Match of the Millennium

Welcome to part two, doodz! So, I'd like to take a moment to explain some of the changes that will be coming in Season Two of the NFG. While there is IC basis for some of them, there's a definite OOC reason behind all of them, and it's my intent to try and clarify things and hopefully give some idea of what everyone can look forward to in the new year. Firstly, you may have been wondering what a Season Two of the NFG would entail. Would it be a chance, you may have asked, for a complete reset again, with all new fighters pitted against each other from R1.0? Or would it be a continuation, you may have considered, of the stories of the existing NFG cast? The answer is: yes! The new season will have opportunities for both new and current NFG fighters to participate, and even to intermingle. I'll explain this further later. For those who want to do brand new fighters, whether because you'd like a fresh start or you haven't had a chance to participate before, Season Two will be another opportunity to do so, and applications are already open for the new season. This will work as before; fighters must not have previously participated in any public tournaments, and should have an appropriate concept for starting at ratio 1.0 and for the overall tone of the NFG. **Please note that this will be more heavily-enforced than in Season One, where some concepts were allowed that, in retrospect, were not necessarily appropriate to the competition. OOCly, this was my responsibility, and I hold my flippers up. ICly, this is being treated as a mismanagement issue by PFW, so they're going to be more strict ICly as well.** That said, the goal is never to preclude participation, so if you've got a concept you're really set on, it may be a matter of us working together to figure out a way to fit it in. Remember that there's room to grow - that's the main point of the NFG! For those wishing to continue competing in the NFG with their existing prospects, you will be allowed to do so. However, the format will be different this time. Rather than being drafted into teams set up under designated sponsors, you will have the opportunity to team up with new prospects in a buddy mentorship system. The exact sizes of these teams will depend on final signups and the ratio of new to old fighters. There will also be opportunities to compete in team events! Returning prospects will continue to be subject to the 'AP earned' restriction on spending AP. For those who no longer wish to participate in the NFG, this restriction can be lifted. New and old prospects will be competing on separate tracks for NFG points primarily through designated 'affiliated events' rather than matches specifically hosted for the New Fighting Generation. That means that NFG prospects will be allowed to compete in tournaments and plots hosted by other entities, and even against non-NFG competitors. Additionally, fighters will be allowed to challenge each other Neo-League style for NFG points. At the end of the year, we'll have a tournament for the returning sponsors and a separate tournament for the new prospects seeded based on those NFG points. All of these changes to the format have five goals: - Allowing both new and old NFG characters to compete and synergise - Encourage and allow breathing space for non-NFG plots - Encourage interaction between NFG characters and non-NFG characters - Allow NFG competitors to opt out of events if needed to avoid burnout - Reduction of administrative overhead In terms of sponsorship, this role will not be official in the same way as it was previously. Instead, it will be up to teams to decide if they would like to bring one or more sponsors or trainers onboard, and the official emphasis will be on the mentorship between the new and old characters. All players may participate with one new and one returning prospect each, but there's no obligation to play (or participate in all events with) both. Look for the official second season to begin early next year! For now, I hope you all have a relaxing rest of the holiday season! - Pringer X