Hello NSFL and DSFL members. I am writing this open letter because I know there have been complaints and issues regarding the Head Office, transparency, issues regarding sims, and the NSFL in general. I want you all to know that I hear you and we are listening. The head office is currently working on many different things and parts of the site and I want to share that with you, as well as address the numerous issues that I have heard. I also will discuss ways that the site is trending in the correct direction. I want to preface by saying that this has NOT been run past the other members of the head office, and the writings and opinions herein are mine and mine alone, though I know that other members of the head office will agree with nearly all of what I say here.
First - I want to address the issues with simming. Obviously we have had a bit of turmoil regarding the role of head simmer. We started the season with ER, we switched to Keygan briefly, and now have Roly as our head simmer. There were obviously issues with a day of sims for the DSFL where loco stepped up and simmed and streamed, as well as issues on this Monday where there was a communication issue between Keygan and other members of the site. This has been rectified, and we are ensuring that this does not happen again. We have put in a process to ensure that this does not happen again. By making Roly head simmer and adding PDX as a backup we have our first steps to this process. Additionally we have three members of HO who own the sim (and a working PC) who also are serving as backups while we attempt to add more people to the sim team. Also related to this, as far as I know we are one of the only leagues that streams games, nonetheless streams EVERY SINGLE GAME. This has obviously lead to some issues that we would not have if games were not shown/ streamed.
Second - I want to talk about the Head Office and our process. Prior to me getting to the Head Office, I argued heavily that there were issues with transparency, and I understand those complaints. The HO prior to me added a tracker to show what we are working on, but it appears that almost no one views the tracker. I also understand that on decisions we have angered some members of the community (specifically the initial decision not to fine ER). We are working on earning your trust back, and most of us are working very hard. In order to make sure things do not fall through the cracks we have assigned specific roles to each of the five of us. We will likely be letting everyone know what these roles are once they are given out.
Third - We are having our first annual (by season not by IRL year) General Managers meeting. At these meetings each team and the head office will propose rule changes and the rules will be voted upon by the teams and HO. We are having separate meetings for the NSFL and DSFL. The rules will pass if voted on by a super majority of the HO and teams. We feel that by including teams and general managers in the decision we are including the thoughts of the people most important to the league.
Four - The parity of the league is increasing. The gap between the best team in the league and the 6th best team in the league is as close as it has been since I have been in the league. All teams have General Managers who care about their team, and each and every team is in shape to eventually succeed. The Colorado Yeti have a new co-GM who's knowledge of the sim lead them to an upset of the Hawks. And the Las Vegas Legion are substantially better than last year, and will improve a bunch this offseason. Their Free Agent signings clearly improved the team, and I'm confident that under Ben's leadership the team will keep improving. The Outlaws are still the best team in the league, but there is no longer an inevitable feeling that they will the Ultimus like there was in S2 and S3.
Five - Let me talk about the league I am the commissioner in. The DSFL had a MUCH stronger season this year than it has in years past. We are committed to ensuring that the General Managers of the DSFL are committed. This offseason each and every GM and co-GM of the DSFL is going under review to show me how they are committed. Since it is a paid league job, I am evaluating how well the GMs are doing as far engaging their players, keeping them active, ensuring that they are prepared for the next level, as well as keeping their DC's updated and team competitive.
Six - I know that some people are concerned at the current small crop of season 6 prospects right now, but trust me we are working on it. Asylum Party is now heading up the recruitment team and if you are interested please reach out to him. We are planning on having a full recruitment drive!
Seven - We know there are issues with some archetypes, and we're looking into changing those. We know that with the OL bots and OL changes defensive linemen have been over corrected. Stay tuned for changes on archetypes.
I'm honestly sure there are things in here that I have missed. In order to ensure the best communication right now I will be answering and responding to ALL questions or comments you post in this thread (with in reason). If I cannot answer question because of one reason or another I will respond saying that I cannot. If you have questions that you do not want to post on the site feel free to PM me either on discord or on the site. I want you all to understand that we are working our hardest to ensure this site is as awesome and as fun as it can be. My goal is that every member of the league feels heard, feels that they have been listened to, and that every single member has a bunch of fun on this site. Thanks for reading!
GRADED
First - I want to address the issues with simming. Obviously we have had a bit of turmoil regarding the role of head simmer. We started the season with ER, we switched to Keygan briefly, and now have Roly as our head simmer. There were obviously issues with a day of sims for the DSFL where loco stepped up and simmed and streamed, as well as issues on this Monday where there was a communication issue between Keygan and other members of the site. This has been rectified, and we are ensuring that this does not happen again. We have put in a process to ensure that this does not happen again. By making Roly head simmer and adding PDX as a backup we have our first steps to this process. Additionally we have three members of HO who own the sim (and a working PC) who also are serving as backups while we attempt to add more people to the sim team. Also related to this, as far as I know we are one of the only leagues that streams games, nonetheless streams EVERY SINGLE GAME. This has obviously lead to some issues that we would not have if games were not shown/ streamed.
Second - I want to talk about the Head Office and our process. Prior to me getting to the Head Office, I argued heavily that there were issues with transparency, and I understand those complaints. The HO prior to me added a tracker to show what we are working on, but it appears that almost no one views the tracker. I also understand that on decisions we have angered some members of the community (specifically the initial decision not to fine ER). We are working on earning your trust back, and most of us are working very hard. In order to make sure things do not fall through the cracks we have assigned specific roles to each of the five of us. We will likely be letting everyone know what these roles are once they are given out.
Third - We are having our first annual (by season not by IRL year) General Managers meeting. At these meetings each team and the head office will propose rule changes and the rules will be voted upon by the teams and HO. We are having separate meetings for the NSFL and DSFL. The rules will pass if voted on by a super majority of the HO and teams. We feel that by including teams and general managers in the decision we are including the thoughts of the people most important to the league.
Four - The parity of the league is increasing. The gap between the best team in the league and the 6th best team in the league is as close as it has been since I have been in the league. All teams have General Managers who care about their team, and each and every team is in shape to eventually succeed. The Colorado Yeti have a new co-GM who's knowledge of the sim lead them to an upset of the Hawks. And the Las Vegas Legion are substantially better than last year, and will improve a bunch this offseason. Their Free Agent signings clearly improved the team, and I'm confident that under Ben's leadership the team will keep improving. The Outlaws are still the best team in the league, but there is no longer an inevitable feeling that they will the Ultimus like there was in S2 and S3.
Five - Let me talk about the league I am the commissioner in. The DSFL had a MUCH stronger season this year than it has in years past. We are committed to ensuring that the General Managers of the DSFL are committed. This offseason each and every GM and co-GM of the DSFL is going under review to show me how they are committed. Since it is a paid league job, I am evaluating how well the GMs are doing as far engaging their players, keeping them active, ensuring that they are prepared for the next level, as well as keeping their DC's updated and team competitive.
Six - I know that some people are concerned at the current small crop of season 6 prospects right now, but trust me we are working on it. Asylum Party is now heading up the recruitment team and if you are interested please reach out to him. We are planning on having a full recruitment drive!
Seven - We know there are issues with some archetypes, and we're looking into changing those. We know that with the OL bots and OL changes defensive linemen have been over corrected. Stay tuned for changes on archetypes.
I'm honestly sure there are things in here that I have missed. In order to ensure the best communication right now I will be answering and responding to ALL questions or comments you post in this thread (with in reason). If I cannot answer question because of one reason or another I will respond saying that I cannot. If you have questions that you do not want to post on the site feel free to PM me either on discord or on the site. I want you all to understand that we are working our hardest to ensure this site is as awesome and as fun as it can be. My goal is that every member of the league feels heard, feels that they have been listened to, and that every single member has a bunch of fun on this site. Thanks for reading!
GRADED