SuSa
Banned via Administration
EDIT:
Poor summary (may have been worded poorly/wrongly, I might have to go in and fix it):
The criteria is the same for why everything is banned. It's degenerate, specifically however it falls under the following (I'll try to keep it short):
Random hazards are deemed uncompetitive due to how they effect the match and alter the win criteria. A positional advantage is impossible to objectively define regardless of matchup. Thus you cannot argue transformations because they are not degenerate. They are simply polar*.
Under that premise, Smashville's balloon is seen as a polar hazard. It only effects Ike and Ness, and is negligible in every other matchup.
TL;DR
Stage adaptability is fine. Randomly placing a player at an advantage (not positional, but as to our criteria to win) is not.
*polar
A polar change is something that favors specific characters, but it is not always going to favor a certain character regardless of matchup. One side isn't guaranteed an advantage regardless of matchup.
The current stage list (ignore the two below) is:
* Battlefield
* Smashville
* Lylat Cruise
* Final Destination
* Castle Siege
* Rainbow Cruise
* Jungle Japes
* Luigi's Mansion
* Yoshi's Island (Melee)
(OPT) Yoshi's Island (Brawl)
9 stages, 10 with YI (B). If you have any questions regarding the legality of any of these stages under my criteria. Please let me know!
Raziek has brought up a counterpoint to allowing random transformations. They are in direct violation of our second criteria to win. Timing the opponent out. So Delfino Plaza, Frigate Orpheon, PS1, and PS2 were banned underneath that point.
However I would like to direct your attention to this thread that argues that adding a stage in by majority vote is legitimate. Thus, although ruining a large point of having any objective standard, these stages don't need to be entirely removed from gameplay under that regard.
END EDIT////
So I was having an AIM conversation with an unnamed individual who happens to be rather conservative in his views. I'm rather conservative myself - but I want logical backing as to why a stage should be removed. Giving the impression that I'm liberal. So just wanted to state that really fast.
The criteria he gave me didn't quite have a reason (I thought of it after) but here we go:
Criteria:
Any hazards that can deal damage warrant a stage to be banned.
Reason:
These hazards directly altar our criteria to win. The criteria to win is as follows:
Remove all of your opponents stocks before losing your own.
Have the time run out when you have at least a percentage lead.
Since these hazards deal damage, theoretically I can do absolutely nothing but run away once my opponent gets hit. I effectively have won for doing nothing. This is by no means a test of skill! It directly effects our results! This is the main issue I myself see with stages, and pretty much every other conservative individual. We do NOT want results to be tampered with! It's not a matter of competitive depth, but of competition itself!
If you had an arm wrestling competition, and someone spills water on your side and I win. Was that a true measure of skill? Would you not want a rematch? That random hazard just caused you to lose! You had little (if any) control over the situation!
Worst analogy. EVER. I know..... sorry
Hazards, therefore, are detrimental to a competitive game.
Under this criteria - a stage dealing damage via a hazard (not just camera boundaries) is bannable. This changes our current legal list into the following:
Legal Stages
* Battlefield
* Yoshi's Island (brawl)
* Smashville
* Lylat Cruise
* Pokémon Stadium
* Final Destination
* Castle Siege
* Delfino Plaza
* Frigate Orpheon
* Rainbow Cruise
* Pokémon Stadium 2
* Luigi's Mansion
* Yoshi's Island (Melee)
Banned Stages
* Mushroomy Kingdom 1
* Mushroomy Kingdom 2
* Mario Circuit
* Rumble Falls
* Bridge of Eldin
* Spear Pillar
* Wario Ware
* New Pork City
* Summit
* Skyworld
* 75m
* Mario Bros.
* Flat Zone 2
* Hanenbow
* Shadow Moses Island
* Green Hill Zone
* Temple
* Onett
* Corneria
* Big Blue
* Pirate Ship
* Port Town Aero Dive
* Jungle Japes
* Norfair
* Green Greens
* Distant Planet
* Halberd
* Brinstar
* Pictochat
The only stage that is arguably left under this criteria (due to the Saving Ghosts) would be Yoshi's Island (Brawl). This would make our legal stage list the following:
* Battlefield
* Smashville
* Lylat Cruise
* Pokémon Stadium
* Final Destination
* Castle Siege
* Delfino Plaza
* Frigate Orpheon
* Rainbow Cruise
* Pokémon Stadium 2
* Luigi's Mansion
* Yoshi's Island (Melee)
A conservative 12/22 stages. We did remove nearly half of the current list, but these stages have no effect on the actual match! These are the 12 most competitive stages in the game!
Would anyone like to point out a flaw in this criteria?