Mystery Game Format - Advice for New Players

With what seemed like a zillion messages, comments, sign-ups, etc. in the initial post of this tourney, I advise everyone to look over the rules page to see when the leagues are starting and what the rules are for each league. I received a message from someone in my league who didn't know we were starting the second league so soon. If you don't check in as often, please read that rules page so you know when you are supposed to be ready. I'm sure some hadn't checked in, then came back after the weekend and had a pile of "sign-up already!" messages. Let's give people a little leeway.

But I would assume everyone is checking their team on opening night and if we have sent messages in all the leagues, everyone should have heard by now.

Let's have fun!

HAL always chooses roation in order of highest salary to lowest.

My league started last night. I have four *SP and one $.75m SP, so I left my rotation blank, as I would have set it as most to least expensive, anyway. Sure enough, HAL set the rotation from most to least expensive.

Advice for new players - communicate, communicate, communicate. Actually, that goes for everyone. It can really be irritating to be constantly checking in and that last player never enters. Then, when you prepare to get an alternate, they jump in at the last second. Plus, if something comes up at the last day and you miss the deadline, we will go with an alternate.

I will pick on musicfactorypr@gmail.com since he is in my league. My PM has gone to the sent messages box, so he has read it. But no response. I e-mailed him, no response. Two people in his 60's league have contacted him and his response was "me too" to entering on time. I would hope for a better response and time period when he is going to enter. Still, if musicfactory is new I have some sympathy for this communication failure.

Oh one more thing, if you say you are going to be in at a certain time, get in or communicate otherwise. Thanks.

Let's get these leagues filled, be ready for the next one, and most importantly, have fun!

Chuck

Along the lines of communication, but on a different front:

In some leagues you will find that there is little communication during the season between managers, as far as trade offers, notes about unusual occurrences in games, etc; in others, you will find a relatively chatty group. It just depends on who is in the league. Some managers will make a lot of transactions, some will make almost none.

Whatever type of manager you are, I would suggest that honesty is the best policy.

For example: sometimes during the course of a season, another manager may inquire about trading for one of your players. If you have been able to figure out which season that player is on, or been able to narrow it down, you can tell that manager which card you think they are on if they ask you. You are not obligated to reveal that info, but I have found that most managers will tell you if they know, as a courtesy and in the spirit of fair play (keep in mind: there is no reason why any of us can't research players on other teams and figure that information out for ourselves... and ALL of us have made mistakes and misread an injury reveal or a player's tendency... it happens).

Just be fair about how you communicate. Every one of us approaches the game differently, so what I think is a perfectly fair trade offer may seem like a totally lopsided and unfair one to the person I offer it to. All of us are trying to improve our teams, but none of us should be looking to deceive or rip off another manager, and I have rarely seen that happen. Just be consistent about it: although some follow the policy of not saying as much to teams in their own division as to the other 8 teams (why help a division rival? ), I would say that I don't recall the last time I came across a manager who, for lack of a better word, lies to other competitors. We are competing... but in a fun and friendly way, hopefully.

One side note: If your team drops out of playoff contention, don't have a "fire sale": it is not in your best interest to do so in any sense whatsoever.

bump for new players in Single Team Theme League - 4 Decades