How could we pull off a ...

[RavennaAl]

What I'm seeing here is very similar to the postal league that Lynn had talked about doing last year. Here's my proposal bases on the assumption that we will have 6 coaches participating:

First of all. we all have teams at the same weight limit. We have discussed this many times before on the chat board. At last count, we had about 75% wanting 4.0 as the official weight limit for MF, so let's go with that. All 6 coaches make their teams at a 4.0 limit, players glued to the base so that the figures and bases can't get mixed up. No face masks or chin straps as you don't want to lose any of them in transit. Any type base and figure allowed, so long as the combination is at 4.0 or less. Coaches provide rosters as to who is offense and defense and who is starter and who is second string.

As for the length of games, we can either leave it up to each person, or we can compromise. Let's say that 1 person likes to play with 10 plays per quarter, 2 guys like 12 plays, 1 likes 15, one likes 20 and the last likes 25. Adding up the plays = 94 plays. Divided by 6 coaches averages out to 15.6 plays per quarter, or 16 plays rounded off. So, we all play 16 plays per quarter so that the stats will be consistent for each game.

Now, since there are 6 teams, one for each coach, we will have a 10 game 'season'. Each team gets to play 10 games, 2 games against each other team. Each coach will get to play 5 games of this season. At least one game will be with their own team, possibly 2 games.

Example for week 1: Coach 1, Coach 2 and Coach 3 get to play the first games. Coach 1 has teams A & B, Coach 2 teams C & D, Coach 3 teams E & F. Each coach plays the game according to their solitaire rules. We can allow 10 days to play your game, then you must send the teams to the next coach. Allowing 4 days for shipping, each 'week' will actually take 2 weeks. So, therefore, the season will actually take 20 weeks to play out.

When the game is over, they mail the teams to whichever coaches are playing next. In this case Coach 1 mails team A to Coach 4 and team B to Coach 5. Coach 2 mails team C to Coach 4 and team D to Coach 6. Coach 3 mails team E to Coach 5 and team F to Coach 6

Week 2 starts with Coach 4 playing teams A & C, Coach 5 playing teams B & E and Coach 6 playing teams D & F. We repeat this cycle until all 6 teams have played their 10 game schedule. When the season is over, the team with the best record is crowned the champion. Or, we can have the coach whose team had the worst record play a championship game with the 2 teams that had the best records, or something like that.

Using the USPS flat rate box as an example, you can send a team, packed in tissue to prevent damage, for $5 anywhere in the US. Figuring mailing 2 teams every other week 5 times will be about $50. So, if you can afford $50 and want to play, then you're set.

It's not a perfect plan, but it will allow anyone to play the games using their own rules with teams that should be compatable to each other. Plus, you will get 2 packages in the mail every 4 weeks. It's like getting presents even though it's not your birthday!

[Reginald Rutledge]

making so much head way in the solitaire arena {no pun intended). Let's not forget about Dimitri over in France or Phillyfanatic over in Afghanistan who all may want to play in this league.

Y'all come up with a rules committee, or go with your house rules for each destination, and make this happen. Winter is coming and guys will be stuck inside their homes. What a great time to get cooking.

Reg

[Pirate Rick]

this sounds fun and very interesting... playing games and using other teams your not used to.

the only concern i would have is putting your team "on the road" and comming home broken, bases missing or ruined from all the packing un packing.

other then that, sounds like a ton of fun to do.

[RooMorgans]

While it would suck to have a player break here and there, I have to say, that's an acceptable risk. If we're not adding facemasks and chin straps (which I agree with) and we're keeping players at 4.0, the process of replacing the odd player here and there isn't THAT big a deal.

And hell, if I ship a team and a player breaks, or something happens during game play (like the cat eats your DE), I'll paint you up a new one.

I like Al's idea. It could make it possible for the players from abroad, their teams would just have longer road trips. ... I want them to be involved if they wish.

I think we should go for 8 coaches for the debut. It shouldn't be hard to find 8 devoted coaches that will do this. It sounds like Reg, Dogwood, Me, and maybe a couple others are already clearly on board.

I would suggest we decide on college or pro. It's a pet peeve of mine in league play when you have a game between Green Bay and Poly Tech. I'd love to see us all have teams at the same level to develop some rivalries, have fun with it. Rosters would be up to the individual, of course.

Maybe we could get Wolf or someone to develop a logo, as well.

I'm with Al on the 16 plays per quarter idea, or something similar. That's fine by me.

Ed

[Lindyhopper49]

I would love to see this take off, I am in school and dont have a spare moment right now. But I would be interested in developing a team to be involved in the future (some point next fall I hope). I will be following along with you guys and hopefully I can get onboard for season 2 when you are ready to expand

[the french guy]

Just throwing new ideas until I forget them


Ruleset : let everyone play like he want. After all, this is a part of fun in solitaire, do it like you want. When we played the nascar league, every "raceway owner" used the rules he wanted. It will no affect the game, since any playbook or team can be used in any ruleset. The only thing we need to do is a summary of each stadium, with field surface used, ruleset used (with a little explanation), et voilÃ** !

Weight: once again, freedom. I always liked Reginald idea of a main weight limit, dispatched between the athletes. It allows very personal teams. We should just stick to several limits to make it fair. In a iron squad let's create a linemen weight limit, and a skills players limit, and then let people dispatch the weight as they want.


College or pro : and what about personal teams too ? Freedom. On the nascar championship I participated, some guys used realistic cars (I used a dale eanarth real car, for exemple), other used custom paints...even a pink car named "Rosalie" . It's part of the fun. If you want to make your fav college or pro team, you should be able to do it. If you want to create your own, same thing.


Timing : it depands how we manage the game. Direct live broadcasted game, with coaches interventions : we need a time limit, because of each people schedule. If some games are played "classic" without any intervention, any timig will be good, I believe.


Shipping : there are many ways of protecting a team. Here's an attached image of what I do when I have to ship figures. SOlid as rock. It's a piece of styrofoam, with holes cutted in it. I put the figures in bubble sheet, then I put a piece of cardboard on each side.

Imagine one card box, each stage is made the same than on the picture. One stage = one team. Almost no risks.


For me the two crucial things are the playbooks and the way we'll use them with our teams : dice, random or real coaching decisions like I said before.

Real coaching (on broadcast internet tv) is not such a weird idea. I remember my history class, that during WW2, some russian soldiers played chess to spend some time...without any chess board. Actually if you know the game, you don't need a physical board to play.


Same thing for miniature football. It's not an action game (not speaking of real pass throwing). Imagine a typical solitaire play. A solitaire player using random decisions or dices for play calling is actually a game operator. He move the figures (chess pieces), switch the game on and see how it develops. He's watching two teams playing.

With the broadcast direct live chat (really easy to interect with the broadcaster, it's like messenger, skype or stuff like that), you are just be able to replace the dices and random effects I spoke about, by two living coaches watching the game on the side of the field, and yelling orders with his motorolla headset...or like a coordinator watching tv screens in his silver tower in stadiums.



even if we don't develop that idea for solitaire play by mail league, I believe it's an idea we could devellop for another way of gaming. Just need 3 peoples : one game operator, receiving the teams and playbooks, and the 2 coaches watching the game and calling the games referring to the playbooks they sent. 3 guys, because with only 2 one guy will have access to the opponent playbook.

[Hook'em Horns]

I don't play much solitaire but I thought of this idea by reading the post...

You can start a solitaire league. League rules does not matter, however all would have to play under the same weight limit.

You would have a 32 team league. Each coach would have only one team. If you don't have 32 coaches then an available coach who is willing can play more than one squad.

An NFL like schedule would be made up. 8 home games and 8 away games.

Here is how it could work...

You would have a lottery or draft and all of the teams will go into the lottery and then teams are drawn. You may not coach your own team the entire season. Your team will be mailed to whomever drafted them.

There would have to be some sort of honor system with this so I would say carefully select the league members.

However, all home games the visiting team would have to mail their teams to you. Iron man works best. Injuries will not be included for the solitaire league becuase of the variations of rule-sets being used.

Stats would be taken and hopefully people would be honest with the wins and losses because they wont be coaching their own teams.

At the end of the season a playoff would take place. The same regular season rules would apply. The visiting team would be "air mailed" to the home team and the home team would record the game.

The Super Bowl would be held at one of the major tournaments either at Miggle, CBSMF or MFCA. The two teams participating in the Super Bowl will then be mailed to one of the solitaire league members who will be attending one of the events. The two owners of the teams participating in the Super Bowl are not allowed to coach the solitaire Super Bowl game. The coach that the teams will be mailed to will play the soliatire Super Bowl under the format or league rules of his choice.

A champion will be crowned at the end of the season.

now you can play a solitaire league, with playoffs, with all 32 teams and a 16 game schedule for each team and not have to play all 512 football games yourself. You only have to play 16 plus playoffs!!!

Just a suggesstion! I'm not a solitaire player so you guys might think this is a rediculous idea! lol

[the french guy]

Not a bad idea, but from my "proxy" (=play by mail) slot car racing championship last year, I can say that to keep interest, you have to make the games quick and simple.

Since each coach will not play his team, you cannot speak about real home and away situations. In a way, it's a journey season


In my opinion, 10 teams (for example) = 10 regular season games. Each team plays once against every other team.

victory = 2 points
draw = 1 points
defeat = 0 point

goal average bonuses for final draw situations.

4 best teams of the league = 2 semi finals
2 last winning teams = championship final/bowl game.


game ruleset : each people can use his own, but has to explain it to other coaches before the game.


Simple, fast and effective system. It could be look too simple, but believe me, between the daily obligations everyone has, mailing delays, job, family and all, that simple system with only 10 teams, it could last during months and months.


Last thing, about my direct live broadcast gaming system. I'm very enthusiast about it. I don't want to interfer with the project on that topic, if you feel that it's quite out of topic (since as I said, it's not really solitaire play).

I will create a topic in another section of the forum, I believe. And I will certainly search for other coaches to test that idea...If you think that idea can be used for the play by mail solitaire league, too, these test games could be considered at preseason games, to test the do-ability of it, test for mail packages, etc...

[Reginald Rutledge]

put a short 2-3 minute session on film and once this is done, create a video showing, i.e., a kick-off, a run play from scrimmage, a pass play from scrimmage, and a punt play from scrimmage. Those are the basic plays. Once all parties who will participate have made the video, let's burn it on a DVD player and create a compilation of methods of play.

Then, once that is done, we can be able to package that to others who may be interested up the road. The other option is to create a Youtube video showing the different methods and then, create a video category for solitaire showing the various methods.

For the sake of posterity, it would be good to have an actual DVD of the methods of play. When one coach is sent teams, he would have the DVD right there to be able to play the game.

Or better yet, add a scouting report of your team with the DVD in a word file for every person participating in this. That way, you know the strengths and weaknesses of that team. As teams are passed around the country, other information regarding that team can be added based on said coach's assessment.

Reg

[the french guy]

Yes, each caoch involved has to be able to put at least some good pics and some video highlights of the game


BTW, I posted a topic about my video direct live playing here :

http://www.miniaturefootball.com/for...ad.php?t=19262