Support the (E)NSL and NS2
blind
Join Date: 2010-04-17 Member: 71437Members, Squad Five Gold
Join Date: 2010-04-17 Member: 71437Members, Squad Five Gold
Hello guys!
The (E)NSL, as many of you know, is the biggest host for competitive events in NS2. We run seasons, cups and fun events and do our very best to deliver a platform for competitive gaming, but also for all (non-competitive) players and viewers who want to see the best of the best fighting each other. We currently host leagues for european, american (including brazilian) and australian teams and are always looking out to expand further. We want to show NS2 at its best, making it interesting for all people who watch the matches and follow the news. And we are working hard on improving ourselves, increasing the quality of organizing and the production value of the events. We are highly dedicated to this game. And we can and want to do more for it.
Right now, we are working on drawing in continous sponsors for the league and want to slowly build up prize pools for the teams. We highly believe, that - even with smaller amounts on a more regular basis - the interest in NS2 can greatly improve. One organizer of the ESL once told me that there is statistical proof that games with concurrent prize pool events with maybe only 100$ have a exponentially larger interest influx of new players than games without it. Also, that it is better to rather have regular events with small prize pools than just one event with a huge prize pool. While for developers it is most important how many copies are sold in total, we as league/ladder/tournament/cup hosters want to keep the players interested in NS2 as long as possible by providing the events for it, which aims to keep the daily player number as high as possible and thus helping NS2 itself.
So why this post, you ask. Because we want to make the competitive scene bigger and more professional. We want to start putting prize money to the events, starting small and increase interest of viewers, players and sponsors alltogether. We want to show the world that NS2 is an amazing game for competitive play. And for this start, we appreciate every help we can get. Whether you can donate 5$ or 50$ (or whatever amount you want), it's all up to you. But you will have our eternal gratitude.
The (E)NSL will stay a non-profit organization which means no staff member will get paid, all money will be given back to the community. We will try to divert prize pools as fair as possible (no, we don't want to just pay the same team all over again) and keep tranparency high. We also want to build prize pools as smart as possible to have a slow, natural looking growth, instead of just putting all we get in the first season/tournament and then ask again. But in the end, all will come back to the NS2 community and teams.
***UPDATE: Working on Indigogo campaign, details below in discussion***
This post has been approved by the UWE Forum staff. - Angelusz
The (E)NSL, as many of you know, is the biggest host for competitive events in NS2. We run seasons, cups and fun events and do our very best to deliver a platform for competitive gaming, but also for all (non-competitive) players and viewers who want to see the best of the best fighting each other. We currently host leagues for european, american (including brazilian) and australian teams and are always looking out to expand further. We want to show NS2 at its best, making it interesting for all people who watch the matches and follow the news. And we are working hard on improving ourselves, increasing the quality of organizing and the production value of the events. We are highly dedicated to this game. And we can and want to do more for it.
Right now, we are working on drawing in continous sponsors for the league and want to slowly build up prize pools for the teams. We highly believe, that - even with smaller amounts on a more regular basis - the interest in NS2 can greatly improve. One organizer of the ESL once told me that there is statistical proof that games with concurrent prize pool events with maybe only 100$ have a exponentially larger interest influx of new players than games without it. Also, that it is better to rather have regular events with small prize pools than just one event with a huge prize pool. While for developers it is most important how many copies are sold in total, we as league/ladder/tournament/cup hosters want to keep the players interested in NS2 as long as possible by providing the events for it, which aims to keep the daily player number as high as possible and thus helping NS2 itself.
So why this post, you ask. Because we want to make the competitive scene bigger and more professional. We want to start putting prize money to the events, starting small and increase interest of viewers, players and sponsors alltogether. We want to show the world that NS2 is an amazing game for competitive play. And for this start, we appreciate every help we can get. Whether you can donate 5$ or 50$ (or whatever amount you want), it's all up to you. But you will have our eternal gratitude.
The (E)NSL will stay a non-profit organization which means no staff member will get paid, all money will be given back to the community. We will try to divert prize pools as fair as possible (no, we don't want to just pay the same team all over again) and keep tranparency high. We also want to build prize pools as smart as possible to have a slow, natural looking growth, instead of just putting all we get in the first season/tournament and then ask again. But in the end, all will come back to the NS2 community and teams.
***UPDATE: Working on Indigogo campaign, details below in discussion***
This post has been approved by the UWE Forum staff. - Angelusz
Comments
While I don't think anyone at ENSL will scam me personally, I would be more willing to donate if it was done through a third party website where I could see the exact money raised. Even then, I understand it is still very easy be scammed, but I think it would help legitimize the process and make people like myself comfortable. It is a least something to be held accountable to.
Obviously this would take money off of the donations, as even the free services take fees to run their business. Again, I don't know if it would be viable if you are open for donations 24/7 and not for some set fundraising time. I understand (and agree with) that you do not want to make it a one-time thing and have to ask for more money in a matter of months.
I don't know which services would be most compatible with your goals and format of raising money, so I am sorry I cannot make any suggestions in that regard.
Make sure you give out money to the lower brackets too. The high skillers already play for the thrill of the game but the lower brackets are the one you need to lure in.
Would be sad to see arc to just grap em all.
we know this "issue" (hehe) and might already have a solution for this
- Name included on an ENSL webpage for "NSL Supporters"
- See if you can partner with UWE to get anyone who donates an "NSL Supporter Badge" on these forums
- Make an "NSL Supporter" badge for Huze's Badge Mod
- Make a fancy looking digital "Official NSL Supporter" certificate that gets emailed to everyone who donates
etc
Just do a top three prize split:
1st Place = 60% of prize
2nd Place = 30% of prize
3rd Place = 10% of prize
Or some variation of this (50/35/15, or only top two 75/25, etc).
All this.
I will happily donate if we received some credit/recognition like Bob has described above.
Also are you familiar with Playhem? They have a 'points' system. Every player (or team in this case) can open an account which starts with X amount of points which you then spend to enter tournaments on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. When these run out you will need to purchase more to enter further tournaments. Everyone who wants to take part in tournaments will need to register an account.
Or just open up an entry fee for all tournaments and use the money from the entry fee pool to put up a prize?
What Playhem does really well is run small daily tournaments with a very small prize pool. These are great for competitive practice, banding together regular entrants and providing exposure to people unfamiliar with e-sports/NS2. They also run regular dailies for lower skilled leagues with smaller prize pools too. Only thing is i am unsure of how they generate enough money to continuously hold these tournaments. They may already have big backing sponsors.
Either way im intrigued and willing to donate for some kind of credit.
EDIT: If you could give us a badge/credit on your ENSL website, for example on the forum and when queuing up for gathers (a little badge of some sort by our names?) that would be awesome too. Just to show we are supporting NS2 e-sports etc. Then you can take my money! Any other benefits for donators you could throw in would be sweet too.
NO
edit: unless you are the only pink skulk and visible to everyone :P
Btw, update:
There was alot of talk in not only using this campaign for prize money but also for helping out with our website rework, so I pushed this back another week. Basically, many people told me they would help out if ENSL needs a professional web designer in reworking our - not so user friendly - page. We tried out the community approach first (since the ENSL website was originally made by the community) and had not too much luck yet. Personally, I'd hate to spend money on it and rather use it for prize pools for reaching the next level. But in fact, we need both, a new website and small prize pots to carry this baby over on a more professional level. Currently, I await a estimation of cost for the rework next week, hence I didn't publish a campaign yet. For a campaign, I want to stay clear and true on what the money will be spent on, so I rather wait another week or two than to over hurry things.
Yes! That page is quite a maze
But, thanks for remembering about brazilian ppl and i would donate for sure some cash.
Edit: or maybe make another tournament that requires $ to join as team and keep the season as they are
Whenever you get the campaign up Blind, give us a shout. I'll post it up on our community page.
@rakz
We will not use entry fees. The NSL will always be open for all teams.