres no reason for him to play stupid to help us out but I do begrudge the devs. I predicted this probably 2 or 3 years ago now and it's still not changed one bit. In that time frame I know I've put a few hundred dollars into the game and it seems that instead of fixing the income maker handball is the main focus. I enjoy the community more than anything but I know that getting beaten around in I.1 this season, if I don't go far and do well in the NC I just don't see any reason to come back next season - either I demote to II.x and ruin other peoples fun or I fall behind in I.1 and can't afford to grow stadium or purchase more players for the caliber of league I am in.

I can try daytrading / 1 attying but other than that the ways to make money without dumping my entire team are limited.

you really said a mouthful there bro, all of which is correct too! I don't begrudge Leggy for kicking butt, I begrudge the devs for making it so self perpetuating. As far as the money part goes I can at least take solace in knowing I withheld payment until they provided a fair and finished product. I've been waiting and very willing to pay when that day comes. It just isn't.

There's no reason to think your team will relegate this season, unless you want it to. Your team rating is easily upper 1/2 of the league. You can be on the gristmill with us hoping for the time our grain might get lucky enough to make it.

I hate seeing good managers leaving, but, in the end, it's less competition for me to stay up at the I.1 level. Good luck if you guys decide to leave in finding something you like better, no reason to stay and play if you are unhappy, that's for sure.

I don't mind staying up but then it's a certain losing battle. I have also looked at other leagues and they're a bit more consistent at the top - we just happened to have one team so dominant early and it made it very hard. There are teams that are growing pretty well though and have established a foothold so it's doable.

I think it's just a difference of perspective. you see it as losing and being unable to be #1. I see it as being in the top league in the country. My goal is not to be #1, it's to stay in the top League. Once I've solidified my position in I.1, then I can look to try and compete for a playoff spot. Then, I can try to work my way towards the top of the standings. I find the challenge fun, I like having to put patience in and work to succeed. But, that's my personal mentality.

Almost feel like I should be apologizing here...

doubt the force is that irresistable too much longer. put together a good core back in season one and have been trying to compete with the champion's league guys...only won 1 of 8 though.

now with all my season one guys hitting 'old' at the same time I'm going to be a bit screwed. (Siroky, Lavochkin, Fairchild, Gallant, Prusaks, Mihailov, Bensalem, Buckley)

got a feeling when I replace 'em all the lack of chemistry and experience will screw me pretty good.

I keep hearing people quote that 100 xp is worth +20% to stats overall; if that's the case putting in guys like Satny and Varabauskas will kill the lineup pretty fast.

Nothing to apologize for, I don't think Man U or Barcelona apologize

Manchester Unitet doesn't even have to apologize, because they couldn't even get out of the easiest group in champions league.

No one blames you Leggy, no need to apologize. I just think that the developers should have put something in place to make the game a bit more competitive for people by now. The teams that were on top after season one or two are still on top in most cases. Finances are huge and you manage yours amazingly well but the swell of money that was built up early by the top teams has still kept them so far ahead.

They keep saying "wait for the 2000 OR players" and how things will be balanced but I'm growing tired of waiting, paying, checking, and running strats where my best chance is to out guess someone or at this point just pick a tactic from a hat and hope to not get counter stratted or to counter strat them. They haven't added any wrinkles into the game - no new tactics, now changes to player builds to make managers more nimble. There have been some modifications to energy and some changes to how PP and PK work but that's been it.

The game is stale and there is nothing in it for people below the top 2-3 spots, all if I.1 is smart enough to not run the same strats every time and to play intelligent hockey. Everyone plays very low and conserves energy and just runs the same circle day in and day out. Even the conversation is stale - there is nothing to guess at and nothing to look forward to.

Blah blah, whine whine, broken record but it's something that had so much promise and just was abandoned.