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GAMEPLAN
Rosters & Draft Advanced Game Advanced Changes
Design Concepts Priorities Basic Game Playbook
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GAMEPLANRosters & Draft Advanced Game Advanced Changes Design Concepts Priorities Basic Game Playbook |
GAMEPLAN FEEDBACKEveryone that responded to the initial request for feedback seemed to be happy (and in some cases, rather keen) to see the Gameplan leagues in Yeovil being used to try out some changes to rosters and the draft routine. See the Rosters & Draft page for more details. We are also thinking of taking another look at some alternative versions we've considered in the past. Tell us if you think you might be tempted by any of these (and say which). OTHER GAMESA couple of people have said they'd like a game similar to a game that someone else has been running, but which collapsed recently. I don't usually take much notice of the games that other people are running, but if it was the same game as one I looked at a few years ago that had the same name (new games often appear with the same name as a previous one) then that particular game has now demolished at least three different GMs. It's not accidental: it has serious design flaws and will never run successfully. Any other game that copies it will go the same way. An impractical design will usually run for twelve to eighteen months before the GM wears out and financial reality takes over. If you want a game that lasts then it had better be able to turn a profit. LATEST NEWSThe online turnsheet for Gameplan Basic is now available in the softsim website, but at present it's restricted to the leagues in Yeovil. The draft sheet isn't included, at present, so for now it's only usable for NFLAN (although NFLFX coaches could use the website for gameplans and fax or post for draft sheets, I guess). NFLAN (basic) and NFLBK (advanced) are now back in the regular season, having tested the rookie step-up and step-down routine, the changes for conditional free agents and step losses for single-strength players (described by one emailer as "one-trick monkeys" but I don't think we'll write that into the rules). NFLBZ (advanced - used to be a blitz league, now using normal deadlines) went into the draft on 3rd April with the conditional waiver action added, plus improved reporting or step gains. IOt seems to be getting a good workout. NFLFX (basic) just went into the draft on 15th May. There are standby places available. I didn't put anything new into this one, because the conditional waivers haven't worked through yet and there's usually some work needed when "running in" the online turnsheets. ROSTER-BUILDING GAMEOne alternative version might be to replace the Superbowl variant with something that's basically driven by rosters and stats. The play calling stuff would be mostly automated. For now, we're calling it Gameplan Hyperbowl, but if we go ahead with it I'm sure the name will change. JUMBO VERSIONThe other would be a heavyweight jumbo variant where we include everything we possibly can, without regard to cost. Heaven only knows what the turnfee would work out to be, but if it was built entirely or mainly around people inputting their orders through the website then it should be workable. An interesting feature of the early feedback received is the number of coaches who play the basic game nominating themselves as likely players of the jumbo version. Which is surprising, that players who think they'd like a super-heavy ultra-advanced game are currently playing the cut-down version and not the existing advanced game. I've written up what I think is happening here, and also some observations on possible changes in the advanced game. About the Advanced Game Changes in the Advanced Version Another theme of the early feedback is that the sort of features people seem to to envisage for the jumbo version are the same ones I have in mind for the Lite or Draft games. I guess the Design Concepts is the next thing to expand upon, since there's an important point that's being missed. DRAFT GAMEA third idea under consideration, that might combine with either or both of the alternative versions above, is a draft game built around a proper interactive draft, with trading picks and players and all. We think this is now feasible, when it wasn't in the past, because we can use the website to handle many of the details that would be too time-consuming on paper. And response times for the website are very much faster than by snail mail. Tell us if you think this is something you might sign up for.
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