VBA s0 Second Half Update
With the All-Star game concluded and week15 coming to a close, we set our sights on the second half of season0 and the end-of-season tournament. The team has been hard at work and is excited to bring you some major improvements to start the second half of s0. We’re introducing new features to get more GMs into the game, sharing early plans on how we plan to release more s0 players, as well as share our midseason patch notes that will impact your team on offensive and defensive sides of the game.
Keep reading to get everything you need to know! This is a big one.
More Players Joining the VBA: Prospects and More s0 Players
Prospect Players
In order to make the VBA more accessible to all basketball fans, we are introducing Prospect Players.
Prospect Players: Who are they, and how do I get them?
Prospects are temporary, non-transferable players that live off-chain (they are not NFTs) and are designed to help new GMs get started in the VBA for free. Moving forward, all new GMs will receive a welcome pack of 6 Prospects. Existing GMs who are already in the VBA will also receive a pack of 6 Prospects when this feature launches.
In terms of on-court performance, Prospects will on average fall below Underdog players. As temporary assets, Prospects will last for the duration of one season, or shorter. Finally, unlike their NFT counterparts, Prospects will not be transferable between teams.
DIMES rewards + Prospects
A team of all Prospects can play in weekly leagues with NFT players but will be required to have at least one NFT Player in their lineups to begin earning DIMES. DIMES payouts will be directly proportional to the amount of NFTs used. For example, if you play 1 NFT Player and 4 Prospect Players every game, you will receive 1/5th of the expected DIMES earned based on your league and finish order.
Prospects are in an early stage and as we expand the Prospects ecosystem, there will be plenty of opportunities for GMs to win more players and improve their teams as they compete in VBA contests.
Releasing More s0 Players
We’re excited to share that more NFT Players will be joining the VBA in late October. By the end of season0, we will be releasing up to an additional 14,000 NFT Players. Most will be available for direct purchase with SOL and the rest will be allocated as Rewards for DIMES, special events and giveaways.
There is a growing demand for players from existing GMs to expand their rosters, and anticipate even more demand from new GMs transitioning from Prospects to NFT Players.
How Will Player Sales Work?
Players will be sold as randomized single players in waves. The first batch will be small and cost 1.5 SOL each in the Box Office. Players can also be obtained using DIMES in drawings, and in the future we may offer direct purchases with DIMES. These players will be revealed immediately upon purchase following the same rarity distribution as our initial mint.
Game Updates
Changing The Tie Breaker to Point Differential
We are implementing a new tie breaker methodology in our weekly contests.
At the end of each weekly contest, if teams are tied for the #1 spot, the winner will be determined by points differential. This is a departure from our previous method where a winner was determined by total points scored, in the event of a tie.
End of Season Tournament + Ratings Point Reset Reminder
Lastly, we wanted to remind everyone that there will be new exciting milestone to play for in the second half of s0: the VBA End of Season Tournament (with cash rewards from our s0 rewards treasury!). More details will be released in the coming weeks.
To kick this off, at the start of week16, Rating Points will be reset to a fixed level based on each team’s performance during the first half of the season. To celebrate their achievements so far, Competitive League teams will receive a DIMES bonus based on their success during the first half of the season (through week15). See the full details on the RP reset here: https://vbagame.medium.com/preparing-for-the-second-half-of-season0-a3918b77f40f
Patch Notes 0.04
We are making changes that impact Perimeter Defenders, Pure Shooters, 3&D Wings, Stretch Bigs, and Shooting Playmakers. After this update, we are not anticipating any more meta changes or balance updates for the remainder of the season, unless there is a need for a hot fix.
Perimeter Defenders Will Now Contest Passes
In the first half of season0, Defensive Guards were centered around trying to shut down outside shooting Play Styles. In an adjustment to help them live up to their name, Defensive Guards will now also better disrupt passing Play Styles and create more steals off of passers.
To add this capability, we are reducing the likelihood of steals occurring when an offensive player attempts a shot and increasing the likelihood of steals occurring when an offensive player attempts a pass. Allowing Defensive Guards to step up against passing Play Styles in a more meaningful way should make them a more versatile, and stronger option.
Adjustments to Outside Shooters
We’ve also made a number of changes for your outside scorers.
- Pure Shooters will play to their strengths better by taking more three point shots, and fewer inside and mid-range shots. Improved shot selection will mean they become more efficient scorers, and should be considered the go-to Play Style for GMs looking to make it rain from downtown.
- 3&D Wings will also see further improvements to their efficiency and shot selection, taking more 3-pointers like their namesake suggests. There are no additional changes on their defense-abilities this time around.
- Stretch Bigs are receiving a slight decrease to their 3-point efficiency. Previously, this Play Style has been difficult to counter and this decrease should make their performance a bit more in line with GM expectations.
- Shooting Playmakers will see a slight increase in playmaking and a slight decrease in shooting efficiency. Thus far, Shooting Playmakers have been outperforming their Pure Shooter counterparts in all aspects of the game and this change should allow them to live up to the “Playmaker” name.
Keep these changes in mind when you consider how you want to organize your team beginning w16.
