A question on promotion and demotion between tiers...

[julien12]

I am in an Assoc that bounces between Gold 1 and Platinum every other season or so. Basically we stay in Gold 1 and then every other season we win our way up to Platinum only to get demoted back to Gold 1 the following season.
What this means in terms of tokens is that when we go up to Platinum we celebrate the 100 token award but then when we get demoted back to Gold 1 we receive nothing and lick our wounds. Yet if we simply stay in Gold 1 season after season we get 50T each season. So it seems to me that, in regards to tokens, over a two season arc, achieving Platinum but then being demoted back to Gold 1 (100T + 0T=100T) is equal to maintaining Gold 1 over back to back seasons (50T+50T = 100T).

Is this how it should be? For a team that cannot consistently hold Platinum you seem to alternate between Feast and Famine whereas just maintaining Gold 1 you get a steady diet. It would seem to make more sense that if demoted from Plat back to Gold 1 you would still get 50 tokens and thus show a net gain versus simply holding in Gold 1. As this is not the case I am seriously considering advising my Assoc that we NOT try for Platinum but just continuously maintain Gold 1 as its a lot less work and stress than getting beat up in Platinum every other season.

Am I correct in that this is how things work? If so, any other managers facing this same situation and what strategy do you employ?

[gohkimhock]

If you stay in Gold 1, you have the risk of going down to Gold 2, which is lesser token.

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[julien12]

If you stay in Gold 1, you have the risk of going down to Gold 2, which is lesser token.

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This is true but that has not been a problem for us the last very many seasons. We are usually towards the top of Gold 1 and not at risk of further demotion.

[dave1311]

My Association has the same problem although we have just had a 6 season run in Platinum. But you are right, the incentives are messed up.

[julien12]

My Association has the same problem although we have just had a 6 season run in Platinum. But you are right, the incentives are messed up.

Thanks for the reply. Question: did you change anything (i.e. several players increasing their quality by 20% or so) to get your 6 season run in Platinum or was it more “luck of the draw” in terms of what opponents you faced?
My Assoc has a good spread of players, in terms of quality. A couple between 110 and 130, a couple between 90 - 110, and then a couple just under 90. In Gold 1 we face similar teams and win more than we lose. In Platinum we seem to face either teams that are in the same range but always on the +10% side (so 120 - 140, 100 - 120, +90) or groups that are all pretty even but all around 110 lets say. Theoretically we should then win half and lose half, which is about what we do, but combined with losses to the other type we never have enough to stay in Platinum. Your example gives me hope that this has just been a bad year or so of luck and that the Ying/Yang of luck will give us a favorable run sooner or later.
The other alternative is that despite our relative successes in Gold 1 we need to kick some players and get in consistent +100% teams. Any thoughts?

[dave1311]

Question: did you change anything (i.e. several players increasing their quality by 20% or so) to get your 6 season run in Platinum or was it more “luck of the draw” in terms of what opponents you faced?

The other alternative is that despite our relative successes in Gold 1 we need to kick some players and get in consistent +100% teams. Any thoughts?

Every week we set weak teams using our lowest quality players in starting 11. We still tend to draw opponents of equal quality and avoid the mutant beasts. However towards the end we would occasionally draw those Top100 manipulators regardless of the teams we set.

To answer your second point, I am Captain of our Association and I have stuck with the same colleagues since the beginning give or take the odd person retiring from the game. I could not imagine ever removing any of them as we have a Facebook group and often chat. I consider them friends so we take whatever comes together, good or bad.