House Rules for Single Player

[arizing540]

I've been playing mulitplayer for years but never really played much in single player. I think I'm gonna start though, but what are some of the house rules that you guys usually go with?

[JeffW]

Empty Cupboard Start: Cut all players after one season
Home-Grown Players Only: Cannot sign free agents that have played for another team with the exception of mentors (who I endeavour to get 0 playing time)
No Contract Renegotiations
No Franchise Tag
Cannot resign restricted free agents in first Free Agency period
No trades involving players or future draft picks
One trade per year (zero trades would be marginally more challenging, but lowers my enjoyment)
Cannot sign new staff until old staff's contracts expire

[JetsIn06]

Here are the house rules I've been using for my latest SP career. It makes thinks interesting but also keeps it pretty realistic.

Here is a post straight from my dynasty page:

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=60303 (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=60303)

Set-Up

I'm gonna start off by running a preference draft for the first season. I changed only a few sliders, hoping to get the worst possible team I can without having to cut the whole team or anything. I slid my QB slider all the way to the left, and then slid the K slider all the way to the right. I also moved the Pot/Exp slider to the right a little, just so I don't get any young guys that look promising.

Then I'll just quick sim the 2006 season with the AI handling everything, then I will take over at the end of the season.

House Rules

I haven't ever really played with house rules. This time, I'm going to be as strict as I possibly can and make myself follow them. It's gonna take a little while to get used to, but I got sick of having a winning season twenty straight times. Hopefully this will be a little more challenging. I've taken a few of these rules from others, so thank you if you were the one who came up with it!

Injuries: 200

Cap Increase: Thanks to yabanci and SkyDog, it seems that a 60-90 cap range will allow the AI teams to keep more players and not let an abundance of talent into the F/A pool. So, 60 to 90 it is.

Coaches/Scouts: I can only hire new coaches/scouts if the previous coach or scout's contract has ended (or retired).

Summer League: I can only send a player picked in the 4th round or later to summer camp.

Franchise Tag: I can only use the tag one time on any specific player.

Re-Negotiation: The player has to be in his last year, or a franchise player, in order to re-negotiate, and there can only be two re-negotiations per year. A little twist is that if I have a losing season the previous year, I can't re-negotiate with any player with a want winner rating over 70.

Free Agency: Hopefully the cap increase will help here as well, but I'm adopting the "want winner" rating rule here too. If I have a losing season, I can't offer a deal to any player with a want winner rating over 70, 80 if the player was on my team the previous year. Only two offers per week to players on a different team the previous year, as well as two offers each week to players that were on my team the previous year. I can also only make one offer to a player. If I get outbid, then I can't adjust my offer. Lastly, I can only make one offer to a RFA each stage.

I think that's about it. If I think of any others, I will update here.

The "want winner" rule is really cool. You have to make sure you pay attention though. I forget who created that one, I think it was on the FOF2004 strategy board. It helps to make it challenging when your not on top, and then lets you stay somewhat more "on top" when you win.

Also, the two offers per week of players not previously on your team really helps because you have to really think strategically about who you think is most important to your team. Hope this helps. It keeps things realistic but still adds a pretty decent challenge.

[yabanci]

I think Jetsin06 has a good set of house rules. I was the one who posted about using the wants winner and loyalty ratings in house rules (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1376204&postcount=3), though the rules I'm using now are stricter.

Here is what I use now:

basic settings:
1. injuries 200
2. cap range 75 to 95
3. the silly astrological chemistry system turned off
4. staff handles signing of drafted rookies

contracts:
5. whenever making an offer to any player or staff, always have to offer exactly what is demanded
6. allowed renegotiate a player's contract in its last year if (a) loyalty is very high (80+) and (b) if 8-8 or losing record, player's wants winner is less than 40.
7. allowed to franchise a player, but rule #6 has to be satisfied to renegotiate a new contract; can't franchise player more than twice.
8. no offer to your own players in free agency unless and until another team has an offer on the table
9. except for rule #8, no offers to any player in pre-draft free agency
10. in post-draft free agency, okay to sign players beginning in stage 2, but if 8-8 or losing record, no offers to player with wants winner rating over 40. Only one offer per position.
11. in post-draft free agency, no offers to undrafted rookies (important because the AI teams don't sign these guys, so picking them up gives the human a huge advantage)
12. okay to give RFA's what they demand.

trading:
13. no trading players except for offers made by AI teams
14. trading current year draft picks okay as long as offer is fair under draft value chart (no offering or accepting future picks)

other:
15. summer league only for players drafted 5th round or later
16. only allowed to hire rookie staff. Firing staff is okay, but only due to poor performance (i.e., can't just hire new staff every year because someone a little better is out there)


it looks complicated when I write it out, but it's really not. Basically it just forces me to build a team through the draft and with players other teams don't want. Even then, it's difficult to attract players if I'm not winning. I'm often able to keep my players, but sometimes I'm forced to let them walk because they aren't loyal, they want to go off and play for a winner, or they just reject my offer and sign with someone else. I find that the rules make it not only more challenging, but also far more interesting.

[arizing540]

thanks guys!

[stevew]

It would be great if future versions of the game would allow you some more "house rule" type customization.

For instance, you could have check boxes for the following:

Turn off player contract extensions
Turn off Franchise Tag

Stuff like that.

[perez24]

The loyalty rules are a great idea which I will incorporate.

One rule that I impose is that I cannot sign a free agent who started at least 5 games unless I am he's going to start for my team.

No counter-offers to my own players.

Must draft or sign any free agent from University of Missouri-Rolla. I didn't go there but I used to do color for their games on radio in a previous life. I actually had a WR who played about 7 years for me at my 3rd or 4th WR. With his engineering degree he made more money on the off-season as a consultant on the next generation of stealth technology, but he couldn't resist the lure of the gridiron.

[JetsIn06]

I think Jetsin06 has a good set of house rules. I was the one who posted about using the wants winner and loyalty ratings in house rules (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1376204&postcount=3), though the rules I'm using now are stricter.

Here is what I use now:

basic settings:
1. injuries 200
2. cap range 75 to 95
3. the silly astrological chemistry system turned off
4. staff handles signing of drafted rookies

contracts:
5. whenever making an offer to any player or staff, always have to offer exactly what is demanded
6. allowed renegotiate a player's contract in its last year if (a) loyalty is very high (80+) and (b) if 8-8 or losing record, player's wants winner is less than 40.
7. allowed to franchise a player, but rule #6 has to be satisfied to renegotiate a new contract; can't franchise player more than twice.
8. no offer to your own players in free agency unless and until another team has an offer on the table
9. except for rule #8, no offers to any player in pre-draft free agency
10. in post-draft free agency, okay to sign players beginning in stage 2, but if 8-8 or losing record, no offers to player with wants winner rating over 40. Only one offer per position.
11. in post-draft free agency, no offers to undrafted rookies (important because the AI teams don't sign these guys, so picking them up gives the human a huge advantage)
12. okay to give RFA's what they demand.

trading:
13. no trading players except for offers made by AI teams
14. trading current year draft picks okay as long as offer is fair under draft value chart (no offering or accepting future picks)

other:
15. summer league only for players drafted 5th round or later
16. only allowed to hire rookie staff. Firing staff is okay, but only due to poor performance (i.e., can't just hire new staff every year because someone a little better is out there)


it looks complicated when I write it out, but it's really not. Basically it just forces me to build a team through the draft and with players other teams don't want. Even then, it's difficult to attract players if I'm not winning. I'm often able to keep my players, but sometimes I'm forced to let them walk because they aren't loyal, they want to go off and play for a winner, or they just reject my offer and sign with someone else. I find that the rules make it not only more challenging, but also far more interesting.

Awesome house rules yabanci. I think I'm going to adopt the loyalty rule as well.