It has been the 78 years since the conclusion of The Great Calamity. Most of its veterans are dead, and the battlefields have been reclaimed by nature. Those who can wield the mysterious, quasi-divine power of Essence have been corralled and calm. Humanity rebuilds.
But it can't forget, no matter how hard it tries. The rationale mind of man will always be plagued with that primal chimpanzee bloodlust. More war would be nonsensical, but pacifism is agonizing. What must give? This impulse must be sated in a way that preserves society, no, strengthens it. An impossible task? Not in these modern times. We must make The League.
You must help build it lest we stumble into that abyss.
Premise:In
The League, you take the role of a Team Manager (TM) who is given the task of building, maintaining and leading a team of combatants to victory in a gladiatorial 3-VS-3 combat sport. In something like
Blood Bowl, which has its participants fully engaged in the smallest details on the field, from every individual move and action.
The League focuses on macro-strategies and the metagame; the actual matches are simulated, out of the hands of the TMs. TMs are responsible for nearly every other aspect besides the competition itself: the recruitment and appraisal of talent, establishing a relationship with all players and the team as a whole, hiring coaches, becoming the public 'face' of the team, and so forth. You might not be involved with the actual game-battle, but you will be seen as responsible for its outcome, whatever that may be.
*This game will start with a maximum of 6 active TMs. If after 4 or 5 in-game seasons everything is running smoothly, I may bump that number up to 8 or 9 TMs, but it's highly doubtful to get any larger than that. This game will have several Owners and Coaches, over a hundred Players, and then countless other miscellaneous NPCs that may appear, each of them with their own personality and goals. This game will be a large undertaking for me, but I fully intend to carry it out with the best of my ability. Even if the game is only feasible for 4 or 5 seasons, then I would like to think of it as a successful and educational venture for the TMs and myself alike.
If you would like to participate in this game without taking on the roles of a TMs, look down at the
Chain of the Command and look at the selection for
Fans, a special role for non-TM participants.
*On a similar note, the scale of this game means that it will not run quickly. If you were expecting daily or bi-daily matches, that will not be the case. This is not to say that most of the time nothing will happening, on the contrary. An aficionado of any sport or competitive activity will tell you that 80% of what matters happens before you get on the field or stage. It is off the field where your role and influence truly shines.
*I want to stress that this is intended to be a
simulation instead of a more traditional game with a planned plot. I put all the players in place, but what happens to each of them is almost entirely dependent on the TMs. This to replicate the emergent storylines that appear in real sports, which would be quite boring if every match had 50/50 odds. Instead we get tales of long-standing dynasties facing off against battle-scarred underdogs, disrespected nobodies rising to great heights while simultaneously superstars tragically fall. This game will also be rife with all the drama and metagame that surrounds sports, from the heartwarming and humorous to the shocking and detestable. Even those who pay no attention to spectator sports can still remember the New England Patriots "Deflategate" Scandal or reports of widespread drug use among Russian Olympians. Similar newstories will inevitably appear in this game as well. It is not merely how often you win or lose, it is the legends to be built and immortalized.
*I would recommend skimming each of the spoilered sections instead of reading them one by one, to see if you enjoy what you see. There's a lot of text, some of it non-essential, especially in the first few seasons (years) of the League's existence.
*Having Discord is
essential to this game. Major developments like matches, newsletters and announcements will be posted here, but all the small but numerous personal interactions will be handled in Discord. If every interview, meeting and discussion was posted on here, even in the form of multiple threads, they would all get severely clogged.
Similar to RWBY, the world is in a state both ancient and futuristic, where temples and castles coexist with skyscrapers and flightcraft. Over a century ago a distant black hole spontaneously collapsed, and the event coincided with sporadic reports of people harnessing so called 'magic'. This handful of people could utilize mental will to manipulate atomic structures, a phenomenon given many names in paper by quantum physicists. Colloquially it is referred as Essence. Essence takes on a seemingly endless number of forms: some use it to increase the magnitude of their physical strength, others use it to control the elements, or to alter the perception of other people, and much more. Oftentimes essence can manifest in the forms of weapons, armors and structures, which are just as varied. This results in one Essence Sensitive Individual (ESI) looking like a warrior of legends, while another might be a zoot-suit wearing unicyclist, and yet both could be equally capable.
Soon after the sudden appearance of ESIs, (a period now referred to as "The Black Shift") governments, supercorporations and private armies all took a great interest in these conduits as power, new super weapons that could put them firmly above their political and economic competition. The race of the powerful to acquire ESIs, whether through persuasion, bribery, coercion or kidnapping, was The Great Calamity. Some joined willingly, and became tools in the great war machines, assuming roles as sentient WMDs. Others ran or resisted, doing major damage to those that wished to attain them. In both cases the results were devastating: an estimated 80% of ESIs were killed while the entities that pursue them lost immense amounts of capital, infrastructure and manpower. After two decades of this glorified hunt, the League of Nations came together with ESI representative to institute international laws governing the rights of ESIs. With strict regulations imposed on how they could use their power, ESIs were allowed to become fully protected citizens.
In the decades that followed ESIs, became reingratied members of society. Some worked specialized jobs too dangerous for mundane people, others used their powers in harmless but spectacular displays of showmanship and art. Many never become open about their particularly status, blending in with the majority of people in an effort to live a normal and comfortable life.
Generations have passed since the Great Calamity. And even though the young know the tragedy of the Great Calamity, they can't help but feel like they missed out on a time of wonder and fantasy. And some of the ESIs long to put their prowess to real use, feeling as though the protocols that they live under make them caged animals. Combine these problems with the collapse of BlitzBall, once the most popular global sport, under charges of massive corruption and cheating.
Delpheria Antiom, a retired League of Nations representatives, thought up a comprehensive solution to this plan. Getting together of group of enthusiastic and wealthy investors and some prominent ESI figures, she announced her vision: The Essence Martial Arts League, E.M.A.L., or simply, The League.
Chain of Command:
Commissioner
The Owner of the Owners, so to speak. Besides representing The League as a whole, the Commissioner oversees the largest matters like a Prime Minister. This includes the creation/dissolution/rebranding of teams, changing rules and protocols, and punishment of Owners when necessary.
At the moment the Commissioner is Delpheria Antiom, though she has agreed that every decade the Owners will vote to either keep the Commissioner, or to dismiss them and elect a new one.
Owners
These are the people who own the teams, and will function as your boss. Coming from a wide range of backgrounds, the one thing that Owners have in common is that they were influential and wealthy before purchasing the team, and they all intend to use their teams as way to bolster these traits further. Every Owner wants their team to win, but they also know that their team is a corporation, one that can make them a lot of money. Each of them wants their team to carry a certain identity and/or culture that will make it specific and memorable to attract fans, so they want specific TMs who they feel can accomplish this.
Owners are responsible for the team as a corporation, so they'll handle things like merchandising, advertisements and investments. They make a lot more money than you, but you don't have to sit through all the meetings concerning taxes and regulations like they do.
The Owners are subservient only to the Commissioner, and each year they all meet as a Council to discuss what they like and dislike about The League, and will vote on proposed changes. Owners own their teams until retirement or death, although egregious Owners can be voted out at the Council.
Tip: The Owner may know a lot about business, but it doesn't mean they know about Essence Martial Arts, that's why they hired you. At some point, it is highly likely that what your Owner wants for the team as a corporation and what you want for the team to be successful will be two different things. Be prepared to persuasive or deceptive.
Team Manager
This is where you and your colleagues come in. The Team Manager is responsible for making the Team to as victorious and cohesive as possible. Your duties involve acquisition of players (more on that in a section below), making sure the team culture stays healthy, establishing relationships with your players, hiring a Coach and giving them guidance and suggestions, making decisions regarding personnel, and all tasks not covered by the Owner and Coach, as well as interacting with the media and public. You will communicate with your Owner, Coach and Players as a team, in smaller more specific groups, or privately. The performance of the team as a whole will mostly be associated with you. You are both the team's heart and its mind.
Tip: There is no one right way to be a good TM. Will you do your best to help struggling players find their place, or will you let them go as soon as you can replace them with something better? Will you be open and transparent to foster a culture of trust, or will you stay in the shadows to prevent anyone from undermining your goals? Your style is up to you.
Tip: You have many different options when it comes to the method of speaking to other characters. Using a phone is quick and casual, while meeting in your office is more professional and direct, and for some people it might even be intimidating. What about going to their office or home? Or even somewhere neutral, like the park or a pizza place for lunch? Think about which person you're talking to and what sort of impression you want to make. Word of advice: if you want to talk to the Owner, let them decide where to meet.
Coaches
Your chief subordinate, coaches have the distinct duty of being right up close to the action. During matches, they will be the ones directing orders, advice and information directly to your players while you and the other big shots watch from the V.I.P. seats. Outside of matches, your coaches will be very involved with your players, guiding them through training, practice and tactics. Your coach should be skilled at what you expect of them, and be able to take charge of the Players as a cohesive unit; if you imagine yourself as a Chief General, your coach is your Field Commander, leading your troops (Players) into battle.
Coaches all come with unique styles, ideas and personalities. They all seek different roles in their relationship with their Players, some want to be seen as a boss or drill sergeants, other take on the role of a wise mentor or compassionate teacher. When it comes to hiring a Coach, look for the ones that would fit in best in your system.
Depending on your Owner, you may have fully power to hire whatever Coach you want, or your Owner may require that you discuss it with them beforehand. Coaches also have the right to refuse your offer.
Tip: You want your Coach to be seen as a strong leader by your Players, but not too strong! You are the one responsible for the success of your team, and you don't want your favorite Players siding with your Coach in the case that internal strife breaks out. It's fine to be friendly with your Coach, but be prepared to stand your ground if it comes to it.
Players
All of these top roles are important, but at the end of the day it's always going to come down to the Players. The best TMs and Coaches in the world won't win if they don't have a team that is both skillful and committed. Players are your bread-and-butter, who you'll be concerned about: you'll be communicating with your own players, and keeping tabs on the players of rival teams, while also looking for players who would make good additions to your team.
You can't think of players as a just a jumble of machines who will produce X or Y result for you. Each of them is a person with their own ideas, goals, personalities, etc. Each is completely unique from their peers. Think wisely on what kind of team you want, so that you can get the players that fit that vision the best. Do you want a balanced team where each player's skill synthesizes with each other? Do you want players that are all good at the same thing, and use that advantage to overwhelm opponents? Do you want to produce order that dictates how a match is going to go every time? Or do you introduce so much chaos that the opposition can't possibly plan for you? The same is true for selecting players who will produce a certain team culture, which is just as important if not more. Is your lockeroom going to be full of fiery competitors or intimate friends?
Tip: No matter how excited you are for a potential player, remember that this is a team sport. What if this player who you think could be the future star of the team, has a personality that rips the whole team apart? This isn't to say that they have a 'bad' personality, but not every player is conducive to every team. Consider a team that has established a quieter locker room, where more introverted players can feel comfortable and productive. Now imagine tossing a screeching party animal into that locker room and what would happen.
(Note: I use "locker room" as a metonymy; it refers to the literal locker room, but also all social aspects of a team: the training room, the spa, the cafeteria, the lounge, etc.)
The Press
So these guys aren't technically part of The League, but at the same time they are instrumental to it. The Press acts the middleman between The League and the public, finding out all the most exciting stories and developments and relaying their findings to an eager public. The Press will make their own analyses, but also want to engage in interviews with Owners, TMs and Players. The Press can provide a source of information for TMs, especially since TMs can find themselves so busy with their own teams, that they fail to personally keep track of every other Team. The Press represent a double-edged sword: one week they could be making your team sound like the best destination for prospective players, and the next they could be spreading rumors (true or not!) about the private lives of your star player. Like the Teams, the Press is a corporation, and the more stories they sell, the more money they make. Think about how you wish to approach the Press, as an ally or a foe, and prepare to navigate the minefield of public image.
The Press is represented by The League Associated News Network (L.A.N.N.). The LANN will regularly post newsletters on the hottest stories and rumors around the league.
Tip: The LANN Newsletters comes with a section called "Inside the League", where Owners, TMs and Players can anonymously make comments and admissions without reprisal. A crafty TM can use this to spread disinformation and sow disorder in the court of their enemies. For example, spread false rumors that a certain player is an injury-prone weakling, and then snatch them up for cheap when everyone else has lost interest. On the flip side, realize that some of what you read is honest and useful information, and other things are just smoke and mirror. Use your best judgement.
The Fans
Can't have a League without these guys! This is who is going to buy tickets, watch the matches on TV, spend an endless amount of money on memorabilia. Fans passionately love their teams, sometimes too much. Your antics and decisions as a team will be the talk of water coolers and lunch rooms all over the world. Millions will insist that you be canonized as a saint, or call for your execution, maybe even both within the same season. Either way, this is who keeps the League afloat.
What exactly can Fans do? They aren't the ones making team decisions or playing on the field. Maybe in older times, Fans saw Players and TMs as distant Gods who they could only hope to watch in awe and reverence. With the proliferation of social media (and even regular media), teams are more accessible than ever before. A century ago it was the talk of the town to spot a Player out in the distance, nowadays Fans can communicate with their favorite teams on social media, and many players bask in this public glory, happy to respond and even do AMAs or play video games with their Fans. Fans have a surprising amount of power: they can provide a sense of reassurance to a troubled player, while providing scathing distraction to someone they hate. Fans can send gifts, they can make memes at a player's expense. Some players are more vulnerable to these acts than others, and the Fans know how to take advantage of this. The idea that Fans have no impact on how players perform is an outdated idea.
While the Press has the monopoly on big media, the Fans rival them in the sheer amount of fan sites, forums, and videos they can produce. The speed and mass that Fans can interact with each other is unmatched, and sometimes the Press itself has to sit back and concede. It can be entertaining to watch the Press even appropriate what the Fans create, as the LANN might just post an article saying "Look at this hilarious thread Fans have created!" If you as a Fan want to create a narrative, a story, or a rumor, you can launch it yourself. Remember, as a Fan you will have to face an enemy far more viscous and daring than any team, player or press, and that is your fellow Fans. But hey, Fandoms never hurt anyone, right?
Tip: As TM, pay attention to the relationship between your players and their fans. For some players, you might want to encourage them to seek out the fans if it could provide a well needed confidence boost. For others, you might have to restrict their social media privileges. Be careful, player don't appreciate it at all when their TM steps into their personal lives, decide if it's worth your player taking their anger out on you or the trolls.
Fan Tip: Fans have little to offer to a team besides their loyalty, so when you pick a team, really pick it! Show off all your fan paraphernalia, exaggerate your team's successes, provide endless excuses for their failures! Your team is the best, always take some time to mock rival teams! Be on the lookout for fans who have little loyalty, who opportunistically hop from team to team, riding on the coattails of the most successful teams and then bailing on them as soon as the success ends. These fans are the dreaded "bandwagoners" so boo them! Boo them I say!
(Note: This behavior only exists within the gameworld, where you plays fans as fictional characters, not as yourselves. Any attacks leveraged on real people is absolutely forbidden. It might be useful to acquire a fictional in-game nickname, to help establish "This is my character speaking, not me.")
League Structure:
Team Structure:
A team has 9 Players at any given time. Before a match, the team must designate which players belong to which function. The 3 "Starting" players are the ones who will begin the match, and ideally finish it. Sometimes a Starting player must leave the match prematurely due to injury or disqualification. Because of this, 3 more players are designated as "Backup" players. Each Starting player has a corresponding Backup, ex., If Pyromancer is injured, his Backup is Screaming Lance. If all 3 Starting Players and all 3 Backup Players are injured before the match ends, their team forfeits the match, though the chances of 6 straight injuries or disqualifications on a team in a single match is quite rare. The remaining 3 players are part of the team but will not participate in the upcoming match.
The goal of a match is to either pin or submit the opposition until none remain. If a player pins (hold their target's entire body down) an opponent through any means, a referee will begin to count. If the referee counts to three and this pin is still maintained, the pinned player is removed from the field. A player can also submit for any reason: pain, exhaustion, unwillingness to continue, etc. This is signaled by a frantic waving of the open-hands (or any available appendages), and it is recommended to be combined with another gesture so the opposition clearly gets the message, such as getting down on the knees or yelling "No mas!" In the cases of a grapple, the grappled target may rapidly tap on their grappler to declare submission. After submitting, that player leaves the field.
Backups do not replaced pinned or submitted players, they only replace them in cases of injury or disqualification.
At any time, a team's coach can decide to throw a white towel into the field, instantly declaring his team's forfeiture. This is often because he fears for the safety of his team.
The Regular Season
In the context of The League, a 'season' refers to the yearly cycle wherein the League's year begins, ends and then restarts. It is called a Season rather than a year as not to confuse it with a calendar year, and also because the majority of matches take place in the Autumn season.
There are 6 teams, evenly split among 2 Conferences, Sol Conference and Luna Conference.
Sol: The Raeleigh Paladins, The Galroch Wyverns, The A’elefou Kataki
Luna: The Nobuchika Shadows, The Zeha Chrome, The Xantiopan Blood-Eagles
Each team will play the other two teams in its conference each twice a season, and all other teams once, for a total of 7 games in one season. A sample season may look like the following for the Galroch Wyverns:
Galroch Wyverns VS. Raeleigh Paladins
Nobuchika Shadows VS. Galroch Wyverns
Galroch Wyverns VS. Xantiopan Blood-Eagles
A'elefou Kataki VS. Galroch Wyverns
Galroch Wyverns VS. Zeha Chrome
Raeleigh Paladins VS. Galroch Wyverns
Galroch Wyverns VS. A'elefou Kataki
Why do the Wyverns keep switching back between first and second listed team in this schedule? Because in a schedule, the first team listed has the stadium where the second must travel to, i.e. Home Team VS. Away Team.
Playoffs
At the conclusion of the 7-match Regular Season, the Playoffs (the competition road to the Championship) commences. In each conference, the teams that finish first and second all proceed to the Semi-Finals, while the third place team does not proceed to the playoffs. The two teams in the Semi-Finals will compete, and the winner proceeds to the Championship, where they will face off against the winner of the other conference's Semi-Finals. The team that wins this Championship is declared the Champion Team of the Season. To illustrate an example Playoff scenario:
Placings at the end of the Regular Season:
Sol: #1 A'elefou Kataki, #2 Raeleigh Paladins, #3 Galroch Wyverns
Luna: #1 Zeha Chrome, #2 Xantiopan Blood-Eagles, #3 Nobuchika Shadows
The Wyverns and Shadows do not proceed to the Semi-Finals. As a consolation among the #3 teams, whichever of them has more victories gets to hold the Championship match in their stadium. In this case, lets randomly say that's the Wyverns.
Semi-Finals:
Sol: A'elefou Kataki defeats Raeleigh Paladins
Luna: Xantiopan Blood-Eagles defeats Zeha Chrome
CHAMPIONSHIP:
In a stunning upset, the Xantiopan Blood-Eagles defeat the A'elefou Katakis! The Blood-Eagles are your Champions!
Offseason:
When the championship concludes, the Offseason begins. The Offseason is a time for teams to regroup, reevaluate, and see what they want to do to prepare for the next season. This the time for most players to be dropped, added, or traded to team rosters. Players can be acquired through The Draft, Free Agency, and Trading. Read more about Player Acquisitions in the section below.
