BuzzerBeater Forums

Yes, I agree - we did a poor job of predicting how managers would react to the latest set of changes. I don't think we were wrong in planning the economy in the long run, but we were definitely wrong in predicting the market reaction. I think part of the problem is that we have access to a lot more data than anybody else does, which means that we know how people *should* react given the global picture. I can tell you that given the global economy in BuzzerBeater, the current spike in prices is predominantly a mistake. Then again, so was $100 oil last year, and it went well beyond that and did all sorts of damage before it eventually corrected. If you study markets, you know that rational behavior does not always dominate and the amount of damage it can do when uncorrected.

If we felt that BuzzerBeater were primarily an economic game, we'd just let this go unregulated and allow teams who did a better job of understanding market dynamics to gain a major edge. We don't -- we feel BuzzerBeater is primarily a basketball manager game in which managing your finances is just one major component. It's our job as game designers to allow multiple strategies to flourish, and not to let things get imbalanced to the point that you are best served ignoring all other aspects of the game to focus on just one. If this price bubble gets out of hand, that's exactly what would happen; it would get to the point where for many teams the correct strategy would be to sell everybody, demote, and then rebuy players when prices go back down because the extra money would be sufficient to immediately repromote and make a major profit. When we feel that many teams would be better served in the long run by ignoring basketball and focusing on the economy, we act to try and fix that, just as we act whenever any other one aspect of the game is out of balance.

First the tsunami of the Yeas Sayers; now the tsunami of the Nays Sayers. I find this game interesting in basket sims as well as in game development. And I agree some action were needed. At one point FA needed to be stopped flooding due to the mass deflation and now the opposite measurement need to be taken.Same as the FED try to influence the inflation/deflation in the market; you should have the same kind of instrument in your hand before going out of control. Above statement was one I really had in mind as well and it takes guts to post it. Some people will shoot you for this; especially the ones who bought 7 million Point Guards. But I felt the other angle need to be heard too.

I asked managers on different levels and all of them has no more match income than before.

Last edited by rwystyrk at 10/4/2009 3:12:54 PM

Just between us, are you sure the prices will drop soon?
I consider also that the seasons are gone away and the best players are trained by human teams it will be hard to find great players coming from bots and even in this case I don't think the prices will go down thanks to the FAs ;)

OK; just between us then. I was amazed the quality players came out of FA last time. Who would train players until triple wondrous and then go bot? Still some of those came weekly on the market.

Drop soon? no. It will take awhile maybe 2 seasons to settle. The promotions bonus; arena deconstruction and merchandise; the perfect draftee sale; arena cap and the regular growth of a team and final the growth of BB itself combining the ""irrational"" behavior on the buyer/seller market; the bubble will not go away soon..On a personal note I do find it very interesting; since I am a marketeer and a economics fanatic.

IMO, introducing back the FA will have an immediate impact to the current economic state of BB... It might not benefit a lot of teams, but it would really help stabilize the BB economy in the long run...

By just announcing that the FAs will be re-introduced, buying now would immediately decrease because managers would be anticipating what kind of FA they can get from the transfer list and therefore would try to save up for these FAs as soon as they come up in the transfer market...

My second work is "marketing researcher", my first work is "Basketball coach", so I want play a basketball game, no doubt.

Market could fluctuate for some time and then find a breakeven point, this happens in a perfect market economy. BB is not, I know, but let's check the results of new economy level and allow people to find his way to create the team in a new economy era.

Economy is wrong? Ok, but I think you should anticipate economic news for the next season (season 11-12 and so on, as you have done before for GE and these new merchandising adjustments), not for the immediate (among other things this "immediate" is not well defined... WHEN free agent will appear again? for how many days? weeks? months? seasons?).

I don't like FA, even if they are good market affairs (usually), but they don't allow economy to stay in a good level, because many dollars or euros will disappear and many trainers will sell their "self-made players" at low prices.
You have to wait to find a good prospect on the draft LOTTERY, that doesn't show a user ability, but show his... ass! If you wanna buy a good prospect you have to pay a lot, if you wanna but a good player of 22-23 years old you will pay him less of this moment, because there will be some free agent that could be better as skills and you won't favour nobody with your money... because this money will be lost in the BB economy and money won't be earned by a BB user.

That's my opinion, I don't say that I'm right and you're wrong, but the WAY of inform users of that is wrong in a Basketball Manager Browser Game, where you have to program seasons, promotions, how grow talents and targets... my opinion.

EDIT: second point... you said to me that BB would have as primary target to be a Basketball Manager Online, but when I saw and read interesting ideas on "how to improve" the tactical component you, not as Charles, but you as creator of BB are not interested to refine on. I could send a BB-Mail (it's better a real e-mail!) of what could be ameliorate in a short-medium and in a medium-long term :-) with mine and italian point of you

Last edited by Steve Makis™ at 10/4/2009 3:56:40 PM

IMO, introducing back the FA will have an immediate impact to the current economic state of BB... It might not benefit a lot of teams, but it would really help stabilize the BB economy in the long run...

Why this not happened when we saw players paid 10m four seasons ago when we had players and FAs on the market?
It will help but this is not the key, guys the market is the end of the process not the beginning. In the real life you go to the shops if you've money to spend and if you're the only one to have money be sure the prices at the shops will stay stable, if there are other 100 people like you (with money in the pockets) the prices will raise but what we see on the markets is the final step I hope we can agree on this.

Why this not happened when we saw players paid 10m four seasons ago when we had players and FAs on the market?

This is not about a few players being sold overpriced sporadically, it is about every player (including crappies) sold as well. It's not about FA's, it is about taking money away.

Why have some managers got to get advantages in every economy fix? If someone bought a player yesterday, ok have a player now, enjoy it!, if have payed overprices.. well, could be a bad choice, but still have that player on the roster so, try to enjoy it!
It's not about taking personal advantages and complining when things aren't good enough for us.

That's my opinion only.

My question is to "answer" to everyone believes that the FAs will reduce the inflaction not to you ;)

As someone said above I prefer the economy we had last season less money more fun, imho

Don't talk me about prediction on the market because it's my second work :-) so I know how market works in real life and on BB I could imagine the same... when investigations are depth, market work good with minimal adjustments and... re-introduction of FA is not minimal and moreover not budgeted

Then you should know the devil is in the details. I missed where the BB's announced the details on this round of free agency, particularly what salary/skill threshold will be. I mean, that would be important information to determine that FA is going to drastically reduce the price of players. Can you point me to those details?

Then you should know the devil is in the details. I missed where the BB's announced the details on this round of free agency, particularly what salary/skill threshold will be. I mean, that would be important information to determine that FA is going to drastically reduce the price of players. Can you point me to those details?

Can you? If not... allow people who knows to answer to my point of view. You seem very aggressive to me and many other and you seem a little bit out of range with your answers.

If BB-Charles or some BB interested will answer to my latest post I will be glad.

Thank you, bye