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Little League Cycling | Sign-Up Now!
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-09-2015 10:45
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Welcome to Little League Cycling.
Little League Cycling is a project to start up a text-based cycling simulation game. The game is played in a cloud spread sheet document. Please read the text below before signing-up. It's important you read all the text before applying.
What?
Little League Cycling is a cycling simulator where you create and take control of an entire team. Each team has between 12 and 15 riders and there are a maximum of 24 teams. The teams compete in different races with different categories to try and win the League Title. Races earn them both points and money.
Money can be spend to:
1. upgrade riders' stats
2. bid on new riders/free agents
3. improve the team's professionalism by hiring mechanics, medical staff or transport comfort.
The goal of the game is to become the strongest team and win the Little League!
Game Set-Up
Some information is required.
First off, this game is an experiment. I put some time in it already and think I have thought it out quite well. I want to give this game a go. However, I have other things going on both on the site (CX:AND, The Two of Us, Man-Game) and in real life (school, music, friends). If the burden of this game weights too greatly, one of two things can happen:
1. I will probably ask for extra help somewhere down the line. Two or three "administrators" who help me run the game. Ideally, those helpers become co-hosts of this game and have just as much to say as me, but also have just as much work!
2. if no help is available and I cannot keep it running, it may stop. Just a fair warning. There are no guarantees in life. This is a project I want to do, but I have no idea how much work it'll be so I'll just have to see.
Cycling Simulator
The game is a cycling simulator. However, the results are not generated by a simulator. Every rider has his own individual stats (Flat Riding Sprinting, Climbing, Hills, Time-Trial, Downhill, Race Intelligence, Positioning, Power, Acceleration, Technique, Stamina, Fighter). The race results are based on the race's profile, the riders' stats and the team's tactics. The results itself, however, are decided like in the CX:AND game. They are manually set by the game hosts.
How to Play
You play the game in the Cloud Spread Sheet Document. Most tabs are locked and only editable by the game hosts. Those tabs are the teams and the stats of the riders, the rules, price money, free agents... You can view these tabs but you cannot edit. I did this to avoid having someone messing up the format by accident.
This thread is used to discuss the racing, discuss the league, post results, updates and deadlines.
In the document, you play mainly in the Buy/Sack/Hire and the Races 'month' tabs.
Buy/Sack/Hire
There are 6 columns. Fill out the appropriate columns depending on what you want to do.
Team Name: this is quite obvious.
Action: Choose an action. You can upgrade a stat, sack a rider, hire a staff member or bid on a free agent.
IMPORTANT: you cannot bid on a free agent if you have 15 riders.
Specify Object/Rider: Enter the name of the rider you're bidding on or sacking or state the object you're purchasing (eg mechanic)
Specify Stat: What stat are you upgrading?
Level - Level: Current level of this stat - future level of this stat
Price: How much does this transaction cost. Check the tab Prizes to find out.
Races 'month'
In this tab, you can see the races of the given month. We start in January, obviously. You can see the race information, profile and category (see Rules for more information on race types).
Now you can enter your team in the races. No races overlap and there is no limit on race days. Every team can enter 6 riders in every race. Give your rider a role.
Leader: This rider will go for the win. You can choose 6 leaders, but keep in mind that a leader needs help. So 1 leader and 5 domestiques is better than 6 leaders in most cases.
Free Role: This is an offensive strategy. This rider will attack or die trying. He will not help the leader in any way!
Sprinter: The sprinter. In a flat race, you can appoint your sprinter as leader, too, that matters little. But in some races, the outcome isn't certain yet. In that case, you can appoint a leader going for the attack on the final little hill while also appointing a sprinter who'll stand by to sprint if it comes down to a mass sprint.
Domestique: Arguably the most important role. This rider will help the leaders and sprinters by carrying bottles, setting the pace, going in breaks to put pressure on other teams, lead-out the sprinter...
Lieutenant: 2nd hand man for punchers and climbers. The one to stand by the leader the longest and, in the event of a fall or a fail, take up the leader's duties. You can only have one lieutenant per race.
Lead-Out:The destined lead-out for your sprinter. An important piece in the sprint preperation. You can only have one lead-out per race. Also, I need you to prove you've read all this by sending me a personal message with your sign-up form along with posting it below.
Having only six riders per race, you need to choose your roles well. Having a leader, a lieutenant, a free role and a sprinter for a particular race leaves only 2 spots left for domestiques. That might not be enough to get things your way.
Little League
Little League means exactly this: little league. There are no existing races, no grand tours. There aren't even any cobbled races. Most races are one-day races, flat, hilly, mountainous or a time trial. There are some stage races, consisting of maximum five race days. Keep this in mind when playing. These stage races are decided on points, not on time. This is also important when deciding your team and tactics. There are no time classifications in this game.
Also the results reflect this 'little' league. Only the top 10 of a race will be shown. There is no race summary, either. This allows the game to keep a steady pace and not get held up too often.
Sign-Up
Before signing-up, you state your interest below. Fill in the form below.
Manager Name:
Expected Activity:
Motivation:
Manager Name is just your nickname on the site.
Expected activity means, how much are you online/available to play? Be realistic here. Don't oversell yourself. If any, undersell. I don't like false promises 
Motivation: this is optional, but might be important when the interest is high. I will allow only 24 teams. (If interest is low, I'll go with 16 teams, this would even be more ideal to start with).
Is this game time consuming? I don't think so. The pace will not be high, because I have plenty of stuff to do.
What do I expect on your behalf? Besides the sign-up once you're in (I'll explain later how to sign-up using the spread sheet document), it's pretty easy. Every (in game) month, I post the upcoming races. You sign-up for the races you want and enter 6 races with their roles.
After the race, you can check your progress in the league and spend your money if you want.
The are only 10 spots in the Buy/Hire/Sack tab.This is true and on purpose. If you want to do an economic action, write it in an available slot. Whenever I finish the transaction, I'll delete your entry and a new slot opens for a new user. When all slots are filled, it means I haven't found time to do it yet and I don't want more than 10 actions so I can't fall behind too much.
EXCEPTION: I'll open up more slots if a free agent becomes available to bid on him.
That's it for now. Some last words from me here:
This is a test drive. I hope it works out. Don't kill me if it doesn't For those who already know me: you know I'm as transparent as possible. I'll communicate any upcoming problem as soon as possible.
I'm aiming for 16 - 24 teams. I won't be able to handle more. So don't play if you don't think you can keep it up.
Please, please don't try to mess up the cloud document. Only fill in things where you need to fill in something. Don't change the format or make any unnecessary changes. This could endanger the entire game.
Lastly, I've thought it out as well as I can, but I'm far from perfect. Some features may change during the course of the game, or new features may be implemented.
Hope everyone has a good time.
You can now apply using the form.
UPDATE: You can now sign-in directly in the cloud document. Fill in an open spot!
Sign-up, step by step:
Spoiler 1. Go to the [url=hhttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Jtx28OiGeh6tVEdaUo_zYel5oM7lqQh_C0JtQoPNIi0/edit?usp=sharing]Cloud Spread Sheet Document[/url] and open sign-up.
2. Take a free spot.
3. Fill in a team name.
4. Choose a team specialty. (or pick all-round). Use the triangle to choose an option.
5. Enter the team nationality.
6. Fill in your squad. Pick realistic names.
Age can be specified but can also be left 'Not Specified' (it'll be randomly decided)
You have a maximum of 3 leaders. However, the less leaders you'll choose, the stronger they'll be. 1 leader will amount to a stronger leader than 3. Other riders can lead certain races, too. This is just to decide the stats.
Leaders must have a specified specialty. For domestiques it's optional.
Now post here to state your team name and manager name.
Edited by Ian Butler on 11-10-2015 22:49
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-09-2015 10:45
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Reserved - teams
For now: used to note sign-ups!
jandal
trekbmc
Marcovdw
Edited by Ian Butler on 23-09-2015 19:40
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-09-2015 10:45
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Reserved - League Standings |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 14:04
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Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-09-2015 10:46
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Reserve (back-up) - Final Reserve |
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 23-09-2015 10:55
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World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1020.00
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Manager Name: jandal (7 and I'll kill you)
Expected Activity: Low to mid to high, depending on time. Low to mid on weekdays once school starts, mid to high on some weekends and holidays, though not as much sunny summer.
Motivation: It's you. Seriously that's it. I'm excited for this, definitely intriguing.
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 23-09-2015 11:23
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Team Leader
Posts: 7366
Joined: 11-07-2014
PCM$: 700.00
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Sounds great, especially after how well CX is done.  it reminds me of another online game I sometimes play.
Manager Name: Trekbmc
Expected Activity: mid to very high (probably high, but I can't make 100% promises)  Moving country so no school for a while so lots of activity for the next month or so, then usual CX levels probably, but it doesn't look too time consuming so I'll probably be good. 
Motivation: very high, this sounds great, I've played another online game of similar nature for quite a while (just 10 mins a day though usually though, it's not time consuming at all ) but I've always wished for a similar game that is more accessible, (as in something I can play with more connection to everything else happening, probably makes little sense )
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-09-2015 12:07
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Update: Races will probably contain a few details besides the race profile (eg: final sprint slightly uphill).
Race reports will feature the top 10, the BOTD and optionally a few sentences as a short race summary. |
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| Bikex |
Posted on 23-09-2015 12:07
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Team Leader
Posts: 7255
Joined: 25-08-2012
PCM$: 600.00
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Wow this seems like a great game. I'll finish reading all of it later and might join, but I'm still a little ashamed I didn't manage to stay active in your CX game. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-09-2015 12:12
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Bikex - hope to see you join well, this is quite different, though. Where CX is role-playing based with lots of reading, this is more of a mini-game sort of thing. Way less time consuming |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 23-09-2015 12:18
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World Champion
Posts: 14563
Joined: 08-08-2011
PCM$: 9100.00
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I'm having similar feelings as Bikex, but will see how this works out
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| Shonak |
Posted on 23-09-2015 12:33
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
Joined: 16-07-2013
PCM$: 350.00
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Well that came unexpected... 
I like the look of the game and the idea behind it, be thinking about entering.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Luxemburger |
Posted on 23-09-2015 16:02
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1215
Joined: 22-07-2014
PCM$: 200.00
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Manager Name: luxemburger
Expected Activity: about every two days
Motivation: I like this kind of forum games and am excited about this.
I have to see if my computer/tablet Can work properly with the worksheet, but because it's a Google it should work. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 23-09-2015 18:31
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Have also added a February calendar in the document already |
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| Marcovdw |
Posted on 23-09-2015 19:15
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7593
Joined: 04-07-2012
PCM$: 15345.00
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Manager Name: Marcovdw
Expected Activity: Online almost every day, will try to comment as much as possible
Motivation: I'm always in for a new game where there is no need for intense roleplaying. And when something is Ian Butler-related it's guaranteed to be good!
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 11-10-2015 21:49
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Small update is in order here.
There's only a very limited interest and that's possibly due to the date.
I'll relaunch this when the cycling season isn't ending, so perhaps somewhere around spring classics next year or so. See if the interest is higher than.
Thanks to those who expressed their interest, let's hope we can get more people on board in a few months.
Alternatively, I've opened the Sign-Up tab in the cloud document. You can sign-up taken a free team spot and fill it in. I'll check from time to time and if it gets filled up, we can start, too. But please do post here when you sign-up, stating your team name.
Sign-up, step by step:
Spoiler 1. Go to the [url=hhttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Jtx28OiGeh6tVEdaUo_zYel5oM7lqQh_C0JtQoPNIi0/edit?usp=sharing]Cloud Spread Sheet Document[/url] and open sign-up.
2. Take a free spot.
3. Fill in a team name.
4. Choose a team specialty. (or pick all-round). Use the triangle to choose an option.
5. Enter the team nationality.
6. Fill in your squad. Pick realistic names.
Age can be specified but can also be left 'Not Specified' (it'll be randomly decided)
You have a maximum of 3 leaders. However, the less leaders you'll choose, the stronger they'll be. 1 leader will amount to a stronger leader than 3. Other riders can lead certain races, too. This is just to decide the stats.
Leaders must have a specified specialty. For domestiques it's optional.
Now post here to state your team name and manager name.
Edited by Ian Butler on 11-10-2015 22:05
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 11-10-2015 22:01
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Team Leader
Posts: 7366
Joined: 11-07-2014
PCM$: 700.00
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Sorry, do we need to request edit access first?
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 11-10-2015 22:02
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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I think not. You should be able to edit in the sign-up tab with the link.
Let me know if it doesn't work, though! |
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 11-10-2015 22:03
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World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
PCM$: 1020.00
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It doesn't for me.
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
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 11-10-2015 22:04
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Oh wait I think it should work now. Try to refresh and try again. Does it work? |
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 11-10-2015 22:04
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Team Leader
Posts: 7366
Joined: 11-07-2014
PCM$: 700.00
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It doesn't seem to let me edit that tab?
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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