EPT![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/lQKuD.jpg)
This will be the official NASL information thread. I will be using this for Q&A as well as posting updates and other information.
UPDATE: We have officially released the tournament format! Enjoy
![[image loading]](http://i55.tinypic.com/8vp1eq.jpg)
We know a lot of people have been wondering what the exact format of the North American Star League is. Well, we’re not going to keep you waiting any longer.
Getting to the Grand Finals
First off, we invited fifty of the world’s best players. They will be divided into five groups of ten players each. Each player will play every other player in his division once per season in a best of three format for a total of nine weeks. After nine weeks, the top two in each division, determined by their win-loss record will advance directly to the Grand Finals.
The remaining players will be ranked according to their overall match record, and games won minus games lost. The top twenty of these players will qualify for the Playoffs where they will be divided into five brackets of four. The winner of each bracket will qualify for the Grand Finals. The last spot in the Grand Finals will be taken by the winner of the Open Tournament.
The Grand Finals
The Grand Finals will be a sixteen man single elimination tournament with matches in the first two rounds being best of three. The Semi Finals will be best of five, with the two losers facing each other for to determine third place in a best of five series. The championship match will be a best of seven series, with the winner taking home the gold. All players attending will be receiving a $500 travel stipend.
Qualifying for Season 2
There are three routes for a player to get into Season 2.
The first way is to already be in the league. The top 34 players from Season 1 will be given seats in Season 2, as determined by win-loss record and games won minus games lost.
We will also be hosting two tournaments that grant entry into Season 2.
The Open Tournament will be open to any player who is not currently in the league – the top 8 players in this tournament will qualify for Season 2 in addition to the winner being granted a spot in the Grand Finals of Season 1.
Lastly, we will host a Season Qualifier tournament from which the top 8 players will be given seats to Season 2. The Season Qualifier is open to any player who has not qualified for Season 2.
Both of these tournaments will be a single elimination tournament capped at 1024 players, in which all matches are best of three. These tournaments will have a small entry fee charged per player.
Community Feedback
We at the North American Star League are dedicated to producing the best event possible. We have and will continue to listen to community feedback about the tournament and its structure. Based on feedback, we have decided to remove the five player per team “cap”, as well as become more aggressive about securing Korean participation. We value all the feedback we receive and want to ensure that we will do our best to make this league the best it can be.
NASL Staff
UPDATE: We are currently having some discussions with Korean teams and representatives. We will be doing our best to get Koreans into the NASL. We appreciate all feedback and concern!
UPDATE: Q&A Updated:
Q&A - Initial Answers
Production value & Showmatch: Remember, this showmatch was to introduce and announce the league. It was also a test run of our capabilities. Please be aware that our production value will only be improving from this point onward and that we are aware of the problems in the cast and will be fixing them!
Voting: The voting is a way to get involved. We're not picking the players directly based on voting, but it may factor into some of our choices.
The League Format: This is a league. I can't put on a jersey and shorts and start playing in the NBA, and similarly players can't pick up a mouse and keyboard and play in this league (except for the Open). We want professional players backed financially by teams. Our aim is to make SC2 a truly professional sport.
Sponsors?: We're sponsored by pennies we picked up in the various ponds and fountains around the world. The money is there and ready to be given out to some amazing players!
Stream quality: The quality of GSL's high quality paid stream is 650 kb/sec. Our free stream is going to be at 800 kb/sec, our paid stream will be 3 megabit / sec. We're offering much better stream quality than any other tournament can give you!
What is a team: A team is a recognized entity that has a website, player(s) playing under a single banner, and sponsor ability to support its players financially.
LIVE Games?: There are many technical issues with a live broadcast related to stream quality.
When we stream a game live with in-studio footage, we must choose between the quality of production and the smoothness of the show all according to a budget that allows for such a prize pool.
If we were to do the show completely live, we would have to cut a lot of our transitional effects which give us the "wow" factor.
Additionally, a live broadcast does not allow smooth in-game camera cuts. Due to the level of our stream quality, which can be watched on a 72" widescreen TV, in-game camera cuts leave a "residue" of the previous shot.
Furthermore, a delayed broadcast allows us to involve Europeans without having them stay up until 5 in the morning to play their matches.
So overall, we felt that a pre-record of the show gave an overall quality level that was worth the loss of immediacy.
We never even thought we were being misleading. It is standard practice for film to state that a show is filmed live if it is performed as it is being filmed. Typically, "Live" means that they perform it with minimal retakes or with multi-camera work. We are sorry if you thought we were being deceptive; that was never our intention.
Let me say that the feedback is great, even if a little heated at times.
If after all this info, you still think that doing the broadcast 100% live is worth it, let us know. Then we will know what you value more and we can adjust accordingly.
Q&A -- User Questions/Answers
Question:
What happened to the 5 player per team cap?
Answer:
We have removed the 5 player per team restriction. We will judge all applications based on the same criteria!
Question:
Will the games be casted from replays?
Answer:
Games will NOT be cast from replays. The games will be cast AS they are being played, they just won't be STREAMED live... after the cast, the videos will be sent to production, and after editing they will be broadcast in the evenings.
Question:
How big will the venue for the finals be?
Answer:
We’re planning on having a venue with a capacity of 2,000 seats. When the exact location is set, we will announce it.
Question:
Is it problematic that your casters may be competitors in the league?
Answer:
No, but they may not be in the league either way.
Question:
My computer can’t handle a 3mb stream, are there lower quality alternatives?
Answer:
Yes, our free stream is lower quality (800kb)!
Questions:
How will you select the qualifiers for the live final?
Answer:
The top two from each group will qualify directly for the final. The remaining five spots will be filled by a playoff system, and the last spot will be filled by the winner of the open tournament. The exact format will be posted at a later date.
Question:
Has there been discussion in expanding the open tournament qualifiers to 10 people ?
Answer:
We have considered this heavily and think you will be happy with our decision.
Question:
How can the average person help?
Answer:
We will have positions open for people to help. We still don’t know exactly what we need, but when we do, we will make an announcement about it and take applications from people who are willing and able to help!
Question
Will you ever broadcast regular season matches live?
Answer:
We would love to, but the logistics of having 50 players live near the studio full time would preclude us from having the BEST possible players. In later seasons, if it becomes realistic, we’d love to look into doing that.
Question
Where would you locate a league that was totally offline?
Answer:
Sunny California, obviously!
Question
Will league operators connected to teams excuse themselves from the selection process?
Answer:
We are not interested in providing favors to players, we are interested in running the best league possible. We will judge selection based on results, skill, and fan base (fan base is included as a category for consideration because we are trying to run a league with players that people want to watch). The bigger concern would be choosing players 40-50, but we will do our best to make the selection process as objective as possible!
Question:
In-person casters have tried three varying styles of dress: semi-professional blazers, casual t-shirts, and extremely casual hoodies. Which style is the North American Star League going to adopt?
Answer:
We will be doing trial runs and casts over the next month and a half where we will experiment with different setups. By the time of the launch date, we will have a unified code of appearance.
Question:
Will there be contests of sorts like "Win a signed mousepad of HuK"?
Answer:
Yes! There will be many opportunities for people to get involved in the North American Star League, with contests, etc!
Question:
How much is the poll going to factor into the selection process?
Answer:
If it is unclear based on skill and tournament results, voting may become a factor in who we decide to choose. Popular players who have not proven themselves with actual results will not be selected.
Question:
Will future seasons be invite only?
Answer:
No, there will be a large number of spots available for new contenders. We will reveal the details in full later.
Question:
Are there any plans to add non English commentary on streams or VODS?
Answer:
We have plans to expand North American Star League coverage outside of North America and are looking into several different options, including releasing games to be redubbed/commented in other languages.
Question:
Will there be any race picking restrictions to individual players in the open and/or team formats? Will a player be able to play as any race, and not be locked into a single one during the season?
Answer:
We will be locking players to one race for the duration of the season (random WILL be allowed).
Question:
Can you explain the North American Star League’s business model?
Answer:
No
Question:
Who is the main community contact point of the North American Star League?
Answer:
Xeris
Question
Do you plan to have small prize-money for wins during divisional play?
Answer:
No
Question
How will you ensure that all matches are relevant to the final results regarding qualification and relegation?
Answer:
Every match should be important because the final standings matter due to our playoff/relegation system – a complete format will be released over the next month that will clarify this!
Question:
How will the North American Star League choose what teams will compete in the tournament? And once they are approved, are they in indefinitely? Or could they lose their spot to another team down the road?
Answer:
Team spots are not guaranteed and subject to change in following seasons.
Question: Is the website a temporary solution until we see the results of a few seasons?
Answer:
This is a temporary website (a teaser site). We are building a website !
This is your chance to ask questions. I will answer as many questions as I can, and put some of the best/most pertinent questions up here in the OP. I will be answering these questions periodically throughout the next two weeks. As other information about the NASL becomes public, I will update the op as well.
