Customizable leagues. What options would you like to see?

I was reading another thread and there were a couple of posts about variable caps and two 6 team divisions with no wild card. I think those are GREAT ideas to have as options for customizable leagues.

It got me to thinking about other potential league options.

Obviously, the first thing that comes to mind is live drafts at any cap. It's been promised for years with no action.

Another option that has been widely discussed without implementation is being able to set lineups on a game by game basis instead of series by series.

One thing I'd like to see is the option to limit the player set being used. Currently, the only options available are pre and post WWII and NL or AL. One would think that it would be easy to limit the player set by year, for example 1970-1993. or by card type, such as having the option of not using the NeL cards.

How about a card randomizer option, where just one card of players with multiple cards is available for league use. The year of the card could be set forth before the draft, or for the adventurous types, after the draft. Can you imagine what a frenzy would be like if you didn't know which year player card you had until the frenzy started?

How about an option to turn off clutch hitting?

How about an option to eliminate ballpark effects?

What about an option to eliminate the home field advantage? Since we all get to choose a stadium and, in theory get to assemble a team that fits the stadium, is home field advantage necessary?

Speaking of stadiums, how about an option to limit stadiums?

I think a couple of the options listed above are already available on the CD ROM game, so they shouldn't be too hard to implement in the online game.

More options would probably lead to more interest, more leagues, more revenue for SOM and lower over all cost to gamers. It's a win-win situation.

The possibilities for options are almost limitless.

What options would you like to see?

I would like to see a choice of having a 5-7 man taxi squad and NO free agency during the season. This would make the formation of rosters more important and might encourage more trading. A team just can't throw some cards back in the pile and try some new players. You have to go with what you drafted. It might be an interesting option to have.

1. Unique stadiums. This gets used in a lot of theme leabues (including some barnstomers)
and is often mentioned as an option that should be built in.

2. Cost adjustements tied to a single parameters

Example 2A: A basestealers delight theme where all "A" stealers are $0.5 cheaper
Example 2B: A small ball first theme where all SLG > .550 pay a $0.5 premium

I would like to see default Left/Righty lineups for each stadium in a given league. I want to be able to set all 24 L/R line-ups before the season starts. And tweak them every now and then thru the season.

I hardly ever set my line-up for each series. If I did, my W-L record might be a little better...I just do not have the time or desire to do that every night. If you guys have the time to go in and set a line-up for every game you are playing, g-d bless you all.

I would also like the option to start a player at home or on the road only.

1. Unique stadiums. This gets used in a lot of theme leabues (including some barnstomers)
and is often mentioned as an option that should be built in.

2. Cost adjustements tied to a single parameters

Example 2A: A basestealers delight theme where all "A" stealers are $0.5 cheaper
Example 2B: A small ball first theme where all SLG > .550 pay a $0.5 premium

I really like the idea of unique stadiums in a league.

I think players salaries should be correlated to the stadium they are being drafted to. But, I know this would be way to complicated to expect it to happen.

A number of the options mentioned would be nice. But if implemented as optional configurtions for leagues I have to ask are you ready for the consequences? For each option you have and opt to use you are going to lose a certain number of players who do not like that option. Leagues will therefore take longer to fill.

For example I create a 200 mil league with no DH and 10% cap penalty.
Nobody who does not like 200 mil leagues are going to join.
Nobody who likes the DH is going to join.
Anyone who prefers 20% all the way or prefers the 5/10/20 graduated penalty is going to join.

Not opposed to more options. But think it might be wise to wait until the customer base grows some before putting in too many additional options or leagues may never fill because those playing will get spread too thin.

Now options that can be made available to any team in any league I am all for. Having the option to set per game lineups or not just as I now have the option to set a closer or not would be good because it is not a league creation option. An option to randomly choose a year for multi-year players for example though would have to be a league setting like the DH, no DH option and would add something else that will make leagues take longer to fill.

Now if you are ok with that consequence then does not matter. Just want people to think about the ramifications before they push too hard for specific items.

A couple of more nice options to have:

1. Limit the maximum salary of any player in the league. For example, a league creator could say no players greater than $8 mil. It could even be expanded to pitchers and hitters. For example, no hitters hitters greater than $7 mil, for those interested in having more pitching in leagues, or no starting pitchers greater than $5 mil or relief pitchers greater than $2 mil for those who like hitting.

2. Usage limits. How about giving league creators the option of limiting players to a certain percentage (say 120% or some other figure) of actual usage? It would have little impact on true all time greats, but would reduce the impact of players like Gates Brown, Phil Weintraub, Babe Adams, Dale Murray, etc., all of whom get far more use per season than the ABs or IPs on their cards. Limiting player usage would actually require managers to rest players from time to time and would greatly curb relief pitcher overuse/abuse. It would make the game a little more challenging if one has to rest players from time to time. Like number 1 above, the use limit option might be better if the option existed to apply it to hitters, pitchers, relief pitchers, etc.

I would like an option where you can play subsets in each league. Ex. 6 teams pre WWII and 6 teams post WWII or AL vs NL, something like that.

I am not big on the 6 team/2 division format. I would avoid that option. I prefer 4 team divisions. I think it keeps more owners interested in their team. If I am in 5th place midway into the season w/little chance to catch up, I am probably abandoning that team. JMO.

I think the 24 team format s/b discontinued and a 4 team/4 divison league implemented.

I want another option for waivers time. 9pm est/6pm pst or 10pm Est/7pm Pst would be preferable.

I think they should differentiate the STD leagues vs the ADV league. Maybe put some of the features brought up into each type of league. I would like to see the STD league stripped of highly extreme stadiums. Maybe even limit the card set as suggested before in this thread.

Just my 2 cents

I would like to see the option of chosing whether to have your players (or team) attempt to steal 3rd or home. This has lead to some real headaches for me, especially when over the course of the year, I see a .000 success rate.

LJs

One thing I'd like to see is the option to limit the player set being used. Currently, the only options available are pre and post WWII and NL or AL. One would think that it would be easy to limit the player set by year, for example 1970-1993. or by card type, such as having the option of not using the NeL cards.

How about a card randomizer option, where just one card of players with multiple cards is available for league use. The year of the card could be set forth before the draft, or for the adventurous types, after the draft. Can you imagine what a frenzy would be like if you didn't know which year player card you had until the frenzy started?

My thought was a random "set" of players available for the league. Let's say 700 players total, BUT randomized within salary ranges: Bonds, but no Ruth in the set; Pedro but no Maddux in the set.

This along with Randomized divisions once the Auto Draft spits out.