Constructive Critisicms/Recommendations for SSBB ruleset?

[TheRazaman]

Hey guys, I was wondering if you all could give me some good feedback/recommendations about a ruleset I was planning on using for an SSBB tournament at the LAN center I work at in Buffalo, NY.
We've run a Brawl tournament already and had 40 people show up and they all enjoyed it. However this time, I wanted to get a better ruleset to make it as competitive and balanced as possible.
I've been doing some reading around and this is what I've mashed together as the ruleset we will use, so far. (on a side note gg Evo making, imo, terrible SSBB rules)

Format:
-Double Elimination
-Best of 3
-Finals are best of 5
-This time we are going to use the counter pick system that is used in most SSBB tournaments
- First stage is chosen at random from the list of Neutral stages. The loser of the first (and successive matches) picks the next stage from the list of Neutral or Counter pick stages. The winner of the previous round is then allowed to change his character. Then the loser of the previous round is allowed to change his character. The loser may not pick any stage that has been previously played in the round.

Rules:
-You MUST bring your own controller
-You may use any compatible controller
-Whatever a SSBB Judge says GOES
-Any character is fair game however some character techniques/glitches are not allowed (see Glitch section)
-Items are off

STAGES:

Neutrals:
Battlefield
Final Destination
Lylat Cruise
Yoshi's Island
Smashville
Pokemon Stadium 1

Counter pick stages:
Delfino Plaza
Mario Circuit
Pokemon Stadium 2
Norfair
Frigate Orpheon
Battleship Halberd
Castle Siege
Pirate Ship
Distant Planet
Green Hill Zone
Brinstar
Rainbow Ride
Corneria
Luigi's Mansion

Banned stages:
Port Town
Mushroomy Kingdom
Rumble Falls
Donkey Kong Arcade
Bridge of Eldin
Spear Pillar
Wario Ware
New Pork City
The Summit
Skyworld
Mario Bros.
Flatzone 2
Pictochat
Electroplankton
Shadow Moses Island
Big Blue
Green Greens
Yoshi's Island (Melee)
Onett
Jungle Japes
Hyrule Temple

Banned Techs/Glitches: (can be revised depending on discovery of more techs/glitches)

Meta Knight's Infinite Dimensional Cape


edit: Moved Port Town to banned (cars kill at low %'s)
Moved Pokemon Stadium 1 to Neutral (no character advantages here, only change from Melee is the windmill)
Moved Luigi's Mansion to Counter-Pick

 

[GI Josh]

why is Luigis Mansion banned? As far as I know, it doesn't have any random effects that can be game-changing.

 

[TheRazaman]

List modified.

 

[TheRazaman]

Any further comments/suggestions?

 

[Amide]

I'm glad to see Infinite Cape banned.

But as the rest, it looks great. Some may question Great Sea being counterpick though.

 

[TheRazaman]

Ah, had Pirate Ship and Great Sea on there, woops.

I dont see much of a problem with it. The cannons are very obvious and slow shooting. And the part where you float more easily only lasts a few seconds. But, I suppose some people may not like it. Can't please everyone though, especially since this tourney we expect around 60 people for Singles.

The only maps i'm still sort of back and forth on are:
Green Hill Zone (camping the checkpoints and stage breaking in the middle) - move to banned?
Delfino Plaza (changes aren't that bad, and doesn't have any character advantages that i know of) - move to neutral?

Luigis - is the cave of life a big problem on this? If so i'll put it back in banned.
PS1 - wall infinites to rack up dmg a big issue? If so it goes to counter pick, they don't last long enough for a ban.


As for MK's Cape I never had any doubt about banning that thing. He doesn't need it to be sweet, and it'll get abused as a stalling tech if left in.

 

[Ulevo]

I believe the Cape should be left in. You cannot prove/disprove it will have severe issues as opposed to someone stalling with say, Jigglypuff, without allowing it first.

Banning techniques prematurely = bad. Allow it first, if it doesn't turn out later, then ban it.

 

[TheRazaman]

I believe the Cape should be left in. You cannot prove/disprove it will have severe issues as opposed to someone stalling with say, Jigglypuff, without allowing it first.

Banning techniques prematurely = bad. Allow it first, if it doesn't turn out later, then ban it.

I'm more of the mindset that, if techs are going to be banned, they need to be banned prior to the tournament starting.

If the tech is abused, I can't just ban it in the middle of a round as that is just bad common sense. For example, if an MK makes it to the finals w/o ever using the Inf Cape, but then abuses it in the finals, and subsequently wins, then I'll have run into a huge problem.

I couldn't make them replay the finals with the tech now banned as that would be idiotic. But, I would have a lot of people be quite upset that I allowed the tech in the first place since it has been known about for so long.

The only time I would EVER ban a tech mid tournament is if it was a gamebreaking glitch/tech I had never seen before (and thats unlikely to happen as I try to keep up with a game's evolution as much as possible if I'm going to run a tournament for it)

 

[spudlyff8fan]

Absolutely no excuse for banning so many levels. Here I thought Smashboards commonly criticized MLG for making rulesets specifically tailored to helping their top players.

I'm better than you on Big Blue, Rainbow Cruise, Rumble Falls and other such levels. It's idiotic that I can't pick them.

 

[old king coal]

because these levels have features that are too influencial on the result of the match

 

[spudlyff8fan]

because these levels have features that are too influencial on the result of the match

So the fact that I'm better able to adapt to these should be omitted, then?

 

[Frames]

IMO too MANY counterpicks

first ps1 should be cp, not neutral, windmill is a wall now, and stage edges trap you under

second, ban green hill, distant planet, mario circuit, corneria

some people ban rainbow ride, but that ones iffy, right between counter and ban for me, place that one at your own discretion

that's all, gl with your tournaments :D

edit - nothing wrong with the cape, i just did a tournament and it wasn't banned, and nothing happened, even though 90 percent of all mk's there could do it

 

[petrie911]

Here are my thoughts

CPs:

Mario Circuit--so, you're allowing walkoffs, then? I don't have a problem with this, but we'll come back to it later....

Norfair--Exactly where this belongs. don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Green Hill Zone--see Mario Circuit

Rainbow Ride--Do not ban this no matter what anyone says. In Melee it was an optional neutral, and now everyone has even better aerial mobility.

Banned stages:

Bridge of Eldin--I'm not sure why GHZ is allowed as CP but not this.

Pictochat--What? Pictochat BANNED?! No chance. It is most assuredly a counterpick stage. If you really want me to go through all the reasons why, I will, but trust me, this stage should not be banned.

Yoshi's Island (Melee)--Like Eldin, seems unnecessary if you're not doing a full ban on permanent walkoffs.

Jungle Japes--Eh, really doesn't need a ban. It's certainly not neutral worthy, but nothing on this stage is so unfair that it warrants a ban.

Anything not mentioned should probably stay where it is.

 

[Ace55]

IMO Pictochat, Onett (although I hate the stage), Yoshi's Island (or just ban Mario Circuit and Green Hill Zone) and Jungle Japes would belong in counterpick. Just banning all the walkoff stages (except Onett and maybe Distant Planet) isn't a bad idea either.

 

[spades]

Distant Planet - Big-Mouth Creature sucks and the water effect may have too much impact on a match
Pkmon stadium 2 - Anti grav changes the game too much. it's not avoidable at all.
Mario Circuit - Ever present walk off is broken. (Bridge of Eldin, anyone?)
Jungle Japes - fine as i see it.
Pictochat - I wouldn't have it because of it's randomness KO ability; i do see why others may keep it, however.
Onett - Walls and potentially walk offs are bad news, imo.


That's all I can see right now,