After playing Pcm 13, 14 and 15. I could not really get into 16. It felt like luck and taking risks never paid off and that the strongest rider would always win. I also found it so difficult to sign new riders as having to wait for new riders to want to sign would always tie my transfer funds for long periods of time. I also found I was terrible at negotiating contracts. After some long negotiations riders could sometimes ask for twice the amount of their current salary (which I would refuse) and then they sign for a lot less to another team.
Finally I really wanted to make a story about a time trialist but hated the fact that you could not plan your fitness
for signings: I do it in a rotating system for example:
in a CT team I have 20 riders on my list from which I realistically can sign 5
-->then I offer each day as many as possible a contract
---> if a rider signs then perfect
---> if a rider says he has better options then negotiate
---> if a rider says he wants to wait then deny it and never wait (well, you can fo1-2 riders you really really really want), so that you have some fluent funds
now with this system you go through your list with other riders until you reached the end of your list --> then you just start again at the top and do the same
also you have to accept 2 things with PCM16:
- the best talents only go to WT teams
- you won't ever sign all your top wishes
if you're from a lower division and you have no national boundaries or fame on offer there is so much more money needed to compensate for that that you better just turn away from that signing (in terms of division boundaries: being great and looking to promote will help you nothing, that is neither a factor for AI team signings nor a factor for riders decisions) [one cause for the horrible fact that relegating WT teams are most likely overpowered in PCT and promoting PCT teams are most likely tthe worst in WT
for fitness: well you can plan that for 4 weeks in advance can't you?
for racing: in mountain races and hilly summits I agree with you: you can only win those if you're lucky and the peloton for some reason doesn't chase you or if you are really superior - in a normal final 5 km drag race (on a higher PCM level) up a hill or on a final mountain I have never stood a chance against the AI - eeven if you go on 99 effort you most likely get ouot paced by other riders on hills, on MTN races I had it that going with an 85 effort with an 82 Mo rider was slower than a 78 rider that was fading already - also had a lot of strong puncheurs win slowly raced mountain top stages which is as weird as the downhill finish AI system
here surely some work is needed, we can only hope for PCM17
