Your Chance To Participate In A New Football Phenomenon (Sandbox Simulations) - Page 108

**Rain Man** · 08-08-2011, 02:01 PM

I apologize if the mods think this is soliciting, and I guess it is, but at the same time it's beta testing a new product developed by long-time planeteers, and it's free.

cdcox and I have been developing a new football game for the thoughtful fan, where players build franchises and compete against each other. A description is below.

If you're interested, we're offering the game for free in Year 1 to Chiefsplanet members, with the goal of both giving the system a dry run and also hooking you like Phillip Morris. You can go to www.sandboxsimulations.com to sign up, and use the access code 6Lanier3.

Here's the overview:

Build and manage a full 53-player roster over multiple seasons, as an offseason activity to give you year-round football

Select your personnel to match your offensive and defensive scheme. Every position matters – even your blocking tight end.

Realistic and accurate simulations of league games based on head-to-head matchups against other teams in your league.

This is essentially a new concept in fantasy football that attempts to simulate as closely as possible the management of a real NFL franchise over a multi-year period. Unlike regular fantasy football, every position on the offense and defense contributes to your success or failure. On special teams, the punter, kicker, and kick returners matter.

In Sandbox Football you will build a team – an entire 53-man football team – via an initial draft, and will maintain it year after year in annual rookie drafts, trading periods, and free agency. You compete against teams in your league. In the first year of the game, before the start of the NFL season, you will build your roster by drafting veterans and rookies through separate drafts, and through trades with other teams in the league. Your roster is frozen at the beginning of the NFL season. During the real regular NFL season, you can focus on your traditional fantasy games and perhaps keep on eye on your Sandbox roster as our statistical models build the data on player performances. At the end of the regular NFL season, the Sandbox season begins. There will be 16 games in the season. In real time, the season will run about 8 weeks (2 alternate reality games per week).

Game outcomes will be simulated based on the performance of individual players during the just-completed NFL regular season. The simulations, developed by a PhD statistical expert, estimate how individual players will perform in the context of your alternate reality team competing head-to-head against other teams in the league and with the specific team that you have built. The simulations will consider the offensive and defensive schemes that you select. So you can build your roster to support a power running game or a high-flying passing attack. You can run a 3-4 or 4-3 base defense. You can run nickel formations or four-wide receiver sets. You can rotate your DL to keep them fresh.

The game is more about building a team than playing video games. So this isn't Madden, but you will have the ability to tweak your game plan to take the best advantage of your roster and the weaknesses of your opponent. Injuries are a factor in the game. If a player is unavailable during weeks 3 through 6 in the NFL, he is also unavailable during the same weeks in the alternate reality season. So roster depth matters. The game simulations are based on the most advanced statistics and the latest research regarding what matters in winning an NFL game. But, the outcomes of the games have a random component, just like real NFL games.

The calendar for the alternate reality league year will look something like this:
• Jan to Mid March: Alternate Reality regular season and playoffs.
• Mid-March to the beginning of NFL season: Roster building through trades, veteran draft (first year), free agent drafts (2nd year and beyond), and rookie draft.
• Beginning of NFL season to end of regular NFL season: Alternate reality league is dormant, but the NFL players are generating their performance stats for the up-coming AR league.
• Rinse and repeat.

Copyright Sandbox Simulations, all rights reserved.

We're still finalizing the cost structure, but this won't be an expensive game to play at all. It might range from a few bucks a year to $50 per year, depending on a few factors.

Year 1 will require a couple of days of drafting with rather high intensity, but we've got it set up where you can put your draft list together and do customized and automated drafting if you like.

So...go! Now! Time to get ready for the draft!

**AustinChief** · 08-27-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

lol, i learned my lesson with leigh bodden...if you want someone added to the database, ask right before your next pick

You would have lost him anyway. I don't use the list of available players at all. I search for players that I am targeting... I would have added him myself had you not.

lostcause · 08-27-2011, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

LOL, I was scared that you or Rain Man were going to take one of the players I asked for.

I added Thomas Davis to the draft pool a couple days ago, took a guard with 526 and then held my breath for 100 picks since I had traded 574 and 579.

I kept putting Davis at the top of my list and scratching him right before my next pick. Good pick up if he can stay on the field...

Same for Otah.

brorth · 08-28-2011, 03:45 PM

I think autopick was turned off for the St Louis Spiders, they're 10 picks down.

**Old Dog** · 08-28-2011, 07:58 PM

Am I safe in assuming "Nick" Kaeding is supposed to be Nate? Nate is who I'm wanting to take at #781

cdcox · 08-28-2011, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by truebigdog

Am I safe in assuming "Nick" Kaeding is supposed to be Nate? Nate is who I'm wanting to take at #781

Yep. I'll fix it soon.

rageeumr · 08-28-2011, 08:17 PM

Was there some database that you guys were able to pull names from in a semi-efficient manner, or is the player list a product of good ole data entry?

**Rain Man** · 08-28-2011, 08:22 PM

We bought the data from an outside source. I don't know if cdcox wants to share more right now or not. (In the long run, we don't want others buying it just to win their league, though it's not cheap.)

rageeumr · 08-28-2011, 08:30 PM

Eh, I don't need any more info. I was just curious how the database was populated.

cdcox · 08-28-2011, 08:39 PM

Even with the purchased data, all of the rookies, kickers and punters had to be entered manually. So "Nick" Kaeding was my fault.

Branden Albert's Huge Balls · 08-29-2011, 03:46 PM

lol, someone just took Barry Richardson

Fat Elvis · 08-29-2011, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

lol, i learned my lesson with leigh bodden...if you want someone added to the database, ask right before your next pick

you aren't the only one who wanted bodden....

lostcause · 08-29-2011, 10:07 PM

If anyone is looking to trade down a few picks this round, send me an offer

Branden Albert's Huge Balls · 08-29-2011, 10:26 PM

whatll you give for 718

**Rain Man** · 08-29-2011, 10:54 PM

We're definitely drafting for depth now.

brorth · 08-30-2011, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

We're definitely drafting for depth now.

It's getting harder to find players that will even make a team.
I pick a name, google it (because that's what I'm down to), and the articles are all the same.

"Player X has been passed on the depth chart by Player Y, now it's a three way competition for the last spot with Player Z."

The actual, real teams don't even know if some of the depth we'll be picking this week are making the roster.

08-08-2011, 02:01 PM
Rain Man Welcome, Eric Fisher & Friends Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: 1.61 KM high city Casino cash: $62676957	Your Chance To Participate In A New Football Phenomenon (Sandbox Simulations) I apologize if the mods think this is soliciting, and I guess it is, but at the same time it's beta testing a new product developed by long-time planeteers, and it's free. cdcox and I have been developing a new football game for the thoughtful fan, where players build franchises and compete against each other. A description is below. If you're interested, we're offering the game for free in Year 1 to Chiefsplanet members, with the goal of both giving the system a dry run and also hooking you like Phillip Morris. You can go to www.sandboxsimulations.com to sign up, and use the access code 6Lanier3. Here's the overview: Build and manage a full 53-player roster over multiple seasons, as an offseason activity to give you year-round football Select your personnel to match your offensive and defensive scheme. Every position matters – even your blocking tight end. Realistic and accurate simulations of league games based on head-to-head matchups against other teams in your league. This is essentially a new concept in fantasy football that attempts to simulate as closely as possible the management of a real NFL franchise over a multi-year period. Unlike regular fantasy football, every position on the offense and defense contributes to your success or failure. On special teams, the punter, kicker, and kick returners matter. In Sandbox Football you will build a team – an entire 53-man football team – via an initial draft, and will maintain it year after year in annual rookie drafts, trading periods, and free agency. You compete against teams in your league. In the first year of the game, before the start of the NFL season, you will build your roster by drafting veterans and rookies through separate drafts, and through trades with other teams in the league. Your roster is frozen at the beginning of the NFL season. During the real regular NFL season, you can focus on your traditional fantasy games and perhaps keep on eye on your Sandbox roster as our statistical models build the data on player performances. At the end of the regular NFL season, the Sandbox season begins. There will be 16 games in the season. In real time, the season will run about 8 weeks (2 alternate reality games per week). Game outcomes will be simulated based on the performance of individual players during the just-completed NFL regular season. The simulations, developed by a PhD statistical expert, estimate how individual players will perform in the context of your alternate reality team competing head-to-head against other teams in the league and with the specific team that you have built. The simulations will consider the offensive and defensive schemes that you select. So you can build your roster to support a power running game or a high-flying passing attack. You can run a 3-4 or 4-3 base defense. You can run nickel formations or four-wide receiver sets. You can rotate your DL to keep them fresh. The game is more about building a team than playing video games. So this isn't Madden, but you will have the ability to tweak your game plan to take the best advantage of your roster and the weaknesses of your opponent. Injuries are a factor in the game. If a player is unavailable during weeks 3 through 6 in the NFL, he is also unavailable during the same weeks in the alternate reality season. So roster depth matters. The game simulations are based on the most advanced statistics and the latest research regarding what matters in winning an NFL game. But, the outcomes of the games have a random component, just like real NFL games. The calendar for the alternate reality league year will look something like this: • Jan to Mid March: Alternate Reality regular season and playoffs. • Mid-March to the beginning of NFL season: Roster building through trades, veteran draft (first year), free agent drafts (2nd year and beyond), and rookie draft. • Beginning of NFL season to end of regular NFL season: Alternate reality league is dormant, but the NFL players are generating their performance stats for the up-coming AR league. • Rinse and repeat. Copyright Sandbox Simulations, all rights reserved. We're still finalizing the cost structure, but this won't be an expensive game to play at all. It might range from a few bucks a year to $50 per year, depending on a few factors. Year 1 will require a couple of days of drafting with rather high intensity, but we've got it set up where you can put your draft list together and do customized and automated drafting if you like. So...go! Now! Time to get ready for the draft!
Posts: 66,682

08-28-2011, 03:45 PM	#1608
brorth Starter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: lobation Casino cash: $51774	I think autopick was turned off for the St Louis Spiders, they're 10 picks down.
Posts: 793

08-28-2011, 07:58 PM	#1609
Old Dog Supporter Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Central Kansas Casino cash: $19923155	Am I safe in assuming "Nick" Kaeding is supposed to be Nate? Nate is who I'm wanting to take at #781
Posts: 8,070

08-28-2011, 08:17 PM	#1611
rageeumr Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Oooooooooolathe Casino cash: $305038	Was there some database that you guys were able to pull names from in a semi-efficient manner, or is the player list a product of good ole data entry?
Posts: 2,086

08-28-2011, 08:22 PM	#1612
Rain Man Welcome, Eric Fisher & Friends Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: 1.61 KM high city Casino cash: $62676957	We bought the data from an outside source. I don't know if cdcox wants to share more right now or not. (In the long run, we don't want others buying it just to win their league, though it's not cheap.) __________________ Onward Fisher, Onward Fisher, block right through that line. Block the ball clear down the field, a touchdown sure this time. Onward Fisher, Onward Fisher, fight on for her fame. Fight, fellows, fight, fight, fight, we'll win this game.
Posts: 66,682

08-28-2011, 08:30 PM	#1613
rageeumr Veteran Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Oooooooooolathe Casino cash: $305038	Eh, I don't need any more info. I was just curious how the database was populated.
Posts: 2,086

08-28-2011, 08:39 PM	#1614
cdcox www.nfl-forecast.com Join Date: Sep 2000 Casino cash: $1362671	Even with the purchased data, all of the rookies, kickers and punters had to be entered manually. So "Nick" Kaeding was my fault.
Posts: 28,161

08-29-2011, 03:46 PM	#1615
Branden Albert's Huge Balls ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: In the Soup Nazis Kitchen Casino cash: $153580	lol, someone just took Barry Richardson __________________ Alex Smith's career record when the opponent scores at least 24 points: 2-27-1
Posts: 150,559

08-29-2011, 10:07 PM	#1617
lostcause I'm bringing sexy back Join Date: Apr 2009 Casino cash: $16382	If anyone is looking to trade down a few picks this round, send me an offer
Posts: 1,326

08-29-2011, 10:26 PM	#1618
Branden Albert's Huge Balls ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: In the Soup Nazis Kitchen Casino cash: $153580	whatll you give for 718 __________________ Alex Smith's career record when the opponent scores at least 24 points: 2-27-1
Posts: 150,559

08-29-2011, 10:54 PM	#1619
Rain Man Welcome, Eric Fisher & Friends Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: 1.61 KM high city Casino cash: $62676957	We're definitely drafting for depth now. __________________ Onward Fisher, Onward Fisher, block right through that line. Block the ball clear down the field, a touchdown sure this time. Onward Fisher, Onward Fisher, fight on for her fame. Fight, fellows, fight, fight, fight, we'll win this game.
Posts: 66,682

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