Difference between revisions of "Altador Cup 2007"
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'''Championship (July 5-July 8)''' | '''Championship (July 5-July 8)''' | ||
*Roo Island vs. '''''Darigan Citadel''''' | *''''Roo Island'''' vs. '''''Darigan Citadel''''' | ||
* | *'''Shenkuu''' vs. Krawk Island | ||
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Revision as of 00:54, 16 July 2007
| This article documents a current event. Information may update rapidly as the event progresses. |
- This article is about the plot details of the Altador Cup in 2007. For information about Yooyuball, see Altador Cup. For the plot details of 2006, see Altador Cup 2006.
Altador Cup 2007 was a gaming plot which began on June 1, 2007, and was the second installation of the Altador Cup. The winner of the Altador Cup was the Darigan Citidel. Roo Island placed second and Shenkuu placed third.
Plot summary
With the return of Altador Cup in 2007, the previous years finalists (the Haunted Woods and Darigan Citadel) returned with key changes to their rosters, which they felt would vault them into being odds-on favourites to take the Cup. Darigan benched goalkeeper Mungo Lifler and brought in Reshar Collifey, while the Haunted Woods hired defender Autrey Fulse. Whether these changes would give the teams the edge they needed or backfire horribly would remain to be seen.
Changes occurred in the line ups of many of the other teams, also, due to free-agent signings and the arrival of new rookies. An entirely new Yooyuball team, from Shenkuu, participated for the first time in 2007. The sport itself underwent some alterations, with three new kinds of Yooyuball to be brought into play for the first time - Normal, Clockwork, and Darigan - to make games more varied.
Furthermore, two additional ways for users to aid their team were added, Make Some Noise and Slushie Slinger, new to this years competition.
Kreludor's team, conspicuous by its absence, sent out a press release on the 8 June justifying why they could not compete this year. Derlyn Fonnet dispelled the rumours surrounding their mysterious non-involvement, citing an incorrectly set gravity control of their training ground. The insufficient bone and muscle density would have proved a health and safety problem were the team to play on Neopia's greater gravity, although whether this was an innocent fault or an act of vandalism to sabotage the team's chances could not be determined. The full press release reads as follows:
"As you may have noticed by now, Team Kreludor is not one of the participants in this year's Altador Cup. This is due to a malfunction with our training centre's gravity control that went unnoticed; it seems that we have spent the better part of this past year training in gravity that is weaker than that of Neopia. For this reason, it would not be safe for us to compete, due to insufficient bone and muscle density. Rest assured that the problem has been fixed. It is not known, however, whether the incident was a case of simple mechanical failure or the result of sabotage by disgruntled factions here on Kreludor.
We will continue our training in hopes of returning to form next year, but I'm afraid it would be impossible for us to participate in this year's tournament. We'd like to thank everyone who has supported us in the past and all of our fans both on Kreludor and in Neopia. Thank you."
Whether or not they will be able to return for the next tournament is unclear, as, with Shenkuu competing, there would be an uneven number of teams.
One of the most widely anticipated matches occurred on the 11th June, where Krawk Island - at the time the overall tournament leader, undefeated in Yooyuball - was pitted against Darigan Citadel. Darigan Citadel - the previous year's runner up - through heavy offensive tactics managed to slip several goals past Krawk Island's Garven Hale. His team mates managed to level the score thanks to Krawk Island's distinctive, creative use of passing and offence, but Darigan Citadel managed to secure victory in the closing moments of the game.
It was not a total victory, however: while their play on the field was certainly formidable, winning all but one of their seven match ups to this point, Darigan Citadel were let down in the tournament's side competitions. Krawk Island supporters slung more slushies and raised a louder racket than their counterparts, and the team reportedly eagerly awaited their next opportunity to avenge their loss against the Citadel.
While not as high-profile a match as some of the more anticipated games, the clash between Brightvale and Virtupets Space Station on June 14 attracted many viewers. Both sides were evenly matched, and the Yooyuball pitch rapidly locked into a stalemate. Brightvale's performance was no longer clean (not a surprise considering their past), and was aggressive enough to wear away at Virtupets' defence, but elaborate offensive plays by the later repeatedly flustered Brightvale into leaving themselves open.
The score rarely shifted, goals were few, right up to the middle of the game. Past the middle of the engagement, Brightvale began to ease ahead, with Virtupets' team tiring and making more mistakes - enough to leave themselves open to Brightvale's offence. Keetra Deile managed to lead Virtupets into keeping the match close, but it was a struggle and the Space Station's own offence faltered. The auxiliary competitions were far less competitive, with Brightvale's followers holding a decided advantage in slushie serving and noise making throughout the day, giving them an across-the-board win.
In the match between Mystery Island and Meridell on June 19, with Sir Pollonaire Freidl being rapidly overcome by Mystery Island's forward offence. Right from the very early stages of the game, Mystery Island gained an insurmountable lead. The game was more notable, however, by the injury of Maital Koric, Mystery Island's lone defender. He requested time off from team practices to rest a nagging injury, but this information was ignored as he was kept in the game, and halfway through the match staggered to the ground, gripping his leg in pain.
Helped off the field and sent to the nearest medical facility, he was replaced by untested substitute Vela Binal. After preliminary testing, it was found Maital Koric's injuries were so severe he would miss the rest of the tournament, requiring Vela Binal to carry them through the competition.
By the time the tournament reached halfway in the Round Robin, four teams - Roo Island, Darigan Citadel, Krawk Island, and Lost Desert - seemed to be almost guarenteed their places in the finals. Roo Island laid their success at the feet of Lilo Blumario and Jair Tollet, who helped rejuvenate their otherwise disorganised team. Having reached the halfway point with not a single loss in Yooyuball - fifteen wins and two draws - they entered the second phase of the championship with high hopes.
The favourite to win remained Darigan Citadel, and Krawk Island's defence - remarked by many as being nearly impenetrable - helped the pirates leave the competition behind and join the top four. The Lost Desert's well-rounded team entered the leader board thanks in large part to the success they had in the tournaments side competitions, but Mystery Island was very close behind, despite the injury of their experienced defender. Kiko Lake, Virtupets, and Faerieland seemed to be trailing at the very end of the score board, but fans hoped that with a redoubling of their efforts they may begin to progress further.
Urged on by the half-way point's passing, the energy of Kiko Lake in their match against Maraqua on June 25 was evident. Having only won one of the twenty Yooyuball matches until that point, Kiko Lake was determined to try and win. Their enthusiasm could not quite match Maraqua's strong defence, and the trio of defenders managed to hold the majority of their attempts at bay. Most of the few that got past were almost immediately blocked by Maraqua's Tonie Plessix, and while he was not the most perfect goalkeeper in the tournament, Maraqua's defence overall managed to dent Kiko Lake's enthusiasm.
As Kiko Lake became more and more frustrated in their offensive efforts, Elon Hughlis, Maraquan forward, managed to beat the Kiko Lake's own defence and pulled Maraqua into a good lead to win the game. Somewhat dampened by their team's performance, fan enthusiasm for Kiko Lake was not enough to come overcome Maraquans' cheering, and the Kiko Lake supporters were unable to serve more slushies than Maraqua, allowing them to win both side competitions, adding another loss to Kiko Lake's tally.
The previous year's winners, the Haunted Woods (who had been performing solidly throughout the championship) went up against Tyrannia (whose performance was greater than last year) on June 27, and was considered another well-remembered contest.Tyrannia pulled an early lead thanks to forward Wila Benne's early goals, but shortly after the beginning of the match the Haunted Woods, the favourites to triumph, pulled together their memorable defence and viciously defended their goal. Forward Zo Junior managed to move swiftly through Tyrannian lines and bring his team into the lead.
Their performance after the halfway point was as good as before, with Haunted Woods continuing to keep scoring. Tyrannia managed to lessen the lead using their legendary teamwork, but in the final seconds Autrey Fulse executed a sneaky steal of the Yooyuball and passed it to Zo Junior, who scored the final goal as the whistle drew the match to a close.The Haunted Woods team also triumphed over Tyrannia's performance in the side competitions, and their impressive victory left the Woods team in contention for the finals.
Four weeks into the competition, Faerieland's performance through the competition was considered lacking: the Yooyuball team had failed to win a single game, and while they had not lost more than half of their slushie slinging engagements, they had failed to really excel in either of the side competitions. Because of this, the match between Kiko Lake and Faerieland on July 1 came as a surprise, having given a strong match in comparison to their match two weeks earlier.
After an early lead to Kiko Lake thanks to Helmo Timm, Faerieland's team received something of a renewed vigour after defender Elbin Towse ran down forward Moni Vyshan on a breakaway scoring opportunity and stopped the forward's shot at the last moment. Babolino lead an energetic offence, and time ran out before Kiko Lake could equalise. Faerieland had won their first Yooyuball victory against a team who beat them easily before, and even managed to serve up enough slushies to add to their success.
Now that the Round Robin has ended, we move onto the final championship round, where the winner of Altador Cup will be decided. However, if your team was eliminated, that doesn't mean the Altador Cup is over for you. You can still affect the outcome. While remaining members of their original teams, members of eliminated teams will be permitted to sign up as supporters for one of the 4 finalists in the Altador Cup. After becoming a supporter for one of the 4 finalists, your game scores will contribute toward the finalist's final score. Make sure to pick the team you want to see win!
Until the finalists have been officially announced by the Altador Cup Committee, the Colosseum will be closed and all sixteen Yooyuball teams will enjoy a well-earned rest. In the meantime, Yooyuball will still be available in practice mode, but Slushie Slinger and Make Some Noise will be temporarily unavailable.
Once the finalists are announced, the final four days of the competition, and ultimately the championship, will rest in your hands! Good luck to everyone!
The round robin ended on July 4, and all teams took a well deserved rest while the Altador Cup Committee selected to 4 official finalists. The following day, Shenkuu was selected to face against Krawk Island for third place. Considered The year's big story, Shenkuu's stunning late hal performance not only overcame low expectations for their first year, but also won nine of their last ten Yooyuball matches (including victories over Mystery Island and Krawk Island, plus a hard-fought tie against Darigan Citadel). Mirsha Grelinek and Foltaggio have been a brilliant scoring tandem, but after their loss to Shenkuu on the June 27, Garven Hale and the rest of Krawk Island would not go down without a fight.
For the championship match, Roo Island would face last year's runner-up Darigan Citadel. Having pretty much the same record in Yooyuball matches, they result could go either way. And while Roo Island had better slushie slinging skills, Darigan had superior noisemaking talent, making the emminant match well fought.
The finals stretched over a four day period to ensure all sides haed sufficient time to prove they had the endurance and support to prevail, after which the Altador Cup Committee would review the scores and announce the champions on July 9.
The dust has finally settled, and another epic edition of the Altador Cup tournament has come to a close. The Darigan Citadel, having lost in last year's final, simply would not be denied this time around as they turned back a gallant effort by Roo Island for the win.
The championship game between Roo Island and Darigan Citadel began as a defensive struggle, with Roo Island unveiling a 1-3-1 zone trap which confused the Citadel's offense, forcing them into many long, loping passes which Roo Island was able to pick off and quickly take downfield. These turnovers allowed Roo Island to build a slight lead early on, but it would not last due to a weakness of their trapping zone.
Whenever a Darigan player was able to find an open player along the perimeter, the shooter would often have a clear but distant shot at the goal. After becoming familiar with the trap, Darigan's shot opportunities came more frequently and at closer distances, eventually forcing Roo Island back into a standard man-to-man formation. By the time their trap had been beaten, Roo Island was far too fatigued to keep up with the Darigan, allowing them to score the win. Darigan also won the noisemaking contest and a narrow win in the slushie slinging category, giving the Darigan Citadel a complete win in the finals.
In the third place match-up, Shenkuu continued to excell over Krawk Island, winning in all three contests against them. Having exceeded everyone's expectations in their first appearance at the Altador Cup tournament, spectators believed they would be among the odds-on favourites to contend for next year's title.
Plot participation
Unlike many plots, where the course of the story is written and dictated by The Neopets Team, the Altador Cup is directed by the participation of collective users on Neopets - in particular, of their performance against rival teams.
Users could select their team on their own, but also had the option to be placed on a team via a quiz which tested what their personality was like. Unlike the previous year, users could not change teams once gaming began. The sign up time occurred between June 1 - 4, with matches began on the 5th. The score users contributed was calculated by their win/loss/tie record, the number of goals scored each game, and a average based on team membership (so a team with more users participating wouldn't have an advantage over a team with fewer players).
It a common misconception having a loss counted for a users score would give negative points towards a user's score, when in truth every completed game raised the users score higher, although this did not stop some users who wanted a certain team to win took advantage of the system as well, by signing up for an opposing team and purposefully lose in order to try and lower the chance of them winning. Supposedly, new scoring mechanisms in place in this cup stopped the practice that occurred during the first Altador Cup, where someone would sign up for a team on their side accounts and not play so as to reduce their overall score.
One is not allowed to sign up for the Altador Cup on a side account.
Besides playing Yooyuball, users also had the option of playing Slushie Slinger and Make Some Noise to contribute to their score. While these games did give the user points, the most points to be given were those for playing a Yooyuball match.
Tournament play was double round robin, which meant teams played every other team twice. During the round robin phase, each team was given a chance to prove itself by scoring the most overall. At the conclusion of the double round robin phase, the four best-performing teams will advance to the final matches that will determine who will reign supreme in this year's Altador Cup. The top two teams will meet in a final showdown for first place, and the teams that ranked third and fourth in the double round robin phase will battle for third place.
This differs from the previous years elimination method which justifies why users cannot change teams.
Match Schedule/Results
Schedule
An italicised and bolded team name means that team won the coupling. If both teams in a coupling are italicised and bolded, the match was a draw. In July 5th to 8th, normal text is 4th, italics is 3rd, bold is 2nd, and bolded and italicised is 1st.
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June 9
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June 10
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June 13
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June 14
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June 16
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June 17
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June 18
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June 19
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June 20
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June 22
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June 25
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June 28
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July 1
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July 4
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Championship (July 5-July 8)
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- Rules of table to be added soon...
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Overall results
The following table will change with each days updates until the tournament is finished...
| Team | Yooyuball | Slushie Slinger | Make Some Noise | ||||||
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| W | D | L | W | D | L | W | D | L | |
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7 | 1 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 22 |
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8 | 1 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 19 |
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25 | 4 | 1 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 23 | 3 | 4 |
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1 | 0 | 29 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 24 |
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19 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 4 | 6 |
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2 | 0 | 28 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 22 |
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24 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 4 | 6 |
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20 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 2 |
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12 | 2 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 13 |
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15 | 1 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 17 |
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20 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 4 | 5 |
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25 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 5 | 4 |
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24 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 5 | 4 |
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10 | 1 | 19 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 20 |
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10 | 2 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 8 | 2 | 20 |
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3 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 28 |
Prizes
Upon signing up for one of the participating teams, the user automatically received an Altador Cup Team Background of the team they joined, which they could use for Neopet Customisation.
It is speculated that users will receive an Altador Cup Site Theme as well as an avatar for participating, but whether these will be the same from last year is unknown.
Trivia
- Users were able to see their game achievements on the June 13 update.
- This Cup was the first to use the double round robin, where a team faced every other team twice. After that, the top four teams compete for the Cup.
- The results for the matches on June 26th were not posted until the night of June 28th.