Ping Jim/Solecismic: Multi-Player In-season Free Agent Bug

[TRO]

Before I describe the bug, I figure it would be best to describe the process we're going through...

As we're trying to work out the logistics of how a season will actually work in a real Multi-Player environment, we've been trying to figure out the best way to handle in-season Free Agent requests.

The process we've deemed most usable is as follows:

1. During the regular season, there will be two import/export stages for each "Game Week". One import/export stage for Free Agent requests and one import/export stage for the simming of the week's games.

2. Each team that wishes to offer a contract to a Free Agent would make the request in-game and submit an export to the commissioner.

3. The commissioner would place all files into the import folder and import all into the game at once. Then export new files that include the free agent signings.

4. Teams would then finalize their depth charts and game plans and export again to the commissioner.

5. Commissioner would place files in the import folder and import then sim the weeks games and finally export new files for the next week.

OK, the process itself works better than we originally expected, now onto the bug...

Unlike the 20 stage and 8 stage FA processes where the Free Agents will consider each offer that comes in and decide where to sign, in-season Free Agents simply sign with the first team to make an offer (assuming they don't hold a grudge against the team.

The bug is that the first team to make an offer is the team with the lower team ID number. For example, if teams 1, 2, 5, 20, & 32 all make an offer to a Free Agent, he will ALWAYS sign with team 1. It does not matter if teams 2, 5, 20 & 32 offer considerable more money, bonuses or are closer to their hometown. The player 10 times out of 10 will sign with the team with the first ID.

Now, in-season free agents aren't always heavily sought. In fact, I would imagine most weeks will not see two teams make offers to the same player BUT it will happen and the way FOF currently handles multiple in-season Free Agent offers can't work.

Would this be something that you think could be patched to an existing Multi-player career? Or is it something that we would have to restart? As we are in the final stages of prepping for the season, we'd like to know if we should wait or if we can safely start our league.

Thanks.

[Icy]

Damn, you're right, i was suspecting this, now i know what in the online league where i am, lots of FA's signs for the lower economic offers. Also on single player i saw the same, why can you sign all FA's when you propose them the contract? why not any other team bids for them? mybe same bug?
In the offseason, FA's consider the bids but during the season they just agree with the first team to make them an offer, both in single and multiplayer

[MrIllini]

echo

[cuervo72]

That definitely sounds like it gives a decided advantage to the teams at the list. Granted these will usually be roster fodder guys, but not in all cases. I'd say if this happens in single player it should be looked at as an issue there too.

[TRO]

I think in regards to the single player game, it is just an advantage you have over the AI (among many others).

Personally, I don't think it is as big of a single player issue as it is a multi-player issue.

[cuervo72]

I still think I've seen one team sign a score of players, then another, then the next, etc. But maybe that's just me.

[Solecismic]

This does sound like something worth fixing. I think it would be a significant amount of work, but once it's fixed would not require a league restart or any other alterations - the information needed is already available.

[primelord]

Originally posted by TRO
I think in regards to the single player game, it is just an advantage you have over the AI (among many others).

Personally, I don't think it is as big of a single player issue as it is a multi-player issue.

I agree I don't think it is a single player issue at all. It's not even an advantage for the human player as I believe the AI signs the free agents they want before rigth after the previous weeks games were simmed. So the AI gets first crack at them.

[cuervo72]

I guess single player I was thinking more of the period immediately after the secondary free agency ends, when there are still a slew of FA's out there. But again, I could be wrong about that.

[DolphinFan1]

Cuervo, I understand what you are talking about. I have been able to do that too.

But usually the FA available then aren't very good. At least in my game they weren't. Probably not a big deal in the big scheme of things in Single player.

[Flasch186]

Thank god we wont have to restart as the USFL draft is Dec. 20th

[TRO]

Originally posted by Solecismic
This does sound like something worth fixing. I think it would be a significant amount of work, but once it's fixed would not require a league restart or any other alterations - the information needed is already available.

Thanks for the quick response Jim. I know that there are a ton of issues that Multi-Player creates and some unevitably fly under the radar. Thanks for your hard work!

[Taur]

Bump to find out if this FA bug ever got fixed or when it will be fixed.

[TRO]

Bump.

Jim, just checking on progress. FOFL is nearing the end of our initial draft and while we are holding out hope that this is patched by the time we're done, Feb 5 is our goal date, we're getting to the point where we'll have to come up with a stop gap solution. (i.e. a waiver wire or an extended draft).

So just checking on progress. Please let us know either way.

[wig]

Just tell all owners not to include signing bonuses in mid-season pickups. Then, trade the player to the owner that offered the most.

That's how WigFL is doing it

wig

[samifan24]

In my league, the NCFL, we are bidding via our message boards and then the player is "allocated" to the winning team (read: the winning team offers the player a contract; we're not sure what we'll do if they don't accept the offer for some reason, but it hasn't happened yet).