One thing that has always gotten me is influence not being so realistic. Nemesis for example has won last two seasons and more titles than any corps yet or influence is eh at best because we've focused on actually having a winning organization rather than influence. What if there was a bonus influence the season following a win or top six or top 12? This would both give a bump similar to dci but also add a drive to achieve those levels. This would be for all three divisions regardless if the group stays in the same division.

Maybe a 20k boost at the beginning of the next season? Then 15k for d2 and 10k for d3?

I thought winning does influence your influence.. I can see where giving a bonus would create a "making the strong only stronger" situation and could easily make the game very hard for the non "elite" groups who consistently are in the top

Does influence make you that much stronger? Why do we then have corps with huge influence that basically no one has ever heard of. I don't think it has helped or hurt me winning wise at all I just think it makes it very unrealistic that a show sponsor gets less from having a defending champion or top twelve corps at their show then a corps who doesn't ever go past the first round.

Yeah would mean more if a champion applied to your show. Would be funny when a champion gets declined because there were a ton of higher influence groups there.

It happens.. not everyone looks at influence when accepting groups. Like me for example.. I only look at group names, so if I see you apply to my show.. I hit decline.


:)

i agree with this suggestion. I don't think influence really adds to anyone's ability to be competitive so I don't think the boost would be unfair. Champions if nothing else should be the most desired groups to have at a show.

I've always thought this was a little strange myself. Seems to me that winning would contribute a lot more to level of influence than handing out leaflets.

I don't think it would really create an unfair competitive advantage either. I mean only two groups in the top twenty in influence in Division I has ever won a DI Championship (I'm talking about marching band by the way).

Some notable names
Red Devils - 3rd
Spirit of Westchestertonfieldville - 5th
Marching Knights - 34th
Marching Lords - 35th
Marching Marchers - 36th
Silver Falcon - 39th
Tullahoma Azure Echo - 42nd
Robinson Rams - 63rd

So of the groups that have won a championship (and have been active in the last five seasons), only two of them are even in the top thirty of influence.

The top groups don't generally have the top influence because they have only built staff through hosting shows & rehearsing. These groups have never taken the time to build influence by Campaigning because they would not be able to win. I don't feel that handing influenc to groups that have already benefited from hosting shows & having either league members or non-league members with higher influence help them raise money would be a good idea at all.

If the top groups do not feel that they have gained enough of an advantage then they can always campaign full out for an extended period of time rather than just slowly gaining influence by attending shows each season.

Influence is probably the most difficult portion of the game to build up without paying the price of not being as competitve for an extended number of seasons.

No hand outs should be received by groups that are not willing to actually delay winning.

Nice try gcurrier !!!

Influence in a way IS realistic..

take for example... Phantom.. They won twice. The next year they did not get an influx of talent because they had won the previous year.. There are also members of some corps who leave after winning (I know Cadet members who left Cadets the year after they won to march BD)


If someone wants to focus on influence, they have that choice. It's not a major factor in winning - but it might help in other ways.. Most top groups do not spend any resources on influence, because they earn it in other ways.