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 KCChiefsMan

I love this concept, love it. But who knows what the sim will be like. Im a long time goal line blitz vet and with that in mind I wonder. But im liking my roster, have a solid core going

Just like the draft process, we'll throw a fish on the table, everyone can poke it and have a taste, tell us what you like and don't like and we'll comeback with a better version.

[rageeumr]

Originally Posted by cdcox

Thanks.

Ok, all the Nick Fairleys are back where they belong.

Must be a glitch in the trade system.

I ended up with 3 Muhammad Wilkerson's as well. You can either fix it, or I'll trade you one of them for practically nothing

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

Clearwater has a trade request.

[lostcause]

Pick 364 about to be on the clock and is currently up for sale.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

The picks are really flying off the board today.

[Old Dog]

If anyone wants to move up to #397 in League 2 let me know. I'm about to make a stupid assed pick and I'm trying to keep myself from doing so.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

#368 might be available in league 1.....not sure.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

I'm on the clock. Come and get #368, bitches.

[rageeumr]

Very happy with that pick. 2 time Pro Bowler Roman Harper with pick #367.

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

Got a ****ing soldja.

(FYI the pro football reference link goes to his father's page, don't know if that needs to be corrected)

[kstater]

Damn you GoChiefs, I was 2 picks away from him.

[Old Dog]

interesting how close some of these guys are going in the two different drafts. He went 363 in L2

[Old Dog]

397 on deck and no semi reasonable offer will be refused. I REALLY don't wanna take this guy yet

[Branden Albert's Huge Balls]

Originally Posted by kstater

Damn you GoChiefs, I was 2 picks away from him.

I ALMOST went with another player.

Very good value at this spot, I think.

My next pick is going to make opponents quiver.

[kstater]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

I ALMOST went with another player.

Very good value at this spot, I think.

My next pick is going to make opponents quiver.

He's been at the top of my list for the last three picks, but kept pushing him down. Was gonna go with him this time.