Welcome to Ultimus Week for Season 27! You have ten days to complete the Ultimus Week point task, so the deadline will be Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 11:59PM EST.
Quick Rules:
Choose ONE for 10 TPE.
1) This week will see the S26 Ultimus and Ultimini races begin in earnest. How did each team arrive at the playoffs? Were there any dark horse teams that went unexpectedly far, or any presumptive favorites that fell flat? Who do you think will win the final? If you’re writing this after the finals were decided, were you surprised by the outcome?
2) Tell us about your draft class. Is there anything that makes it special in comparison to other classes? Where did your fellow draftees land, how are they doing? Did anyone turn out to be an unexpected steal of that draft based on what you know today? Do you think anyone in your draft class will become a hall of famer? If you’re new to the league, how do you think your class will do? Where do you think people will get drafted to?
3) For any team, certain players and users have gone above and beyond, shaping the legacy of the franchise. Choose any ISFL or DSFL team and create a Mount Rushmore for that team. Who in your mind are the four most noteworthy figures of the team’s history? Why does each one of your included figures deserve that recognition, and how did each of them make their mark?
4) “Sim gonna sim” is a popular expression in the league. Write about teams that have been graced by the sim gods and had amazing performances despite statistical odds, and/or about teams that were considered favorites but may have dealt with some bad sim luck that hampered their efforts. How much of an impact did it have on their season(s)?
5) The league has a rich and fascinating history, and our perspectives on it differ from person to person. In 800 words or more, describe any significant moment in ISFL or DSFL history, whether you were around for it or not. Describe the context, the significant members, and the events. What exactly made this event so famous (or infamous) and why does it deserve to be remembered? Events might include championship wins, the inducting of players to the hall of fame, or even a league scandal.
6) Write 800 words or more on something about anything in the league that interests you. It could be related to statistics, a league issue that you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s participation on a Werewolf server or something.
Tier 2: Short Form Tasks (Each must be 400+ words)
Choose up to TWO for 5 TPE each.
7) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S28 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?
8) Write about a potential new recruitment strategy for the league. How can we attract more new players, and what can we do to retain them better?
9) If you could create a team using any active players in the league, what would that team look like? Would you build a group of all-stars to contend in the next Ultimus, or a team full of jokesters for the fun of it? Describe the roster and why you chose the players you did.
10) Describe your player and/or team’s journey through this latest season. What were the highlights? What were the lower points? What might you have done differently? What are your expectations for next season?
11) What is it that keeps you interested in the league? Is it your love of dot football, your locker room, a specific job or role you play, or something else? What do you like most about it? What could be improved?
12) Write a short biography or story about your player. This could include background about how they came to the ISFL and how they’ve done so far, a story about their role in an exciting game, or anything else related to their experience in the league.
13) Write about your team’s biggest rivalry and what makes it so fierce. Is the competition founded in statistics and the team’s recent performance, or is it a rivalry that developed over time during the team’s history that would exist regardless of statistics?
14) Choose a team or player to write about that isn’t your own. What did they do well in the last season? Have they shown any drastic improvements from previous years? What could they do better?
15) Write about another sim league you are in and which parts of it you enjoy. If you are only in the ISFL, write about your ideas for a sim league with another sport.
Tier 3: Written/Graphics Tasks (Each must be either 200+ words or a graphic)
Choose up to FOUR for 2.5 TPE each.
16) The bank now accepts ISFL currency in exchange for real money – every ISFL dollar counts as $0.50 in the real world. How much money would you exchange, and what would you spend it on?
17) Describe the unique food items sold in your team’s home stadium. Write about the most popular items among your team’s fans and players, or create a graphic showing the menu of featured foods in the stadium.
18) If you could cast your team in a video game or TV show, what would that look like? Would they be voice actors in a game or cartoon, actors in a funny sitcom, or maybe key players in a reality tv show?
19) Your player or team made big headlines in the news this week. What did they do, and why did it garner so much attention?
20) Pretend injuries are a thing in the ISFL and your team has had a lot of them lately – so many that your GM has asked you to play out of position. What position are they asking you to play and what about your player build will help you succeed in this role?
21) What team do you think has the best branding in the league? What team do you think could use a refresh? Why?
22) Your player has been paid to endorse a product/service. What is it? How do you endorse it?
23) Design the ideal uniform or a helmet for a team in the DSFL or ISFL. Graphics only.
24) Create a billboard, magazine cover, unique trading card, or video game cover depicting a superstar of the league. Graphics only.
25) How or where would you celebrate with your teammates after winning an Ultimus or Ultimini?
26) Your team has made it to the playoffs! Put together a pre-game playlist and explain how those songs will hype your players.
27) You’re in charge of entertainment for the Ultimus or Ultimini half-time show. What would you do?
28) We’ve now finished a whole season in the new sim. What do you think about it? Are things working well for your player and team, or are there changes you think might be made?
29) Awards season is upon us. If you could create an award for anything in the league that doesn’t already exist, what would it be? Who do you think should get it?
30) Make a scouting report for any of the ISFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or totally fraudulent mail-in ballots. Whatever rookies get up to these days.
Remember to have fun with this! If you have any suggestions for future PT prompts, post them here! PM the player progression team with any questions about how this will be graded or what we are looking for with these questions.
Quick Rules:
- You can earn up to a maximum of 10 TPE through any combination of the available Tier 1-3 tasks. Follow the word count rules specified for each tier and keep your submissions on topic.
- Articles, graphics, or podcasts that have already been used to get media/graphics money cannot be submitted again for Ultimus Week credit (sorry – no double dipping!).
- Podcasts can only be submitted for Tier 1 and 2 written tasks. A podcast must include 20 minutes of discussion for Tier 1 and 10 minutes of discussion for Tier 2 about the selected topic. If you make a podcast with someone else, it must be 20/10 minutes apiece.
- As with PTs, graphics must show at least some effort (i.e. edits must be apparent, should be more than just text slapped on an image).
- You may submit one affiliate PT from PBE, SHL, or GOMHL for 2.5 TPE. You must link directly to your affiliate PT post made during the same time period (i.e. timestamped between Mar 8 - 18). Make sure you tell us if you have a different username.
Choose ONE for 10 TPE.
1) This week will see the S26 Ultimus and Ultimini races begin in earnest. How did each team arrive at the playoffs? Were there any dark horse teams that went unexpectedly far, or any presumptive favorites that fell flat? Who do you think will win the final? If you’re writing this after the finals were decided, were you surprised by the outcome?
2) Tell us about your draft class. Is there anything that makes it special in comparison to other classes? Where did your fellow draftees land, how are they doing? Did anyone turn out to be an unexpected steal of that draft based on what you know today? Do you think anyone in your draft class will become a hall of famer? If you’re new to the league, how do you think your class will do? Where do you think people will get drafted to?
3) For any team, certain players and users have gone above and beyond, shaping the legacy of the franchise. Choose any ISFL or DSFL team and create a Mount Rushmore for that team. Who in your mind are the four most noteworthy figures of the team’s history? Why does each one of your included figures deserve that recognition, and how did each of them make their mark?
4) “Sim gonna sim” is a popular expression in the league. Write about teams that have been graced by the sim gods and had amazing performances despite statistical odds, and/or about teams that were considered favorites but may have dealt with some bad sim luck that hampered their efforts. How much of an impact did it have on their season(s)?
5) The league has a rich and fascinating history, and our perspectives on it differ from person to person. In 800 words or more, describe any significant moment in ISFL or DSFL history, whether you were around for it or not. Describe the context, the significant members, and the events. What exactly made this event so famous (or infamous) and why does it deserve to be remembered? Events might include championship wins, the inducting of players to the hall of fame, or even a league scandal.
6) Write 800 words or more on something about anything in the league that interests you. It could be related to statistics, a league issue that you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s participation on a Werewolf server or something.
Tier 2: Short Form Tasks (Each must be 400+ words)
Choose up to TWO for 5 TPE each.
7) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S28 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?
8) Write about a potential new recruitment strategy for the league. How can we attract more new players, and what can we do to retain them better?
9) If you could create a team using any active players in the league, what would that team look like? Would you build a group of all-stars to contend in the next Ultimus, or a team full of jokesters for the fun of it? Describe the roster and why you chose the players you did.
10) Describe your player and/or team’s journey through this latest season. What were the highlights? What were the lower points? What might you have done differently? What are your expectations for next season?
11) What is it that keeps you interested in the league? Is it your love of dot football, your locker room, a specific job or role you play, or something else? What do you like most about it? What could be improved?
12) Write a short biography or story about your player. This could include background about how they came to the ISFL and how they’ve done so far, a story about their role in an exciting game, or anything else related to their experience in the league.
13) Write about your team’s biggest rivalry and what makes it so fierce. Is the competition founded in statistics and the team’s recent performance, or is it a rivalry that developed over time during the team’s history that would exist regardless of statistics?
14) Choose a team or player to write about that isn’t your own. What did they do well in the last season? Have they shown any drastic improvements from previous years? What could they do better?
15) Write about another sim league you are in and which parts of it you enjoy. If you are only in the ISFL, write about your ideas for a sim league with another sport.
Tier 3: Written/Graphics Tasks (Each must be either 200+ words or a graphic)
Choose up to FOUR for 2.5 TPE each.
16) The bank now accepts ISFL currency in exchange for real money – every ISFL dollar counts as $0.50 in the real world. How much money would you exchange, and what would you spend it on?
17) Describe the unique food items sold in your team’s home stadium. Write about the most popular items among your team’s fans and players, or create a graphic showing the menu of featured foods in the stadium.
18) If you could cast your team in a video game or TV show, what would that look like? Would they be voice actors in a game or cartoon, actors in a funny sitcom, or maybe key players in a reality tv show?
19) Your player or team made big headlines in the news this week. What did they do, and why did it garner so much attention?
20) Pretend injuries are a thing in the ISFL and your team has had a lot of them lately – so many that your GM has asked you to play out of position. What position are they asking you to play and what about your player build will help you succeed in this role?
21) What team do you think has the best branding in the league? What team do you think could use a refresh? Why?
22) Your player has been paid to endorse a product/service. What is it? How do you endorse it?
23) Design the ideal uniform or a helmet for a team in the DSFL or ISFL. Graphics only.
24) Create a billboard, magazine cover, unique trading card, or video game cover depicting a superstar of the league. Graphics only.
25) How or where would you celebrate with your teammates after winning an Ultimus or Ultimini?
26) Your team has made it to the playoffs! Put together a pre-game playlist and explain how those songs will hype your players.
27) You’re in charge of entertainment for the Ultimus or Ultimini half-time show. What would you do?
28) We’ve now finished a whole season in the new sim. What do you think about it? Are things working well for your player and team, or are there changes you think might be made?
29) Awards season is upon us. If you could create an award for anything in the league that doesn’t already exist, what would it be? Who do you think should get it?
30) Make a scouting report for any of the ISFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or totally fraudulent mail-in ballots. Whatever rookies get up to these days.
Remember to have fun with this! If you have any suggestions for future PT prompts, post them here! PM the player progression team with any questions about how this will be graded or what we are looking for with these questions.
