Thunderdome - Season 2 Recommendations

[Raven Hawk]

I'm rumbling through a lot of ideas to implement for Season 2 of Thunderdome. What I most want to do is make it more entertaining for the masses. Here are some of the bigger changes that I was thinking about. Please feel free to vote for as many as you'd like to see happen. Some of the choices are exclusive of others. I hope that I don't have to explain which ones those are. Here are the options:

1. More fights/less detail - Actually running the fights doesn't take much time. The real time is taken up in writing the reports. Therefore, if people would like a better set schedule for fights and for the fights to happen more frequently, the quality of the reports would suffer.

2. Less fights/more detail - One of the reasons that I started the thread was to have a creative writing outlet for myself. The fight report is more or less a place for me to be creative. However, the sheer number of fight reports that I can fire off on a regular basis is limited because I want to do a good job in writing the reports. I could make the fight reports more detailed, but in the process I would want to cut down on the number of fights that happen during each fight week. The number would probably go down to 2-3.

3. More detail in Main Events/Less Detail in Undercard matches - Another option would be to combine the two options above. I'd probably cut the fights down to 3 per fight week. In this scenario I would use less detail on the two undercard matches and use a lot more detail on the Main Event Matches every week. This might give top fighters more reason to schedule against a good opponent every week.

4. I like the number of matches and format of the match reports as they are now.

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5. Thunderdome is too deadly - I've noticed that quite a few people have trailed off after their first fighter has perished. Also, I noticed, that the names get less and less original with each incarnation of a person's fighter. I value the originality of the names and I want people to not get stuck in the PilotMan/kingfc22 loop where they have to continually resubmit a new fighter each week. If I made Thunderdome less deadly, this is what would happen: A. Fighters wouldn't fight to the death (unless challenged to a 'Death Match'); B. Fighters who fight in a Death Match would receive double the prestige for their fights and double the training after the fight. C. The 'Death Match' fights would double the purse, thus giving them a better chance to become the Main Event for the week. D. Fighters could still be killed in a normal match, if they are critically injured - however, you won't see anybody bleed to death. E. Fighters would receive 0 prestige for a normal match loss and no training.

6. This is Thunderdome: Two men enter . . .ONE man leaves.

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7. Better Explanation of the Training

8. Post More Fighter Stats

9. Better Explanation of Fighting System

10. New Weapon: Trout

11. Other suggestions - See below.

[sterlingice]

I think some of these are easy. The bottom 4 (well, the 4 before "other") I think are given. I don't mind waiting a while in the offseason if we get a bit of explaination. Makes it so you have to balance things better because you can bet people will start to gravitate towards the better abilities and you'll start getting cookie cutter fighters. And how can you go wrong with "trout" as a weapon?

On the first four, I really do like the style as is right now. I don't mind that it's somewhat intermittent because when you write a dynasty, if you keep a normal schedule, it starts to become a chore and the author burns out. Heck, I'll even take this intermittent schedule with less detail if you're feeling a little burnt out now.

The too deadly/just right option is the most intriguing. I kindof like the new options, tho, with one caveat. If you lose a fight, no matter what kind, you should be injured after it and not be able to fight for a week or two. The problem is, that doesn't mean much. It's not as if you get training just for being alive that week so hurt fighters really aren't penalized at this point.

SI

[Raven Hawk]

The too deadly/just right option is the most intriguing. I kindof like the new options, tho, with one caveat. If you lose a fight, no matter what kind, you should be injured after it and not be able to fight for a week or two. The problem is, that doesn't mean much. It's not as if you get training just for being alive that week so hurt fighters really aren't penalized at this point.

SI
This is true. As it is, a player's fighter can be killed in one week, they can sign up for the auction and have a fighter ready to fight in the next week. If the matches are not to the death, the loser would have a +3 injury at minimum (actually it could be less if I implement another idea that I am considering), which means that they would have a longer span between matches.

As far as a further penalty for somebody losing a match, one idea is that the injury causes the fighter to lose some permanent HP or they could actually lose prestige. Prestige (as I'll explain prior to season 2) has a couple of effects, one of which is "right to challenge refusal" capital and another is cash money. If a fighter wins their way to freedom, they will receive a lump sum of cash which is a multiplier of their prestige when the finish. I haven't worked out the numbers yet, but a fighter who can start their own stable with $150,000 as opposed to $60,000 definitly has an advantage.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Poli]

Gah, change my vote. Go with less deadly. I went with ONE man leaves.

[Vince]

I'd like to continue to see creative names (as a History major who emphasized Rome and Greece, if anyone wants any Gladitorial-type names, shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to help :)), but this is Thunderdome -- if you take away the fight to the death requirement, you have no tagline, the crowd has nothing to chant...and I'd guess that the endgame of any fight would be severely anti-climactic.

TWO MEN ENTER...ONE MAN LEAVES!

[Desnudo]

I prefer the fight to the death rule. It wouldn't be nearly as fun without it. Having people able to reenter a new fighter is also essential to keep things going.

I like the current level of detail.

If you think someone's name is repetitive, then why not just ask them to think up something better? It's not like you could possibly run out of names.

[JAG]

First off, I think you already do a good job of making this dynasty entertaining. There's definitely not a need to make it more entertaining...it just adds additional frosting to an already tasty cake. :)

I voted for less detail in undercard / more detail in Main Event as a compromise. I think writing full detail for all 5 fights is a bit daunting, so this would help reduce that some while still allowing you your creative outlet. I also think it's easier to provide details with fighters who have been around a little longer as they start to take on their own unique flavor as they develop.

I voted for TWO MEN ENTER...ONE MAN LEAVES! It's Thunderdome tradition. I reserve the right to change my mind when JAGus gets his skull split open at rank 9. :) If you choose to implement non-lethal fights, I like your idea regarding death matches.

I voted for 7-10.

One other minor suggestion. I'd like to see the FOFC handle next to the fighter's name in the table.

That's pretty much it. Again, great job with the dynasty.

[Raven Hawk]

One other minor suggestion. I'd like to see the FOFC handle next to the fighter's name in the table.
This would be easy enough to do and I think that it will add value.

. . . if you take away the fight to the death requirement, you have no tagline, the crowd has nothing to chant...and I'd guess that the endgame of any fight would be severely anti-climactic.
I don't necessarily feel that it would take away the tagline, but it definitely undermines concept of the Thunderdome. There still would be fights to the death, just not as many. The idea is that a Death Match would be reserved specifically for those fighters who happen to have personal grudges to settle. This would also give me a better plot tool to use, as characters develop (which they would now be given a chance to do) they can have rematches and death matches, so grudges can be carried out over a longer period. One of my biggest concerns about shorter life spans on fighters is that they really don't have a chance to develop. This is really the biggest point of debate I have been having with myself regarding the next season.

[JeeberD]

I enjoy the current depth of the write ups, but I know how it can get tedious after a while. Of the other write up options, I like the "less detail on undercards, more detail on main events" choice.

Death is the only way to go. No one should be allowed to escape Jeebie with a mere injury... ;)

[sterlingice]

One other minor suggestion. I'd like to see the FOFC handle next to the fighter's name in the table. I completely agree with this (and forgot to add it)! Add the FOFC name to the table so we know who to challenge. On an 18-page thread or even a couple of page thread, this is a real pain.

SI

[fantastic flying froggies]

I basically agree with most of what's been said above.

I like the way you're writing things up right now, if however it proves too much for you, I would go for the less detailed undercard / detailed main events.

This is THUNDERDOME! This is not some european sissy game! TWO MEN ENTER! ONE MAN LEAVES!

Voted yes on your other suggestions, except explaining the fighting mode. I think it is better if we 'see' the fight just thru your report, and not know exactly how the results are achieved. More stats however is always good.

Having the FOFC handle is an excellent suggestion by JAG.

Uhhh, that's all...

[JeeberD]

This is not some european sissy game!

The Frenchman disses his own continent?!?!? :eek:

[Airhog]

I wouldnt mind seeing some of the following changes

1. A few bot Fighters for each house. These guys shouldnt challenge anyone, but should be there for others to challenge just incase there is no-one around there level to fight.

2. A variation on the no death rule. How about only giving this option to level 1 and level 2 fighters. Fighters above level 3 would not have the option. This might give people the chance to get more involved in the game.

3. another Variation on the no death rule. How about having some fights impose the thumbs up/Down rule. Come up with some formula to estimate how well the crowd liked the fight. This could also work well if there was a stat for charisma or something similar.

[PilotMan]

As one who has suffered a great many defeats, I still like the deadly format. Picking names is good, and I like getting attached. I just want to know he is going to survive 1 god damn fight first.