Live Drafts - Wait Time

I can't believe how long it takes to fill a live draft league. Years ago we had to go to a separate web site created by one of the players to be able to run a live draft. It was rudimentary and the time-limit to draft was a big issue. Sometimes it took over a week to draft.

Now they've built a terrific live draft here, and the set up is awesome. The time limit keeps the draft moving and in a few hours your done. If you have to walk away from the draft you can load picks easily.

There is nothing as fun as a live draft IMO. It is really a game within the game. And teams are better balanced and better suited to their stadiums across the league when it is over.

Maybe managers who never live drafted before are shying away from trying it? I would suggest trying the "mock draft" feature if you haven't yet, and seeing for yourself how easy it is to live draft.

I just can't believe that managers aren't jumping at the opportunity to direct their draft strategy instead of leaving it in HAL's hands.

I wonder if people liked those long leisurely drafts better than the quick ones.

I would like to do a live draft. However, the one I might have joined was set for 45 seconds. There is no way I'm going to join a 45-second live draft my first time. This is what motivated the post I made in the 20xx forum:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=635591

I just completed my first live Strat draft, it was great. It only took 2:20 to finish, almost too fast. I was the 11th or 12th player to sign up.....

I just completed my first live Strat draft, it was great. It only took 2:20 to finish, almost too fast. I was the 11th or 12th player to sign up.....

What was the time limit?
What was the player set? (Was it one you were familiar with?)

Tell us more.

I was in the same live draft as Jayhawk. It was my first time.

1970's set
2 hours 20 minutes
I think we had 120 seconds for each selection.

I noticed the instant messages and notification sounds stopped for me after the first minute or so of the draft. I had to rely solely on visuals, and not sound in order to know what was happening.

I agree with Jimmy and can't believe more people aren't jumping into these live draft leagues. Maybe it is just that people can't make the selected draft time but people do things like fantasy football drafts all the time. I am pretty busy right now with real baseball but when I get more time, I really plan on playing only keeper leagues and live draft leagues (unless these leagues continue to fill at a snail's pace.) I have entered one live draft so far:

80's
1 minute per pick
It took about 2 hours. I loved it. My team then stunk when I couldn't make up for getting the worst card for each of my top three picks. I did make one mistake when my next pick got selected by the team right before me. I took too long, my time ran out, and I got a random player I didn't want in round 20 or something.

the draft was great, it was 70s, so I am very familiar with the player set.

I would do another draft again. Interesting notes... 1. everybody blew their money early, 2. some players were picked that normally don't get selected otherwise (but no one drafted Briggs or Milner!) 3. Brett went 26th???, I was taking him if my other picks weren't available (got Schmidt) in round 1.

Maybe we should use the boards to set up a draft the play we used to do it. Then when ready we would then use the new draft tool. I have been waiting for weeks to do my first live draft.

Jayhawk, I was in that 1970s draft and I did not blow all my money early, but it doesn't matter. I also drafted George Brett in the early third round and then traded him.

The fact that it takes a while to fill these leagues proves there are only a few hundred or at most thousand people who play on-line SOM. Put the word out, invite people to join your leagues. If you have a friend who likes baseball, get him to try SOM.

Also if you are trying to fill a live draft league and the league does not fill on time, change the date of the draft immediately or else no one new can join (since the date of the draft is passed).

It is partly up to those of us who love this game to help keep it going. I would hate to see SOM go out of business.