TPF LEAGUE: The NFLsim Now Accepting Applications

[Adamski47]

The NFLsim is now accepting applications for team ownership. The NFLsim is a league that will replicate the real NFL in every way shape or form to the best of our ability. We will be using .400 Software Studios Total Pro Football 2004 and will be starting just after the release of the game (late 2003).

There is not a "first come first serve" policy for ownership in the NFLsim. We will be accepting applications up until July 1st 2003. This is to give everyone an equal chance at getting into the league (not everyone checks message boards daily).

On July 1st I will be selecting the remaining 31 team owners (32=me). From there we will be holding a team draft. This is not to be mistaken for a fantasy player draft. Instead, the 32 owners will be randomly placed in a draft order. The first owner gets first pick of teams and so on.

You can find the NFLsim at its temporary location here:
http://www.thenflsim.cjb.net

The NFLsim is proud to be the first of what's bound to be many great leagues using TPF.

Thanks,

Mike Adamski
The NFLsim Commissioner

[bbor]

How did you get a team without applying?

:D

[Taur]

That is some very optimistic thinking. If the release is anything like their last (Tournament Dreams College Basketball) the first release and a couple of patches later will not contain a Multi-player option.

Best guess for MP would be early 2004.

[Tekneek]

I've rarely seen things work out well when people launch these leagues based on a simulator that is not even available.

[MizzouRah]

Yeah, remember the thread for TDCB?

:)


Todd

[Adamski47]

We've gotta stay optimistic! Multiplayer will be part of the first release. Check out the forums for TPF at www.400softwarestudios.com

This game was originally scheduled for release last year so although I'm sure the first release will still have it's solid share of bugs, the game should be relatively solid "right out of the box."

[vulcan]

I think TPF will be the football sim to beat IMO.

[vulcan]

In fact this TDCB issues was brought up before and Arlie said this about it:

"I don't want to make excuses for the way TDCB was released. I could have stopped it if I would have really wanted to, but I decided against it because of the pre-orders we had already sold. This was a bad decision, plain and simple.

But, moving on to football, there is are two prime differences between the development of TDCB and TPF:

1. I am now developing the game fulltime. I am not working another job 60 hours a week and doing the development in my "spare time". This has caused me to be much more thorough and I think will amount to a better product.

2. I now have experience of TDCB to help me in the choices I make for TPF. Some things worked (and didn't work) in TDCB. I will be using those experiences in TPF to make it a better game. One example of this is the fact that neither JET nor the MDAC will be needed to play TPF."

Link:
http://www.400softwarestudios.com/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33344&perpage=15&pagenumber=2

[FBPro]

Mistakes are made, the key is to learn from them. No excuses made here except "I goofed", sounds like lesson learned and TPF is on the way. I'm ready for it.

[Adamski47]

Excellent excellent. I cannot wait for this game to be released.

[Eilim]

Fool me once, shame on you.. Fool me twice, shame on me..

My own eagerness over this title and wanting to support the author is what made me purchase TDCB. The sour taste is still in my mouth from that mistake. This time I'll do my best to hold off buying it right away and let others deal with the early release issues.

Having said that, I do hope they produce the product they seem to be aiming for. If they succeed, I'll have the type game I've been waiting on for a long time and they'll have another happy customer to add to their list.

-Eilim

[MizzouRah]

I'm not worried about the product, in fact I can't wait to see the FOF veterans dissect it. I'll just wait until most people are happy with it before purchasing the game.

Todd

[Adamski47]

shoot me bump

[Adamski47]

I forgot what I was going to say...eh um...bump

[Vince]

For what it's worth, that TDCB league finally made it (without me, though so you know it's worthless ;)), and they apparently are running fine now. It just took a while.

For my money, though, I'm doing what the majority of people seem to be doing with .400 Studios Games: waiting. I'm sure I'll buy it eventually, I just want to make sure it's where it needs to be before I do so.

[Taur]

Question: Will we ever see a computer software lemon law?

As I mentioned earlier, I was one of the suckers that pre-ordered TDCB. That game has to go down as one of the biggest pieces of crap "Right out of the box" It is a good thing I did not buy that game from a local store.

Just ask any employee at my local CompUSA about me. I was on a first name basis with everyone there after the MOO3 release. And, yes I did recieve a full refund. "Either fix the problem or give me a full refund", your choice.

Customer satisfaction is quickly becoming a thing of the past in the software industry. I guess many companies are now-days releasing their "Beta" versions of games and worying about patching them later!

Question: Is this practice of releasing your "Beta" version allowing companies to keep employees on the payroll after money has run out? I know other industries have commonly used the "Pre-Order" practice to generate much need cash to "Finish-UP"

[Bibs]

They will keep doing this as long as they know people will buy the game and wait for the patches to make it work. I have tried to hold to a policy of not buying any game until it's been out 6 months so I can see if it will really ever work. Seems recently, that whenever I violate that policy (FOF4, HOMM4) that I regret it.

[Samdari]

Taur, I buy from a national chain with many retail outlets (GameStop) which has at least a 7 day (could be longer) unconditional money back guarantee on (at least) PC games. The only exception is they do not accept returns on games which do not require the CD in the tray to play (notably EverQuest). Every time I have made such a purchase, I was warned of the exception to that policy.

Sometimes Best Buy has a lower price, but I still buy most of my game software at GameStop, as the security blanket is worth it. I recommend searching out retailers in your area with such a policy and giving them your business.

FWIW, I remember Joe Stallings offering refunds to anyone who wanted them in the days following TDCB's release. One thing I think it will be a long time before you see again from them again is a well-in-advance release date. I think what they did with that game was a mistake, and probably ruined more of their own holidays than any of ours.

[Adamski47]

Still accepting applications.

[Adamski47]

Getting some good apps so far. Nothing set in stone. This league is going to be fantastic.

http://www.thenflsim.cjb.net

[Adamski47]

The NFLsim site and my email had been down for about 6 days because my shared hosting provider messed up my renewal. Anyway, it is back up and running now however the ownership application is acting up, so if you applied somewhere within 24 hours ago and now, you will have to resubmit an application once it is back up. The form is still there but now when you hit submit it is listed as "unavailable." I'll be at a wedding all day today but will have it fixed hopefully by Sunday. If you're interested in the league, I'd just wait a day or two and then apply. Just make sure it's before July 1st!

[Adamski47]

Ok, sorry for all of the problematic posts :-) My email is now officially up and running as of Monday June 23rd 11:35am. I guess I wasn't receiving emails because I had used all of my alloted disk space from my server. I cleared out a ton of room and things seem to be in order once again.

Here is the deal about the applications:

The last application that was received occured on June 13th at 3:05pm. That means, that if you've applied since that date and time that I did NOT receive an application from you for the NFLsim. If you sent an application sometime in between the 13th and now I would suggest resubmitting an application.

If you are interested in the league but have not applied please don't be shy! I will be selecting the 32 owners (including me) on July 1st after which we will have our TEAM draft (not to be confused with a fantasy draft). The team draft allows each owner an equal shot at getting first pick of teams.

Enough for now...at least until something else goes wrong :-)

Mike Adamski
NFLsim Commish

P.S. The NFLsim should have a terrific forum up and running within the week. Stay tuned!

[Alf]

Mike, weren't you the guy that tried to laucnh a FBPro league here last year or the year before ?

[Adamski47]

Yep. How's it goin Alf? :-)

[Alf]

I'm fine. I have been playing in the AFL (www.afl.atfreeweb.com) for 2 seasons now, taking a 3-13 49ers team to a 10-6 NFC West championship this season. Just got kicked out of the playoffs though.

[Adamski47]

Well if you're looking for a TPF league anytime soon you know where to find one!

Good luck with the Niners.

[Adamski47]

One last bump. Owners and Team Draft order will be announced July 1st! Last chance to be an original owner.

http://www.thenflsim.cjb.net