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Well I think I have an update on this.
I've been looking at the results of some level-5 Italian divisions, in the last season.
In league V.177, a team with a 20-2 record (PF-PA=143) lost the final and was not promoted.
In league V.32, a team with a 19-3 record (PF-PA=415) lost the final and was promoted.

So obviously the won-loss record is not the only thing that counts. The PF/PA differential may be a factor, too, although I'm quite sure it is not the only thing that counts.

Some other factors are also taken into account maybe, but all in all I would say that the system is pretty unpredictable.

Were both teams in the same position in the standings?

This (26994) was promoted, and this (48033) was not.
Both were first in their conference; the former came second in their league, the latter came first.
However, only now I realize that the team that was not promoted is now managed by a computerized player. Maybe it was already bot-controlled at the end of the season, but that would be really strange.

Last edited by gselfish at 5/12/2009 5:52:45 PM

It could also turn to bot on the day of season update. As teams turn to bots on Mondays it can happen. For example after my very first season the division champion promoted and then was relegated as a bot team (into other division of the same level - the one were its lucky looser was promoted). So funny things can happen.

I must also say that I agree with Jokehim. If you have a very strong team in your league, which you know you just can't beat, your best bet to gain a promotion is to lose as few games as you can in the RS. That can lead to an odd situation, in which you maximize your team's effort during the RS without caring at all if you lose in the playoffs quarter-final against a team with a more balanced mentality. This shouldn't happen. You should be complelled to do your best at least until the final.

For me it is a very strange decision to have the lucky loser as best team in regular season without taking into consideration when that team went out in playoff. At the same time to strengthen this argument the matches in the regular season becomes even more important if you have this extra chance of promotion. I do think though that the home advantage from winning league should be enough to motivate teams to care to finish at top in their league.

Another positive effect from promoting best winner is that teams can't sit in lower divisions to build up a better economy by winning all matches. I do think though that this problem who is a big one in Hattrick is pretty much unexisting in BB as you get pretty many advantages economically from a higher division and it usually is pretty easy to avoid relegation from higher divisions as only 1 of 16 promotes and that is tough conditions!

Last edited by Jokehim at 5/17/2009 10:30:29 AM

I couldn't disagree more. And you would motivate dominant teams to set odd lineups (for training) influencing othe rspots in standings in the process rather than going for perfect 22-0. Not mentioning one match roulette, hoarding reinforcement just before play offs, those things would make regular season just a joke.

To support my arguments check my playoff exit in Season 7 and my previous match with the same opponent (it's no longer exists). I was up in enthusiasm by 4 at least (don't remember the exact numbers, but I was sure) in play offs yet...

So no please.

The problem with the training is something that also should be taken care of in my opinion. If I want to improve outside defense for a SF it does not make sense to either play him as PG or SG or to train three positions. At least do I have the impression that training three spots are way to slow if you want to end up with a rather good player in the end. Maybe two spots is bad enough to improve the players.

Something surely need to be done with training but still I think that it would be better to allow best Playoff final loser to be lucky loser. It will still in most case be someone who really tried to win matches and not someone who lost a lot of games because attempts to get efficient training. In most cases the bot promotions is just for a a fourth or so of the runners ups in a division and that means that it still is not possible to lose too many matches during regular season.

I guess you don't know what you are talking about. You would ruled out all 22-0 21-1 teams who just lose one game in a season posibly by game engine joke just because you can. Not to mention there could be two (or more) dominant team in the same conference while the opposite conference can be very weak. So you would screw one of those dominant teams just because one of them would have to lose their conference final.

You completely lost my point about training. When I'm like 16-0 in a season knowing I will be 22-0 doing the same til lend of regular season what is my motivation to win more games other than sportmanship and impact on fan survey? It would be rational to maximize gain from training and potentially give up some wins to other team just because they have got a lucky draw. Not a good thing. Right now I can go for 22-0 and best points differential just in case something would happen in play offs to get the lucky loser promotion as the very first of my level (and checking if there is a chance for any relevant bots). And stay focus in the process and have soem target not just play waiting game till end of season.