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*traphag* · 03-04-2022, 09:54 PM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

pride

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2. Written, 3 TPE, Back In My Day (150 words min.)

The SHL has been around for the sim-time equivalent of 63 years now! That’s a lot of time for things to change. What was the league like 62 years ago in season one? Did nobody wear helmets? Were players allowed to smoke on the ice? Plenty would have changed in over six decades!

63 years? The SHL is as old as my mom, y'all! It must have been a wild, wild time way back in the day. Pads? Nobody had money for pads. Helmets? Sissy stuff. Nobody knew what they were doing in this newfangled sport, so they didn't even bother to practice. They'd take that time to get their minds in the right place, relax and unwind at the ol' speakeasy with some cigars and fine scotch. No, scratch that. They probably weren't making much money in the start of the league so it was store brand cigarettes and vodka in a plastic bottle. But they were playing the sport they loved, and that's the important thing! Could they even afford to play hockey on ice with sticks, or did they have to use roller skates and tennis balls and brooms too? Nah, they had to have ice and sticks and stuff, because otherwise that's some weird other sport. And there were definitely fights, probably more fights. It was rough and tumble for sure. (172 words)

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11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Was it an exciting final, or predictable? Did anything surprise you about the outcome? What players performed above or below what was expected of them?

Hamilton won again, yay? Those beacons of excessive testing and fiddling with knobs and showing off their FHM know how, they did it again! I would say that given that Hamilton wins most years it ended up being not very exciting. It was nice to see Los Angeles make it to the finals, though, because they aren't Texas so we spiced things up a little bit (some would argue things are spicier in Texas). But the lack of parity is plaguing a lot of sim leagues and that's fine I guess (just had the SBA version of Hamilton aka the Houston Ravens do a three peat so I'm used to this in my leagues, it seems). Sometimes I long for the chaos of STHS but there's a reason we went away from that. (133 words)

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12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

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Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

Here's my post.

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14. Written, 3 TPE, Blew it up (150 words min.)

In your opinion, which team is has performed a successful rebuild and built a legacy around starting from the bottom? What constitutes a successful rebuild? Cups? Playoff appearances? Is this team still poised to do great things in the future?

Look, you have to know that my answer to this question is going to be extremely biased. I was drafted by the San Francisco Pride way back in S51, right before the great implosion. The times were dark and super tanky but I liked the locker room and the people in it so I stuck around. Henrik and Smith had a long way to climb and I thought maybe having one pretty good earner to start with might help. I'm not sure how much they needed my help, though, because they drafted well and built a delightful locker room culture. We powered through many seasons of many losses and then those prospect came up to the big leagues and we started winning games. Now we have a core that I think is to be reckoned with and with Toast at the helm I think people will see what Henrik built truly come to fruition. Will there be cups? Well, there's Hamilton so I don't know about that. But I think there will be some deep playoff runs coming up and that everything that's been done in San Francisco will be seen as a success. (194 words)

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21. Written, 2 TPE, No take backs 2 100 words min

Leviadan has made the grave mistake of becoming PT director. I'm already sapping his life source and joyful innocence (yum). How could you, as a user, also make his job unnecessarily difficult? Make media about his shit PT prompts? Write your submissions in Spanish?

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU DO ANYTHING TO MAKE HIS JOB HARDER YOU WILL BE BANNED

Well resistance is what makes things ultimately difficult, right? So you'd start with constant, ceaseless, unending complaining (nothing new for some people around these parts, am I right?) and add in a sprinkling of adding weird characters to your submissions that mess up the word counters and all that, and you've got a recipe for making things difficult. Now, if you wanna step it up even further you've got to get malware or something on his computer so he can't grade things and all that (or at least has to do it all on mobile or something). Not having the right tools for the job will certainly make it a drag in a hurry. Anyway, thanks for all the work you've done as PT director. As someone who doesn't actually know anything about hockey I've really enjoyed the out of the box prompts because I get anxious every time I have to fake my way through actual hockey analysis. (159 words)

***WannabeFinn*** · 03-04-2022, 10:59 PM

GM CW Pass (S63 Pay)

Vulfzilla · 03-04-2022, 11:50 PM

1. PBE Affiliate- 3TPE
2. (12 )Milestones- 3 TPE
3. (1) Trivia- ramen
4. (20) Free advertising -3 TPE
I used an affiliate task from Professional Baseball Experience. So far I've really enjoyed my time in the PBE. One of the things I really like about it is the sim, Out of the Park Baseball, is a really awesome experience. No offense to ISFL and SHL and their dots with numbers, but the OOTP sim is actually really fun to watch. On top of that, they stream on twitch which makes for a lot more fun community stuff during the game. You can earn channel points which you can redeem for site cash, and you can do predicitions for the streamed games that result in winning or losing those channel points. The downside is that its not hockey I guess. One interesting thing is I just got called up by the defending champion Sloths (just missed a championship) and am about to get called up by the defending champion Steelhawks and just missed one there too...
5. (6. a, c, d- 3 TPE)
a. Do you let your top guys leave it all out there every night or aim for the most balanced attack possible? I have the benefit of watching the series and seeing that it didn't work, but I think it played out exactly like you'd think it would. They got some games early probably as a result of some of those better players being out there more, but in a 7 game series it seemed like the Panthers were gassed by game 5. The depth and freshness of the Steelhawks really seemed to shut the series down. (75 words)
c. To me, its alot like beating a blitz in football. If you know those linebackers are coming through the zone where do you put the ball?? Right where they came from, the vacated zone. So if they're going to blast into the zone and be looking to score, my team would counter quickly and try to make them wear themselves out in an end to end game. The more we attack, the more exhausted those Dmen are going to be and they won't be able to do either well.(89 words)
d. If I'm on the other team, I want to get as close as I can to them any chance I can. Once I get near them, I want to make the pressure ratchet up, so the best thing I can do to make that happen is just softly sing the Jaws theme... "dun, dun... dun, dun" Throughout the game I'll get a little bit faster and faster until we get to the third and it's coming really fast and I totally think that will cause them to go completley nuts, be terrified of a shark attack, and let like 3 goals in. (102 words)

(15 total TPE)

**brickwall35** · 03-05-2022, 12:12 AM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

smart

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6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

 a. Los Angeles has been riding their top players for almost a full minute more of ice time than Hamilton has theirs. If you were a coach, do you buy into this strategy? Do you let your top guys leave it all out there every night or aim for the most balanced attack possible?

 b. Guy O'Shea and Evangelos Giannopoulos have been absolute block machines for Hamilton in the playoffs with 109 between them. If you’re looking for offense in this series, how do you get around these two defensemen?

 c. Los Angeles’ defense, on the other hand, has not been afraid to join the play and put up points. How do you prepare for a five player offensive attack? How do you counter?

 d. The starting goalies for these teams, Olof Karsikko and A Jobin have been nearly unbeatable up to this point with a 0.937 and a 0.927 SV% respectively. If you’re a player on the other team, how would you get inside their heads so that you can put the puck in the net?

a. If I were LAP’s coach, every single one of my players would be jacked to the teeth on steroids. Why? Because we’d still be the underdogs against HAM, and people would still root for us despite the blatant cheating, because holy hell does no one want HAM to win. My biggest concern would be that the defibrillator doesn’t run out of juice, because the human body isn’t made to handle the binge my players would be on.
b. We know 4th lines aren’t a thing in the SHL, but that’s exactly what you need here. Throw two Happy Gilmores on the ice and have them take their skates off and use them as weapons against O’Shea and Giannopoulos. Voila, that takes care of the shot blocking issue. Sure we lose two guys permanently, but hey, anything to win. Besides, they’ll be loved like heroes for it.
c. It’s all about numbers. Sure, you can counter Mighty Ducks style with a Flying V, or you could employ the most boring strategy to ever befall the NHL: the neutral zone trap. But the best answer is much more simple – what’s better than 5 players? 6 players. Simply yank the goalie off the ice (he’s just standing there like a cone) and play the whole game on the man advantage.
d. I would literally attempt to get inside their heads. What I mean is, starting at my own goalie’s net, I’d stride as fast as I could towards the other end of the ice and launch myself like a rocket at the opposing goalie’s head. Losing one player will pale in comparison to losing an all time great starting goalie. Besides, the backup goalie will be worried he’s next.

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11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

 Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Was it an exciting final, or predictable? Did anything surprise you about the outcome? What players performed above or below what was expected of them?

It wasn’t a terrible Finals, as LAP proved that they could hang with HAM. But at the end of the day, who is surprised that LOLHAMWINS? Despite the fact that HAM had a distinct TPE disadvantage, it never seemed like LAP was the favorite. The fact that LAP even managed to take 2 games is most definitely a testament to the GMs running the show there. But at the end of the day, whether it’s due to meta builds, advanced tactic knowledge, bot simming, or just plain luck, HAM rains supreme, but maybe this will be the last time. With regression and tactic changes combined, the sun may be setting on the Hamilton dynasty.

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12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

 Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

+3 TPE - S63 SMJHL Milestones

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15. Written, 2 TPE, The yearly IIHF task (100 words min.)

 Write your predictions for this year's IIHF tournament or WJC if you care about that more. Will there be surprises? Will any players make their country proud? Who's gonna suck? Be bold!

We're at the start of the medal/knockout round, and it really looks like it could be any teams’ tournament to win. Sweden has to be the obvious favorite, going undefeated in the round robin and finishing with a staggering +39 goal differential. The 12-point gap between Sweden and 2nd place Canada is larger than the gap between Canada and 10th overall USA, which shows both Sweden’s dominance and how tight the round robin was. Group B saw a 3-way tie in points for the last two spots, with Ireland and Finland edging out Norway, and Great Britain was close with 18 points as well. I’ve got to root for my Irish brethren though. Give me the Gold!

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21. Written, 2 TPE, No take backs 2 100 words min

 Leviadan has made the grave mistake of becoming PT director. I'm already sapping his life source and joyful innocence (yum). How could you, as a user, also make his job unnecessarily difficult? Make media about his shit PT prompts? Write your submissions in Spanish?

 DISCLAIMER: IF YOU DO ANYTHING TO MAKE HIS JOB HARDER YOU WILL BE BANNED 

I could hand write all my PTs and physically send them in the mail. Buying stamps will be a bother, but it’s a small price to pay to annoy Leviadan. I would make sure to postmark the letters so that regardless of arrival time, I would have evidence that I completed the PT on time. There are no rules that state PTs have to be completed on the website itself, and they only ever specify when the PT must be submitted by. If it’s in the mail before then, I’m in the clear. But I’m not so evil; I’d be sure to include a return mail envelope for Leviadan to send back my TPE in.

visceralpotamus · 03-05-2022, 02:01 AM

1. +3 TPE Penne
12. +2 TPE - Milestones
13. +3 TPE (156 words)
I mean, to be honest, I don't know enough about this sim controversy, but sure I'd love to see more Parity. But don't worry - the answer is right here. The up and coming Edmonton Blizzard are ready to assert their flavour of dominance in the league. With an all star cast featuring the best and brightest from the s59 draft class (and Sven Svensson). Lead by the bold and intrepid Boom and the computer hax0r Hordle, and rid of the anchor bfine, Edmonton is perfectly poised to take the next step. I definitely see (read: pray) that regression nd tactics changes result in a Hamilton rebuild (lol), but I can certainly see this supporting a Blizzard team on the verge of excellence. with balance across our forward and defensive group, there are surely few weaknesses for opposition teams to capitalize open. Of course how can you forget Hordle doing his best Demko impression. Fear the blizz
16. +3 TPE (154 words)
I endeavour to continue to develop Pasta as an elite defensive player. Stats such as shot blocks and hits are certainly prioritized, as the end result is reducing shots and dangerous chances for the offence. Of course more advanced stats like controlling Corsi against are always in the back of my mind, they just feel....less sexy than hits and blocks. Investing in strength and balance has paid off so far, and I will likely keep prioritizing those physical stats, along with some of those defensive ones. AN area of growth with definitely be my giveaway takeaway ration. I have been a giveaway machine lately, and my aversion to updating any offensive stat may have to be evaluated. I'm going to have to explore that, since giveaways are really dangerous, and I would be wise to limit those, lest I be considered a tyler Myers esque defensive liability in the late stages of a game.
20. +3 TPE (160 words)
I am also in ISFL as well as the SSL. I am considerably more active in the ISFL of the two. I really enjoy the ability to choose between so many positions. Some choose to go for desirable positions (eg running back or quarter back) and are forced into being max earners and having prominent roles in the sim. Others might choose to be lower earners but have an equally important impact on the overall team success (eg offensive and defensive line men). I chose to straddle the line between the two, and become a safety. I find this to be a pretty fun and engaging position. Things like big plays (interception in the 4th quarter of the ultimus championship) are tempered with games where I have no impact in the stat sheet. I do really enjoy the sim as well. Those little dots are really fun to follow around, and honestly, I like it better than the play by play
21. +2 TPE (119 words)
I would use an artificial intelligence bot to write gibberish that is on the border of coherence. Like even if I had the capability to create a bot that has the ability to pass the turning test and write coherent sentences I would nerf it. Essentially forces him to have to evaluate each and every time if this is actually human writing it or not. Take s a bunch of courage to call someone out on such a matter, and I will endeavour to force him to make that consideration every time. Of course, if an when he ever reaches out to me on discord, you'd best believe that bot would be feeding me the replies to his messages

16 TPE total

kikish18 · 03-05-2022, 05:31 AM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

fuckh

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3. Written, 3 TPE, Those That Came Before (150 words min.)

When did your franchise last win a Challenge Cup? Write about that team, some of the key players, and what intangibles they had going for them to be able to win it all. If your franchise hasn’t yet won a cup, choose any cup winning team and talk about why you’d like your current team to emulate them. Did they have an all time great roster? Were they scrappy under dogs?

Calgary Dragons is known as the franchise that has been best in STHS simulation era. I believe it sounds cocky but actually, it is true. This achievement is based on that what Steelhead77 did. Take him away from our past roster and management bench and we could give this credit to other teams (probably our archnemesis Edmonton Blizzard. We have our history but I can go with this open-mindedness and see that they are actually a good team through history. Nevertheless, I will give a virtual high five to teammates when we will win them in the next game. Hell yeah!) Now talking about question related to the matter of winning the last cup - it was S50. The hero of the game was Barry Batsbak who recently got Mike Izzy award for the amazing team contribution off the ice. So the timing for this question is perfect because he was the hero of S50.

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4. Written, 3 TPE, Extinction Event (150 words min.)

Rumour has it that millions of years before the SHL began, there was a pre-historic “Dino Hockey League” that dominated the global sports market before a meteor wiped out most life on the planet. Describe that ancient league. Maybe name a couple of teams or players, tell me about how the Dino league’s rules differed from our current ones? This one is pretty loose, just have fun with it!

What the hell do I have to do with this one? I love Your passion for tasks, Slash but what the hell. The only reason I'm picking this task is that I had an "online friend" named Dymo (I called him in my mind always "Dino") and this topic somehow reminds me of him. Interesting but he actually was the owner of an online hockey league. It was dynasty based for 30 GMs (yes it happened when only 30 teams were in NHL) and we all were Latvians. Dymo once signed for SHL too. I think he went undrafted and even signed with one SHL team. That was bizarre, although could be a logical asset of virtual hockey leagues. Anyway, if there would be pre-historic Dino Hockey League it would be the exact design as this league I'm talking about here. If you don't understand. 32 (oops I mean 30) dinosaur hockey teams and users act like GMs. Until meteor falls or administrations act like cockheads. Hehe. Cockheads.

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14. Written, 3 TPE, Blew it up (150 words min.)

In your opinion, which team is has performed a successful rebuild and built a legacy around starting from the bottom? What constitutes a successful rebuild? Cups? Playoff appearances? Is this team still poised to do great things in the future?

I can not pick one. In my mind, there are 3 teams that can get my credit for a successful rebuild. First I'd like to say bright words for successful upgrade are Atlanta Inferno. In my mind, they were vending machines for points but I was surprised when I checked fantasy and they have a few really solid pieces of a roster that can contribute with scoring. Rebuild done right! The next one is a bit obvious but I want to mention them - Tampa Bay Barracuda. They were total bottom for a while but in recent 2 or 3 seasons they have picked themselves back and yes- one of the very important indicators of that team is doing good is how many players or goaltending has been used in SHL fantasy. Lastly, Seattle Argonauts did a great job. They did rebuild more calmly rather than Barracuda which in my mind did this very polar way. They slowly climbing up and I believe that this is the way they can achieve a lot!

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11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Was it an exciting final, or predictable? Did anything surprise you about the outcome? What players performed above or below what was expected of them?

Yes, I have particularly bad time management skills. As you can see instead of doing my Ph.D. I waste my Saturday (another fucking Saturday) to say congrats to Hamilton Steelhawks who again (another fucking again) have won this imaginary cup. Compared to other sports like football (the one with a round ball) it is normal for Bundesliga to have Nr.1 club because of the huge difference in club budget but c'mon I believe none of HO wanted to do things going this way that one team repetitively winning major achievement(if wanted to do it - hats off). Frankly, I have no idea which cup to Hamilton it is since FHM6 appeared. 8th? 7th? It is not the player's fault that people don't want congrats them with win.

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12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

+2 TPE - s63 milestones

krazko · 03-05-2022, 06:24 AM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Hobbes

3 TPE

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6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.

a. Los Angeles has been riding their top players for almost a full minute more of ice time than Hamilton has theirs. If you were a coach, do you buy into this strategy? Do you let your top guys leave it all out there every night or aim for the most balanced attack possible?

b. Guy O'Shea and Evangelos Giannopoulos have been absolute block machines for Hamilton in the playoffs with 109 between them. If you’re looking for offense in this series, how do you get around these two defensemen?

c. Los Angeles’ defense, on the other hand, has not been afraid to join the play and put up points. How do you prepare for a five player offensive attack? How do you counter?

d. The starting goalies for these teams, Olof Karsikko and A Jobin have been nearly unbeatable up to this point with a 0.937 and a 0.927 SV% respectively. If you’re a player on the other team, how would you get inside their heads so that you can put the puck in the net?

a, That question fully depends on the depth of the team, how productive the other lines have been and how good they are defensively. Sure, there is a risk of fatigue if you let the top players play too much, but those players are also the ones that have that little extra to win it for your team win clutch situations!

b, There is really a multitude of different ways to get around the 2 block machines, either you will have to ensure you play the puck more to eliminate their opportunity to block your shots, or you line match to avoid your top guys playing against these players and let them work against other lines on your team

c, It sounds like Hamilton has prepared in the best possible way but getting all players to buy into the tactic and block shots. Having players like Guy O'Shea and Evangelos Giannopoulos lead the charge and block every shot they can will inspire the rest of the team to follow suit and block shots when they can. Then being quick on the counterattack when the puck does bounce your way.

d, Every goalie is beatable and I would almost argue that you need a goalie to have that save percentage to be a cup contender. Being a player on either team I would then shoot as much as possible, especially into traffic so the goalie cannot see the puck, or it gets a bounce that is unreachable. You can also start running into the goalie in situations, giving him nudges and hits to put him off his game and start focusing on other things

4 TPE

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12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

 Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

Milestones

3 TPE

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13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)

BWOMP BWOMP BWOMP PARITY ALERT PARITY ALERT- Well, a new team in the finals since the mid s50s, it only took ten seasons. Is parity solved? Will new teams make it in as the old guard becomes a forgotten waste of brain space? Don't forget, Hamilton is here AGAIN. Yes we have new teams... but what if it's TEX HAM again next season? Is that even likely?

While Hamilton Steelhawks did make it to the final again, to get to the final, they beat the Baltimore Platoon in tough a 6 game series. It is too early to say if parity is solved, but it does indicate it has had the desired effect. We might see the previous dominant Hamilton Steelhawks, Buffalo Stampede, Texas Renegades and Chicago Syndicate for a few seasons still as they have had the opportunity to amass assets to trade with during their prime years. So while I think we will see more different teams coming to the top in the next couple of seasons, the quality and depth of players the 4 dominant teams have will prove a tougher challenge to overcome, one that will take a couple of more seasons to come by. So while I do not think it is likely we will see a combination of Hamilton, Texas and Buffalo in the finals again, one of the 3 can more than likely make it as they are still very good teams.

3 TPE

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14. Written, 3 TPE, Blew it up (150 words min.)

 In your opinion, which team is has performed a successful rebuild and built a legacy around starting from the bottom? What constitutes a successful rebuild? Cups? Playoff appearances? Is this team still poised to do great things in the future?

I think there are 2 teams that have pulled of a rebuild, but the team that has successfully pulled off a rebuild is Baltimore Platoon. Winning a title while having been through a rebuild is one certain way to cement the rebuild as successful, but with the playoffs being so tough and an unlucky streak or an early series against another top team can end that dream quickly. So, while the Platoon has not won any titles or even been in a final, their showing in the regular season proves how good the team is. When I joined the league Baltimore was a bottom scraper but now they are constantly a team to be reckoned with and has unfortunately for them fallen short in the playoffs. The Baltimore Platoon still have a few more seasons to achieve the dream of the title prior to regression will hit them in a hard way and they will fall off.

3 TPE

Total: 3 + 4 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 16

***Inf1d3l*** · 03-05-2022, 07:15 AM

Quote:1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

VW: Heya

Quote:2. Written, 3 TPE, Back In My Day (150 words min.)
The SHL has been around for the sim-time equivalent of 63 years now! That’s a lot of time for things to change. What was the league like 62 years ago in season one? Did nobody wear helmets? Were players allowed to smoke on the ice? Plenty would have changed in over six decades!

63 years is a hell of a long time. A lot of things have changed in the time period since then. The two line pass rule was still in effect when the league first started, as well as the physical touch icing rule. Luckily injuries were (usually) off at the time because that one would have ended a lot of careers. The salary cap has increased dramatically, as well as the price of training and things, due to inflation. And let's not even get started with the penalties for breaking the rules. It used to be a slap on the wrist, and now it's so much more than that. You can get suspended, fined, even banned from the league for doing stupid things or saying things that are absolutely not politically correct anymore. Do I think the league has a flair for the dramatic? Sure. Do I think it's better than it used to be? Absolutely!

Quote:3. Written, 3 TPE, Those That Came Before (150 words min.)
When did your franchise last win a Challenge Cup? Write about that team, some of the key players, and what intangibles they had going for them to be able to win it all. If your franchise hasn’t yet won a cup, choose any cup winning team and talk about why you’d like your current team to emulate them. Did they have an all time great roster? Were they scrappy under dogs?

I choose to talk about the one and only Challenger Cup I was able top win in the league, which happened in Manhattan back in Season 52, which ended up being the final season of the STHS era. We had worked so hard for so many seasons to get to that point, building up such a strong team that season after season seemed to underperform in the playoffs, losing in the conference finals or before. Finally reaching the holy land, the Rage came into the Finals as the favorite over the Pride. The storyline to watch was that of Tokek Takshak, a previous member of the Rage going against his former team in the Finals. Meanwhile for Manhattan, powerhouse duo Luke Thomason and Alex Winters were on fire for the team, carrying them past tough contention with Chicago and Buffalo. Def the strongest roster in the history of the Rage that I'm aware of, though I'm sure earlier teams were strong too.

Quote:12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE
Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

CW Claim +1

Quote:18. Written, 3 TPE, zzSnoop Lionzz 150 words min
Well it happened. A general strike by the goalie union led to a mass retirement of goalies and now ALL of them have either quit the site (based) or recreated as a skater. HO has implemented a bot goalie system, but decided goalies were too underpowered and gave the goalies 20 in every stat, even the mental ones we can't upgrade. How does the season play out now that goalies are gods (godbots?) among men. Does anything really change?

I mean, having 20s in every stats MIGHT bring the number of goals scored down to a more manageable level. We might see more than 10 saves per goalie on average and could possibly actually see some goalies get into the zone of having MVP type performances once again as they once did in the STHS era. However, without goalies reaching 25 in many stats, I'm not sure it will matter. Certain teams that will go unnamed will find a certain way to break them and the system once again, despite "not test simming" in any capacity (biggest line of bullshit I've heard on this site yet). But all in all, I think the tactics changes will give the goalies a strong chance to rise back into a point where they will stand out more and play a more vital role for their team, and not one where being pulled for 60 minutes might allow less goals.

Quote:6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Los Angeles has been riding their top players for almost a full minute more of ice time than Hamilton has theirs. If you were a coach, do you buy into this strategy? Do you let your top guys leave it all out there every night or aim for the most balanced attack possible?
b. Guy O'Shea and Evangelos Giannopoulos have been absolute block machines for Hamilton in the playoffs with 109 between them. If you’re looking for offense in this series, how do you get around these two defensemen?
d. The starting goalies for these teams, Olof Karsikko and A Jobin have been nearly unbeatable up to this point with a 0.937 and a 0.927 SV% respectively. If you’re a player on the other team, how would you get inside their heads so that you can put the puck in the net?

A. I think in Los Angeles' case, relying on your top guys is the way to go. With a guaranteed rest day between each game, they shouldn't tire out, and they have been putting up the strong numbers in terms of points, so riding the hot guys is the way to go (giggity)

B. I think the best way is to invite them out for drinks the nights before the games with the LA squad in the essence of friendship, and get them absolutely hammered. Spike their drinks, make them fail a drug test or suffer through a strong hangover. Anything to keep them off the ice altogether!

D. Olof has been a beast, it's gonna be hard to break into that dudes head. In terms of Jobin, just say something unkind about Hamilton and he'll spout a bunch of lies and get all worked up for no reason over a game. It's worked in the past, and likely will continue to work until he grows up or realizes he's not Donald Trump and no one is gonna listen to his bullshit.

Thelastheraclid · 03-05-2022, 10:04 AM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

coffee

Code:
2. Written, 3 TPE, Back In My Day (150 words min.)

The SHL has been around for the sim-time equivalent of 63 years now! That’s a lot of time for things to change. What was the league like 62 years ago in season one? Did nobody wear helmets? Were players allowed to smoke on the ice? Plenty would have changed in over six decades!

Looking back at the highlight reels from the early days of the league is truly a wild experience. For starters, those early players look liker they are skating through mud. Part of that is because of their barely functioning equipment and part is from the clutch and grab style of play. Those now geezers were not afraid to drop the mitts either. Yeah, we still have some pugilists in the SHL these days but 63 years ago? If you had at least half of your real teeth by the end of your first season you were seen as a prima donna. The most important difference between then and now though has to the staches. The glorious, glorious staches. Guys these days seems to prefer the big, bushy beard. The OGs rocked the gnarliest staches and sideburns known to man. I guess when you are a player coach that has been up for the last three days straight on a booze and coke fueled bender with nothing but steaks to sustain you need to look the part.
(176)

Code:
11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Was it an exciting final, or predictable? Did anything surprise you about the outcome? What players performed above or below what was expected of them?

Congratulations, Hamilton. Nothing about this was in the least bit surprising. We have had almost ten seasons of this. The surprise of the series was Los Angeles making it to the final. We finally got some new blood in there. Once that match up was decided though, you knew what was coming. And we all know what is coming next. People complain (rightfully) and share their displeasure with the league at the moment and then the same handful of players will play the victim when they know damn well that they hurt the longevity of the league with the STHS thing.
(101)

Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

Claiming 3 milestones

Code:
13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)

BWOMP BWOMP BWOMP PARITY ALERT PARITY ALERT- Well, a new team in the finals since the mid s50s, it only took ten seasons. Is parity solved? Will new teams make it in as the old guard becomes a forgotten waste of brain space? Don't forget, Hamilton is here AGAIN. Yes we have new teams... but what if it's TEX HAM again next season? Is that even likely?

The league is totally screwed at this moment in time. We are all still dealing with the fallout of the forced switch to FHM after Hamilton broke STHS a few years back. I know that as of the last few days, there have been some more changes made in an attempt to fix the problems that we have had but the long-term damage has been done. Right now, parity will never exist. Hamilton has seemingly poured through the sim and figured out every last detail to give them the highest chance of winning. Realistically they should not still be this dominant. With how long it takes to become a viable player most teams are either losing players or GMs before they can even get to the competitive stage of their build. We learned early on in FHM that rebuilds would never be quick to complete. What we are seeing now is that even when completing that rebuild, success depends on having someone that can test sim forever.
(167)

Code:
14. Written, 3 TPE, Blew it up (150 words min.)

In your opinion, which team is has performed a successful rebuild and built a legacy around starting from the bottom? What constitutes a successful rebuild? Cups? Playoff appearances? Is this team still poised to do great things in the future?

There are two teams that have clawed their way up from the bottom of the league to become what should be perennial contenders for the cup: The Baltimore Platoon and the Tampa Bay Barracuda. Both teams spent the beginning season of the FHM era in the basement. They have done everything right in terms of drafting and trading for dedicated users that want to succeed and creating places people want to play in. Unfortunately for both of these teams, FHM has continued to screw them over. For Tampa, they happen to be in the same division as Baltimore. So far, Baltimore has had the edge in their competitions. BAP has turned into one of the strongest regular season teams in the league. They won the damn President’s trophy this season. The front office in Baltimore has turned so many of their picks or trades into 2K players. I think there are four on the roster at the moment that have been developed almost totally in the BAP system.
(168)

Renomitsu · 03-05-2022, 10:29 AM

Tasks
AFFILIATE CLAIM from WSBL. +3
Please note my username over there is Dogmatist. I have indicated in my signature here AND over there that my usernames between the leagues don't match.
[running total +3]

1. Trivia Word: vagabond, +3
[running max total +6]

6. a. A single minute of ice time isn't a huge difference, and I wonder if that's more expected variability from the sim than anything from strategies (I don't have FHM so I can't check). That being said, this is a difficult question to answer without knowing the composition of your team: is it a bunch of elite players from top to bottom? Then the marginal difference between players is very small and fatigue matters a lot. Is your second line 1500 TPE worse than your first line? Well I'd probably ride the top players into the ground, too. [97]
b. You've just gotta take them out. Tonya Harding them or something, I dunno. Alternatively, find some gimmicky strategy with some weird roles that slows down scoring a lot but provides you net benefit – yes, they may block a ton of shots still, but who cares so long as they're a net negative plus-minus while they're on the ice? [58]
c. The answer is kind of in the question here. You counter by understanding that very few offenses can score on any significant proportion of their possessions, and having defenders play way up means it's more difficult to defend once/if they lose the puck. So sit tight and plan for a counter attack instead of turtling while having pucks hurled at you. [61]
d. I play on the Swedish national team with Jobin so I already know his secrets – I can't blurt them out here! For Karsikko I think it's more a matter of neutralizing the impact of his defense than his skill alone, though I do agree they're both massively talented. I think you can just bribe his defensemen heh heh. [58]
+4 total
[running max total +10]

12. Milestones – +3 TPE
[running max total +13]

13. I don't think this season is a good indicator of parity, personally. It's effectively a forcibly ushered-in period of regression among top teams, some of which were already set up for a decline (e.g. Buffalo and Chicago) by denying the players most relevant to these peak seasons a chance to stay at the top for one more instance – in effect it showed us the likely result for what would originally have been Season 64. Could the regression change have had an impact on the end result? I think it's reasonable to suggest a small indirect effect, but at the cost of those who have played out ten-plus seasons as less effective players only to be denied their peak. What's likely more effective is the limitation of 'skill'/time expression via changing strategy allowances, as I suspect that's where a team like Hamilton excels most. And I'm not sure that would make every team feel great, either – it makes it feel as though there's an intent to limit how much the sim can be influenced within its already-defined limits. It's probably to Buffalo's benefit frankly, as we've lost some test simming manpower, but probably doesn't make Hamilton or other high-strategy teams feel better about the league.
[204], +3
[running max total +16]

***bluesfan55*** · 03-05-2022, 12:41 PM

+3 TPE - Milestones
CW Trivia: verification word is nutsnuts

6. Written, up to 4 TPE - Grab Bag: Pick up to 4 Challenge Cup related topics to write about! Each topic is worth 1 TPE. Each answer must be 50+ words.
a. Los Angeles has been riding their top players for almost a full minute more of ice time than Hamilton has theirs. If you were a coach, do you buy into this strategy? Do you let your top guys leave it all out there every night or aim for the most balanced attack possible?
I don't buy into this strategy at all. Sure, it will get you far in the playoffs as you're playing your top guys basically all the time, but it'll tire them out easy and if you don't have enough forward depth, you're going to get bitten by the fatigue bug. I think if you have a nice balanced attack, you ride that rather than putting all of your eggs in the top line basket.
b. Guy O'Shea and Evangelos Giannopoulos have been absolute block machines for Hamilton in the playoffs with 109 between them. If you’re looking for offense in this series, how do you get around these two defensemen?
If I am trying to get around Irish god Guy O'Shea and the main crodie Evangelos Giannopoulos I'll just insult their mothers. You can get crodie mad and he'll go on a verbal tirade instead of trying to block your shots so you can dangle around him, and O'Shea will get similarly hotblooded so I could dangle around him too. Just get inside their heads.
c. Los Angeles’ defense, on the other hand, has not been afraid to join the play and put up points. How do you prepare for a five player offensive attack? How do you counter?
You prepare for a five player offensive attack by playing physical. They'll be afraid to jump in if you're hitting them hard and often every time, so go after the body in a clean way. Then you pick up the puck and counter. We've got so much offensive firepower that if we just had a guy like me use the body to dispossess a Panther and then get the puck and slide it to a Mikey Scarn or a Theo Morgan, we'd be winning 10-0.
d. The starting goalies for these teams, Olof Karsikko and A Jobin have been nearly unbeatable up to this point with a 0.937 and a 0.927 SV% respectively. If you’re a player on the other team, how would you get inside their heads so that you can put the puck in the net?
Karsikko should've been a boat. We all know that by now and I'm still kinda mad we got sniped for him. So it's simple for me. I'd get him off his game by chirping about how boats sink whales. IS it animal cruelty? Yes, 100%. But it's an effective chirp that will get him on the soapbox of protecting animals instead of saving clap bombs or snap shots. We'll win easy.

13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)
BWOMP BWOMP BWOMP PARITY ALERT PARITY ALERT- Well, a new team in the finals since the mid s50s, it only took ten seasons. Is parity solved? Will new teams make it in as the old guard becomes a forgotten waste of brain space? Don't forget, Hamilton is here AGAIN. Yes we have new teams... but what if it's TEX HAM again next season? Is that even likely

Parity will not be solved. Everyone will simply continue to blame Hamilton for everything because Hamilton is still "gaming the system" even though they barely even touch their strats. The rest of the league is trying their hardest to beat Hamilton but it simply doesn't work, as Buffalo does push them to seven in the first round but loses on a heartbreaking overtime winner from Ty Murphy. They then dispatch Baltimore with ease (again) and make the finals as everyone on the site cheers their success. The west again sees Texas make the finals, because who doesn't love the TEX HAM series? It's a tried and true classic that everyone on the Simulation Hockey League truly enjoys. Hamilton wins yet again as the entire New Orleans franchise writes the Steelhawks a public love letter of how great they are, apologizing that they cheated back in S53 or whatever season that was.

3. Written, 3 TPE, Those That Came Before (150 words min.)
When did your franchise last win a Challenge Cup? Write about that team, some of the key players, and what intangibles they had going for them to be able to win it all. If your franchise hasn’t yet won a cup, choose any cup winning team and talk about why you’d like your current team to emulate them. Did they have an all time great roster? Were they scrappy under dogs?

My current Simulation Hockey League franchise is the Hamilton Steelhawks. The Hamilton Steelhawks last won the Challenge Cup in Season 61, sweeping the Texas Renegades who had won the western conference. Hamilton had a dominant playoffs, only losing three games (once in the second round to Buffalo, and twice in the conference finals to Baltimore), and were led by a cast of characters whose intangibles were scoring a lot of goals and dominating the opposing team. Key players on that Steelhawks team included Theo Morgan, Mitchell van der Heijden, Michael Scarn, and Aaron Wilson, who finished 1-2-3-4 in playoff scoring. Morgan and Wilson both scored eleven goals while van der Heijden had 16 assists, followed by Morgan and Scarn with 15. Defensemen Hugh Jazz and Guy O'Shea each scored 14 points, and the surprising play of Delver Fudgeson, who scored four key goals, also helped. Goaltender A Jobin boasted a dominant GAA of 1.51 and save percentage of 0.940. Hamilton was just a dominant team, and they made the league look silly.

Gifter of Bikes · 03-05-2022, 01:48 PM

1 - Trivia + a million
#FreedomForUkraine

2 - +3
While I wasn't there at the very beginning of the league's existence, I began checking it out 60 seasons ago. At the time, I had two very young children, about 4 and 2, and was worried about letting down my team. Little did I know that joining the SHL would turn into a 10+ year sim-league hobby, but wow, have things changed. At the time, some of the legends of the game were people who probably wouldn't be able to hold a candle next to some of today's superstars. Fitness and diet routines are so much more developed these days, and as far as I know, actual cavemen like Jack Crasher aren't allowed on the ice anymore. It was a brutal time, both in physicality and in quality of play, at least until the goalies caught up to speed. Once they were allowed to wear jock straps, that definitely helped level the playing field between offensive players and netminders.

4 - +3
So weirdly enough, the one constant between the Dino Hockey League and the pseudo-modern SHL is the presence of one Jack Crasher, caveman turned cocktease turned New Rule in the Rulebook About Being A Weird Troll. You guys ever seen the Pauly Shore classic Encino Man? It was inspired by Jack Crasher. Dude would ride a Pteranodon to the rink and use a thick wooden club as a stick. Absolutely bonkers. The puck was just a frozen bit of dino shit, of course, because they didn't have vulcanized rubber back then, but the puck was secondary. Honestly, the game had more in common with the Roman Colosseum than anything else, as the losing team would be summarily executed and devoured on the ice. Not a pretty sight. When the Ice Age happened, though, Crasher became frozen in a block of ice, perfectly preserved, until a mere six decades ago when he was revived and given a new club....

12 - Milestones +3
https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3183833

13 - +3
Parity won't return to the SHL until the older players who are exploiting flaws in FHM are expelled into the deepest recesses of the known universe. While it's not cheating, it is essentially a bad faith argument, and should be punished as such. Exiled from the world, from the league, from the galaxy. Begone with your hideous abuse of well-known exploits! Go live among the stars, find some rock with enough of an atmosphere where your eyes don't burst and your lungs don't collapse, and reminisce about the poor choices you've made in your life that led you to this horrible, wretched existence. Furthermore, any championships you have won will be forfeited, and your record book will have some many asterixis that it will look like it was censored for obscenity. Your names will be so sullied by your misdeeds that your great-great-great grandchildren will choose to hide their identities out of shame for your crimes.

qWest · 03-05-2022, 02:56 PM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

jazz

Code:
7. Graphic, 2 TPE, The Peoples’ Favorite

Yes, this task can stay. Design a championship ring for either team, you may use the fancy ring site. Here's a link: https://designer.trophysmack.com/productdesigner/index/index/id/97/template/MTUz/cid/MzMwMDA2MzU2Mjk2Mjk=

Code:
11a. Written, 2 TPE - The Procrastinator Special! (100 words min.)

Congratulations, procrastinator!  Through your terrible time management skills, you’ve unlocked a special task! [TEAM] has won it all! Was it an exciting final, or predictable? Did anything surprise you about the outcome? What players performed above or below what was expected of them?

First new team in a long time, let's see how they do
Hope quickly fades when they lose games one and two

Almost lose faith and let my tears go run free
When hope glimmers in when LAP win the game three

Now hold to that hope! They can win once again!
Three nil in game four, here comes back the pain...

The pain's taking over, I'm beginning to fade
"Come on, you can do it" to LAP I dared bade

Maybe the league can finally start looking up!
Maybe a new team will win the cup!

Steelhawks win one to five
SHL stays in a dive

Code:
12. Milestones, up to 3 TPE

Milestones are folded in with CW. So just link your Milestone claim as task 12 for up to 3 TPE towards your 16 total.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post your claim in the milestones thread for tpe earned per stat, and then link that post in your CW submission. This is done because the person who grades CW will be a different person than double-checks milestones.

https://simulationhockey.com/showthread....pid3182285

Code:
13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)

BWOMP BWOMP BWOMP PARITY ALERT PARITY ALERT- Well, a new team in the finals since the mid s50s, it only took ten seasons. Is parity solved? Will new teams make it in as the old guard becomes a forgotten waste of brain space? Don't forget, Hamilton is here AGAIN. Yes we have new teams... but what if it's TEX HAM again next season? Is that even likely?

The season is season one hundred. Los Angeles' cup appearance is a glimmer in the eyes of the masses, pushed deeper and deeper into the dirt and shit by the bourgeois Big 4. It all turned around after the codification of the Panther Accords in the S64 off-season, when the Big 4 came off their ivory thrones to curl their fingers and manipulate their sad and desperate meat puppets in the league's ownership office. The Panther Accords set in SHL law that any of the Big 4 teams can call for a resim at any time for any reason and may at any point poach players from non Big 4 teams for free. Having successfully installed their own controversial, ineffectual, and weak-willed pawn in the Commissioner's seat, opposition to the Accords is quickly squashed. Occasionally, a non-Big 4 team is allowed to reach the semi finals to give a drip of hope to the peasants of the league. Long live Hamilton. Long live Buffalo. Long live Texas. Long live Chicago. Death to all that oppose.

Code:
One (1) affiliate claim from either PBE,  WSBL or the ISFL will be accepted for 3 TPE! *if you’re claiming this and have a different username on the affiliate's site then you need to state that in your post to get credit.*

https://forums.sim-football.com/showthre...#pid561880

By-Tor · 03-05-2022, 03:27 PM

1. (+3 TPE?) Trivia VW: Krakennn
3. (+3 TPE) The Winnipeg AURORA have never won a challenge cup. We've only been around the league in our current form since S58 - the same season I joined the SHL. Before that, the Winnipeg JETS were a bit more successful. Their last cup was in S44. They lost in the Challenge cup final in S48 vs Buffalo, one of the first Buffalo powerhouse teams. The Jets' roster of S44 was led by five players whose numbers are currently in the rafters: Visser, Evans, Bearss, Zhumbayev, and Grease. They weren't really a powerhouse like we see today. They finished the regular season with a 29-15-6 record, which is respectable, but not amazing. They DID have a great power play that fired at a 26% clip. The names I recognize even as a relative SHL newbie are Crossfit Jesus, Ola Wagstrom, and Nicholas Williams. Those names have stuck with me for some reason. I really think this team just gelled together at the right time and got things done when they needed to. Hopefully soon the Winnipeg Aurora teams of S65-S70 will have a few more banners hanging. (WC:184)
6a. (+1 TPE) I think playing their top players heavily might work in a limited series if you get the tactics right. You have to try anything to get past Hamilton. I don't think it would work long term (obviously it didn't). I personally prefer a balanced attack. It makes your opponent work harder to match your lines. Like if it was reversed, LAP would just have to match one HAM line. (WC: 69)
6b. (+1 TPE) Honestly? Hope they take penalties lol. You could probably get around them on the power play, but it's still hard. You just have to find that right tactic slider to negate their skills. Maybe they play a 1-2-2 or something and you need to play the balanced attack. But beating Hamilton at their own game is tough. (WC: 57)
11a. (+2 TPE) Hamilton won four games to two. I really had high hopes for LAP when they ties the series at two apiece. That was a major swing game and it went in their favor. They wouldn't come back from down 3-1. It really just went downhill from there. Game 5 was another must-win because of Hamilton's skill. They were shutout and then crushed in game 6. The whole series was one of those situations where everyone got really excited because the David could take down Goliath, but then everything crashed back down to reality and everyone went about their regular lives. It made me a little sad. (WC: 106)
12. (+3 TPE) Milestones Link
15. (+2 TPE) Let's talk about the WJC. It already happened other than the last game (I'm hoping for a great game, don't have any horse I want to win). I want to talk about my North American lads. They played so great! We didn't finish with the 0.500 record of last year, but we made it soooo much closer in the playoff round than last year. I tailored those tactics to perfectly play against our #2 DACH opponent. We were so outgunned - 195 TPE average vs 400 TPE. We pushed DACH to the absolute limit. We scored two goals on the first two shots and then ended up losing 5-4 in DOUBLE overtime. Amazing if you ask me. (WC: 116)
18. (+3 TPE) Nothinmg changes. Well, maybe the score, but everything will be just as unpredictable as ever. The variables are with the players and forward tactics, so goalies are really an afterthought in FHM. It definitely helps on average to have a great goalie, but you can win with anything. Look at LAP. They have a super new SHL goalie that just took them to the Challenge Cup final. Why isn't Strom there? He's the best. If all the goalies were the same, it would just make things less dramatic. There would be so much less heartache over these crazy wins or losses. For WJC playoffs, we had a 180 TPE goalie stop like 65 shots and still almost win in double overtime. There is no rhyme or reason to FGHM goalies. For this reason, I don't think I'd ever create a goalie in this league. Idk. All 20s goalies wouldn't be as much fun. (WC: 153)

18/16

+16 TPE

Credit to enigmatic, Merica, tweedledunn, and jaypc8237 for sigs

GoonerBear · 03-05-2022, 05:33 PM

Code:
1. CW TRIVIA, 3 TPE max - 1 TPE for participation, 0.5 TPE for each correct answer. This is completed through a Google form linked below. Make sure to spell your answers correctly or you will not get credit. Post your verification word in your CW post.

Verification word: collateral

Code:
2. Written, 3 TPE, Back In My Day (150 words min.)

The SHL has been around for the sim-time equivalent of 63 years now! That’s a lot of time for things to change. What was the league like 62 years ago in season one? Did nobody wear helmets? Were players allowed to smoke on the ice? Plenty would have changed in over six decades!

In Season 1 of the SHL, not even goalies wore helmets. Nor did they wear facemasks or throat guards. No one even wore pads. They just pulled on jerseys and pants over their normal underclothes, laced on the skates, and went at it. Sticks were made of hornbeam wood, flat as flat could be at the blade, and there were no on-the-fly changes. Players only changed off during stoppages in play, which included goals and penalties. Anyone who got hurt and needed medics had to wait until one of those two things happened. Maybe even do a little tripping. He could then get medical treatment after his two minutes in the box. Because everyone had the same equipment, there were people who usually played goalie, though anyone could if that guy got hurt. There were six players on the ice at a time, a brand-new concept as the SHL was a breakaway league from one that insisted on keeping seven players on the ice, including a roamer.

(167)

Code:
3. Written, 3 TPE, Those That Came Before (150 words min.)

When did your franchise last win a Challenge Cup? Write about that team, some of the key players, and what intangibles they had going for them to be able to win it all. If your franchise hasn’t yet won a cup, choose any cup winning team and talk about why you’d like your current team to emulate them. Did they have an all time great roster? Were they scrappy under dogs?

The last time the Manhattan Rage won the Challenge Cup was Season 52, the last of the SimonT Hockey Simulator era. The Rage had this appearance for a long time coming. This was the first time they had made the Finals since Season 38. They hadn't even qualified for the postseason after that until S46. They lost in the Eastern Conference Finals three times in six seasons. Someone was going to break a long dry spell, as the Pride, established Season 37, had never won a Cup. The Rage had been in position, with plenty of postseason experience and top-level players. They didn't have an all-time stacked unit, though with forwards Jax Aittokallio, Austin Roenick, David Kastrba, Alex Winters, and Luke Thomason, a goalie in Peter Larson between the pipes, and Reginald MacIntyre, David Bent, Andrej Doskocil, Barret McCarthy, and Craig Finley on defense, they had a solid lineup with most of them in their prime or not far from it. And it was this solidarity that this side, rebuilt from ashes starting with MacIntyre, rode through this postseason, with many lessons learned from past postseason heartbreak, that they finally captured the Cup.

(193)

FUTURE

Code:
13. Written, 3 TPE, Parody (150 words min.)

BWOMP BWOMP BWOMP PARITY ALERT PARITY ALERT- Well, a new team in the finals since the mid s50s, it only took ten seasons. Is parity solved? Will new teams make it in as the old guard becomes a forgotten waste of brain space? Don't forget, Hamilton is here AGAIN. Yes we have new teams... but what if it's TEX HAM again next season? Is that even likely?

It's very likely. More likely than we want to admit. The adjustments made over the past several seasons since the transition haven't really been able to overcome one constant - who's been in control of those teams during that time. Unless we upend everything that we know about the current sim engine, that's how it's gonna be...until those with the time to dedicate themselves figure that one out, too. Accelerating the deterioration of careers would work for a time and open the door for someone to come in in those times when those teams just flat-out don't have the player development for a solid Cup run or are vulnerable enough to where they can be bullied out by teams with more players in their prime. A good GM can make a lot out of who they've got, though. A better one, as we've seen, can help steer those developing players to grow into the kinds of players who can keep parity at bay.

(162)

BEYOND

Code:
18. Written, 3 TPE, zzSnoop Lionzz 150 words min

Well it happened. A general strike by the goalie union led to a mass retirement of goalies and now ALL of them have either quit the site (based) or recreated as a skater. HO has implemented a bot goalie system, but decided goalies were too underpowered and gave the goalies 20 in every stat, even the mental ones we can't upgrade. How does the season play out now that goalies are gods (godbots?) among men. Does anything really change?

The league goes to hell in a handbasket. No scoring happens ever. Us mere mortals cannot so much as see an opening before it's immediately covered. Unlike us fleshy people, robots don't have to think and coordinate. They execute programs with precision based on what they read, not on what they merely think. Our human creativity might be able to overcome it, except that same creativity was programmed into them to see common tactics and patterns in breakaways, odd-man advantages, and deke moves. The League, in this scenario, has gotten the machines into our heads, and no amount of trickery or sheer slapshot power will ever get anything past them. We'll have to resort to dirty tricks just to maybe get one by them. One of us will have to sacrifice ourselves to injure these robots. Take a game misconduct to break them, even for just this game. Rookies, your time has come. Go forth and earn your future spot by hacking off the goalie's arm. It's just a machine. It'll be fixed.

(173)

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21. Written, 2 TPE, No take backs 2 100 words min

Leviadan has made the grave mistake of becoming PT director. I'm already sapping his life source and joyful innocence (yum). How could you, as a user, also make his job unnecessarily difficult? Make media about his shit PT prompts? Write your submissions in Spanish?

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU DO ANYTHING TO MAKE HIS JOB HARDER YOU WILL BE BANNED

I can suggest and influence the PT Department to make one point task, for one time only, an open Thunderdome outside Thunderdome. Or just do it even though that's not the prompt. And when I go down, I will take so many of you with me. Also, Spanish? That's cute. I'm going to learn Hebrew, write my submission in Hebrew on physical paper, take pictures, and submit that. Have fun obtaining software to scan and translate that. Especially since little bitty faults could mess with what comes out the other end, Hebrew is read right-to-left and I'm right-handed, so expect plenty of pen smudges. I never said I was going to learn to write it in its proper order, so also have fun as I mentally translate English to Hebrew and leave you to reverse it.

(136)

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