I'm totally against the customized, free icons for everyone with or without limits, because I'm aware of tons of problems this may cause. As for your questions:
1. Are we going to use new icons or old icons for tournament winners and record achievements? (This really comes down to whether or not someone is willing to take the initiative to create them.)
Yes and maybe, meh, we already have Sware and PROFI, may as well make them cooler. I'm a fan of using icons as an encouragement for people to play and icons-per-games-amount serve that purpose. Numbers? Not very low but not very high either, like: 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 10000 wins. Setting a bar lower than 500 would open the door for smurfers to request icons and I don't like that very much. 500 looks fine as 500 wins under ones belt suggest that they served their time on the server and deserve a reward. You guys have to remember that the more popular icon is, the less value it presents. If everyone has this icon, nobody really does... example: who cares about axes and swords anymore?
2. How long will players keep the icons they win in tournaments? Who will manage this? Can it be automated? (I don't see this working out unless it's automated.)
I think claw has a neat idea.
Swift did hit it home though. I think when new icons are introduced, Swift & Viruz need one just for them that is above master. Then it would be a even playing field for the rest towards MASTER.
Or keep Swift and Viruz as MASTER and change everyone else's goal to something else.
Nooo, not two of them! Make them fight for it in an ef/f mixed bo11 epic seriez!! and only winner gets one
aaaanyway, as for special tags for special people and exceptions, no, not a fan of that. But how about this counter proposal:
1. 1st time master tags a regular master tag
2. 2nd, 3rd time master tags for the same player will be a slightly different master tag (different color or smth?)
...
3. After 3 or 4 master tag wins, a new, "arch master" icon would be granted to that player every time he wins a master tag tourney
Which maps "deserve" the master tag is a separate issue. I think f, ef, chop and vague "custom" + vague "pball" for other maps is enough. 3 separate icons for the most played maps/sets and vague ones for the rest. Im not gona argue with gowfags that chop doesnt deserve its own icon or with customfags that 60men or archers totally deserve their own icon. Whatever dudlers, it's a start...
3. Who will assign the icons for record achievements? (I think we should consider nominating admins/mods who are able to assist players with this.)
I could definitely manage the tournament icons, win icons are meh, but whatevs, may do that too (if the game amount bar isnt set ridiculously low like 50...). But I know im a hated troll and a whore, so hopefully you'll find better candidates.
4. How many wins will it take to earn each icon? (Once this is decided on, I think we should have a page on the website that shows players what icons they can earn and how to earn them.)
Yes, definitely. A thread with game amounts and specific icons for them and a tournament archieve with MASTERS assigned to players (which would be needed if we ever used my bronze, silver, gold + arch masterchamp icons idea and a time limit on them, for which most of us agreed).
claw out