The cost to play was not well thought out. $$$

55 year old family man here.

First off. I was practically raised on both the baseball board game and the football board game.
To me, face to face football vs face to face baseball...Football is way better. Incredible memories of football board game leagues with my neighborhood friends growing up.
Baseball has it advantages as it lends itself well to play by mail leagues and I've played that a lot.

Love. Love. Love. Both games.
Avid player of both starting in 1975.
I stopped playing the football board game in the late 1980s.
I stopped playing the baseball board game in late 1990s.

A good friend tipped me off and I Started playing baseball 365 earlier this year. Love it.
Just started my 10th team.
Frustrating. In that all my baseball teams seem to go 500 no matter what my strategy ...but that's a rant for another board.

Anyway.
Ok. So...to play in a regular season baseball 365 league year round... In other words...To be playing at a minimum...nightly in a regular season baseball game... You would need to play in 6.759 leagues a year.

(Not assuming any special deals...) Strat sells baseball 365 for 5 at $79.99.

So. Playing year round...The cost is $108 a year. To me that seems reasonable.
Not cheap. But I am ok with it.

(Plus. The time spent building your teams for 6.759 leagues a year. I spend a ton of time setting up my auto draft lists. And then initially tweaking my roster with free agent adds and drops before the games start. 6.75 "builds" a year. Micromanaging my team daily through the app. That seems about right...To me.)

I am all in.

Now. Let's look at football.
To play year round you would need to play in 22.812 leagues.
5 leagues at $39.99 is the Strat bundle.

Yearly to continually play...that will cost $182.

Not to mention the ton of time spent searching for new leagues and setting up 22 teams yearly...

22 set ups...
To me. Not good.

Unless Strat goes to a "play one half of a game a night" or even better "play one quarter of a game per night"...
After I play the trial league and then the 2 leagues I bought at the $9.99 special...
It will be hard for me to stay in year round...my guess is...often...I will be watching from the sidelines.

A game a night for football does not work for me...really either.
I am hoping hoping hoping they go to "one quarter of one game per night"
That will allow in game strategy tweaks between quarters and will also be a yearly pace and cost I can enjoy and justify.

I have emailed this to Strat.

Will let you know if I hear back from Strat.

Great analysis Chris. I never looked at it that way, but it makes total sense or cents!

They responded and said no 1/2 game per night.

All you can do is say then no $$ coming your way.

They responded to me...

"Hi Chris,

We appreciate your feedback on the game! In the past we did have a game that ran at less than a full game per day to allow strategy changes. However when creating Football 365 we specifically wanted to make a game that is easier to play and that includes a full game each night. We certainly understand that some people want more strategy options and a slower pace to the season but that is not something we can do at this time.
​
Sincerely,
Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365"


Major bummer.

On average, you will get a free credit every six games and one extra free credit every 12 games.

That won't lower cost versus baseball but it does lower your cost on an absolute basis, especially if you are above average.

We appreciate your feedback on the game! In the past we did have a game that ran at less than a full game per day to allow strategy changes. However when creating Football 365 we specifically wanted to make a game that is easier to play and that includes a full game each night. We certainly understand that some people want more strategy options and a slower pace to the season but that is not something we can do at this time ....-From SOM.

-


Doh!.... Uh, is it too late to get my money back? How about I give you (SOM The Company) TWO football credits for one baseball credit?

Ugh, I had such high hopes.... I will be patient, just please make it a little better.

The owners of Football teams should get a choice of either a full cash refund or a 1 for 1 credit exchange for baseball.
I know the baseball team is more costly but SOM should take the hit for this mess.

They responded and said no 1/2 game per night.

All you can do is say then no $$ coming your way.

I had not heard that they said "No" to a half per night. TSN could do it, why couldn't SOM do it? This will push most of us away. Stupid move on their part.

They responded to me...

"Hi Chris,

We appreciate your feedback on the game! In the past we did have a game that ran at less than a full game per day to allow strategy changes. However when creating Football 365 we specifically wanted to make a game that is easier to play and that includes a full game each night. We certainly understand that some people want more strategy options and a slower pace to the season but that is not something we can do at this time.
​
Sincerely,
Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365"


Major bummer.

I take issue with their comments "we wanted to make a game that is easier to play and that includes a full game each night". That is such pure nonsense, it boggles the mind. I can't believe they would put that in writing. The only ones who want it easier....is SOM!!!! The programming folks apparently just mailed it in and said, meh, this is good enough. Who cares what the users want!!!!!