>>55290894Unfortunate doesn't begin to describe it. This community just isn't healthy for new players to learn competitive. It's not just unideal but in some cases hostile to new and low ELO players in every tier. And you might argue it isn't for that. But, as an oldhead and lifelong competative player it just isn't the scene it used to be.
What does this have to do with the sleep ban??? The sleep ban exemplifies what I think is wrong with Smogon right now. There is very little support for low ELO players. Council decisions lack clarity for the community, and the decisions are often unpopular for half or much of the community.
Sleep is the latest, biggest, and least clear decision thus far. If you're not active in the discord and you say, only play on weekends, you just don't know why sleep was banned the way it was. Why it's fair and healthy. As it stands now, i'd say over a 4th of the community dislikes the sleep ban, and far more don't understand it. It feels bad.
This lack of clarity and accessibility, ELO elitism, misinformation, and overall hostile learning environment is and will drive away more and more players if we don't fix it.
So what exactly is broken? What needs to be fixed? The council doesn't accurately represent the playerbase they lead. (In most every tier). The community is geared for mid to high ELO players to take part in. I propose we add a council seat to most tiers that is entirely community focused. That member's duties involve adding clarity and context for the council decisions, and voting in the interest of new and learning players just as much as high ELO players.
Sorry for the wall of text, and i'm sure i'll see this mocked and memed. But i sincerely think we need to change our operations and procedures or the community will become more toxic and eventully shrink and stagnate.
