Another Look at 2v2 Super Titan

[GreatGonzales]

I know, I know, the dreaded forum-crashing topic. As well-worn as it is, now that Alex has taken some action to adjust the promotion threshold for 2v2 ST, and some time has past to let the new normal set in, I think this is worth another look.

A little backstory:

Before, there were only very few 2v2 STs (only 2), and this was the result of a more strict promotion threshold than the respective threshold for 1v1 ST. So, Alex took some action to allow more 2v2 teams into the highest league of Super Titan. Many feared that he would "over-correct" and allow too many teams in. That may be the case.

The numbers:

Rawkhawk and I were just promoted to 2v2 ST, bringing the current total to 33 (controlling for duplicates). As a percent of the total player base for 2v2, that's approximately 2%. For comparison, there are currently 116 1v1 STs, or .5% of the 1v1 player population. Please look at the OSN statistics page for some handy visuals of these numbers, keeping in mind that Codepenguin does not control for duplicate values.

Very likely, there are still some 2v2 ST teams who have not been promoted. I compared the existing 2v2 ST to their most recent overall rank, and there are some teams who will almost certainly be promoted when they complete their next league game (most notably: mihmo & Dharma (15) and EnterNicknameHere & Irwinss (27)), so the total number of 2v2 STs will likewise increase beyond 33, perhaps ultimately reaching about 40. So, IF we assume that the 1v1 ST league is the ideal standard, then there's something amiss.

However, it's worth looking at this from a couple different angles. 1v1 and 2v2 are quite different, both in playstyle and in the player population, so it may be prudent to have differing promotion thresholds. For example, the 2v2 player base is more "top heavy" than 1v1; Taking the Masters + ST players as a percentage of their respective player base, 1v1 is only 5% Masters and greater, whereas 2v2 is 23% Masters and greater.

With that in mind, we should compare the number of 1v1 ST players to the number of 1v1 Masters players, and likewise for 2v2. We get: for 1v1, 10.76% of ST + Masters players are ST; for 2v2, 8.35% of ST + Masters players are ST. So by this metric, 2v2 ST seems about right.

The non numbers:

Even so, I can't help this nagging feeling that the promotion threshold is now too loose. The 2v2 ST having the lowest true rank according to 3/15 rankings is timdoke & Prosspy, having rank 69th. I have played many of the lower ranked ST teams, and I'm not sure they're worthy of the highest league in 2v2.

I'll speak for myself - I also have a team with ACFD Lee, and we are currently Masters league and ranked 45th as of 3/15. We just defeated a ST team, alanthefast & raymundo8, suggesting that we may be promoted to ST if we win a few more. But I tell you, I don't think ACFD Lee and I deserve to be ST. We both make a lot of mistakes, him because he is a weaker player, and me because I use these games to relax and so I don't put a lot of thought into my moves.

Anyway, what do you all think about the new 2v2 ST league? Is it now too loose? Seems about right? I'm not sold on any particular argument; would like to know what the community thinks.