This proposal follows months of community discussion around the topic of adopting WBBA rules, particularly wall bounce, and the potential for bans on things such as BDr/MBD in BST and RDF in MFS clashing with hesitation towards banning parts from "Standard" formats. It also aims to provide a starting point for how we handle Beyblade X
CrisisCrusher07 made a very clever proposal - basically two different Standard formats, and with input from a broad range of people including but not limited to Shindog, Wombat, Beyblader101_, originalzankye, Cake and many others, I have sought to collate and synthesise these ideas into a proposal that I hope will satisfy many of the concerns and wants of players on the various sides of these issues, which have become extremely heated, divisive and time consuming for the community and even staff.
The proposal is to introduce a ruleset which brings us closer to the wbba, removing WBO-imposed limitations on gimmicks and gameplay elements, and incorporating the approach to standard which resists banning parts for format health and only doing so when parts are truly game breaking. It would still keep some rules the same as the WBO (many, in fact, just because the rulesets are not worlds apart) but generally only those which relate to the practicalities of running a tournament with our player base and scale (which is why we can't 1:1 the wbba rulebook). Other aspects like 5G format where we differ from the wbba should be handled in different proposals - we have already had a lot of discussion about those and I think if anything this will help encourage getting these done too. Ideally, we could launch 5G alongside launching the Unlimited Ruleset to bring us really close.
Alongside this would be a change of our ideological approach to current "Standard" formats more like we (intend to) approach Limited formats - policing parts that are dominant but don't necessarily break the format entirely, just severely hurt game balance or diversity. For example, BDr/MBD in BST, RDF in MFS, F230+CF/GCF in Zero-G, parts which have seen calls for bans for a while now (of them, only F230CF/GCF is currently banned). This is facilitated by the legality of parts in the Unlimited ruleset still providing options for players to use them.
The Unlimited Ruleset will also give us a way to quickly approach Generation X and fully embrace what Takara Tomy do with it, while we also work on our own standard format where needed, allowing us to be up and running as fast as possible (ideally launch day).
Some have questioned why we should have our own rules at all - aside from the practical rulings I've mentioned, I think a lot of them may not be aware of non standard formats we successfully run for which there isn't a wbba equivalent at all!
If we go back a generation to MFB, by far the most popular format worldwide - not even just on the WBO, is Metal Fight Limited. It may shock some of you to find out this format was made by the WBO - myself and Ingulit along with input from a few others basically locked ourselves in our rooms for weeks to design a format - the first of its type, and the format which eventually came from that eclipses in popularity any Metal Fight format made by Takara Tomy or Hasbro. It has historically been highly regarded for the balance of its gameplay and the variety of viable parts it allows through the vetting of its banlist, which we do change from time to time in response to shifts in the metagame (for example, there is current discussion about which avenue to take with certain parts based on recent developments - developments still happening roughly a decade after the parts were released, which is the kind of continuing support and oversight not offered by organisations focussed on selling their latest products). Based on this, I think we do have grounds to say we can, and even should, be managing a Latest-Release ("Standard") format in the same way. At the very least, even if we did follow the manufacturer rules, it doesn't resolve the demand for a more curated experience - we must acknowledge that there are large numbers of people on either side of this discussion and come together to find a solution.
One additional point is that the wbba still do not allow the use of Deathscyther, Dark Deathscyther, or Maximum Garuda with any other god chip than its own or an MGC - the Ultimate Ruleset allows us to work around this, as well as allowing bans made for safety reasons (like the use of the 12 Core Disk without an armor, or the recently banned MS Performance Tip, or the ban on use of Plastics releases in HMS, which was still permitted by the BBA at the end of the series).
Enough of the why. Here is a link to the proposed Ruleset. Alternatively there is a slightly less pretty version below. Please, PLEASE read the ruleset (and the rest of this post) before responding or voting in the poll. I have aimed to address as much as possible.
Unlimited Ruleset
What is the Unlimited Ruleset
The Unlimited Ruleset is an alternative set of rules and banlist aiming to provide a format closer to that used in the wbba, removing restrictions on parts and gimmicks as well as certain changes to gameplay that are made for balancing reasons in World Beyblade Organization Formats. In doing so, it allows for more active management of World Beyblade Organization formats by providing a Ranked environment where parts that may be considered too powerful or centralising for use within the Standard Ruleset may still be utilized.
Banlist Changes
The Banlist for the Unlimited Ruleset for formats where a wbba equivalent exists (Burst Standard, Metal Fight Standard, Zero-G Standard, HMS) will consist of parts banned from both WBO Standard and wbba formats and any parts banned for safety reasons (e.g. the MS Performance Tip).
A comparison of Banlists is as follows:
Global Ruling Changes
Play Area
Launch Area
Knocked-Out
Burst Formats Ruling Changes
All Dual Spin Parts
Part Attachments (e.g. Xtend+ Chip, +X, +Z, DB/BU Gears)
Metal Fight Formats Ruling Changes
Gravity Metal Wheel Mode Change Restrictions
*Regarding play area, I will have a separate proposal for this for staff that aims to deal with it a best as possible.
At the end of the day, this proposal is about giving organisers the freedom to choose the best ruleset for their particular tournament, while keeping things as clear as practically reasonable for players - keeping things condensed into a single additional ruleset rather than having a sprawl of different optional clauses. Yes, this would not resolve some concerns about having different rules within the same ranking system, but there is no solution that won't cause hurt to a significant number of people if we do not allow some degree of compromise. To me, that compromise is keeping things more controlled than an 'open slather' approach, and sticking to rulesets that have their own grounds for legitimacy - similar to how we have BSC and BST in the same rankings.
And for any more questions on the 'why' of having our own format, I would defer to The Supreme One who made one of the single best statements I've read about the WBO in my time here.
Thank you all for your consideration. I look forward to your thoughts, and, hopefully, an end to much of the division that has plagued our community for a while now.
(Also to be clear, this isn't an April Fools thing, it's basically over where I am)
CrisisCrusher07 made a very clever proposal - basically two different Standard formats, and with input from a broad range of people including but not limited to Shindog, Wombat, Beyblader101_, originalzankye, Cake and many others, I have sought to collate and synthesise these ideas into a proposal that I hope will satisfy many of the concerns and wants of players on the various sides of these issues, which have become extremely heated, divisive and time consuming for the community and even staff.
The proposal is to introduce a ruleset which brings us closer to the wbba, removing WBO-imposed limitations on gimmicks and gameplay elements, and incorporating the approach to standard which resists banning parts for format health and only doing so when parts are truly game breaking. It would still keep some rules the same as the WBO (many, in fact, just because the rulesets are not worlds apart) but generally only those which relate to the practicalities of running a tournament with our player base and scale (which is why we can't 1:1 the wbba rulebook). Other aspects like 5G format where we differ from the wbba should be handled in different proposals - we have already had a lot of discussion about those and I think if anything this will help encourage getting these done too. Ideally, we could launch 5G alongside launching the Unlimited Ruleset to bring us really close.
Alongside this would be a change of our ideological approach to current "Standard" formats more like we (intend to) approach Limited formats - policing parts that are dominant but don't necessarily break the format entirely, just severely hurt game balance or diversity. For example, BDr/MBD in BST, RDF in MFS, F230+CF/GCF in Zero-G, parts which have seen calls for bans for a while now (of them, only F230CF/GCF is currently banned). This is facilitated by the legality of parts in the Unlimited ruleset still providing options for players to use them.
The Unlimited Ruleset will also give us a way to quickly approach Generation X and fully embrace what Takara Tomy do with it, while we also work on our own standard format where needed, allowing us to be up and running as fast as possible (ideally launch day).
Some have questioned why we should have our own rules at all - aside from the practical rulings I've mentioned, I think a lot of them may not be aware of non standard formats we successfully run for which there isn't a wbba equivalent at all!
If we go back a generation to MFB, by far the most popular format worldwide - not even just on the WBO, is Metal Fight Limited. It may shock some of you to find out this format was made by the WBO - myself and Ingulit along with input from a few others basically locked ourselves in our rooms for weeks to design a format - the first of its type, and the format which eventually came from that eclipses in popularity any Metal Fight format made by Takara Tomy or Hasbro. It has historically been highly regarded for the balance of its gameplay and the variety of viable parts it allows through the vetting of its banlist, which we do change from time to time in response to shifts in the metagame (for example, there is current discussion about which avenue to take with certain parts based on recent developments - developments still happening roughly a decade after the parts were released, which is the kind of continuing support and oversight not offered by organisations focussed on selling their latest products). Based on this, I think we do have grounds to say we can, and even should, be managing a Latest-Release ("Standard") format in the same way. At the very least, even if we did follow the manufacturer rules, it doesn't resolve the demand for a more curated experience - we must acknowledge that there are large numbers of people on either side of this discussion and come together to find a solution.
One additional point is that the wbba still do not allow the use of Deathscyther, Dark Deathscyther, or Maximum Garuda with any other god chip than its own or an MGC - the Ultimate Ruleset allows us to work around this, as well as allowing bans made for safety reasons (like the use of the 12 Core Disk without an armor, or the recently banned MS Performance Tip, or the ban on use of Plastics releases in HMS, which was still permitted by the BBA at the end of the series).
Enough of the why. Here is a link to the proposed Ruleset. Alternatively there is a slightly less pretty version below. Please, PLEASE read the ruleset (and the rest of this post) before responding or voting in the poll. I have aimed to address as much as possible.
Unlimited Ruleset
What is the Unlimited Ruleset
The Unlimited Ruleset is an alternative set of rules and banlist aiming to provide a format closer to that used in the wbba, removing restrictions on parts and gimmicks as well as certain changes to gameplay that are made for balancing reasons in World Beyblade Organization Formats. In doing so, it allows for more active management of World Beyblade Organization formats by providing a Ranked environment where parts that may be considered too powerful or centralising for use within the Standard Ruleset may still be utilized.
Banlist Changes
The Banlist for the Unlimited Ruleset for formats where a wbba equivalent exists (Burst Standard, Metal Fight Standard, Zero-G Standard, HMS) will consist of parts banned from both WBO Standard and wbba formats and any parts banned for safety reasons (e.g. the MS Performance Tip).
A comparison of Banlists is as follows:
Global Ruling Changes
- N.B. These rules do not override the Stadium Rulings section of the Zero-G Format Rulebook.
Play Area
- The Play Area is considered to be the entire Stadium.
Launch Area
- Beyblades must be launched inside the Launch Area
- The Launch Area is the area of stadium floor bounded by the stadium walls, or in the case of stadiums with shroud components the stadium floor directly below and bounded by the shroud’s top opening.
- In stadiums with entry ramp structures which slope towards the central Play Area (such as the Beystadium Triple Battle Type), these are also considered Launch Areas.
Knocked-Out
- A Beyblade is knocked-out when it touches a surface outside of the Stadium (e.g. ground, cardboard box wall).
Burst Formats Ruling Changes
All Dual Spin Parts
- A maximum of one dual-spin Layer configuration may be used per Deck (or set of presented Beyblades in P3C1 Match Type).
- After a combination has been submitted for inspection, the mode of a dual-spin part may be changed in line with the rulings for Parts with Multiple Modes.
Part Attachments (e.g. Xtend+ Chip, +X, +Z, DB/BU Gears)
- All Attachments to be used for the Match must be attached when submitted to the judge for inspection.
- +X, +Z, Disc Frames, Armor Tips and Level Chips, Union Swords, Infinite Sword, Infinite Shield, and Zest Armor may be removed or re-added before or between Battles, and doing so is treated as a Mode Change in line with the rulings for Parts with Multiple Modes.
- Other Attachments (e.g. Xtend+ Chip, DB/BU Gears) cannot be removed from a Beyblade for the duration of a match once it has been submitted to the judge for inspection.
- If an Attachment comes off during battle, the opponent is awarded 1 point.
Metal Fight Formats Ruling Changes
Gravity Metal Wheel Mode Change Restrictions
- The spin direction of the Gravity Metal Wheel may be changed at any point before a match begins, or between rounds within a match.
- If two players wish to change spin directions at the same time, they must turn around and do so in secret before continuing the match.
*Regarding play area, I will have a separate proposal for this for staff that aims to deal with it a best as possible.
At the end of the day, this proposal is about giving organisers the freedom to choose the best ruleset for their particular tournament, while keeping things as clear as practically reasonable for players - keeping things condensed into a single additional ruleset rather than having a sprawl of different optional clauses. Yes, this would not resolve some concerns about having different rules within the same ranking system, but there is no solution that won't cause hurt to a significant number of people if we do not allow some degree of compromise. To me, that compromise is keeping things more controlled than an 'open slather' approach, and sticking to rulesets that have their own grounds for legitimacy - similar to how we have BSC and BST in the same rankings.
And for any more questions on the 'why' of having our own format, I would defer to The Supreme One who made one of the single best statements I've read about the WBO in my time here.
(Mar. 27, 2023 12:21 AM)The Supreme One Wrote: Appreciate your taking the time to write these proposals out! When it comes to blanket adopting WBBA rules, however, I respectfully have to disagree. Unfortunately, Takara Tomy has shown us time and time again that they don't have the time nor the financial incentive to make decisions that are consistently positive for the competitive community. As a fan-run organization, we have the unique opportunity to take what we like and leave what we don't when it comes to the WBBA's ruleset in order to improve the tournament experience from both a competitive and enjoyability standpoint. Rule addendums like the wall bounce rule have generally received positive feedback from the WBO community because they address WBBA oversights and better reflect the play style that our community enjoys.
While I'm sure we all wish we had our own version of the WBBA in the West, I'm grateful for the autonomy that being a grassroots organization affords. Can't speak for anyone else, but I look forward to seeing how we can come together and learn from our experiences with Burst to unlock Gen X's true potential when the time comes :)
Thank you all for your consideration. I look forward to your thoughts, and, hopefully, an end to much of the division that has plagued our community for a while now.
(Also to be clear, this isn't an April Fools thing, it's basically over where I am)