FOF2K7 Dynasty/House Rules Ideas?

[Ben E Lou]

I've got a savegame that would allow me to take over any team in the league in 2024, and I'm itching for a challenging career. I'd like a set of house rules that help give me a challenge, but don't just set up blind luck situations, either. That being said (and this is a bit of a change, for those who were involved in the discussion earlier today), there are two things that I want to be able to do.

• Keep and use all of my draft picks every year. I think I've still got some learning to do on drafting, so the more I've thought about it, the less I'm interested in using any rules that limit my picks.
• Pick up mentors (when I need them) in free agency. I'm perfectly fine with rules that limit the ability to sign starter-quality free agents (like say no free agent with rated 40 or better,) but if I need a mentor, I want to have the freedom to go out and sign one. As with drafting, I'm still trying to learn more about player development, and I don't want the artificial restriction of not being able to grab a mentor.

Pretty much everything else is negotiable. Here are my preliminary thoughts (stage by stage in the game):

STAFF

• No hiring new staff until contracts have run out.
• POSSIBLE: All staff members must be "home-grown." In other words, no staff members that have worked for another team. (I'm not sure I want to use this one.)

STADIUM

• No restrictions.

FRANCHISE TAG

• Can only be used on a player once in his career, or maybe no franchise tag at all.

TICKET PRICES

• No restrictions.

SUMMER LEAGUE

• Can only be used on an undrafted free agent, or pick from the 5th round or later.

RENEGOTIATIONS

• Not sure here. I found myself not having fun when I tried a "no renegotiation at all" set of house rules, because I couldn't get attached to any of my players. I'm thinking unlimited cap outs, with a max of three extensions per year.

FREE AGENTS

• No signing FAs with future rating of 40 or above, unless it's a player whose most recent season was on my team.
• My own restricted free agents can only be signed in FA2 (on the open market).

TRADING

• As difficult as it is to trade in this version, I'm thinking no restrictions here, other than perhaps no trading up more than 10 spots in the first round.

GAME PLANS AND DEPTH CHARTS

• If the rules make it difficult enough, I'd like the freedom to set my own game plans, although I'm open to letting Rex do it.
• I'm thinking of letting the AI set the depth charts and playing times. Not only would this put me on more equal footing with the AI, but it would help eliminate some of the micromanagement of playing time that I've found myself doing in the preseason.

OTHER SETTINGS

• Injuries=200. More realistic plus makes for tougher roster management.
• Cap increase range from 60 to 90. I'm told this helps make it easier for the AI to keep its players.
• Staff signs draft picks.
• Empty Cupboard start, with the team in the worst overall situation for such a start: Jacksonville. They have the 31st pick, but no pick in the 5th round, making them a slightly worst option than SFO, who has the #32.

Anything I haven't thought of? Any ideas? I'm particularly wanting to find rules that make things reasonably difficult, but while still allowing my team to keep its "signature" players around for a while. Is that possible?

[ozias]

Don't sign one year deals, so you have to spend more to get some of the FAs to sign longer term deals, especially in the FA2 period.

How about adding you have to carry 53 players going into the draft, so that you always have to cut your team down from 60 each season. This will add some more cap casualties to your roster. Then just raise or lower the number of players you need to have depending on how many draft picks you own.

You could also add to your Renegotiations Rules, with a max of three, they must be in their final year, and must be a starting player. This way your young player either has to start over your established veteran, or it could be the last year for them on your team, unless your able to sign them in the FA2 period. I realize they become a RFA, but with your no FAs w/future rating above 40, I think it would work well in this regard. Especially if the AI sets your depth charts and playing time.

Not sure what else to add, as you have some good rules listed there.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Can't charge more than $4.50 for beer at the beer tent.

[Izulde]

FWIW, I use the home-grown rule for staff but only because it's damned annoying not having a staff record to be able to see where they were and how they did.

It's one thing I love about FBCB that I wish was in FOF.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by ozias

Don't sign one year deals, so you have to spend more to get some of the FAs to sign longer term deals, especially in the FA2 period.

I'll add that one, but I rarely sign one-year deals anyway in SP.

How about adding you have to carry 53 players going into the draft, so that you always have to cut your team down from 60 each season. This will add some more cap casualties to your roster. Then just raise or lower the number of players you need to have depending on how many draft picks you own.

I don't like this one. I think I'd end up having to sign random guys to get to 53, then cutting them.

You could also add to your Renegotiations Rules, with a max of three, they must be in their final year, and must be a starting player. This way your young player either has to start over your established veteran, or it could be the last year for them on your team, unless your able to sign them in the FA2 period. I realize they become a RFA, but with your no FAs w/future rating above 40, I think it would work well in this regard. Especially if the AI sets your depth charts and playing time.

I like restricting it to final year. "Starting player" can be a bit nebulous at times, especially with injuries at 200, but I'll roll that thought around a bit.

[perez24]

A couple of things that I do on those rare instances when I'm building a dynasty.

1. No reading SkyDog or other posters' tips about drafting.

2. No interviewing draft picks.

3. All players with 3 or more years' experience must be active unless they are hurt.

4. Must accept all trades offered.

5. No counter-offers during free agency.

[Synovia]

Originally Posted by perez24

A couple of things that I do on those rare instances when I'm building a dynasty.
4. Must accept all trades offered.

?!?!?!?!??!?!??! Seriously? I seem to get all sorts of crazy "We'll give you a 6th round pick for your 2nd year 65/77 tackle" types of offers.

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

I like restricting it to final year. "Starting player" can be a bit nebulous at times, especially with injuries at 200, but I'll roll that thought around a bit.

How about barring injury, a renegotiated player must be in the starting lineup during week 1 of the upcoming/following season?

[AlexB]

I'm not as good as some on this game, but I always use one house rule: once I've made an offer to a FA, that's it - no bidding up if another team comes in with a better offer.

Makes you either put in a big bid for a player you definitely want, and you end up losing a couple of guys - otherwise it's too easy to get the guys you want.

[ozias]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

I like restricting it to final year. "Starting player" can be a bit nebulous at times, especially with injuries at 200, but I'll roll that thought around a bit.

I see what your saying with the injury setting at 200, there will be a lot more injuries in a season. You could always go with at least one game started if injured, or a minimum of 8 games started if healthy. Those that are hurt more severely you may not want to resign anyways.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by ozias

I see what your saying with the injury setting at 200, there will be a lot more injuries in a season. You could always go with at least one game started if injured, or a minimum of 8 games started if healthy. Those that are hurt more severely you may not want to resign anyways.

I think something fairly simple will work here: the guy must have either:

a. started 8 games
b. have a current rating that would place him as a starter when ranked with the other players at his position group.

The second one may sound complicated, but it's easy to check. If I have four DEs, rated 64, 53, 47, 38 current, and the 47 guy started 10 games due to injuries, I could renegotiate with either of the top three guys.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Synovia

?!?!?!?!??!?!??! Seriously? I seem to get all sorts of crazy "We'll give you a 6th round pick for your 2nd year 65/77 tackle" types of offers.

Yeah. I'm with you here. I can't see myself taking all of those weird trade offers.

[Ben E Lou]

OK. It looks like this is where I am. I've highlighted a few things below that I think will be very important.

STAFF

• No hiring new staff until contracts have run out.
• All staff members must be "home-grown." In other words, no staff members that have worked for another team.

STADIUM

• No restrictions.

FRANCHISE TAG

• Can only be used on a player once in his career.

TICKET PRICES

• No restrictions.

SUMMER LEAGUE

• Can only be used on a pick from the 5th round or later, or an undrafted free agent.

RENEGOTIATIONS

• Can do as many cap outs as I want.
• Apart from cap outs, only three renegotiations per year are allowed. They must be done in Week 1 of FA1, and the players must fit one of the following criteria:
  • a. started 8 or more games last year
  • b. has a current rating that would place him as a starter when ranked with the other players at his position group.
• Franchise player counts as one of the three renegotiations per year, if he's signed to a new contract.
• Holdouts are exempt from the three-per-year rule; I can sign them to a new deal to get them to play, since the new deal is always more of a cap hit than the old deal.

FREE AGENTS

• No signing FAs with future rating of 40 or above, unless it's a player whose most recent season was on my team.
• My own restricted free agents can only be signed in FA2 (on the open market).
• No one-year deals for free agents.
• No upping offers during free agency. (Once I've made an offer, it's there for good.)

TRADING

• No trading up more than 10 spots in the first round. No other restrictions.

GAME PLANS AND DEPTH CHARTS

• No restrictions on game plans (at least in the beginning). I will do these myself.
• The AI will be responsible for depth charts and playing time settings.

OTHER SETTINGS

• Injuries=200.
• Cap increase range from 60 to 90. I'm told this helps make it easier for the AI to keep its players.
• Staff signs draft picks.
• Modified Empty Cupboard start, with the team in the worst overall situation for such a start: Jacksonville. They have the 31st pick, but no pick in the 5th round, making them a slightly worst option than SFO, who has the #32. "Modified" start meaning that I will release all players on the roster, then adhere to my house rules the rest of the way. So, it won't be all first-year players the first season, but it will be a group of draft picks, undrafted free agents, and guys rated 40 or less. I'm doing this to allow myself to have mentors from the start.
  

I think the RFA one will make a big difference. It'll help keep me from being able to just stockpile talent so easily.

[perez24]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Yeah. I'm with you here. I can't see myself taking all of those weird trade offers.

That rule usually ends the dynasty pretty quickly, and then I can go back to playing "normal."

[MalcPow]

I know this goes against your analytical nature, and might not be at all fun for you... but maybe try playing without changetracker? It could make it a little more difficult for you to identify creepers and force you to look more at stats/rely on your memory to identify obvious shifts. Just a thought. Like I said, this would be a big departure from how you usually play, so it might not even be interesting for you.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by MalcPow

I know this goes against your analytical nature, and might not be at all fun for you... but maybe try playing without changetracker? It could make it a little more difficult for you to identify creepers and force you to look more at stats/rely on your memory to identify obvious shifts. Just a thought. Like I said, this would be a big departure from how you usually play, so it might not even be interesting for you.

1. I don't really use Change Tracker that much in a SP dynasty, since I'm constantly updating ratings anyway.
2. I keep a spreadsheet with far more detail than Change Tracker for reference in MP.
3. The vast majority of creepers are fairly easy to identify without Change Tracker.
4. Once I understand the methodology, I can't just ignore it. I'd either use the utility, or just go back and look at all the roster snapshots.

In summary, for me, it's a time-saver more than anything else. Not using it wouldn't make more of a challenge; it would just slow me down some. No reason for that.

[QuikSand]

Well, I suspect the point was not to deny yourself the use of the utility, but rather to forgo that level of attention to detail. But I also agree with his suspicion, that doing so wouldn't interest you.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Well, I suspect the point was not to deny yourself the use of the utility, but rather to forgo that level of attention to detail. But I also agree with his suspicion, that doing so wouldn't interest you.

Ah. If that's the case, then you're dead right. I need more information in my database, so that when the time comes, I can crush you like a loathesome spider in the next FOFL/IHOF/WOOF drafts, sir.

[perez24]

Another house rule that I typically use, particularly with QB's, is that I envision the player being used primarily as a back up or mentor, he cannot have been a starter (at least 8 games) the previous year.

It would be nice if, when making an offer, you had to let the player know his likely role, e.g.
Likely Starter
Potential Starter
Back-up only
Just a mentor
Roster filler for pre-season

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by perez24

Another house rule that I typically use, particularly with QB's, is that I envision the player being used primarily as a back up or mentor, he cannot have been a starter (at least 8 games) the previous year.

I like that rule, although I'm probably moving toward something more stringent in this dynasty. I'm thinking that I'm going to require that all mentors be home-grown. In other words, no signing FAs who are mentors.

[QuikSand]

"work"

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

"work"