Congratulations Ian to another done season! I'm awful busy since Vague's retirement (coincidence? who knows!) but I'll make sure to get out season reviews for my guys in the coming weeks.
Looking forward to the new riders now!
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
If you are new to this, you can read up on what this all is here. This post officially opens the sign-up window for season 3. Sign-ups will last until Sunday 29th of November, 18:00 GMT+1 time.
In short: This is a role-playing fantasy game on Cyclo-cross. You create and role-play riders in the professional peloton. Your level of activity and, of course, your personal preference decides your rider's level. Inactivity will weaken your rider, or even force him into retirement. On the other hand, being a regular poster (with quality posts) will get your rider to the very top. It's a system that has worked very well in seasons 1 and 2.
2016 - 2017 Season
We will start season 3 of this game. The game is set in a fantasy world which all the players helped to create. Therefore, it is important you sign-up accordingly. If you enter the game with a young rider, there is no problem. Young riders make the leap to the pros every year. Yet if you want to join the game with an older rider, you will have to account for his absence in seasons 1 and 2. You are free to choose your own rider and his own history, but the history of our fantasy world should be respected. Feel free to ask around for this. I don't expect you to know this history if you're new or even if you're playing.
Players on CX: A New Dawn
Last season, I asked some players for their opinion on the game, and also on how time consuming it is. Then, I used them for attracting new players. I will do this again, these are the answers from last season.
trekbmc:
Spoiler
When I play it takes me 10-15 minutes for each rider update, maybe 7-8 minutes if I write a short one, it take about 5-10 minutes for tactics and at least 10 minutes of other stuff, but more if you're more active. Although, it's all fun
jandal7:
Spoiler
This game to me is another world, and thats a good thing, you can see everyone in the game as real people, it's so detailed but so simple, depending on how YOU want to play. It's really where the players want to take it, it's not the Man-Game, it's not EPIC. The game, I mean. This is most certainly epic, but nothing like EPIC. Make sense? This is due to quality writing from Ian, which contributed to his award, and us, the players. We shape how it goes. It can be as simple or as in-depth as you want. You can bend the rules of CX with revolutionary tactics, or not send any in and go on autopilot.
The game can take as long as you want, a weekly update or two for the less active players, or most days, and multiple posts for the most active. On race day it usually takes 5 minutes to read the report and then however long you want to role-play.
From my personal experience, I started off with a few pack-fillers and a couple of good riders. Now, just with activity, I've taken two wins, a Continental Championships included, and I'm podiuming two different competitions when my riders weren't even considered to be favorites.
Overall this might only take you half an hour a week, or a few hours, but what you put in is what you get out, all the time is worth it. The world, it's seems real. It's amazing.
Shonak:
Spoiler
Uh, it's awesome and everybody should take part in it. And yes, I'm serious. It's stunningly well written and captures in a great form the competition and tension of cycling with the special allure of Cyclo-Cross. The riders are interesting, though we could lack some more proper riders. I think the world itself is pretty well-crafted and it's a fun playground for one's imagination, in that way it really differs from the ManGame or other cycling story games. The races have an own sort of dynamic to read, and are always a joy. Having a top guy in the bunch is important though if you want to be a regular poster. SN showed for example though that by being a regular poster you can get the results too. It works out pretty fine actually.
About the time: Reading a preview takes roughly 1-2 minutes, reading a race between 5-10 minutes (including re-reading certain paragraphs for interviews later or because they are so fantastically written). Sometimes longer when the report is really long and detailed. Writing something is between 10 to 20 minutes, up to half an hour.
matt17br:
Spoiler
What you are doing is really amazing! That's what i mean by damn serious role playing experience.
When I write a post for Matt, I am Matt, the italian cyclocross rider and not Matt the pcm.daily member, and well, I love it. I'd like to write a post per day to describe how Matt feels before and after every race, but unfortunately i don't have enough time and I follow the game as in-depth as I can nonetheless. And why do I do it? Because I don't feel forced to do it, meaning that I like it! That's what the inactive members should understand, and what you should make them understand: that it is a fun game!
I gotta be fair. Before I joined this game I only superficially knew about cyclocross. After the first few reports, you made me watch the higjloghts of every important race, plus I've been to watch the italian championships LIVE! Guess, it's a compliment, and I swear it's true. Congrats, congrats, and congrats again.
The best part is that is not even time consuming. 10 minutes of average a day are enough to follow it closely and 20 when I write a blog post, but I feel like I need to do it. And that’s not just I have fun, but because you DESERVE it.
Smowz:
Spoiler
What appeals about the game is that you use a database that is unknown and that is more about pure roleplaying.
If you still have some questions about this game, ask below, pm me or take a look at the Game Thread and read some of the reports or some of the stunning role-playing posts.
Sign-Up
Sign-up using the below sign-up sheet. Post your sign-up in this thread. Remember that the Game Thread is for role-playing only!
Name: Nationality (region): Date of Birth: Height: * Weight: * Specialty: ** Weakness: ** Biography:
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical):
Sand:
Uphill:
Cobblestones:
Sprinting:
Explosiveness:
Flat (TT/riding hard):
Power:
Running:
Snow/Ice:
Jumping:
* optional
** choose an ability as a specialty and an ability as a weakness from the list below. Your specialty/weakness may change in the course of the game.
Young riders may not even know their specialty yet, or may have many weaknesses in the beginning.
Abilities (weaknesses between brackets)
Final round
Fast start (slow start)
Intelligent rider (impulsive rider)
All-rounder
Bad weather specialist (bad weather amateur)
Good weather specialist (sweating dude)
Technical genius (technically behind)
Powerhouse
Other... (come up with one yourself)
During the previous season, some U23 riders have come into the attention, too. You can choose to pick one of these riders to continue with. They are free to be filled in, all that they have done is ride one or two U23 races so far, so you can shape them to your creative image! List of U23 riders you can claim:
Chris Young is already 24 years old, keep that in mind. Van Niek is reserved for, obviously, Aidan on the site. He is SN's creation but if Aidan wants this rider modeled after himself, he has first pick.
Additional Sign-Up
Enter a team in the following format:
Name: Nationality: Budget: Low / Medium / High
Transfers will take place in the next two weeks, approximately. Transfers can be discussed here or through pm.
What Now?
A little help to get you organised. Follow these steps and you can't do wrong! But try to enjoy the game, most of all!
For new players: go through all the steps. For players coming out of season 1, follow steps 4, 6 and 7.
Step 1
Read the opening post (and extra information on the different types of races in the second post) of this thread. Any questions? PM me or ask below. Step 2
If you're interested, sign-up using the above sign-up sheet. Your application will either be accepted (through this forum), denied, or you will be asked to change it a bit. Step 3
When accepted: Welcome to the world of cyclo-cross! You can wait a bit for Step 4, or read up on the past season in the Game Thread. Step 4
This week, the season gets finished off with a final The Scope Review of the season, as well as probably some more reviews and comments in the Game Thread from playing members. Step 5
You can (note that this is just a guide, you don't have to do this) introduce your character in the Game Thread. Please read the opening post of the Game Thread carefully, first. Step 6
In the next two weeks, season 2 will slowly start up. The calendar will be revealed, so you can start planning your goals. The transfer season will kick in, so you can enter your rider in a particular team. You can post about your rider's adventures in the off-season in the Game Thread. Step 7
In approximately two weeks, the new season will begin. Thanks for playing, and welcome! Feel free to ask questions any time, either in this thread or by pm.
And, don't forget, the most important thing: have fun!
Stats obviously relative to each other. Gone down to two riders so will bring it back up as much as I can, obviously apart from I hope Ledoux newbies get priority. In priority and for now talent order. Obviously none of them that great with M. Listerijn and, to a lesser extent, Bauer in priority.
Ledoux
Spoiler
Name: Arthur Ledoux
Nationality (region): New Zealand
Date of Birth: 24/1/1994
Height: * 177cm
Weight: * 72
Specialty: ** Intelligent/CX Nerd: Can read a race like only the greats of history, he may not be as talented but he knows anything and everything about Cyclo-Cross and if you give him a whiff tactically he's one of the most astute in the sport. Fanboy so knows everything about everyone.
Tough Nut to Crack: Amazing at hanging on for dear life when many greater men would've cracked. He's dead in a sprint unless you're Mazzarelli or stupid but yeah, he's really hard to let go of
Resilience: He's a firm believer in there is no such thing as failure, only lessons to learn from. An awfully hard worker on anything he can improve on.
Weakness: Underconfident: He doesn't know he's good, he doesn't believe he can even be a pro + ?
Biography: Arthur Philippe Ledoux was born the middle child in a group of five. This means he got the least cool stuff, but more importantly for him the least attention. This meant instead of working on the family farm just beside Hinds, he could sneak out on his grandfather's old cross bike.
Before that, a note on his grandfather. Philippe and his brother Adrien were both top cross riders, with Adrien the more successful of the two, winning three world cups and a rainbow jersey. Philippe was always in his older brother's shadow, but this did not deter him as they were very close. Philippe won three medals in the World Championships... But they were all bronze. He won eleven top level races in his career, the most memorable the '63 Christmas Classic. Some of the pair's success was down to being sandwiched in the less revered era, that between the post-war glory of Jürgen van der Buyst and Marco Depay, the exhilarating seven years of just Wylle, Brocci, Vainquer and Vanautreve and eventually the first golden generation; but still nobody can deny their talent.
Anyway, young Ledoux had built himself a small course which he didn't want to tell his father about. This is because despite being a great man, his father is quite bitter about cross after failing dramatically in following in his father and uncle's footsteps, and moved to what was then the corner of the world where nobody would ever find CX unless you were lucky. Arthur had a unique photographic memory and great imagination, which meant he often pretended, realistically and without bias, to be racing agains other people.
Arthur trained in secret on his too-big bike until the local race when he was fifteen. He won with an canny attack near the end, just like his hero Tommy Jellique. It was an unseen tactical decision for a youngster, which caught the eye of a scout. However, nothing came of it due to his apparent lack of natural talent. Yet. But he's won big in the NZ amateur scene and as seen as their next prospect as the first wave dies out.
More to come...
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): very high
Sand: medium
Uphill: medium
Cobblestones: medium
Sprinting: very low
Explosiveness: medium
Flat (TT/riding hard): high
Power: medium
Running: high
Snow/Ice: medium
Jumping: very high
Listerijn
Spoiler
Name: Louis Listerijn
Nationality: Belgium (Flanders)
Date of Birth: 5/4/1998
Height: 169
Weight: 65
Specialty: Loyalty - Will do anything for his team leader if he can, even if it kills him to do a few seconds of work and have to chase up.
Fast start - Explosive rider, picks the right line round the first corner and is often near the front for a while
+ ?
Weaknesses: ? + ?
Bio: Growing up in Flanders, Louis Listerijn was addicted to the cross. With his namesake an ex-pro and his father the amateur champion of Flanders once, he and his big brother Milan just had to be. They grew up together, played together, rode together, fought against each other.
He idolized his older brother, second at the Junior World Champs at fifteen! But then it happened. With eyes that had obviously just cried, their parents said that they were going to New Zealand. For a while. And at that, Louis Listerijn's life turned upside down.
He didn't mind, in fact he respected what happens when Milan recounted it on the plane. But now he's following in Milan's footsteps and he's gonna make the jump up the the pros for 2016-17. His best result is fourth in the U-23 World Cup Races Torku and Port Elizabeth I only invented one, which is one less than I did for Milan
Bike Handling: medium
Sand: medium
Uphill: medium
Cobblestones: high
Sprinting: high
Explosiveness: high
Flat (TT/Riding Hard): high
Power: high
Running: medium
Snow/Ice: high
Jumping: medium
Whenuataki
Spoiler
Name: Dylan Whenuataki
Nationality: Fiji, who don't have a license, so New Zealand (Northland)
Date of Birth: 2/9/1996
Height: 174
Weight: 65
Specialty: Unknown
Weakness: Bad weather
Bio: Dylan Whenuataki was a late bloomer, only starting the cross four years ago when his parents saw the race for the cheeky teen, not knowing what it was for, and making him do it. Surprisingly, he loved it and tried to make a career out of it. New Zealand Champion, not that he can say that in the pros, he's gonna try and survive with the big boys.
Bike handling: medium
Sand: medium
Hill: medium
Cobblestones: very low
Sprinting: very low
Explosiveness: medium
Flat: low
Power: medium
Running: Low
Snow/Ice: very very very very very very very low
Jumping: low
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Astonishing season jokes aside, even better than the 1st for sure, felt like there's been some higher quality role playing as our little world is getting more and more real. Thanks for keeping this up Ian!
To all the new players, you don't give a sh*t about cyclocross? Join. You won't be bored I guarantee. I am looking forward to see who shows up, we have already earned 2 active lads since last season. Hopefully they'll be even more this year.
Very much looking forwards to The Scope's Review of the season, should be a great read. And then Football? Markson calls dibs on QB, TDF wouldn't be a bad TE and Goldie likes WR
Look forwards to some discussions on the calendar, got a nice post lined-up to aid that discussion as well as posts from all my riders on the end of the season.
Also will be good to see some news names joining and hopefully staying nicely active.
I want to sign up only one rider. Just keep it easy for me, for now.
Rosanski
Spoiler
Name: Paul Rosanski
Nationality (region): German (Saxony)
Date of Birth: 25.06.1996
Height: * 186
Weight: * 71
Specialty: ** Fighting Spirit, Bad weather specialist, Mad as hell
Weakness: ** Impulsive Rider, Mad as hell
Biography: Paul started his sport career with running. He was pretty decent on middle-short distances. But after a while, running was too boring for him. He began cycling and he looked up to Tony Martin, his favourite cyclist. He discovered that he has a great kick and that he can sprint very well, but the Endurance was his main problem. Hence he developed a fighting spirit, which outshines his endurance by far. When road cycling began to become boring as well, he started watching Cyclocross and he looked up to one of his big Idols in the sport, Matt Mazzarelli, because of which, he bought himself a Cyclocross-bike and started, practising Cyclocross. His punchyness is still his big weapon, but on the other hand, he struggles on sand and ice. He believes, that he can become one of the greats in the sport. One of his good mates, Milan Listerijn is now in his league and he really wants to race with him.
Stats: [Choose between: very low, low, medium, high, very high]
Bike Handling (technical): very high
Sand: high
Uphill: high
Cobblestones: high
Sprinting: low
Explosiveness: very high
Flat (TT/riding hard): high
Power: high
Running: high
Snow/Ice: low
Jumping: medium
Some things I couldn't resist saying but aren't needed :
Spoiler
Speciality: Bad Weather Specialist
Sylvain and Matt have another rival in that.
but the endurance was the main problem. Hence he developed a fighting spirit.
I did the exact opposite in real life had good endurance but no technical skills and sprinting so I just attack in every single race (I would be perfect for jandal's ICL team )
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
TheManxMissile wrote:
Very much looking forwards to The Scope's Review of the season, should be a great read. And then Football? Markson calls dibs on QB, TDF wouldn't be a bad TE and Goldie likes WR
Look forwards to some discussions on the calendar, got a nice post lined-up to aid that discussion as well as posts from all my riders on the end of the season.
Also will be good to see some news names joining and hopefully staying nicely active.
No football this time around, unfortunately (no regular nor american ) when I asked around people seemed to think it was good for one time but not as a habit.
Still, could do it if enough people do think it'd be nice.
As an alternative I had a pre-season spectacle where riders will contest each other on different disciplines like: jumping contest (who jumps the highest bar?) and the dune challenge (who can stay on his bike the longest on a high dune, who gets at the heighest point), things like that.
Also, thanks a lot jandal and shonak for including this in your signatures as well! hope we see 2-3 new active players added this season and not lose anyone we have now
Actually something to think about would be great to see the brother not join Milan but choose his own path
It's something I've considered and I tried to allude to it in my post. I can pretty much confirm he'll be a Topsport or BKCP if he's allowed. Of course, when Milan vs Vague reaches the level of their lookalikes it would be amusing to see Milan trying to convince his brother to come to his side instead
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
@Paul: Rosanski is - of course - accepted.
@jandal: Louis is in, Ledoux is in. WhenUAttackme could be but waiting on other entries first. So Bennett and Hira to retire and Milan and Lachy to stay? Is that correct?
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Already looking forward to the next one with new riders. 
Ledoux
Listerijn
![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
Rosanski
