Call me crazy (aka additional leagues brainstorming)

[Garfield]

If we're drafting, the nations become mere labels indeed.

I mean, not immediately (when there is a cost assigned to each rider), but the more I think about it, the less chance I see for implementing nations as anything more than a mere label in any format:

• if nation means reserving some riders, we're just making the actual game less interesting
• if drafting with a cost, the two guys before me draft Majka & Kwiato - now I wish I would have selected Uganda and a least left my budget intact
• if auctioning, it could quickly turn into a surreal bidding of "how much can we milk the guy who is supposed to win this auction after all"

One rider per country and/or real life trade team (or something similar) brings a twist.

IMO if our teams remain small, this would hardly matter and thus becomes just a weird little detail more than anything.



Summing up:

League 1 - totally gonna happen
Basically Ace's original idea and what I posted above. I like the cost assigned to a rider, meaning draft order hardly matters:

• Snake draft
• Strictly single year deals
• Same scoring and calendar
• Cost of each rider is his higher CQ score of 2014 or 2015

League 2 - would be equally easy to run
For those who don't like the historical cost attached to each rider, and those who prefer balanced teams over those with only sprinters/climbers. I like the fact that this boils down to what fans get excited about: "is Cav better than Kittel", "is Landa better than Porte", not "is Greipel better than Pinot". Again, draft order barely matters, as each person gets one 1st pick, one 2nd pick etc.

• X participants
• Pre-set pools of X GT contenders, X sprinters, X time trialists etc.
• X separate 1-round drafts
• Strictly single year deals
• Same scoring and calendar

League 3 - is there interest for more crazy auctions?
Many people enjoy those auctions more than the season itself. Is there interest in more bidding wars? We would still need to come up with a fresh set of rules, so that we don't just repeat what we already have. Options that spring to mind:

• National/regional teams and/or trade teams with slight (10%?) discounts for either/both riders from the same region/team both (as I analyzed above, I'm scared a huge discount would tie your hands)
• Either single year deals or e.g. the ability to sign for any number of years, but doubling the salary each year
• Different calendar, e.g. WT only?
• Extra constraint of balanced teams, e.g. your guy slotted (your choice after you win the auction) into "GT contender" could not score outside GT? (This adds a degree of freedom: do I slot Valverde into GT, hilly classics, or 1-week races? And how does it influence his value?)

[glomser]

For League 1 and 2 I'm in. I think 2 more leagues for now is OK. Maybe in the future we can look at other posibilities.

[Teton]

I'm all in for whatever is decided. Although League 1 and 2 seem best. I would be glad to help if needed. 

[joecool37]

I guess I am also in whatever we decide.

[Garfield]

Tadaaaaaaam

Announcing it here first for the people who helped me create it. Tomorrow I'll inform the rest of the league, and after that the rest of the interwebs. Recruiting help much much appreciated!

http://www.profsl.com/smf/index.php?board=3318
http://www.profsl.com/smf/index.php?board=3307

[Joelsim]

I'm in. Obviously. 

[davy duck]

An idea slipping in my unexperienced -gaming-mind ...
A real-stockmarket based auction.
You buy and sell riders during the season based on their cq-ranking. You pay X% extra when you buy and sell. The goal is that they gain more points in the race or for the time you bought them for.
Small team ...
Big budget ...
Possibility to loose a lot of budget though.
You can play whole season with the same riders (safe), you can play short term buying and selling constantly (higher risk), different tactics ...

It adds more gameplay during the season.

[davy duck]

I'm in off course du-uh 

[Joelsim]

There would be an argument for a smaller game like the one we have, in which you can buy and sell for whatever value, profits carried over. So, I have dawg, he wins the Dauphine and someone bids £2m to take his contract. Likewise he gets injured and I can offload him to the highest bidder.

[joecool37]

Looks good Garfield