We need new rotation methods and a new tournament format

[Strider755]

OK. I don't know about you, but winner-stays rotations and double-elimination brackets are among the worst ways to do things. They make it so much harder for new players and developing players to gain experience.

When I play friendlies, it's always 4-6 person winner-stays rotations. I really get obsessed with winning in those because one wrong move can mean a loss, which in turn cuts into my practice time. At the same time, the person who's wrecking everyone else gets far more practice than the others, which means he's the only one who will get ahead.

It's the same with double-elimination brackets. New players often go 0-2 their first couple of tournaments, which can be extremely discouraging. To add injury to insult, they get less tournament experience as well, while the players who keep winning keep playing and getting more experience. I already have a solution to this problem: switch to Swiss rounds. That's what Pokemon leagues use.

In a Swiss tournament, there is a set number of rounds, depending on the number of entrants. Each competitor (team or individual) does not play every other like in a round-robin format. Competitors meet one-to-one in each round and are paired using a set of rules designed to ensure that each competitor plays opponents with a similar running score or record, but not the same opponent more than once. All competitors play in each round unless there is an odd number of them. After the rounds are finished, there is a single-elimination Top Cut for the 4 or 8 or 16 or 32 best players (depending on tournament size), with the winner of that Top Cut declared the winner of the tournament.

Swiss rounds ensure that every player plays a minimum number of rounds, and nobody is eliminated until the Top Cut is determined. This system ensures that players get a decent amount of experience, and players tend to get paired against players of similar skill as the tournament progresses. As such, Swiss rounds are a better indicator of all players' relative skill than single or double elimination.

What say you?

 

[Ravengeance]

Since nobody else has replied I guess I will. Double elimination brackets are widely accepted across many esports. If there are a lot of entrants especially, then pool play can be utilized. Nobody else plays 4-6 person winner stays rotation unless you are playing at a friend's house and the guy who actually owns the game doesn't wanna sit out. New players going 0-2 in bracket can be discouraging for them yes, but they shouldn't be coddled for performing poorly. The smash community compared to most is very friendly and players who get destroyed in bracket can play friendlies, watch vods, watch tutorials or gameplay from other players on youtube or twitch. There are a plethora of ways to improve. The problem with your competitors play other players of similar skill is that it's frankly unfair and punishes a player for being good. Most people don't hold to the idea that a good player should be forced to play against a higher skilled player in fairness to lesser skilled opponents. Most people believe good players should be rewarded for previous successes and that's why things like seeding exist in football, hockey, basketball, baseball, tennis, halo, cs:go, cod, smash etc.
Yes there will be always be some "luck of the draw" no matter what you do with brackets or pools. But the randomness is kept to a minimum so the fairness can be kept to a maximum. Although your idea in theory helps developer and lesser skilled players it simply isn't fair. That's why I believe it won't and shouldn't be used.
It might sound mean spirited but if you go 0-2 in bracket play and are out you likely deserve to be out. This is just the way it is. It also allows for the most competitive matches to be played later on which makes for a better viewing experience. After all it's an esport, and sports are meant to entertain. Having the top players battle it out at the end of the tournament makes for the best overall viewing experience while simultaneously keeping a fair system where players are rewarded based on their skill at the game. If you don't want to go 0-2 in bracket then either don't compete and play friendlies or get better. Hope that doesn't come across as harsh but that's how myself and I believe most people view the situation.

What might interest you is some sports and even video games have done in rare occasions is essentially have an amateur bracket. It essentially is often the same rules and double elimination but players of a certain rank aren't allowed to enter so a really good player is less likely to come in and destroy. Amateur brackets can be done in tandem with the normal event that is going on. In some cases players will all enter the normal bracket tournament then those that are eliminated early on in the tournament can be entered in the amateur bracket. That's probably the best realistic solution you are going to find. Either way gaming is about the game so hopefully you can still find a way to have fun. Cheers.