Solo gamer wants to come out of the closet

thbroman · 11-07-2003, 05:43 PM

Hey there --

For many years, I have played all kinds of games solo, in part because I can do them on my own time and in part because I don't like competing aginst other peoples' egos. I don't mind competing to win and losing, but I don't like playing against people who can't stand losing.

So here's the first question: how much time does one have to devote to MP league play per week? Are your leagues flexible enough to accomodate different peoples' schedules?

Second: how convivial do you find it to play MP? I must say that I find the tone and general cheeriness of this forum to be quite appealing, and I can well imagine that playing in a league against y'all would not be like going to chess tournaments as a 12-year-old (which I did for a while -- see the problem?)

Steve Kuffrey · 11-07-2003, 06:04 PM

From less than an hour to several hours a week depending on the time of the season, league, etc.

SoxWin · 11-07-2003, 06:11 PM

broman, there are a ton of excellent leagues out there, there are also some that won't last more then a year or two of sim time because of any number of reasons.

If you're really interested, I'd check out the online league forums, there are a couple of threads right now about peoples opinions on various leagues and which ones people think are the best.

The amount of fun you'll have and the level of activity will vary from league to league. I'd suggest you do some research, find one that appeals to you be it historic, fictional, modern day, whatever, and apply for a position.

Many of the best leagues have little turnover but will allow "assistant gm's" who can help the gm run his team and take over when he's away or whatever.

Personally, I have way more fun with an online league due to the interaction with other people, not to mention, it's just too damn easy to build a perennial winner in solo play.

Bottom line imo. Find a league you like, put your name on the waiting list if there is one, and follow it or assistant gm for a while. This will give you a good feel for the players and owners so that when a spot opens up, you're fully "in the swing" so to speak.

Have fun !!

thbroman · 11-07-2003, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Find a league you like, put your name on the waiting list if there is one, and follow it or assistant gm for a while.

Great suggestions -- thanks.
Can you monitor leagues, then? There's something in your reply that suggests you can.

ey215 · 11-07-2003, 06:26 PM

Convivial? That is a fantastic word. I had to look it up!

I find that different leagues have different feels. One of my leagues is pretty business only while in others there is more friendly banter. It's all about getting a feel for what you like.

SoxWin · 11-07-2003, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thbroman
Great suggestions -- thanks.
Can you monitor leagues, then? There's something in your reply that suggests you can.

Check this thread for some good league discussions

Sure you can, check the website, follow the message board, maybe writing some articles for the commish on the league will get you moved to the top of the waiting list.

I only suggest this as joining a league that's a few years in (especially one using current rosters) will require some time to learn the "universe" as it were. If you're following the league for a bit previous to becoming a gm, you'll be able to jump in with 2 feet right from the get go.

Nukester · 11-07-2003, 11:40 PM

Ive been in alot of online leagues in the past, but most of them have been fly by night leagues where they dont make it past a season or two. The most annoying thing to me about online leagues are the lack of communication between owners. Not all owners but most owners.

In alot of the leagues Ive been involved in, the biggest bone of contension (?) is that the same 5 or 6 guys are always available online for trade talks and whatnot. The other 75 % of the owners end up being nothing more than roster turner-iners (is that a word ?) if that, that the other owners have absolutley no communication with, unless they show up at a draft or actually answer an e-mail. Personally I think a small league is better because of this fact. I guess if you get into a really really good league (Boys of Summer has been around along time as have a few others like the FOBL) where its more like a "baseball club" than it can be an absolute blast.

Also, your at the mercy of the Commish. A good Commish is consistant with sims and file/website updates. There is also that chance that the Commish's hamster caught a cold that day and he decided to skip that sim period.......then the league sits stagnant for another couple of days until the Commish is ready to go again.

Really you can put as much time into as you want. If you want to just make roster changes 3 times a week (or whatever number of sims the league does per week) the it takes only a couple of minutes 3 times a week. If you really want to enjoy a league, being online and available for instant chat about trade talks and stuff a few nights a week is the way to go....just my 2 cents on the experience.

11-07-2003, 05:43 PM	#1
thbroman All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 867	Solo gamer wants to come out of the closet Hey there -- For many years, I have played all kinds of games solo, in part because I can do them on my own time and in part because I don't like competing aginst other peoples' egos. I don't mind competing to win and losing, but I don't like playing against people who can't stand losing. So here's the first question: how much time does one have to devote to MP league play per week? Are your leagues flexible enough to accomodate different peoples' schedules? Second: how convivial do you find it to play MP? I must say that I find the tone and general cheeriness of this forum to be quite appealing, and I can well imagine that playing in a league against y'all would not be like going to chess tournaments as a 12-year-old (which I did for a while -- see the problem?) Last edited by thbroman; 11-07-2003 at 06:12 PM.

11-07-2003, 06:04 PM	#2
Steve Kuffrey Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: S.E. TN - Georgia born and raised Posts: 17,023	From less than an hour to several hours a week depending on the time of the season, league, etc. __________________ Steve Kuffrey DABS Atlanta Braves - 2008 Eastern Division Champ *DBLC Atlanta Braves - 2011, 2014 East Division Champ, 2012, 2013 NL Wildcard Baseball Maelstrom-Montreal Expos-2013 Tourney winner, 2014 WC Team Sparky's League - Tampa Bay D'Rays Epicenter Baseball League - Astros 2014 The CBL Rewind - Phillies '95

11-07-2003, 06:11 PM	#3
SoxWin Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Blissful ignorance Posts: 3,315	broman, there are a ton of excellent leagues out there, there are also some that won't last more then a year or two of sim time because of any number of reasons. If you're really interested, I'd check out the online league forums, there are a couple of threads right now about peoples opinions on various leagues and which ones people think are the best. The amount of fun you'll have and the level of activity will vary from league to league. I'd suggest you do some research, find one that appeals to you be it historic, fictional, modern day, whatever, and apply for a position. Many of the best leagues have little turnover but will allow "assistant gm's" who can help the gm run his team and take over when he's away or whatever. Personally, I have way more fun with an online league due to the interaction with other people, not to mention, it's just too damn easy to build a perennial winner in solo play. Bottom line imo. Find a league you like, put your name on the waiting list if there is one, and follow it or assistant gm for a while. This will give you a good feel for the players and owners so that when a spot opens up, you're fully "in the swing" so to speak. Have fun !! __________________ It's called partying. When you do a lot of it, you're bound to be places where the police show up. I smoke a lot of pot and drink a lot of beer. I also graduated Suma Cum Laude. ****ing sue me. - Luis Rivera

11-07-2003, 06:26 PM	#5
ey215 All Star Reserve Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Woodstock, GA Posts: 581	Convivial? That is a fantastic word. I had to look it up! I find that different leagues have different feels. One of my leagues is pretty business only while in others there is more friendly banter. It's all about getting a feel for what you like. __________________ "It is a haunted game in which every player is measured against the ghosts of all who have gone before. Most of all, it is about time and timelessness, speed and grace, failure and loss, imperishable hope - and coming home." Ken Burns, Baseball

11-07-2003, 11:40 PM	#7
Nukester All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Newburgh, NY Posts: 1,923	Ive been in alot of online leagues in the past, but most of them have been fly by night leagues where they dont make it past a season or two. The most annoying thing to me about online leagues are the lack of communication between owners. Not all owners but most owners. In alot of the leagues Ive been involved in, the biggest bone of contension (?) is that the same 5 or 6 guys are always available online for trade talks and whatnot. The other 75 % of the owners end up being nothing more than roster turner-iners (is that a word ?) if that, that the other owners have absolutley no communication with, unless they show up at a draft or actually answer an e-mail. Personally I think a small league is better because of this fact. I guess if you get into a really really good league (Boys of Summer has been around along time as have a few others like the FOBL) where its more like a "baseball club" than it can be an absolute blast. Also, your at the mercy of the Commish. A good Commish is consistant with sims and file/website updates. There is also that chance that the Commish's hamster caught a cold that day and he decided to skip that sim period.......then the league sits stagnant for another couple of days until the Commish is ready to go again. Really you can put as much time into as you want. If you want to just make roster changes 3 times a week (or whatever number of sims the league does per week) the it takes only a couple of minutes 3 times a week. If you really want to enjoy a league, being online and available for instant chat about trade talks and stuff a few nights a week is the way to go....just my 2 cents on the experience.