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5/12/01
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Dan
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» Game Design Dictionary |
It is time to start sketching out how many potential owners will
be in this league. Some of us are lucky to live in metropolitan
areas and there are beltways full of potential members. The only
problem is just finding them. Some of us live in more rural locals
and recruitment can be the bane of your existence if you desire
a local league. Finally the community of the web opens up doors
for us to join (and abandon) franchises all across the country.
The particular conditions of a Local or Global group will also erect
opportunities and limitations that must be accounted for in the
design. Access to members and potential replacements is vitally
important to the continuance of the league. My basic rule of thumb
is minimum of (1.5 recruits X the number franchises) are needed
to start a league. You do not want to be stuck in the situation
of begging people to play the games you spend so much time in drafting
and maintaining. It is far better to design a good game format with
only 8 teams, than it is to push for 12 teams and have to deal with
blank team bye games, some perverted 3 way matches or even worse,
having an owner control more than one franchise.
While you are tooling around with potential names to join the Assembly,
think about how much effort you want to put into managing a league.
Not many players will volunteer for the work that is necessary for
league survival. If you are going to make something happen, that
means you have to take the responsibility of keeping it going. If
you take the responsibility, then you should also author the rules
set. While defining the limits of creation, consider just how much
time do you have to dedicate to this brainchild of yours? Be honest
in this assessment and it will make you a happier commissioner.
It is not just a matter of calculating scores. You have to be there,
week in and week out, to take lineups, check trades and free agency,
monitor league business, settle disputes and sometimes mother the
brood at any time from the draft through the championship game.
Believe me, with work crunches, family and friends barging into
town on Thanksgiving week (that is one of the notorious short weeks)
and the various and unending emergencies of life, you will wonder
why you started this whole business at least once a year.
I am not saying this to discourage your desire to run a fantasy
league. I bring it up now because once the Assembly has been created,
they will be ever so free in volunteering your time away. Now is
the time to design the game around your ability, patience, and willingness
to participate. What are the areas that make up and take up your
timely responsibilities? What elements of the game can be modified
to live within your time budget?
Time management requires that we look at what duties and responsibilities
are the highest drain. You will have to allow time for the weekly
duties of lineups and game results. Here are a few suggestions for
the big time eaters.
The more complex the scoring system, the more time it takes to check
scores and the greater potential for scoring challenges. It is great
to score points for all of the wonderful things our superstars do
for the team. It is not so great to try and mediate some scoring
controversy in a one or two point game between people you barely
know. Complexity of scheme and how your scores are determined need
to be accounted for in your time budget. With the blossom of Internet
fantasy sites, this is becoming less of a problem, but it is still
a consideration. If everyone does not have Internet access, then
you will be the distribution point for printing and faxing reports.
Free agency is a great tool to correct for mistakes in the draft
and recover from injury. It also can lead to baldness if you institute
a first come first serve system and you are being hounded down by
members of the Assembly in a race to get the scoop over the other
members. Controlling free agent access will limit the impact of
this hobby on your job and your family.
Trades are another black hole time taker. Not only do you have to
communicate with two (or more) trading partners, the entire league
must be notified and the trade pushed for approved. All this usually
happens in the short time before the next weekly lineup is due.
If we are wise to these problems, we can design a system that will
give lots of options to the Assembly, make a fun friendly game environment
and keep you gainfully employed.
Now, let step beyond the scope of the weekly grind. You need to
decide about what this league is to be. Is it a one shot deal to
get your feet wet? Will this be a years long commitment with roster
retention across the seasons? Do you want to build a rolling craps
game style or more of a game of monopoly? How you set up the draft,
rosters and free agency will determine a lot about how entertaining
and engaging this game will be. If this is your first time to run
a game - no matter how much experience you have had, DO NOT, I REPEAT
DO NOT start a dynasty league. Please, please, please listen to
me on this if nothing else. Run a redraft league for at least two
years to see if you like commishing before attempting a dynasty
design. As I have said before, the more complex, the more demands
it will place on the Commish. The better the design, the easier
it is to manage any game style.
Also, just because it needs to be address early: there is the question
of money. The theory is that if there is money on the table, it
keeps the interest sharper. As a Commish, you have to decide how
much more it adds to your duties. I have run both. I find the theory
true. I also find it a trap at the worse time of the year. Think
of it, you swallow up $350 in league fees in the swelter of early
September and you have to cough up a $350 fur ball in December.
That is a decent Christmas Present for someone or yourself! Even
the best of intentions sometimes fails in this area and I suggest
that you keep your league fee totals to $500 or less. Rule Number
Four: The more money is involved, the more explicit the league rules
set should be. Still, having no money involved does not diminish
your responsibilities; it increases them in some respects. You will
have to work to keep some teams in the game.
While you are jotting down notes, let me remind you one last time
to create a set of definitions to help focus the rules document.
Use these terms liberally and explain them only once. You can do
that with either a dictionary list or use a numbered rule reference
method. The rules sets at the end of Series Four will use one or
the other of these styles. To use numbered rule reference, you state
the clause and give an explanation with examples, if necessary.
In all following references you would state something like the following:
If a team has roster spots still open following the 2nd round of
free agent access, then the same Free Agent Claim Rule (section
3.15-18) will apply until all roster slots are filled.
Sounds a little too complicated? It is all just a matter of establishing
order and referring back to precedents. The level of detail you
draft now will eliminate headaches once the league is formed.
Still with me? Well let me lay one more heavy set of thought upon
your head and shoulders.
The Dan Sez Fantasy Football Creed
- Rule Number One: League continuance should be the foremost
goal.
- Rule Number Two: Always write it down, print it out and keep
a copy.
- Rule Number Three: The more money is involved, the more explicit
the league rules set should be.
- Rule Number Four: Never wait for a crisis to develop, solve
problems as soon as they arise.
- Rule Number Five: Keep some perspective, after all, it is
just a game.
If you can follow this creed and can keep your temper when all others
have lost theirs, you are well on your way to becoming a gem of
a commissioner.
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