Finals - live draft discussion

Hi. Just wanted to update you briefly on the question of a live draft for the finals.

Just want you to know that my intention was not to do a quick live draft. There is a league that I'm part of - NLD - that used the "diamond dope" site to do live drafts with the current year cards. I understand that this site might still be used for live drafts for ATG strat leagues, but not much else, and not recent 200X cards, lately anyway.

Here's the thing. My idea for a live draft for the finals was based on my experience with the NLD league. In that league, we used time limits of up to 3 hours for our picks.

Before you get uptight about a draft that would go on for weeks, I want to tell you that the idea is that you would load your next pick ready to go as a "proxy". When your turn comes, the computer will use the "proxy" as your pick, if that player is still available. Ideally, you would also have loaded some alternate "proxies", in case your #1 pick isn't available.

By efficiently using "proxy" picks, a whole round or 2 of the draft can occur within 2 seconds of real life time! BUT, having 3 hours available for your next pick means that you're not under significant pressure. Most of the time, if you miss your pick by more than 3 hours, a few people will pick before you (out of turn) , and then you can make your pick right away and catch up.

So, I've come to really like that way of picking your team. It avoids some of the "black box" aggravation that comes with the autodraft, when you really don't know how you missed your desired picks, and you get alternates that don't fit at all with your original plan.

Here's the catch - the new live draft used by Strat-O-Matic sounds like it's working well, but it does not yet have the longer turn time limits that I was hoping for, for the PC finals.

I'm going to wait a while longer to see if they come out with that in the next month or so. I understand that it's a priority for Strat.

In the meantime, if anyone in the semifinals wants to post feedback, comments or questions on the finals, or the live draft concept, please fire away on this thread!

Cheers, and good luck in the semi's! I think it's just about the 7th inning stretch right now!

Geoff

For players that haven't tried the live draft yet, I encourage you to try it sometime in early to mid-March. This applies to myself as well (!). Try to get familiar with it.

I'd appreciate any feedback you have in connection with the possibility of using it in the PC finals. Just keep in mind that my intention is to have longer turn time limits - like a couple of hours, or maybe 3 hours. See my previous post.

Thanks,
Geoff

I agree, Geoff. Due to the short time limits, the SOM live draft is really not suitable for tournament use yet, because there are almost certain to be managers unfairly disadvantaged by lack of full availability during the brief draft window, no matter when it's set, and relying on proxies basically means missing out on the "live" draft.

There's been a discussion on this same topic in the Barnstormers' forum, arriving at the same conclusion: SOM's lack of 2 or 3-hour pick times makes their live draft impractical for tourney events.

Besides, there have been no live drafts in the tournament, and the Champions League is not the time to start experimenting. There should be at least one live draft or live-draft-optional event tried in the qualifying rounds before it's used in the finals, IMO. Maybe next year.

Points taken - good points.

What do you think about a limited number of rounds drafted on the forum boards? Say 3 rounds and a ballpark draft - 4 rounds altogether. Ballpark draft first, then 3 round player draft, then the autodraft and waivers.

What do you think about that idea?

As much as it intrigues me (and given that I'm usually at the top of the waiver wire after autodrafts, live couldn't hurt me), I feel like that would be like playing the World Series starting with a 1-1 count for the first 3 innings. We had many successful teams using the autodraft to get here, so why change the format suddenly? I think maybe next tournament, the events should be split between draft styles, and then we'll all be prepared. However, it doesn't matter too much to me. I just hope I can overcome a 1 game deficit in the wild card with 18 games to go just to make it to the party.

Agree with mesquiton & NYY, we've autodrafted every team in the tourney so it seems odd to try and live draft now.

Ok. Decision made with input from a fine company of gentleman. We will autodraft.

However , there will be a live draft for stadiums in the finals - unique stadiums.

Thanks guys !

I've had a private message in favour of the draft and I'm reconsidering the idea of a draft. Stay tuned please.

Thanks

Why not have either the 12 finalists when they are determined or the 36 semifinalists vote? Might be a fair way to do things; preferences and feelings about the consistency aside, there's no right answer.

I agree. Also, no disrespect, but, Geoff, as a potential finalist with a high draft pick, you have an obvious conflict of interest in making this decision by yourself, so I think the appearance of fairness requires that it be a group decision, based on public discussion or vote, not private messages to the commish.