I recently watched Afro Samurai (Offical Site, Imdb) - the 5 episodes.

Very cool and bloody stuff indeed, but the main plot is that there are existing two ancient headbands, one has the number 1, which can only be challenged by the number 2, and the headband with the number 2, which can be challenged by everyone.

Everyone tries to be the number 1 fighter, to be nearly a god in fighting.

In the end - I think - the story tells that there were more than two headbands, like 1 to 10 or so.

This all leads me to the idea, that quakelive could have such kind of laddersystem.

There could be a coupple of rules, for example:

We have the "headbands":

1x Number 1
1x Number 2
4x Number 3
16x Number 4
64x Number 5
256x Number 6

Players with headband Number 6 can be challenged by everyone without a headband. Players with Number 6 cannot challenge other players with headband number 6, because the result would be still wearing a number 6 (so it should be useless or be counted as training). Players with Number 6 should only challenge Number 5 Players. If you loose to a player with no headband you loose it and exchange places. If you win over a Number 5 player, you get the 5 and he gets the 6.

In Afro Samurai, the looser always dies. Well on Quake I think an headband exchange would be more suitable. :D

There should be another rule which includes a) an inactive penality (thus you have to accept challenges and therefore you can loose your headband by going inactive) and b) you have to accept and execute challenges in X days or so.

The lesser the number on your headband are, the more time do you have to be inactive.

For example the Number 1 player should have the right to accept one challenge every 5 days or so. It must be hard to challenge Number 1 - to even catch his time. If there would'nt be such a rule the "powerfull" headband number 1 would switch the ower to fast and therefore it would not gain a legandary mythos. :)

All these rules applies to all headbands from 1 to 6 (in my example) with the exception that Number one is "god"

Has id Software any plans to update the q3 engine to allow gimmics such as tricots with the ranking number on the model or so? I am pretty sure that we will not see "headbands" on the model, but for that Ladder some kind of cool thing like a crown, a medal or so would be awesome.

I really like the idea of that laddersystem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z37G8kjhFxE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rf7P_he83I

(it is pain in the ass to include a youtube video here, even the 100% HTML destroys the video code.)