I think that this thread has pointed out some key drawbacks and benefits of the current coopertition system.
Hopefuly someone from the GDC will read this and consider the following points:
- Most people seem to favor a "winning is always better scenario" and several changes to the current have been suggested that enable this (losing alliance get's it's own score, penalizing self goals etc.). they may create other problems (losing alliance getting it's own score does not reward teams who played against a strong alliance) but a solution is there if you work on it (and are willing perhaps to make compromises on your ideas).
- Blowout matches are perhaps not nice, but scoring for the opponent is down right humiliating for them. this should not be allowed.
- the spirit behind coopertition, as I and most people I've talked to see it, is not embodied in Breakaway. instead some twisted "do whatever is needed to score high" is needed. I have no beef with teams that play to win, but I expect the people writing the rules to make sure the game remains a competition.
- Earlier I proposed (and as Travis suggested, I was probably inspired by the FLL cooperation missions) that coopertition would be better displayed and rewarded by designing the game itself to incoporate it as a mission requiring cooperation between the opposing alliances in order to benefit them both. I urge the GDC to consider this for the 2011 game so strongly because I can already visualize the amazing games and stratagies that would follow. (not to mention it would display on the field for the audience that which is so prevelant in the pits)
Like people have already said: the coopertition seeding system has at least one very very strong thing goinng for it: it incorporates the strength of your opponents into the ranking. I think this is great but should not compromise the basic gameplay of play to win.
I am hopeful that the 2011 game will have a revised system which allows teams to play to their full extent and which does not in any way reward 6v0 or similar stratagies.
-Leav