Asunto: I.1

I hate RFA rules so much. Why are players up every year after 32? All of my money is going to keeping my team. Also unfair, as depending on the day of the week and what page they’re at really changes how high bids they get.

I am so agree. This season I already spent ~ 200M on UFA/RFA compensation.

Yeah! And all it does is hurt good teams from Smaller countries. Teams from Europe get so much more money, but we’re subject to the same rules as them. And they can afford to get 50+ mil bids on all their players every year. Completely unfair system.

Yeah! And all it does is hurt good teams from Smaller countries. Teams from Europe get so much more money, but we’re subject to the same rules as them. And they can afford to get 50+ mil bids on all their players every year. Completely unfair system.

I look it as the old days of the Montreal Expos. Excellent team in an "unfair" system. Reality says that is the way it is so you either play in that system or fold. For many years their best players packed up at free agency time for "obvious financial reasons". America had the bucks and the players went there. I think it is the same here.

So, as my team matures and gets ready for bigger things, I just accept that fact. I look forward to doing my very best with the resources that I have. Reality says that post-2nd 3 year FA contract, my guys will leave. I will just work on my youth system to replace them...

Yeah, but we are not at the point where the top 1st league teams are. The players that we value on our teams are not even considered by the top teams. Our best players may get UFA/RFA offers for 10-20M maybe... but at the top of the game they have so much money they can just throw absurd ammounts at players.

In a way, it creates rotation in the top teams which is not bad. Teams have to go through cycles when they accept to be less performant as they rebuild their ressources to afford to get and keep the top players.

Of course, this is the reality of the game here in Canada, but not necessarily in the countries where this game is more popular. is definitely challenging for our top teams to try to keep up with the top teams of richer countries

Exactly. And my top players get 50 - 100 mil bids. It's crippling financially.

And I still think its unfair that there is a geographic advantage

Couldn't be further from the truth. There is no such thing as "geographic advantage". There is only a handful of teams worldwide that own better sponsorship deals that the top canadian team does right now. And they have to play in far more competitive leagues and must spent a lot more money to keep up.

In fact all of the top teams are loosing money right now. They draw on their reserves which they built up during the first 10 seasons or so (back then there was no free agency and very little staff and player salaries) or in some cases even demote their facilities to be able to afford the top players.

However, there certainly is a "league advantage", i.e. in some leagues the road to success is easier than others.

I haven't got there yet but I am psychologically preparing for it now. That's why I get rid of a lot of my guys now. I know when the day comes they will run off with some rich club from Slovakia so...fuck them.
But seriously I don't think it is unfair as such. Unfair means to me that some guy out there is breaking the rules of the game and I notice from the "red board" that the gamemasters are out there, hunting and blocking guys who are trying to cheat. Unfair means to me that a ProPack gives you an edge in this game and it doesn't.
They say flat out that countries with more teams get better money. Is that fair? It certainly is debatable. I don't think it is fair at a surface level but neither is giving the number 6 team in Belarus the same money as number 6 in Czech. But at least they are direct and say that and I respect that. I try my best to challenge the Division 3 teams in Canada so as to promote the game as best I can. This game is a pyramid scheme and I am keenly aware that in such a game your own survival is based on those below you.
I love this game and I think it is great. I don't want to make problems with others I just want to compete. The only reason I am involved in this chat is for the outside chance of meeting someone with a big-ass, high revenue potential arena.

What was that German guy's name again...?

Two of my players recently became UFA's:

Sébastien Rondet - I got him in the beginning of the season for 28M, now someone bid 43M on him.
Guus Ruijter - got him for 46M last season. This is his 2nd season 0/6, he's already lost about 32 OR, but somebody still bid 100M (!) on him.

Those "somebody" have been making idiotic decisions, but in the end this is my team who will suffer. Either I lose money, or I lose players for nothing.

The first one you definately got cheap only because he was gonna be UFA soon and that more or less meant you were gonna have to pay twice to have him.

In the second case, it is definately a lot of money. But it's a 2.8k player we're talking about. They always go for very expensive on the market no matter what their career path is.

I know in the first league things are a bit different... you need those high profile players to compete, but for my case, at least while I'm not in 1st league, I prefer to trade away players before they reach free agency or prepare the transition when they are very high level. I decided to do this with my top goalie Mleziva (2.4k). I was worried that he would fetch an enormous amount of money as an RFA. I was able to grab for cheap a replacement that will be suitable and now I will sell him. He's on the market for 26M right now.

For this reason I try to sell players before they go UFA-II. At least with UFA-I you get 3 seasons out of the payment.

In other news, my time in Antarctica led to a 8-2 finish in the Champions' League. However, the last game of the round robin I lost 12-0 and am now third in the group and not advancing due to goal differential. That is really poopy.

PS. Hi from McMurdo Station!

Racoons (sic) drops Game 1 of Round 1 handily to 8th place. A lot of high-profile players departed recently and unfortunately for him just a bit too soon to see out an amazing season.

Ouch. Swept. Great job Mano. Good luck both Racoons and Mano in the finals.

Thanks! I was very surprised that happened.