The DLE2 is a 16 coach league playing with slightly modified human squads, custom icons, and a 4 round draft. We are always looking for new members to join our waiting list. Please look us up and let us know if you are interested!

https://fumbbl.com/p/group&group=10875&op=view

My vision for Season 10 of DLE2.

I envision a league of 16 friends who enjoy playing Blood Bowl with humans, who enjoy drafting players and managing a team, who enjoy their custom pixels, team bios, and enjoy chatting about Blood Bowl and other random shit on Discord at all hours of the day. (Like how Connor ever thought he had the endurance to go 12 rounds against a very top level professional boxer)

Although these coaches all started at different 'levels' with respect to their ability to coach human teams, after 10 seasons of DLE2, and 100's of games together, all 16 coaches are now roughly equal in their ability to play Blood Bowl and win games in their league.

The DLE2 will be a league that will have a well established method of levelling the teams at the end of a season. (Assistance to the bottom, a TV Cap on the Top, a Draft order, a coaches Champion, and mild inducements to assit with attrition prevention in the right places during the season) I expect most teams will be reasonably close to the TV Cap at the beginning of each season. Managing the TYPE of players on each coaches roster will be a fun aspect of the draft and trading system. Quality of team may vary, but numerically, TV should be quite close.

In such a league, where coaching ability is equal, and teams start the season with roughly equal power, each season becomes more like a STORY we all take part in writing. Who gets the most unlucky with injuries in Season 11? Who gets the most lucky with injury prevention? Who makes the least amount of silly mistakes? Who makes the most silly mistakes to cost themselves a precious 3 points?

So by design, I want injuries to be a massive factor DURING a season, NOT at the start of it. If all else is equal, luck will decide the day.. and the season. And, as always, if a coach adds his own silly mistakes on top of random luck, much like baseball, he will lower his shot at he trophy that season.

And here is where the speed of DLE2 is key. If this is a league where guys enjoy playing their games quickly, we are never that far away from the beginning of a new season, with a new draft, balanced teams, and another shot at that handsome physical trophy that The_Murker can't wait to mail everyone.

End vision

I took alot of time to decide what I liked about DLE, and took a shot at improving what I thought could be improved. I also added a few quirks to make it fun, and a bit random. Again, if we all become equal in talent, (or all enjoy playing despite our experience levels), random is not a bad thing. It is a core concept in Blood Bowl.

Where I feel the original DLE is vulnerable is in its poor ability to level teams and present interesting matches between top and bottom teams... and how long it takes to actually get to these minimal leveling periods. DLE asks several coaches to manage a sub-par team for months and months, playing up hundreds in TV without any inducements, and with no light at the end of the tunnel any time soon. I do not want this for the DLE2. I would prefer quick seasons, with each one new, exciting, and with a decent shot at some glory for all. A good balance between team history and team competitiveness.

I very much appreciate all 17 coaches help in beginning to start to proof this concept. Looking at the Season 1 stats, there is an unquestionable difference in experience with coaching humans.. but there is also some very noticeable progress towards equality. I personally note quite dramatic improvements in some coaches play-style, and notice how stats in several areas are approaching a medium. If these 16 coaches enjoyed things enough to chug through 9 seasons with me, I am sure we would have a group of equals writing this story together in Season 10. I also understand if coaches need to move on for any number of reasons.

Obviously every team will be hammered by Nuffle eventually. Hammered bad. It's dice, and it WILL happen. This league is not designed to help you in the season you are hammered. It is designed to be fast, and give you a new season to be competitive in as soon as possible. In this regard, it may take a few seasons to find the right balance of 16 friends willing to ride out any storm and make it to the next season. But know this.. we are always looking to tweak the 'between-season' rules as required to offer hope and fun to everyone. Keep this in mind as you offer your inputs, and as I ask for your collective permission to alter the rules to make it more fun for all.

In my opinion, the greatest imbalance that will ever exist in DLE2 is fast approaching. By design, at the conclusion of Season 1 there will be no TV Cap in place. We will boost the bottom 2 teams as per the rules, and run the draft accordingly, then evaluate team strength. During Season 2 it is possible the distance between top and bottom will increase, and in this way, the first real test of the DLE2 'leveling system' will come with the TV Cap imposed at the start of Season 3. I appreciate everyone's help with every game played so far, and hope you all could stick with me for another 9+ seasons, but I understand if you can not.

All I ask is that you give it some thought, and refrain from drafting after the play-offs if you are not committed to finishing Season 2. We will seek 16 excited coaches and let them draft their players.

Again, my sincere thanks for everyone's time, efforts, and all of your input.

_M