Clockwork Orange
03-16-2011, 05:15 PM
My aim is to make a simple set of single player house rules that:
* sort of mimic NFL
* don't require keeping track of action points
* kind of mimic building up an expansion team
Here's what I came up with so far:
1 - Special Startup Rules
1) Choose your favorite team. It's up to you whether to use real or fictional players, X-factors, etc.
2) Release everyone
3) Set the global options to have scout hire players to fill your team (it will hire back a couple of the players you cut; this is OK)
4) Sim the first season. You'll likely go somewhere between 0-16 and 2-14.
5) There are special rules to govern your first free agency. You may make an unlimited number of offers in any and all FA rounds from FA6 on. (Because you have to build your team). All other rules from Rule 3 apply.
6) You may not select a QB in the first 10 picks of your first draft. (this game is too easy on SP if you get a franchise QB). I'm contemplating making this a general rule not just a first year rule.
2 - Cap rules
1) Your cap is between 40% and 56% of what the league sets your cap for the year. The formula is 40% + 1 percentage point for every win in the previous season
For example, in my first season (simmed) I went 1-15. The cap for the next year was set by the game to 132MIL. So my cap is 41% of 132MIL = 54MIL
2) Sign a random slapdick to a 1 year contract where the signing bonus is equal to amount of extra cap room you're not allowed to use. In the above example, it's 59% of 132MIL or about 78MIL. Then cut that player immediately.
Sometimes the owner won't let you give a massive signing bonus. In that case just sign and cut other players with smaller signing bonuses until you hit the total
3 - Free Agency - When and to whom you can make offers
1) In each phase of FA1, you may MAKE or CHANGE (see 3-6) one offer. So the maximum number of NEW players you may sign in FA1 is 11 (rounds 2 through 12).
3) Exception to 3-2: In FA1:1 (only) you may make an unlimited number of renegotiation offers to existing players under contract. This is the only time when you can do renegotiations.
4) Exception to 3-3: In FA1:2 (only) you may make an unlimited number of offers to unrestricted free agents that finished the previous season on your team. If done in FA1:2, these don't count toward your "one new offer or one change of offer per FA1 phase". You can still place 1 offer on a new player in FA1:2
5) Exception to 3-3: Just a reminder that the very first time you go through FA1 (after your first simmed season), totally different rules apply (1-5). You can't make any offers before FA1:6 and can make an unrestricted number of offers from that point onward.
6) You may not change an offer to a FA if another team bid on that FA in the previous phase. (I.e., you must let the FA consider the other team's offer for one full phase without interfering). If you do change an offer on a FA, remember that all of section 4 still applies. In particular, if another team has bid on a FA, any changes to your offer must be consistent with 4-2 below.
4 - Contracts - what is allowed
1) You must offer the player the exact LENGTH OF CONTRACT he proposes and AT LEAST AS MUCH money from each part of the contract as he proposes. You may not, for example, give him $9MIL more as a bonus but cut his Year4 salary by $1.
2) Exception to 4-1: If another team has already bid on the player, you must offer at least double what the player proposes for each part of the contract. This applies regardless of what the other team offered or what the player has requested from you. It also applies if you change your offer, even if another team had not had an offer on the board when you made your original offer. It does not apply if another team makes an offer after you make an offer (i.e., you do not have to go back and change your offers just because another team subsequently bid on that player). For example, Green Bay bids $900,000 Year 1 with no bonus on Player X. Player X proposes that I bid $920,000 in Year 1. The minimum legal offer in this case would be $1,840,000 for a one year contract.
3) Exception to 4-1: You may turn a 1 year proposal into a 2 or 3 year proposal. This is the only change of length you can ever make. (And for clarity you can't change a 2 year into a three year). This is how you do it:
* Add the requested Year1 salary into the signing bonus. (If he already requested a signing bonus, this makes it bigger)
* Give him a Year 2 salary that is equal or greater to the Year 1 salary.
* To make it a 3 year proposal, add another HALF of the year 1 salary into the signing bonus and give him a year 2 salary that is equal or bigger than the year 1 salary.
For example, Frank Jones wants $500,000 with a $100,000 bonus. No other teams have bid on him yet. I must offer Frank at least what he requested. If I decide I want Frank for two years, I must offer him a minimum of $600,000 bonus and $500,000/yr. If I want Frank for three years, I must offer him $850,000 bonus and $500,000/yr. Even if the computer sets the minimum salary for Frank's year 3 to, say, $550,000, this does not change the minimum $850,000 bonus requirement.
4) if BOTH exceptions apply (i.e., a player wants a 1 year contract, you want to give him 2 years, and another team has already bid on him), then follow this process:
* No 3 year deals
* Multiply the bonus and year 1 salary by 1.5 (instead of doubling them)
* Make a year 2 salary that is at or above the new Year 1 salary
* Add the year 1 salary into the bonus as normally
In the example of Frank Jones, above, if another team had already bid on Frank, I would have been limited to either offering him a 1 year contract with a minimum of $200,000 bonus and $1,000,000 salary or a 2 year contract with a minimum of a $900,000 bonus and a $750,000 salary.
5 - Trades
1) Any computer-initiated trades can be accepted or rejected without restriction
2) You may only propose trades that exclusively involve current year's draft picks and you may only do so during the FA1 period. Any trades proposed must at least conform to the draft value chart (I think this logic is built in anyway)
I'd like to make this more flexible but I don't know how yet
6 - Misc.
1) Restricted free agents can be signed at any time, though they must comply with all rules about contracts
2) Use in-game maximums for number of players on your roster, but never more than 63 (10 extra)
7 - General
Any exploits or things that don't feel right - don't do them and look to make a rule about them.
More to come, I'm sure
* sort of mimic NFL
* don't require keeping track of action points
* kind of mimic building up an expansion team
Here's what I came up with so far:
1 - Special Startup Rules
1) Choose your favorite team. It's up to you whether to use real or fictional players, X-factors, etc.
2) Release everyone
3) Set the global options to have scout hire players to fill your team (it will hire back a couple of the players you cut; this is OK)
4) Sim the first season. You'll likely go somewhere between 0-16 and 2-14.
5) There are special rules to govern your first free agency. You may make an unlimited number of offers in any and all FA rounds from FA6 on. (Because you have to build your team). All other rules from Rule 3 apply.
6) You may not select a QB in the first 10 picks of your first draft. (this game is too easy on SP if you get a franchise QB). I'm contemplating making this a general rule not just a first year rule.
2 - Cap rules
1) Your cap is between 40% and 56% of what the league sets your cap for the year. The formula is 40% + 1 percentage point for every win in the previous season
For example, in my first season (simmed) I went 1-15. The cap for the next year was set by the game to 132MIL. So my cap is 41% of 132MIL = 54MIL
2) Sign a random slapdick to a 1 year contract where the signing bonus is equal to amount of extra cap room you're not allowed to use. In the above example, it's 59% of 132MIL or about 78MIL. Then cut that player immediately.
Sometimes the owner won't let you give a massive signing bonus. In that case just sign and cut other players with smaller signing bonuses until you hit the total
3 - Free Agency - When and to whom you can make offers
1) In each phase of FA1, you may MAKE or CHANGE (see 3-6) one offer. So the maximum number of NEW players you may sign in FA1 is 11 (rounds 2 through 12).
3) Exception to 3-2: In FA1:1 (only) you may make an unlimited number of renegotiation offers to existing players under contract. This is the only time when you can do renegotiations.
4) Exception to 3-3: In FA1:2 (only) you may make an unlimited number of offers to unrestricted free agents that finished the previous season on your team. If done in FA1:2, these don't count toward your "one new offer or one change of offer per FA1 phase". You can still place 1 offer on a new player in FA1:2
5) Exception to 3-3: Just a reminder that the very first time you go through FA1 (after your first simmed season), totally different rules apply (1-5). You can't make any offers before FA1:6 and can make an unrestricted number of offers from that point onward.
6) You may not change an offer to a FA if another team bid on that FA in the previous phase. (I.e., you must let the FA consider the other team's offer for one full phase without interfering). If you do change an offer on a FA, remember that all of section 4 still applies. In particular, if another team has bid on a FA, any changes to your offer must be consistent with 4-2 below.
4 - Contracts - what is allowed
1) You must offer the player the exact LENGTH OF CONTRACT he proposes and AT LEAST AS MUCH money from each part of the contract as he proposes. You may not, for example, give him $9MIL more as a bonus but cut his Year4 salary by $1.
2) Exception to 4-1: If another team has already bid on the player, you must offer at least double what the player proposes for each part of the contract. This applies regardless of what the other team offered or what the player has requested from you. It also applies if you change your offer, even if another team had not had an offer on the board when you made your original offer. It does not apply if another team makes an offer after you make an offer (i.e., you do not have to go back and change your offers just because another team subsequently bid on that player). For example, Green Bay bids $900,000 Year 1 with no bonus on Player X. Player X proposes that I bid $920,000 in Year 1. The minimum legal offer in this case would be $1,840,000 for a one year contract.
3) Exception to 4-1: You may turn a 1 year proposal into a 2 or 3 year proposal. This is the only change of length you can ever make. (And for clarity you can't change a 2 year into a three year). This is how you do it:
* Add the requested Year1 salary into the signing bonus. (If he already requested a signing bonus, this makes it bigger)
* Give him a Year 2 salary that is equal or greater to the Year 1 salary.
* To make it a 3 year proposal, add another HALF of the year 1 salary into the signing bonus and give him a year 2 salary that is equal or bigger than the year 1 salary.
For example, Frank Jones wants $500,000 with a $100,000 bonus. No other teams have bid on him yet. I must offer Frank at least what he requested. If I decide I want Frank for two years, I must offer him a minimum of $600,000 bonus and $500,000/yr. If I want Frank for three years, I must offer him $850,000 bonus and $500,000/yr. Even if the computer sets the minimum salary for Frank's year 3 to, say, $550,000, this does not change the minimum $850,000 bonus requirement.
4) if BOTH exceptions apply (i.e., a player wants a 1 year contract, you want to give him 2 years, and another team has already bid on him), then follow this process:
* No 3 year deals
* Multiply the bonus and year 1 salary by 1.5 (instead of doubling them)
* Make a year 2 salary that is at or above the new Year 1 salary
* Add the year 1 salary into the bonus as normally
In the example of Frank Jones, above, if another team had already bid on Frank, I would have been limited to either offering him a 1 year contract with a minimum of $200,000 bonus and $1,000,000 salary or a 2 year contract with a minimum of a $900,000 bonus and a $750,000 salary.
5 - Trades
1) Any computer-initiated trades can be accepted or rejected without restriction
2) You may only propose trades that exclusively involve current year's draft picks and you may only do so during the FA1 period. Any trades proposed must at least conform to the draft value chart (I think this logic is built in anyway)
I'd like to make this more flexible but I don't know how yet
6 - Misc.
1) Restricted free agents can be signed at any time, though they must comply with all rules about contracts
2) Use in-game maximums for number of players on your roster, but never more than 63 (10 extra)
7 - General
Any exploits or things that don't feel right - don't do them and look to make a rule about them.
More to come, I'm sure