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

[Rain Man]

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!

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by lostcause

Don't think its a matter of starts, just injury availibility

This.

[lostcause]

If pitt is interested in matt moore to keep them relevant...

[cdcox]

Simulations are up for week 3. I still need to work on the game management.

[lostcause]

Spiking the clock with 0.01 left in 4ththe qtr after a possession change I noticed.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by lostcause

Spiking the clock with 0.01 left in 4ththe qtr after a possession change I noticed.

Yeah, I saw that. I have code that should prevent that from happening, but for some reason it isn't working. I'll look at it again.

[AustinChief]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Simulations are up for week 3. I still need to work on the game management.

Awesome! St Joe Stetsons roll to 3-0!

[Sully]

I'm still having an issue with my 3rd rb being my primary ball carrier. It very well could be user error.

[Dartgod]

Clearly a glitch in the code:

Kansas City
2nd Q 6:45 1st and 10 Provo 41 Thomas Jones rushes for 0 yards.
2nd Q 6:03 2nd and 10 Provo 41 David Garrard (pressured) passes complete to Roy E. Williams for a gain of 9 yards.
2nd Q 5:18 3rd and 1 Provo 32 Thomas Jones rushes for 32 yards. Touchdown, conversion

[Dartgod]

On this two minute drill at the end of the 2nd quarter, why did Provo kick the FG from the 1 with 13 secs and 1 time out left? It was 1st down and with a TO in my pocket it would have made sense to run one more play from scrimmage.

Provo
2nd Q 1:37 Robbie Gould kicks 68 yards, returned for 25 yards by Darren Sproles
2nd Q 1:29 1st and 10 Provo 27 Ryan Mathews rushes for 6 yards.
2nd Q 1:07 2nd and 4 Provo 33 Ben Roethlisberger passes complete to Michael Jenkins for a gain of 12 yards.
2nd Q 0:53 1st and 10 Provo 45 Ben Roethlisberger spikes the ball to kill the clock.
2nd Q 0:51 2nd and 10 Provo 45 Ben Roethlisberger passes incomplete to Nate Washington.
2nd Q 0:44 3rd and 10 Provo 45 Ben Roethlisberger (pressured) passes complete to Nate Washington for a gain of 28 yards.
2nd Q 0:30 1st and 10 Kansas City 27 Ben Roethlisberger spikes the ball to kill the clock.
2nd Q 0:28 2nd and 10 Kansas City 27 Ben Roethlisberger (pressured) passes incomplete to Michael Jenkins.
2nd Q 0:21 3rd and 10 Kansas City 27 Ben Roethlisberger (pressured) passes complete to Michael Jenkins for a gain of 26 yards. time out Provo
2nd Q 0:13 1st and goal Kansas City 1 Nick Folk field goal attempt from 18 yards. Good.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Sully

I'm still having an issue with my 3rd rb being my primary ball carrier. It very well could be user error.

Yep, user error.

Go to the very bottom of the Offensive Game Plan page.

Your current settings are

#2 RB = 50%
#3 RB = 20%

That only leaves 30% for your #1 RB.

You probably want something like

#2 RB = 30%
#3 RB = 10%

Which would give your #1 back 60% of the carries.

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

Clearly a glitch in the code:

Kansas City
2nd Q 6:45 1st and 10 Provo 41 Thomas Jones rushes for 0 yards.
2nd Q 6:03 2nd and 10 Provo 41 David Garrard (pressured) passes complete to Roy E. Williams for a gain of 9 yards.
2nd Q 5:18 3rd and 1 Provo 32 Thomas Jones rushes for 32 yards. Touchdown, conversion

Jones did have a 26 yard run last season...

[cdcox]

Originally Posted by Dartgod

On this two minute drill at the end of the 2nd quarter, why did Provo kick the FG from the 1 with 13 secs and 1 time out left? It was 1st down and with a TO in my pocket it would have made sense to run one more play from scrimmage.

Provo
2nd Q 1:37 Robbie Gould kicks 68 yards, returned for 25 yards by Darren Sproles
2nd Q 1:29 1st and 10 Provo 27 Ryan Mathews rushes for 6 yards.
2nd Q 1:07 2nd and 4 Provo 33 Ben Roethlisberger passes complete to Michael Jenkins for a gain of 12 yards.
2nd Q 0:53 1st and 10 Provo 45 Ben Roethlisberger spikes the ball to kill the clock.
2nd Q 0:51 2nd and 10 Provo 45 Ben Roethlisberger passes incomplete to Nate Washington.
2nd Q 0:44 3rd and 10 Provo 45 Ben Roethlisberger (pressured) passes complete to Nate Washington for a gain of 28 yards.
2nd Q 0:30 1st and 10 Kansas City 27 Ben Roethlisberger spikes the ball to kill the clock.
2nd Q 0:28 2nd and 10 Kansas City 27 Ben Roethlisberger (pressured) passes incomplete to Michael Jenkins.
2nd Q 0:21 3rd and 10 Kansas City 27 Ben Roethlisberger (pressured) passes complete to Michael Jenkins for a gain of 26 yards. time out Provo
2nd Q 0:13 1st and goal Kansas City 1 Nick Folk field goal attempt from 18 yards. Good.

I agree. I tried to use some simple rules for decision making, but situations where bad decisions are made are pretty common. I wonder if I could make a neural network to emulate the coaching decisions...

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

Jesus Christ, I saw the Pittsburgh Tacos in the left column and thought I had lost for a second.

As it is, I'm pissed I only beat them 17-8.

[Sully]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Yep, user error.

Go to the very bottom of the Offensive Game Plan page.

Your current settings are

#2 RB = 50%
#3 RB = 20%

That only leaves 30% for your #1 RB.

You probably want something like

#2 RB = 30%
#3 RB = 10%

Which would give your #1 back 60% of the carries.

Thank you

[Rain Man]

Hmm, is there such a thing as a 10-yard roughing the passer penalty? I thought it was a post-play 15-yarder.

Portland
1st Q 13:06 1st and 10 Portland 19 Colt McCoy (pressured) passes complete to free agent for a gain of 8 yards. PENALTY. Roughing the Passer on Israel Idonije. 10 yards.
1st Q 12:58 1st and 10 Portland 29 Chris D. Johnson rushes for 3 yards.
1st Q 12:16 2nd and 7 Portland 32 Colt McCoy passes complete to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a gain of 24 yards.
1st Q 11:31 1st and 10 Richmond 44 Chris D. Johnson rushes for 0 yards.
1st Q 10:49 2nd and 10 Richmond 44 Chris D. Johnson rushes for 4 yards.
1st Q 10:07 3rd and 6 Richmond 40 Colt McCoy (pressured) scrambles for 9 yards.
1st Q 9:25 1st and 10 Richmond 31 Colt McCoy (pressured) passes incomplete to Jermaine Gresham.
1st Q 9:18 2nd and 10 Richmond 31 Chris D. Johnson rushes for 1 yards.
1st Q 8:36 3rd and 9 Richmond 30 Colt McCoy passes incomplete to T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
1st Q 8:29 4th and 9 Richmond 30 Rob Bironas field goal attempt from 47 yards. Good.