After a lot of discussion and thought, I am going to have to vote NO on the current SPS proposal.

It won't change the end result, there are enough votes to pass. But for the sake of principle, I will have to vote against.

As previously mentioned, I am generally in favor of the concept of separate pools for each league. And I do recognize the need to incentivize players to level up their cards. However:

#1. The numbers are too distorted in favor of max level cards. Essentially 55% of the pool is for max level (Diamond + Champion). If you consider all the many incremental changes that have steadily favored max level cards (I wrote up an analysis here: https://peakd.com/steemmonsters/@byzantinist/splinterlands-to-max-or-not-to-max), then I agree with several other players who feel that this distribution goes too far in favor of max level players.

#2. Ratings inflation still needs to be addressed. However, I am hopeful that Splinterlands is working on a solution.

#3. The current SPS proposal presupposes the existence and purpose of Diamond league. At first glance, 10%/15%/20%/25%/30% might sound like a reasonable progression.

But when you realize that Diamond and Champion league both have the same level limits and it's really 55% for max level, this all brings up the long-standing question: What is the purpose of Diamond league and should there really be a Diamond league?

I think one of my next projects will be writing up a blog post exploring what I think Splinterlands should/could do with Diamond League.