(S30) PT 5 - What is the Meaning of...

[bigbluex02]

I think defining success is very hard to do in every aspect of life, not just sim leagues. However, if I had to put a label on it, or rather describe my version of success, I would say that to be successful in the ISFL, it all comes down to just having a great time. Max earning is definitely an easy way to be successful, and some people would say that is the key to a lot of success, however the sim is so random that you just might not have the luck to actually do something with all that TPE. That is why I say that being successful in this league is definitely something that the user can control, and that is making friends, and turning this into something you love to do. Making this league a hobby that you put hours into because you genuinely love your team, your teammates, your friends, whichever way you can find constant joy and happiness in this league, that is my definition of success. It is truly the one thing that you can fully control when it comes to your player. Not awards, not your stats, how much you put your heart, sweat, and soul into this. If you can genuinely say that you have had a blast in this league and that you can not imagine life without it, that is how you know you have been successful in the ISFL.

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[shadyshoelace]

Success is defined by the dictionary on Google as "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose." That is a very vague definition, and leaves lots of room for interpretation about what aims or purpose are most important or worthy of accomplishment. As someone who has seen several different types of success in the league, I feel like I have a pretty good perspective. Many people may think that it's all about winning, dominating your opponents and bringing home trophies. While those are nice, I count myself and my old Yellowknife Wraith teams as successful despite frequently failing to reach the pinnacle of the league. In that case, I would say that the biggest success was putting together a consistently competitive team that almost always was in the hunt for a championship. Now that I'm a member of the notably hard-luck Baltimore Hawks, I have yet another way to think about success. Obviously we all hope to turn our plethora of max earners into a title contender in the near future, but this team is so enjoyable and fun to spend time with that I will consider my time here as a success even if we fail to reach the mountaintop. So in that case, success just means building a great culture and environment that lets everyone have a great time - because at the end of the day, isn't that why we're all really here?

[dogwoodmaple]

PBE affiliate 

[JaytheGreat]

To me success isn't always so cut and dry, it varies from team to team. For us in Portland success is measured by whether we make the playoffs or not. For a team that is as talented as us we should be making the playoffs but our division isn't an easy one. That includes trying to take games off of juggernaut Minnesota. We haven't clinched the playoffs yet but going into the last day of the season we still control our own destiny which is a great thing to have. Another way to view success is how well your rookies are turning out, and so far I believe Portland's rookie class has done a fantastic job so far. The group consists of 2 starting safeties, a QB for the future and a starting OL and TE. Success isn't just measured on the field but also in the locker room. An active locker room helps a lot, it keeps players active, it keeps morale up, and it keeps interest the league up and I think the locker room in Portland is definitely one of the best ones I've ever been in. All in all I think it's been a pretty successful season for us and hopefully it isn't over just yet.

[xenosthelegend]

The most common idea of success in the ISFL is winning the Ultimus. That is the hope that every team has before the season starts. This idea of success is only accomplished by one team each season, and some teams know it is impossible for them to even attempt to compete for the Ultimus. For those teams an idea of success is maybe a winning season, a playoff berth, or to just go .500. For some players, an idea of success is to win awards, I have achieved this goal once, and should achieve it again this season. To me, success in the ISFL is based on one thing, and one thing alone. How much RNG favors your player. God abandoned my kicking ability this season and transferred it to my punting ability. Where I had success in the past, I had failure. Where I have failed in the past I have found success. Where I have now found success I should win an award, an idea of success that many have. But the best form of success in the ISFL is finding a good locker room, and meeting people who you can call your friends, that is success in the ISFL.

[Luciddreams702]

When you involve this many people in any one activity you are bound to have a variety of opinions in response to Defining success. That in itself is one of the things that makes this great and also successful. After thirty seasons this league is a welcoming place for users and members all around the world, representing a variety of Countries. While the winning Championships is fun (especially in nail biting Ultimini's) there is so much  more that defines what this league is and what we should all be proud of. The International Simulation Football League has become just that an International communities that has grown together in spite of real life events that seem to be pushing people further apart and during a time when people are struggling to connect or socialize with another person. We have this vast community of members who welcome new recruits with open arms and have a genuine excitement to teach them about the league. I've said it many time the community is what make Sim Leagues great and its what's fuels members to stay involved. Everyone comes into the League looking for the same things with their players, they want to break records and win Championships. They want to be drafted early and make an impact on the field but i find that to be just the beginning and if I've helped keep one person interested, made a positive impact on another members day, or made a connection that extends beyond a game then i consider my time here to be more than successful.

[mango8154]

What I would consider success in the league is just having competitive fun, a friendly competition, with fun people that form a cool and fun community, of course winning is fun and winning awards is always great and feels like an success when you “work hard” with a group and see results in wins however when I sit back and look at what I’m getting out of the league it’s the connections with the community that allow me to enjoy life more, so I view the success of the league as if i’m having fun and enjoying myself or not, as if I wasn’t having fun I wouldn’t want to still be in the league and I would quit, my time in the league has been great, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself every season both with the Greyducks and the Copperheads, so I would view my time in the league and the league itself as extremely successful. I also saw success in destroying Norfolk at every opportunity, my irrational hatred of them sees that every time they lose the league is a success, it is great and I wish for them to continue sucking (semi /s), and of course if I ever win an award I will view it as a great success and will celebrate greatly.

[GlimsTC]

To me, success in this league is straight up whatever allows the majority of the team to feel success. Awards are nice, but if it comes during a losing season and/or for only one player, it's kind of depressing in a way, isn't it? Such a good performance used on such a busted season can suck. And while I've never won a championship, I've always enjoyed the road towards trying to get one. Watching as everyone starts to believe in what's going on and helping be a part of that positive momentum, is something that I think makes this whole seasonal loop such a great experience. As long as progress is being made and the team is always moving forward, things always feel successful.

As for beating specific teams, revenge games against rivals are fun, as are divisional matchups that can make or break a season, but it's really hard for me to try and seek out a ton of enjoyment from that, so much so that I'd consider that the meaning of success here. All in all, this league only flourishes if people are having fun. If people are being assholes to each other and causing people to lose the will to even want to keep being a part of the league, then this whole thing just loses it's point. That's why I always make sure to keep my personal relations with other teams good, because at the end of the day, we're here to play some simulated football, and nothing is better than when spirits are high and games can feel genuinely exciting instead of emotionally charged warfares.

(270 words)

[moonlight]

The ISFL is on it's 30th playoff cycle as the Ultmus 30 looms large in the next month of football. The Wraiths are back in the playoffs after seemingly being tempted to start a firesale to jumpstart a rebuild. Instead the Wraiths decided to rattle off a bunch of wins in a row which led to them gaining a 2nd seed spot in the NFCS. The question arises: is this season a success if the Wraiths do not win the Ultimus this season. This is more of a philosophical debate as the reality is it can be applied in all areas of life. Winning isn't one thing it's the only thing as they saying goes and no team knows and understands this fact of life better than the Wraiths. As most people know, the Wraiths lost a record four straight Ultimus's in a row. These weren't joyous times with all the wins, playoff wins, and so one because they never managed to get over the hump and it haunted them until they finally got over the hump on their fifth trip, This should be a lesson to all in the ISFL that playoff wins won't stave off the hunger of winning unless you win the Ultimus, That is where true success lies.

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[hannahg32]

pbe pt