S57-58 Changes

[GM-crowfan65]

Hello to all the FTP managers, this is where we will post all the upcoming changes to FTP.
I am calling it S57-58 changes as some of the visual stuff will be installed as it is ready while the bigger in game changes will be EOS ready for next season.
I will transfer to announcements close to the EOS to remind everyone of the changes.

Bots Improvement
The first one I post tonight is a staged one for EOS57 and EOS58.
Bots for many seasons have been an automatic win but that will change.
At the EOS57 fatigue will be reduced to passable and form improved to average. (Yths will rate mid 50k, Snrs around 100K)
At the EOS58 fatigue will be reduced to revived and form improved to reasonable. (Yths will rate approx 70k, Snrs around 110K)
The idea is to make them competitive and help the new players to learn about the game rather than get auto wins.
The MRs are very close to the min MR for div 4 where most of these bots will exist.
We can tweak the second instalment if we feel the need. This will be communicated as early as possible in Ssn58.
We also are looking at botting and resetting teams only on the Sunday of Rnd 7, EOS and in Week 0 to catch any before the season starts (more once this is tested and working)

A Subtle Change Is Coming

New icons and some commentary changes are in order after many years, we hope you enjoy them.
YR link added to first page to remind managers to do their recruits.







Season 58

New Nat teams

At the end of season 58 these two teams will be joining our Nat ranks.

• Afghanistan

• Nepal

We anticipate that commencing with 16yo recruits that they may not actually be part of youth tours for possibly 7-8 seasons given it is 5 seasons minimum before the first ones start to turn 21. Senior tours will be another 7-8 or more likely before including the new teams. During this time they will be available for friendlies etc.
The random YR formula will be tweaked to include the new teams, each team giving up .6% to help accommodate these two.

Anyone who wants to help create a list of names, first names and surnames, are most welcome.
Even without them playing competitive matches we believe they should still have an experienced manager overseeing the setup.
More of this will be announced closer to the time.

New Leagues

At the end of season 58 these two countries will be getting leagues.

• USA

• UAE

As with all new countries, leagues will be filled from div 4 (given that's all we will have this time).
Promotion and demotion will be 4 up and 8 down so div 1 will be totally human by the 4th season.
Teams will be capped at 64 for the first season which is the total needed for a full human quota of teams in div 4.
First teams to apply will be those selected.
Things like gates, supporters, sponsorship and prizemoney will be as usual for the respective divs.

More details will follow closer to the time

[Muff]

Hello to all the FTP managers, this is where we will post all the upcoming changes to FTP.
I am calling it S57-58 changes as some of the visual stuff will be installed as it is ready while the bigger in game changes will be EOS ready for next season.
I will transfer to announcements close to the EOS to remind everyone of the changes.

Bots Improvement
The first one I post tonight is a staged one for EOS57 and EOS58.
Bots for many seasons have been an automatic win but that will change.
At the EOS57 fatigue will be reduced to passable and form improved to average. (Yths will rate mid 50k, Snrs around 100K)
At the EOS58 fatigue will be reduced to revived and form improved to reasonable. (Yths will rate approx 70k, Snrs around 110K)
The idea is to make them competitive and help the new players to learn about the game rather than get auto wins.
The MRs are very close to the min MR for div 4 where most of these bots will exist.
We can tweak the second instalment if we feel the need. This will be communicated as early as possible in Ssn58.
We also are looking at botting and resetting teams only on the Sunday of Rnd 7, EOS and in Week 0 to catch any before the season starts (more once this is tested and working)

Width the increase in competition from Bots, will the attendance also be increased so that lower division sides arent overly punished for being put into a bot heavy league?

[GM-crowfan65]

we have already inc bots to 800 supporters and bigger grounds 8k since we took over
Happy to have it under review for the first season

[Fgrenyu]

That would be good as it's not easy at the bottom when you have to maintain a 200k rated team to escape!

[Perry8]

imho, the difficulty financially being in Div4, potentially for multiple seasons, makes it really difficult to build the 180-200k rating team so that you're remotely competitive in Div 3. You end up having seasons of bot destroying only to promote and struggle to clutch a single game in Div3. The lack of gate receipts from constant bot games compounds week upon week upon week as 3 people turn up to the games. I imagine it would be a huge shock for new players to go from the anticipation of getting out of the bot leagues only to get pounded week in week out in Div3 human leagues as the current Div3 teams had multiple seasons to build up competitive teams and the new guys promote with dump truck teams they have no idea aren't competitive because they had no idea they need another million dollars invested (which they haven't received) to build a set up that won't just finish bottom of the table in Div3. Feels like it could be a washing machine cycle that sees them promote out of constant bot lobbies only to get spun around and rinsed by every human team in Div3 and spit them back into Div4 again.

I've played this game on and off for 15 years or so and I changed countries just a season ago (just before the incentives LOL) and even with my experience I found moving from Div4 to Div3 such a massive ballache. Being in Div3 is like night and day in comparison to being financially viable. And my 190k team is barely competitive. So I can't imagine what it's like for new players getting into Div3 in their second season with a 150k team only to see they have become the 'bots' of Div3. I'm sure that would cause some players to leave but only the mods would have that sort of data.

[GM-crowfan65]

Without looking at the data I am certain this happens.
Part of the reasoning to remove div 5 was so there was less bots with more teams from other nations taking their spots.
And once we have sorted a few things then promoting hard to gain new teams will also help.
Obviously human teams will mean more money around in div 4 thru gate takings and of course sponsorship is higher in div 4.
Getting those new teams more prepared for div 3 will also be important
On top of all of this is people need to understand that getting out of div 4 may require some patience (an all too forgotten human trait)
Reducing divs was about creating competition rather than bot bashes every week
Currently 21% of teams rate over 180k (on the 8 week avg), 12.5% promote each season; I am reasonably comfortable with those numbers
Maybe if things work out expanding into other leagues will be possible to create a new country to struggle in

[Fgrenyu]

21% of teams? There's three at 200k in my div four!

[GM-crowfan65]

there is 487 human teams in across 112 div4

[Madcarrot]

What level is your academy?
That's a massive expense.

My affiliate managed a triple promotion in their first ever full season last season. Just barely missing the SOD.

But in div3 T20 I'm currently the highest rated team and are have $750k in the bank. I'll definitely promote in SOD and should finish mid-table in the youths.

[Perry8]

I literally had to go 400k into debt last season just to beat you in the SOD @Madcarrot and I've promoted into a Div3 league with 3 teams rated 200k+ and I'm the 6th rated team at 192k. How a new player is expected to enjoy going from bashing up on bots to being completely and utterly non-competitive is something I think should be addressed. Like I'm not even a new team, I'm a long-time pre-existing team that just switched countries and I've promoted from a div4 with 6 bots and yourself and into a div3 league where if things don't go my way I'll get demoted back into the bot divisions with a team rated in the 190's. I think that's an issue. There's no amount of "patience" that a new player can exert that gets past the fact that because the core players of FTP have been around for a while the bar is gradually getting higher and higher in the next div up.

[GM-crowfan65]

I say patience is a big part because why rush out of div 4, as you said you did and madcarrot did but neither of you are new players
If I was there now I would sit and slowly build up a side full of outstanding primary players that mid season often go for 10-20 k, in the last 12 mths my affil has bought 9 of its 15 players for 115k, it was a new team in Nov 22 iirc.
We all want to climb the mountain quickly but for a newbie they need to learn the game and develop a strategy etc
I know it isn't easy but is it supposed to be.

Untitled.png

Just a breakdown of the OD Div 1 and what year teams started in
Yes it is tuff but not impossible to move up the divisions
In the last 3 yrs (not counting 2024 yet) make up a smidge more than 10% of teams in div 1

Of course if there is things we can do to make it easier for the newer players to understand then we need to look at it

[Perry8]

I was running at a loss in Div4 with a team barely capable of competing at Div3 level and only a Lavish academy. Being in Div3 has made all the difference for my team from a financial aspect. I would be in dire straits if I hadn't escaped the bots.

It was essential to make it out of Div4 in order to make the team financially viable. I would oppose anyone suggesting staying in Div4 for the long-term would be a good move for financial purposes.

[GM-crowfan65]

My first season with my affiliate
I made 614k despite 556k in purchases
Snr rated 160k and Yths 90k
Finished 2nd,4th,1st,3rd
So remember this side started 3 days before end of S52, the only difference is my experience

fin_1.png

res_1.png

Season 2 - made a smaller profit as i continued to build academy and sold and bought players who would develop further
Profit 286k meaning a kitty of 900k
Sides rated similar to first season, took a loss in YODs to continue building from the bottom
Promoted in 3 demoted back in 1

fin_2.png

res_2.png

Now I did go up and down a couple of times in the next seasons but now in div 3s with div2 in YOD
Should finish mid table for Seniors, top 3 for youths
13 snrs aged 22-26, 22 yths of which 4 are basically just 20
Rtg 200plus, 130ish
Academy Superior

[GM-crowfan65]

When I say the things I do it isnt at a whim or 'oh he's out of touch' etc
I run numbers, use my side or friends to see what is happening with new sides
As I said of course i have plenty of experience at this but it is something that others can learn from
Its just passing the info to them and them wanting to learn

[Fgrenyu]

Straight away, I can see the issue for Perry, it's that academy. You just can't run a lavish academy at those lower levels.