LeBong's first ISFL Sack
32.
It’s almost Christmas Season and Florida weather is cooling down. For the holidays this season, the Sarasota Sailfish started a fundraising campaign to aid in the local Sarasota Children’s shelter. The fundraiser brings together donors, children, teammates, and the community for one of the Sailfishes’ favorite hobby: Boardgaming. There will be many events going around for everyone to participate in. People and designers will be donating games to be auctioned off to the people attending. Tournaments of favorite games will have entry fees and the winners will receive trophies. Sarasota Sailfish players will be signing autographs throughout the day. John Huntsman and James Angler will be competing against each other in each tournament. Entry fees, cost to enter tournaments, and money collected through auctions will go directly into money raised for the shelter. The team hopes to bring awareness to the shelter and allow the children to have access to brain stimulating games that also provide easy entertainment. 33. It is Christmas time! For the holidays I like to have a white Christmas and decided to celebrate the time in snowy Duluth, Minnesota with my former DSFL team, the Minnesota Grey Ducks. My good friends Painted and IceBear have put together a Secret Santa exchange that has everyone excited. Our task, if we choose to accept, is to sign up, get matched with another user and create a signature for them to use! No abilities or expectations are required and in the end everyone wins. The person I was required to make a signature for actually had a non-traditional render likeness as Gohan’s wife’s alter ego The Great Saiyaman 2. This was a fun project and I was able to create my second Norfolk render as I’ve done one for former Norfolk TE Sal Ami. The render I received was fantastic and I use it as my forum sig now. 34. In Sarasota, we all are big carolers. We enjoy all the greatest hits from the holidays. Jingle Bells, Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer, White Christmas, etc. Mostly all of us get shown up by our lead singers Mojojojo and Slate. They do a fancy duet of Baby It’s Cold Outside. So we go around Sarasota singing carols until someone gives us drinks (figgy pudding). It’s basically a bar crawl up and down the main drag of Fruitville Road. After we get nice and warm from our drinks, we have a competition to see who can build the best snowman. This tends to be difficult with Florida being all hot and everything so it turns into “who can find the best items to build a snowman?” Last year, Frost won the competition after he ripped up some shrubs out of someone’s front yard, stacked them into snowman formation, and painted them white. 22. The Ultimus Halftime show needs to become a thing. Right now the half time is uneventful and lacks the ceremony that the big game deserves. I have two ideas to fix that. The first idea is a performance. We hold a talent show competition and let everyone that wants to compete in the competition the chance to show off their special talents. Then we host the top 2 or 3 people to display their talents in the halftime show. The other idea is to accumulate all the media and graphics generated during the season and put together a slideshow displaying the best graphics, written media, and podcasts. Kind of like an awards system. Or just show all highly graded graphics generated during the season in a quick slideshow. I believe this idea could encourage users to submit higher quality and quantity graphics and media. And everyone watching the big game will be entertained by everyone’s efforts.
Task 16
Hello, I’m ImSatanJunior and ill be entering the DSFL Draft, although I am new to American football simulation leagues I believe a team should take a chance on me as I have experience running my own simulation league for racing and competing in various smaller leagues for different sports which should help me to learn fast. As a raging introvert with a screwed sleep schedule I will be pretty active in your team discord and will to get to know yall quickly, hopefully we can have a great time together once you have drafted me. You should draft Lucius Salem as he has a variety of skills that will help him to create separation at the DSFL level with good agility and speed which also gives him the versatility to switch to another position if needed. As well as that I will be able to make all the impossible catches after working hard on my hands during the offseason. Task 25 Well, there are two answers for this one, the boring answer is TE as that is just very close to what I play IRL as our team is very run-heavy so as a WR I’m blocking a lot anyway. On the flip side, if the Wide Receiver position didn’t exist then I would have likely picked Kicker / Punter. I would have picked this as I would have liked to see how differently the game works out when you are limited in upgrades and plays. Could I make the clutch Kicker who makes the field goal to win an Ultimus or break the longest field Goal record. Even with a limited number of snaps a Kicker / Punter can often be one of the most important members of a team with the ability to flip a field to help win a game or miss a last-second field goal attempt. At first, this sounds like a boring position with limited playing opportunities but writing this I think I have already chosen my next players position and I am not even in the DSFL yet.
12-29-2021, 06:46 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-29-2021, 06:47 PM by woelkers. Edited 1 time in total.)
For this Ultimus Week, I am choosing to let my mind wander all the way back to the beginning of my time in the league, before I was a rookie mentor or a general manager, to the S18 draft class. I came in just a season prior, with the S17 draft class, which was just forty-some members total, and in fact the only real boom in draft class size the league had really seen to that point was the S15 draft class. S18 changed all of that, and really changed the way I approached the league for the better as well. This was a class well north of a hundred members strong, although my memory does not serve well enough to grant an exact number, and for the first time since I had entered the league our Rookie Discord was always active, so much so that a dear friend of mine and a member of that very class, @”BaconBrother”, was at one point posting daily “after dark” media about the happenings of that chat during the day prior. I miss that Finnish bastard, and although leaving the league was ultimately the best decision for him and one I fully respect, I some days wish he were still here with us; he truly made this a better place. The S18 class also brought a number of other members who I consider true friends to this day; @Dewalt27, @Hallmonitor_20, @IsaStarcrossed, and @"Laser", to name just a handful. These are the users who inspired to carve a role for myself as a nurturing force for this massive flock, which eventually led me to take on the roles of General Manager for the San Antonio Marshals (now the Minnesota Grey Ducks) and Rookie Mentor Head. It is this class that really shaped me into the league member I am today, and I am grateful to each and every one of them for that.
However, one user in particular from this class comes to mind as perhaps the most impactful in both my personal history and the history of the league: recently-retired commissioner @bex. Bex has been a dear friend of mine since before I knew anything of this league and will remain a dear friend of mine well after this league lies in ruin. She served as my college dungeon master, introducing me to Dungeons and Dragons, a game I would never have found passion for had she not entered my life. And then, once she had heard me ramble endlessly about this silly league I am a part of, she decided she wished to enter this weird football realm, and Marcella Toriki was born. Bex was inspired from the beginning to be a positive driving force in this league, a beacon of hope in a troubled landscape, and rapidly rose to claim a position in Head Office and, eventually, to take on the challenge of being the league’s commissioner. A brief reflection on Bex’s tenure shows a league filled with scandal, sometimes scandal that Bex herself was caught in; this was a tumultuous time in our league’s history, and tension seemed ever-present, but through everything, Bex seemed to carry herself with a certain grace. Now, of course, I am not so foolish to believe Bex’s reign unblemished; she carried her fair share of baggage, and we did not always see eye to eye on the issues our league faced, but my reflection here recognizes those flaws while also recognizing that my love for my friend has not diminished even in the slightest in that time. Although she may have been imperfect as commissioner, I reflect on the Bex era of this league with great fondness; these were our glory days, and she should take immense pride in that.
12-29-2021, 09:32 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-29-2021, 10:23 PM by thevoicelesscreator. Edited 2 times in total.)
34. What are some of your player or your team's holiday traditions?
Before joining the Developmental Simulation Football League, Franklin the Turtle would join his family in their annual migration from the cold water north, to the warm watered south. To this day, Franklin still isn’t quite sure why his family partook in these migrations. However, as Franklin describes its, “It’s like just following your internal compass bro,” he said recently in an interview. “You just kinda follow the other turtles. It’s nice to be able to swim. I love swimming.” However, as Franklin the Turtle’s career begins to get more and more serious - the need for a more local escape over the holidays has become apparent. It’s clear Franklin’s passion is in his conservation work. However, the career that funds that effort is one that requires constant maintenance. 2-3 month hiatuses are no longer acceptable. This means that Franklin has had to find some new traditions over the holidays. This year, he intends on heading to Florida, to continue his conservation efforts (and get away from the cold). 32. What is your team doing this holiday season to help out the community? I would hope that the Minnesota Grey Ducks have stepped up to the proverbial plate that Franklin the Turtle has presented to them. Through Franklin’s offseason work through his non-profit organisation, more and more turtles have found their way into the world, and even into the Developmental Simulation Football League! Franklin is thrilled with the immediate impact that his humanitarian efforts has shown, but as any activist would tell you - the fight never ends. This holiday season, Franklin the Turtle is headed down to Florida to escape the cold. He has extended the opportunity to his Grey Duck teammates to join him during the holiday season, in breaking new ground on a protected lot of land now reserved for the conservation of the Floridian Geese - a purchase and donation made by Franklin the Turtle on behalf of the Grey Ducks organisation in recognition to the end of his time as a player for the Ducks. He hopes this will become an annual tradition of sorts, and that others will be inspired to follow in his lead. 17. Your team has announced that they will be laying ground on a new stadium next season. What additions would you like to see included in it. No graphics option available here. If Minnesota were to lay down a new stadium, Franklin the Turtle would look into investing in a conservation wing within the stadium - a wing dedicated to the literal Grey Ducks, and their endangered wetlands. Of course, a section of the exhibit will also be dedicated to the education of preservation of the wetland turtle that also inhabit these regions. I think it’s a perfect way to honor the impact Franklin has had on the Grey Ducks! Additionally, Franklin would likely push for more sustainable food choices in the new stadium’s food court. Less deep fried Mars bars, more salad bars! Ideally - the two recommendations can intermingle. Maybe the Conservation includes a salad bar at the end of the exhibit. Could this be the start of a sustainable food franchise for Franklin the Turtle? It very well could be! Accompanied by it’s own sustainable merchandise shop that works with the Grey Ducks branding! 25. Imagine your current position was not available to be picked when you created your player. What other position would you have picked, and why? For this recreate, I would have likely gone Kicker if Defensive Tackle was unavailable for some reason. My reasoning is twofold: First off - I don’t intend to max earn on this go around of the league. I am absolutely just cruising this round, and want to not really be competitive other than helping my team in any way I can. A kicker follows the same concept, and I really don’t need to max earn, because I’d be missing kicks at max ratings anyways. I’ve heard that they call that the Matty special in San Jose. Instead, I’m more looking forward to my next recreate. Likely going to be a Safety or a Linebacker - Stats Queen! That will be the one I max earn on, and that will be the one I really go for it. It’s going to be my 3rd player in the league, and likely my only one competitive enough for a Hall of Fame entry. That has always been a dream of mine - to make the HOF. Not gunna do it as GM evidently, so maybe as a player!
15. When looking at this season’s Ultimus winners, the MVP for the game without doubt has to be Sam Howitzer. There may be some that look at the defensive efforts of players like Webb and Chunt the Badger and consider them as possible MVP choices, but Howitzer held it together on the big stage and pulled his team to the win through the most difficult circumstances. Completing over 60% of passes for over 260 yards, the crowning moment came early on when Howitzer launched a 46 yard bomb to Radetzky to take the initiative early on and ultimately take a lead that would be held till the end.
In terms of Sam’s visit to Disneyland, without a doubt he would spend most of his time making sure everyone in the parks knew that he and his team were Ultimus champions, before going out of his way to enjoy any of the rides specifically. During the celebration parade, Sam would obviously be surrounded by the gorilla cast of Tarzan - because, you know, Silverbacks - and he would spend most of his time up there wishing he could go show off his trophy and ring directly in the faces of all those around, rather than just on top of the float. That’s just what he is like, I guess. Quote:217 words 16. This task is being written after I know where my player has been drafted to - RING THE BELL LET’S GO - however I still feel it is an interesting topic to write about so I still will. Kaguya has a very unique skillset currently, which is yet to show any level of prominence at the ISFL level and may scare some teams off from taking a chance at them for their franchise QB. But that criticism may be construed in a positive light, in that ISFL teams have never really been forced to adapt to the type of play Kaguya brings onto the field up to this point in history. The technical aspects of the QB position may need some work in the future for Kaguya to be successful, but no-one can deny the strong athletic skillset on show - something that some teams would love to make use of on their team to take them to the next level. Further than that, Kaguya also brings off-the-field intangibles that you generally don’t see from other young players in the draft typically. Having shown to be an instant leader in the London locker room thanks to her general work ethic and strong connections to teammates, Kaguya figures to have the same strong effect wherever she may be in the future (spoiler once again: PHILLY WOO). Quote:225 words 20. So it has been 5 seasons since the change from DDSPF16 to DDSPF21, and honestly the change has been a mix of positive and negative sentiments for myself. To begin, I would like to say that I love the changes they made to the archetypes of my favourite position of all - the Kicker/Punter spot. Being able to completely max out both the accuracy and power settings gave people a reason to actually want to max earn at the position, which can only mean good things for a position long seen as the worst one, or the one full of barely actives who want an easy time and nothing else. Further on the positive side, I like the new style of game-planning more than in the previous game where all you could change was very small things (that never had any variance because WE ALL KNEW WHAT WORKED BEST ALL THE TIME), as it gives teams more chances to be genuinely unique in their team building and stopping of opponents offensively and defensively. However, there are negatives too. While on DDSPF16 everyone who wanted to know how to test could get involved pretty easily and help their team in a variety of ways, DDSPF21 has basically eradicated that method, leaving only a select few who can do rigorous testing on a regular basis - which only serves to make imbalances sometimes even more obvious. And the sim viewing itself… somehow is not as good as I was expecting. The glitchy QB bootlegs with the ball flying suddenly out of nowhere looks janky at best, and presentation-wise on stream it can be hard to find the right balance. Looking back, I still believe we made the correct decision to make the switch over, although one thing I do wish is that we had more of a buffer for teams to learn the game with the archetypes known before we made it to the games being played; this complaint is akin to the same kind of practicing issues that plagued the real-life first year of the first XFL, I suppose. Quote:348 words 25. Football - and very specifically ISFL football - would be massively different if QBs were not allowed to be created by anyone. I assume that in this case, bots would fill up these roles so as to give us a reason to have WRs on the field, rather than the QB position not existing at all which would make the game even funnier than it is. So, if I could choose anywhere else, what would I choose? Many people that know me may assume I would take the easy choice and go for my favourite spot on the field as a K/P. However, that really is low-hanging fruit for me to choose at this point; I already achieved nearly everything that I could’ve at the K/P position, and could maybe (possibly? who knows) make the Hall of Fame for my efforts there. So instead I would choose somewhere different; I would go OL. That may seem especially weird to some, but for those who don’t know, I spent my early time as tester/GM of the Sabercats dedicated massively to the craft of building the perfect bot OL. I feel as though I did something of a great job in that department, given that we went on to win back-to-back Ultimus’ with said bot setup. So, I feel if I had to switch again, moving to OL would be the switch I would want to make, to prove I could do even better when I can use even more TPE to round out their skillset further. Quote:255 words
5. The league has a rich and fascinating history, and our perspectives on it differ from person to person. In 600 words or more, describe any significant moment in ISFL or DSFL history, whether you were around for it or not. Describe the context, the significant members, and the events. What exactly made this event so famous (or infamous) and why does it deserve to be remembered? Events might include championship wins, the inducting of players to the hall of fame, or even a league scandal.
For this Ultimus Week, I think it’s time I went way back, to the very beginning and more specifically the first expansion for the league. There were two teams added at this time, the first one being the Philadelphia Liberty and the second one being the Las Vegas Legion, who are now the New Orleans Second Line. This was my first season in the league, and I was drafted by the Liberty, so I have a lot of experience with the expansion team that would go on to win it all in season 7. For this Ultimus Week post, what better to do than reminisce on that time and just think back on both expansion teams and how it formed the future. First and foremost, the two-team expansion became the norm because of this, every expansion after has been 2 teams, this is good information because WSBL expanded and they expanded by 6 teams, the smaller roster sizes of the sport play a part in this change as well. For ISFL, it was determined due to roster size to expand by two teams first, every team needs to be able to fill out their roster, not just the expansion teams, and unlike a sport like basketball, necessity indicates 22 spots need to be filled per team, whereas basketball has a much smaller roster and amount of starters. Two team expansion gives the ISFL the ability to gauge what is going on with the league and was the perfect size for the young football league trying to figure out their path. I am not saying there is anything bad with WSBL’s expansion size, because it fits for what they are doing and what they need, simply providing a reference. The Legion went for higher value players who may have been IA or issues to their prior teams, players who would have a new shot at the league on a new team and would mortgage everything on getting as much competition ready talent as possible. They would trade draft picks, opting to build the team with those veteran season 1 players, and ultimately this strategy would fail as they struggled to find their footing after some weaker ISFL draft classes after the season 3 draft class. The Legion strategy was focused on competing early and may have compromised the future of their team because of it. The Liberty on the other hand focused on the season 2 talent, trading for picks and using the expansion draft to supplement their plan, while avoiding the competitive talent that could have been available in favor of cultivating talent. This strategy honestly struggled to be successful but ultimately was. We were a playoff contender for years but that struggle leads to inactivity, you won’t hit on every draft pick but as the seasons went on the team dwindled in activity and was looking like it would never win the title we had dreamed of. We fought and fought but the dominance of the Outlaws and Otters made it almost impossible to breakthrough and win the Ultimus title, even if we could make it due to a conference that was closer in terms of team ability. This early expansion saw a lot of players enter the league, and saw two new teams because of it, but later drafts and lower recruitment numbers saw the teams starting to lose more than they were gaining, and there was even a draft that had no more than 5 actives and 20 total prospects (IIRC but not sure the official numbers), this put a strain on the league as a whole and on teams as they saw others doing well with no chance of winning. The ISFL may not have been ready for expansion, especially with the recruiting failures, but they needed more teams to fill the roster spots and provided a good blueprint for expansion in the ISFL. (648 Words)
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[div align=center] Quote:6. Write 600 words or more on something about anything in the league that interests you. It could be related to statistics, a league issue that you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 600 words about your team’s participation on a Werewolf server or something. Today I am going to talk about Jackson Kingston's latest pursuits in the International Simulation Football League. Entering season thirty three, it is primed to be the eleventh season of Kingston's illustrious career as a wide receiver so far. Over the years, he has played for his fair share of football teams, first entering the Developmental Simulation Football League in season twenty two with the Tijuana Luchadores. Then, he was drafted in the league in season twenty three by the Colorado Yeti. Playing there for two seasons, he eventually made his way to the New York Silverbacks via the expansion draft, where he played for five seasons, before eventually signing a free agent contract with the Sarasota Sailfish. Kingston's days in the league are slowly winding down, as Kingston can only feasibly play in the league for three more seasons including the upcoming one, due to regression rules. It is during these seasons where he will assume a smaller role in the offense - due to his age, he cannot bear the full load of being a primary wide receiver in an effective offense. Thus, this upcoming season, for the first time since his days in Colorado, Kingston will be lining up as the second wide receiver in an offense. Kingston had a remarkable run of eight seasons as the primary wide receiver between the New York Silverbacks and the Sarasota Sailfish. Through his consistency from season to season, he was able to attain at least 1,200 yards in each of the past eight seasons, racking up tons of catches and touchdowns along the way. As it currently stands, Kingston has 866 career receptions (ranking him 5th all-time), 12,461 yards (5th), and 77 touchdowns (8th). Being in the top 5 of career stats puts him up there with elite company, but Kingston feels that his climb of the career leaderboards, and his chase of greatness, is not over yet. His ultimate career goal has always been to capture the #1 spot all-time on the career receiving leaderboards, and finally the record seems to be in reach. The current record is held by recent retiree and former teammate, William Lim, who has 14,692 career receiving yards, which puts him 2,231 yards ahead of Kingston's total. So in other words, Kingston has three seasons remaining in order to obtain 2,232 yards to hold the new receiving record. Although Kingston will not be able to maintain his previous receiving yardage pace, he doesn't need to - he just needs to do enough. If Kingston was able to set the career receiving yard record, it would surely be the final stamp on what appears to be a Hall of Fame career as it stands right now. Kingston has more than stats to show for his time in the league, though. He has accomplished quite a lot in his time in the league, including the following: x2 Ultimus Champion x5 Pro Bowl x1 Returner of the Year x1 Breakout Player of the Year with Kingston likely securing another pro bowl for his efforts in the season 32 campaign while also being in contention for the returner of the year award. While it seems Kingston will never secure the Wide Receiver of the Year award that has eluded him his whole career, he has no regrets with how everything has gone down so far, as there is only so much he can control. At the end of the day, Kingston can be satisfied with the high level of performance he has maintained through the entirety of his career, as he even posted his most successful receiving season of his career just this past season, while being three seasons deep in regression. This is what separates Kingston from his peers: the ability to sustain high level performance for such a long time.
4. “Sim gonna sim” is a popular expression in the league. Write about teams that have been graced by the sim gods and had amazing performances despite statistical odds, and/or about teams that were considered favorites but may have dealt with some bad sim luck that hampered their efforts. How much of an impact did it have on their season(s)?
The sim gonna sim is a popular phrase that I have heard used quite a bit in this past year since I joined the International Simulation Football League. Until these past two seasons, I never really understood or I guess more so was affected by this. However I have a few good examples that I will share below that I think fit perfectly within this writing prompt. They happen to occur during back to back seasons in the International Simulation Football League. The first instance of this occurred and I was the beneficiary to a very large degree. Two seasons ago, on the Honolulu Hahaula, We went into the season with pretty meager expectations. I remember in the war room we talked a lot about it being a season of growth, and one where we wanted to make sure we were being extra positive for newcomers as we looked to the future. We were in the middle of a rebuild and did not have very high expectations for the season. Some growth from the prior season was expected though. The season before I believe we won like three or four games. This season that I am writing about, the casino had our over under win total at I believe 6 wins. The season started out slow for us, but as it began progressing we started winning, and then it continued. What started out as a projected rebuild year, quickly saw us hit the over on our expected win total, and we began looking at the immediate future and thinking about playoffs. As the season came to a close we some how luckily were the one of the best teams in the conference, and made the playoffs. The sim was our best friend and continued to be so against all odds. In the playoffs, we were big underdogs each game that we played in. When our team tested the sim, I think our strategy for the first playoff game had a 38% success rate going into the game. It was a close one but we won. Going into the semi final, we were roughly the same percentage wise and then once again the sim helped us out and led us to the Ultimus against a stacked Colorado team. Of all our playoff games, we were able to sim this one higher than the others success wise but were still at around 45%. That is more of a toss up. The game was a very tightly contested match. The sim had one final helping for us on the last play of the game. Colorado threw a pass and their receiver broke open. I could have sworn they were going to run it in for a game winning touch down as time expired, however one of our defensive players randomly ran their receiver down from way behind and tackled them. Left with no timeouts to kick a field goal, the clock ended up expiring because of how far they were up the field. It was incredible and probably the best example of the sim gonna sim that I can think of. That off season, we loaded up in Honolulu hoping to defend our crown as champions. Multiple free agents signed with us and we went from one of the lower TPE teams to one of the highest over night. The season started and we had huge expectations. At one point I think we had 9 wins to 2 losses. We ended up losing like 6 or 8 straight games as the season came to a close and then missed the playoffs all together. It was incredible to see both sides of how the sim can help a franchise and also destroy it. These are the two best examples I have experienced as a user here in the ISFL and how it impacted each season. |
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