H2H4 / The return of... H2H Sportscenter!

We are halfway through the 4th season of Head-2-Head, and it's safe to say that this has been the most bizarre season in history. At the halfway point, a check of the standings reveals that the entire West Division has dominated the East in every facet of the game, from head to head matchups to overall standings to vote totals. Yes, it's been pretty bleak for the East, which was expected by most to be the stronger division before the season started, but when reality sets in on a contest as volatile as this, all bets are off!

Here's a look at the highlights and lowlights of the first half.


TYCOON BANDITS
Grade: A+
Aside from the struggles of the East, the story this year has been the overwhelming dominance of the juggernaut that is the Tycoon Bandits. Most experts agreed that they had a strong team before the season started, but most opinions suggested that they were top-loaded, and that the rest of the team might have trouble matching the powerful starting three of Turtle, Corkscrewed, and JKay. Well, since then, the Bandits have merely burst out to an undefeated 4-0 record, outscoring their opponents by a combined 227 - 62 ledger. The Bandits are the highest scoring team in the league and the stingiest vote allowers. With two solid park wins and two dominating victories from Park of the Year contenders, the success of JKay's team certainly cannot be attributed purely to luck. The bandits have brought the most consistent quality overall, and it has certainly proved helpful. Rookie sensation Emergo has already recorded two of the Bandits four wins and is clearly on pace for Rookie of the Year honors. Some might say they wasted a blockbuster pairing by using JKay and Corkscrewed in week 4, but a win is a win, and their 4-0 record would all but assure them of a playoff berth if it was not for the strong overall play of the rest of the division.

However, that's not to say they can relax. We saw last year that resting on one's laurels can be costly, as the Hurricanes burst out to first place at the halfway point, then struggled down the stretch with two losses that could have actually knocked them out of playoff contention were it not for some fortunate losses by their division rivals. Still, things have looked tremendous for the Tycoon Bandits, and you can't really ask for a better showing than what they've displayed. And at 4-0, they're probably the only team that can actually afford to take it relatively easy down the stretch. If they choose to.

HURRICANES
Grade: A-
Speaking of the Canes, they are back and certainly explosive. Were it not for the success of the Tycoon Bandits, the Hurricanes would be the toast of the season. Veteran captain Kumba has guided his team to four great parks, and their sole loss comes in somewhat controversial fashion, a supposed forfeit-that-wasn't-a-forfeit against the Bandits in Week 4. They have been right behind JKay's team in terms of overall quality, producing a solid Ragnarok park that racked up a hotly contested win over Seige at Castle Grijs in week 1, a park of the year candidate in the Great Carolina Quarry in week 3, and a beautiful realistic and atmospheric park in week 5's Tierra Aventura.

Imagine what they could have accomplished if they had not traded Corkscrewed and Emergo away, two players who are already a combined 3-0. Of course, we haven't seen Xcoaster, the other piece in that confusing trade, make an appearance yet. And J K certainly hasn't slouched either, sporting a 2-0 ledger and vying for Rookie of the Year honors as well. And Kumba certainly has proven he can captain a great team, so he's certain to press hard and finish strong this year, rather than take it easy like last season. Projected to win the West by a good number at the beginning of the season, they still might be able to do so before season's end. The grapevine also says they have some spectacular parks lined up for the playoffs as well.

ITALIAN STALLIONS
Grade: B
The least noise-making team of H2H so far seems to be the Italian Stallions, who have taken on the persona of their captain, Panic, and gone about quietly and assuredly making generally quality parks. At 2-2, they are better than every East Division team, however it should be noted that their two wins have come against only said East Division teams. Early matchups against the Hurricanes and Tycoon Bandits resulted in one blowout and one disqualification that would have been a blowout anyway.

However, they've picked up wins where they should. Week 5's Kilika park is certainly a LL park of the year contender and a fine piece of parkmaking. Their other win this year came from week 1's Courmayer Harbour, a beautiful exercise in more minimalist parkmaking. Interestingly, their two losses have come from RCT 2 parks. A sign of what strategy they should use, or just coincidence? We'll see in the second half. However, one thing's for certain: if they stick around, they may very well sneak up on one of the two West powerhouses. The Italian Stallions were probably the weakest of the West teams on paper, but that's not to say they're pushovers. Besides, they have yet to unleash megaweapon X-Sector, a parkmaker who can singlehandedly defeat any other team when he's on his game. So the Stallions are far from being counted out. In a season where everything has seemed so weird, maybe their apparent motto of slow and steady wins the race will hold out in the end.

STRANGELOVE
Grade: B-
As much as we often hate to admit it, luck does play a significant part of H2H, and no team represents this more than the "defending champion" Strangelove. Led by ride6, who partially (and unofficially) captained last year's winning Flying Germans team, Strangelove might very well be 3-1, rather than the reverse, had two heatedly contested matches gone slightly the other way. It all started in week 1, when a very solid Seige at Castle Grijs narrowly lost to Ragnarok in a match that may have been decided by the RCT 2 advantage over LL. That led to a post match tantrum and the return of "ride6 classic," which proved to be incredibly entertaining. The team made a strong comeback the following week, however, with Park of the Year candidate Slime Meridian, arguably the best LL piece of work ever. This matchup certainly proved one thing: Fatha' is as good as he's ever been, and that trade for Rainbow Connection was a huge plus for the team (and if you don't believe me, I have two words for you: space riverboat).

Unfortunately, week 3 provided another heartbreak, as Internet City lost to Kayte Ridge in one of the most controversial matchups in H2H history. Many thought Strangelove would cruise over their opponents in this matchup, but the "over detail" of Internet City may have driven many to view the ultra-realistic-style Kayte Ridge with a much more favorable eye than usual. That's not to say Kayte Ridge was bad, because it certainly wasn't. But given the past performance of realistic parks in H2H, a realistic park win over a solid fantasy park was certainly unexpected. And it didn't help matters for Strangelove in week 5 when they basically packed it in with Snakes on a Muthafuckin' Plane, a Worst Park of the Year candidate for sure.

And yet, had weeks 1 and 3 gone differently, Strangelove would be in control of the East. It's unfair to say they've actually been bad, especially when they're third in votes gained this year as well as vote difference (votes gained minus votes allowed). Plus, they still have Fatha' for two more matches, and X250, Rainbow Connection, artist, and ride6 himself are all proven top tier performers in contests such as this. And with the East currently in a horrific three-way tie, it seems that Strangelove, out of all three teams, is in the best position, because their run of bad luck surely can't last the entire season, and so far, it hasn't buried them into a hole too large to surmount.

Ferocious Tigers
Grade: C-
The wheels of the Ferocious Tigers bus came off early in the season, when cBass and Slob both unexpectedly pulled out of the competition. It seems that WME may very well be the coach equivalent of slob: that is to say, he's cursed, as for the second straight year, he's had to deal with star dropouts that have wrecked his team from the beginning.

Although, actually, the Tigers' start wasn't too bad of one, when you look at it. Their Las Vegas 2010 caught a lot of people's eyes and put up what has since been the best fight against the Tycoon Bandits, garnering 21 votes. Considering the fact that cBass was supposed to go in this matchup and had to be replaced by WME himself pretty much in the final days, this wasn't too much of a disappointment. A win in week 3 got the Ferocious Tigers into first place in the East, as they won in controversial fashion against division rivals, Strangelove. The following week produced this year's equivalent of "Bedroom vs Bedroom" when the Tigers released Rapa Nui, a pretty looking, pleasant, realistic-style, nicely landscaped park with a steel coaster against the Demigod's Isla Magica, another... pretty looking, pleasant, realistic-style, nicely landscaped park with a steel coaster. Rapa Nui lost the nailbiter in a matchup that could have gone both ways because of the rather blasse feel of both parks, but the Tigers still maintained a first place tie with the Demigods and Strangelove by virtue of their win the previous week. They could not take advantage of this good fortune the following week, however, and the result was the wildly incomplete Cherokee Canyons.

At the beginning of the season, the Tigers ranked in most people's minds as the weakest of the three East Division teams, and yet they have scrapped and clawed their way [down] to a first place tie. Their loss of cBass was offset by the aquisition of CoasterEd, but their roster remains "weaker" overall compared to their division rivals. However, in a division where anything has gone, a team with names like Coaster Ed, Titan, and John (two of whom have yet to go) can certainly make a strong push late. The only question is whether they can overcome their more talented-on-paper rivals.

DEMIGODS
Grade: D+
A look at this team at the beginning of the season produced simultaneous opposite feelings: (1) this team is incredibly loaded with talent, and (2) this team is incredibly unreliable. With Toon, Phatage, Kevin, Blitz, Magnus, and Marshy, the Demigods had six players who were capable of carrying an entire park at any given time. However, these same players haven't exactly had the best performances in short-deadline competitions. Given the track record of the players involved, the Demigods could either go undefeated all year, or fail to win a game all year. But if anyone could manage an all-star cast like this, it would be H2H's Jerry West/Phil Jackson combination equivalent, Iris.

NE's founder elected to go conservative early on, submitting a pretty weak park in The Edge in week 1. Week 2 could have been a rallying cry, had it not been for the incompleteness of Twilight Peaks, a park that showed glimpses of what Kevin (and CoasterForce) could have produced, but was much to unfinished to make much of any splash. Week 4 provided a glimmer of hope with Isla Magica, a near clone of its opponent, Rapa Nui, but most people agreed that while this park was nice, it wasn't anything special. It didn't help that Magnus had to go it alone after Toon disappeared off the face of the planet, presumably to open another restaurant (half kidding). The following week only increased the disappointment, as the team of Marshy and Old Red was unable to finish a park that could have certainly contended for Park of the Year honors. Brighouse Mines featured one of the most incredible landscapes ever produced in H2H, but unfortunately, what started out as a shining star quickly wisped into a diminished flicker.

There's a lot of hope left, though. Mostly because the Demigods are in the East. Iris appears to have several very strong parks planned for the second half of the season and will hopefully use a strong surge to propel his team into the playoffs. As with the other teams in the division, every game from now on is virtually do or die, but the Demigods certainly have the talent to get hot down the stretch and carry that into the playoffs, where their loaded roster can very well spell victory. Don't forget that Iris is a two time H2H champion manager, and if anyone knows how to thrive in the face of adversity, it's him. Still, that ever-threatening spectre of failed production lingers over a team that has undeniably been the most disappointing team of the season. It certainly appears that Toon will have to be replaced, and whoever does take his place will have both big shoes to fill and five weeks to fill them (in accordance with the "everyone must be used at least once during the season" rule). So we will see if the Demigods can right the ship.


PLAYOFF POSITIONING
The Tycoon Bandits can clinch a spot in the playoffs as early as Week 7, when they face off against the Italian Stallions. A win would put them at 5-0 and give them a three game lead over the Stallions with two games left to play in the season. This would give them plenty of room to strategize for the best matchups in the playoffs and even work on more parks than needed to serve as replacement parks in case any of the currently planned playoff parks run into problems.

For the Hurricanes, the only important matchup occurs on week 9, where a win will give them the playoff berth. Assume that the 'Canes enter that week at 4-1 while the Stallions come in at 3-2. A win would obviously yield a two game lead wit one week to play. Even if both teams enter tied at a 3-2 record, a Hurricane win would ensure that they can finish no lower than 4-2, and even if the Stallions finish at the same record, the 'Canes would win the head to head tiebreaker thanks to their season sweep of their division opponents.

The Stallions certainly aren't out of anything either, but they'll have to run the table to ensure a playoff berth, or hope for some serious help from the East, which thusfar has yet to win a game agains the West. They'll have three more chances down the stretch.

Next week's Strangelove/Ferocious Tigers matchup will more than likely determine which one of the two teams is going to the playoffs. The losing team would be put in a tremendous hole, although it's Strangelove that has a remaining matchup with West power the Tycoon Bandits, while the Ferocious Tigers remaining West opponent is the "more manageable" Italian Stallions.

It goes without saying that every team in the East controls his own destiny. Win out and you're in. Lose, and it's up to the other teams to help you out. The amusing thing about this is that it's quite possible all three teams will finish under the .500 mark, or even tied with each other at the end of the season! If that's the caes, given the circumstances, we may very well actually reach the fourth tiebreaker of total season votes to decide who gets in and who is left out!

A review of the tiebreakers, just in case you've forgotten:
1. Head to Head matchup (your record against the team(s) you are tied with)
2. Record against your own division
3. Record against the opposite division
4. Total votes gained during the season

Actually, I might as well add total votes allowed during the season at the end of that, just in case.


NUMBERS
173 - 28
How much the West teams outscored the East teams, total, during the interdivisional matchups in week 5.

155 - 96
The West vs East total in week 1, making the total score over six games between the West and East to: 328 - 124

5
How much Strangelove scored in week 5, an all time H2H record.

69
This season's high score, by the Tycoon Bandits' Mont St Michel.
Also, a number that makes junior high school boys giggle.

96.77%, how much the Stallions upped their overall votes gained count by this week with their win over Strangelove. Meaning their nearly doubled their vote total.

+41.75
The average vote difference of the Tycoon Bandits thusfar in the season. They have averaged 41.75 more votes than their opponents.

-51.00
The average vote difference of the entire East Division combined. They are averaging 51 less votes than their opponents.


The following teams have used a solo park thusfar and are no longer allowed to submit a park made only by one person. Should they do so again, that park will be forfeited.
- Italian Stallions
- Demigods


And finally, here is a list of parkmakers who have not been used so far in the season. THESE PLAYERS MUST BE USED BEFORE THE REGULAR SEASON ENDS, OR THE TEAM WILL FORFEIT A PLAYOFF SPOT.

Tycoon Bandits:
- Turtle
- RCTFAN
- Breakaway

Hurricanes:
- Xcoaster
- Tyandor
- Master Jay
- gymkid dude

Italian Stallions:
- X-Sector
- Jon
- Micool
- thirteen

Strangelove:
- artist
- chapelz

Ferocious Tigers:
- CoasterEd
- 5dave
- Titan
- Drew

Demigods:
- Phatage
- Toon (or his likely replacement)
- Blitz

nice review cork .

could you explain what you mean with allowed ? I don't get that static

Team Kumba gained 186 votes. So all their parks got 186 votes in total. At the same time they allowed their opponents to get 115 votes, so the parks they were going against got 115 votes.

I really like the new stats. Would be nice to see player stats at the end of the season aswell.

Team Kumba gained 186 votes. So all their parks got 186 votes in total. At the same time they allowed their opponents to get 115 votes, so the parks they were going against got 115 votes.

I really like the new stats. Would be nice to see player stats at the end of the season aswell.

thanks .

thats usefull indeed .

And at 4-0, they're probably the only team that can actually afford to take it relatively easy down the stretch. If they choose to.

By relatively easy you mean go undefeated, right?

haha, can't wait for our division. should be interesting.

Nice review Cork, I like the new stats they show the numbers that make up the records pretty well. I think one pre-season sign that our team and your team would be so strong could have been team forum pots, really we are both way a ahead of everyone, that shows teamwork, so im not suprised we are #1 and 2 atm.

Also so far the huge Cork & Emergo for Xcoaster & J_K treade things seems to be leaning in your favor with a combind record of 3-0, but we are 2-0 with it and we got Xcoaster waiting in the wings and I can't picture him loseing, to anyone

Playoff making scenarios for the West:

Hurricanes - Beat the Italian Stallions week 9
Tycoon Bandits - Beat the Italian Stallions week 7
The Italian Stallions - Win vs. both the Hurricanes and Tycoon Bandits and then hope for a Hurricanes lose week 10, I think, it's tricky...

Don't forget that we haven't used Tyandor either...

yeah Rick, and Junya Boy... and Gymkid, heh

btw heres a list of people who still have yet to be seen that could make an impact when they go: Coaster Ed, Turtle, X-Sector, Xcoaster, Phatage, Blitz, Toon (who is going to be replaced soon ), Titan, and artist.

You know what, this is even better check this out:

Bold = Have gone and the W/L by there name repersents if that have won this season, also in () there H2H lifetime record (I may not get all that right tho, there a few guys in this from the fisrt H2H witch im not gona count, coz I don't remember it. Feel free to help me with that stuff if anyone remembers it.)

The Demigods - Captain: Iris
1. Phatage (0-2)
2. Toon (1-1)
3. Kevin - L (0-1)
4. Blitz (1-0)
5. Magnus - W (3-0)
6. Xenon - L (0-1)
7. Marshy - L (0-1)
8. CoasterForce - L (0-1)
9. Tom_Dj - L (0-1)
10. Old Red - L (0-1)

The Hurricanes - Captain: Kumba
1. Xcoaster (0-0)
2. Steve - W (2-1)
3. Kumba - W (3-1)
4. tyandor (0-0)
5. egg_head - W, L (1-1)
6. J_K - W, W (2-0)
7. Levis - L (0-1)
8. Master Jay (1-1)
9. gymkid dude (0-1)
10. ekimmel - W (1-0)

The Italian Stallions - Captain: Panic
1. x-sector (2?-?) No idea, he's been in every H2H ever, all I know is he had 2 wins last season.
2. DarkJanus - L (1-1)
3. Metropole - L (0-2)
4. Twisted - W (2-0)
5. Loopy - W, W (2-1)
6. jon (1-0)
7. Micool (0-0)
8. Panic - W (1-2)
9. supertrooper - L (1-1)
10. thirteen (0-0)

Tycoon Bandits - Captain: JKay
1. Corkscrewed - W (5-0)
2. Turtle (0-1)
3. JKay - W (2-1)
4. Six Frags - W (2-1)
5. Emergo - W, W (2-0)
6. RCTFAN (0-0)
7. Jazz - W (1-0)
8. yeshli2nuts - W (1-0)
9. Mama Bear - W (1-0)
10. BreakAway (0-0)

Ferocious Tigers - Captain: Evil WME
1. Coaster Ed (4-1)
2. Evil WME - L, L (1-3)?
3. Titan (1-1)
4. John - L (1-1)
5. RCTNW - L, L (0-3)
6. CedarPoint6 - W (1-0)
7. geewhzz - W (1-0)
8. Drew (0-1-1)
9. hobbes - L (0-2)
10. 5dave (0-0)

Strangelove - Captain: Ride6
1. Fatha' - W (2?-2) what was his record in H2H1?
2. X250 - L (1-1)
3. Artist (0-0)
4. Ride6 - L (2-2)
5. rainbow connection - W (1-0)?
6. leighx - L (2-1)
7. chapelz (0-2)? wasint he in H2H1 back when he was know as the Hive?
8. tracidEdge - L (0-2)
9. Themeparkmaster - L (0-1)?
10. RMM - L (0-1)

I think like 25% of my stats on liftime records are wrong, please feel free to point them out so I can fix that stuff up... coughEdHelpMeHere!!!cough...

yeah Rick, and Junya Boy... and Gymkid, heh

btw heres a list of people who still have yet to be seen that could make an impact when they go: Coaster Ed, Turtle, X-Sector, Xcoaster, Phatage, Blitz, Toon (who is going to be replaced soon ), Titan, and artist.

^ fully agree,
only you forgot RCTFAN in this list I think.....

No offence to him, but I was only doing NE Parkmakers once I saw how many there were.

i played season two under nessy. he disappeared after like week 1 and left us with no plan and the people that were "good" just threw parks together. since no one wanted to work with the rest of us most of us just left. we went undefeated until week seven but then didn't even go to playoffs because of having no plans and no captain. left a bitter taste in my mouth and i left the site until like a month or two before season three and only because i had just gotten rct2. ahh fun times back when i changed my name every other week. the joys of being a pre-teen

Edited by chapelz, 20 August 2006 - 03:44 PM.

Full article posted.

Interesting read.

Here's to the Tigers getting their shit together to sweep the playoffs!

-ACE

-EDIT- wtf is Augsut? (forum title needs fixing)

Edited by ACEfanatic02, 20 August 2006 - 07:38 PM.

^ ^Wow! what a lot of work you put into this one Corky!!

And how does it make me realise a lot of things that (being a newbie in this contest) I had not thought of before.....makes it very clear....

Thank you very much..

Emergo

Edited by Emergo, 20 August 2006 - 06:16 PM.

Yeah its alot more complicated than i thought. Still very good read and we are only half way through.

I remember last time, and in H2H2, how the season felt pretty much over by the halfway point. We're in a three-way tie though this time, with only two playoff spots and three matches remaining each. It's far from over at this point. And then it's do or die time for everybody, where it doesn't matter how many names you've got on your roster, it just comes down to which parkmakers can meet the challenge of winning against top competition. You can throw away the East-West dominance at that point. There are a lot of impressive parkmakers on every team, and all of them are capable of winning a H2H playoff match.

Very interesting read......Not sure if i feel enlightend or threatend about all tis yet but we'll see.

"everyone must be used at least once during the season" rule)

Where is this damn rule. I was sure there is this rule, but didn't find it in the rule book.

5. Magnus - W (1-0)

(3-0) [God's Isle, Life is a Rollercoaster, Isla Magica ... and that is the reason I didn't do this list. Would have been totally wrong in that case.]

Wow, you're right. Somehow, I never actually wrote that rule in, even though it's been [an at least unspoken] rule since the beginning!

'k, gonna go fix that.


EDIT: ..........and I've somehow messed the graphics of the page up... I'll fix it at home. *sigh*