Teams with $0 to spend on free agents are spending

Raderick · 02-01-2006, 04:52 AM

I posted this in the online leagues section, but it looks like it got only a minimal responce, so I'll post it here in hopes of more responces and hopefully a conclusion.

In the HPBL, one certain team currently has $0 to spend on free agents. However, the GM still is able to make free agent offers. He signed a few players, and still has top offers on one other player. However, when I try to make a free agent offer with that team (wondering how he did it) it gives me a "you do not have enough money to offer this contract" window.

Has anyone seen such a thing. Is this a bug, or is the GM exploiting something inside the game?

f.montoya · 02-01-2006, 07:43 AM

One way to narrow it down is to try making offers with a "team" password instead of the "commish" password. This will at least tell you if it's something exploitable from the GM standpoint. I've never seen this because our online league does the Free Agent period outside of the game.

Raderick · 02-01-2006, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by f.montoya

One way to narrow it down is to try making offers with a "team" password instead of the "commish" password. This will at least tell you if it's something exploitable from the GM standpoint. I've never seen this because our online league does the Free Agent period outside of the game.

I gave this a whirl. When you want to make a free agent offer with a team that has a team password, it gives you a commish password/team password window. I entered in the commissioner password, entered in a free agent offer and got the same "do not have enough money to afford this deal!" error.

sporr · 02-01-2006, 01:04 PM

There is no exploit that I know of short of increasing a team's cash, making the offer, and then taking the cash away again.

woburn · 02-01-2006, 07:03 PM

There is an exploit in this area. When the GM downloads the league file, he can release some players in his copy of the game to create salary space. Then he can enter FA bids. Since only the bids are exported and not the normal team files, the bids will show up for the commish but not the released players.
(yes, I've done this in one league before, not saying where

Raderick · 02-01-2006, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woburn

There is an exploit in this area. When the GM downloads the league file, he can release some players in his copy of the game to create salary space. Then he can enter FA bids. Since only the bids are exported and not the normal team files, the bids will show up for the commish but not the released players.
(yes, I've done this in one league before, not saying where

Thanks for letting me know. I think this is huge for any online league. I hope in v7, team exports and FA exports are put into one.

RchW · 02-01-2006, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raderick

Thanks for letting me know. I think this is huge for any online league. I hope in v7, team exports and FA exports are put into one.

I have always hated the FA circus with no team exports. I suspected this in a few leagues I was in but didn't understand the exploit clearly. If I was in an online league I'd ask the commish to call for team exports or monitor teams with low cash.

Mad Jackal · 02-03-2006, 02:44 PM

Why does that exploit sound like cheating to me?

How would you handle it in your league?

I mean, if the manager sent the list "I want to release X, Y, and Z" in an e-mail and the players were then removed before the offers were transacted, then that is one thing.

But some-one "releasing" players on his own machine and then not having them leave the team on the commish's (league) computer..............

f.montoya · 02-03-2006, 08:38 PM

I'd recommend a change in the way that the Free Agent period is run. Run it outside the game where finances and offers can be monitored.

RchW · 02-04-2006, 02:15 PM

Would it not be just as easy to require GM's to team export as well as FA export? It would keep the waiver wire up to date, a good source for cheap players. It would also stop GM's from hoarding talent on the DFA for a month.

I hope the new version integrates all pre season activity.

GardnerFTW · 02-04-2006, 07:30 PM

Perhaps you could prevent this from happening, by switching the league settings to not allow owners to release players at the beginning of the free agent period and then switching back immediately after finishing with the signing period. Not necessarily the ideal solution, but seems like it should prevent the problem, and only create a minor, temporary inconvience for owners who want to legitimately release a player.

Raderick · 02-05-2006, 03:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GardnerFTW

Perhaps you could prevent this from happening, by switching the league settings to not allow owners to release players at the beginning of the free agent period and then switching back immediately after finishing with the signing period. Not necessarily the ideal solution, but seems like it should prevent the problem, and only create a minor, temporary inconvience for owners who want to legitimately release a player.

Sounds like a good idea. Though I see one possible loophole, but it looks like it will work.

mrbill · 02-05-2006, 06:01 AM

Curious what the remaining loophole might be?

Raderick · 02-05-2006, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrbill

Curious what the remaining loophole might be?

Fairly simple. Owner un-zips the league file and places it in the OOTP folder. Owner released players so that the team has more cash to spend on free agents. Owner makes contract offers to players, exports FA exports. Then un-zips the league file once more, places it in the OOTP folder, then sends a team export, as if the owner did nothing.

jf7623 · 02-05-2006, 10:06 AM

Releasing players with contracts should make charge you for the remaining money, so I can't see how the team can get more money that way

Raderick · 02-05-2006, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jf7623

Releasing players with contracts should make charge you for the remaining money, so I can't see how the team can get more money that way

Releasing players frees up more cash to spend on free agents. My test confirms this.

02-01-2006, 04:52 AM	#1
Raderick Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 2,737	Teams with $0 to spend on free agents are spending I posted this in the online leagues section, but it looks like it got only a minimal responce, so I'll post it here in hopes of more responces and hopefully a conclusion. In the HPBL, one certain team currently has $0 to spend on free agents. However, the GM still is able to make free agent offers. He signed a few players, and still has top offers on one other player. However, when I try to make a free agent offer with that team (wondering how he did it) it gives me a "you do not have enough money to offer this contract" window. Has anyone seen such a thing. Is this a bug, or is the GM exploiting something inside the game? __________________ Last edited by Raderick; 02-01-2006 at 07:55 AM.

02-01-2006, 07:43 AM	#2
f.montoya Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,074	One way to narrow it down is to try making offers with a "team" password instead of the "commish" password. This will at least tell you if it's something exploitable from the GM standpoint. I've never seen this because our online league does the Free Agent period outside of the game. __________________ Fidel Montoya Asahi2 Baseball League ex-Commissioner(Historical League Since 2004) Ex-Web Host Current Mod Maker??

02-03-2006, 08:38 PM	#9
f.montoya Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,074	I'd recommend a change in the way that the Free Agent period is run. Run it outside the game where finances and offers can be monitored. __________________ Fidel Montoya Asahi2 Baseball League ex-Commissioner(Historical League Since 2004) Ex-Web Host Current Mod Maker??

02-04-2006, 02:15 PM	#10
RchW Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Toronto ON by way of Glasgow UK Posts: 15,629	Would it not be just as easy to require GM's to team export as well as FA export? It would keep the waiver wire up to date, a good source for cheap players. It would also stop GM's from hoarding talent on the DFA for a month. I hope the new version integrates all pre season activity. __________________ Cheers RichW If you’re looking for a good cause to donate money to please consider a Donation to Parkinson’s Canada. It may help me have a better future and if not me, someone else. Thanks. “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” Frank Wilhoit

02-05-2006, 06:01 AM	#13
mrbill All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: LA, CA Posts: 982	Curious what the remaining loophole might be? __________________ UBL - Best Online League Evar! - Los Angeles Dodgers: 25 seasons, 13 NL West titles, 4 WC, 8 NL Titles, 5-time Champs LBB v5 league (retired) - Detroit Tigers/Commish: 19 seasons, 18 straight AL Central titles, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2015 Champs! NGBL v6 league (dead) - Texas Rangers: 10 seasons, 4 AL South titles, 2 Wild Cards, one WS app

02-01-2006, 01:04 PM	#4
sporr Global Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Muscatine, IA Posts: 8,277	There is no exploit that I know of short of increasing a team's cash, making the offer, and then taking the cash away again.

02-01-2006, 07:03 PM	#5
woburn Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 191	There is an exploit in this area. When the GM downloads the league file, he can release some players in his copy of the game to create salary space. Then he can enter FA bids. Since only the bids are exported and not the normal team files, the bids will show up for the commish but not the released players. (yes, I've done this in one league before, not saying where

02-03-2006, 02:44 PM	#8
Mad Jackal Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 59	Why does that exploit sound like cheating to me? How would you handle it in your league? I mean, if the manager sent the list "I want to release X, Y, and Z" in an e-mail and the players were then removed before the offers were transacted, then that is one thing. But some-one "releasing" players on his own machine and then not having them leave the team on the commish's (league) computer..............

02-04-2006, 07:30 PM	#11
GardnerFTW Bat Boy Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 17	Perhaps you could prevent this from happening, by switching the league settings to not allow owners to release players at the beginning of the free agent period and then switching back immediately after finishing with the signing period. Not necessarily the ideal solution, but seems like it should prevent the problem, and only create a minor, temporary inconvience for owners who want to legitimately release a player.

02-05-2006, 10:06 AM	#15
jf7623 Banned Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 713 Infractions: 0/4 (4)	Releasing players with contracts should make charge you for the remaining money, so I can't see how the team can get more money that way