Official Challenge 12 Rules

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:49 pm

Since our rules have evolved over time and we've streamlined quite a few for this challenge, I'm laying out the rules for Challenge 12, just so there isn't any confusion. Please read these even if you have participated in our challenges before. Several existing and unchanged rules may be repeated in this post, just to keep things simple and easy to find in this one post. If the updated rules in this post do not say otherwise, please defer to the original rules of this section.

Section 1: Unstanding and Gaining Entry To A Challenge : This section has not changed. Please take a moment to click the link and read through this section and refresh your memory.

Section 2: Challenge Setup & Gameplay :

* You must start a new game using the latest Lidas Roster Update (currently version 1.1).

* At minimum, NHL, AHL, ECHL and Canada's Junior teams must be set to 'Enhanced'. All others are optional. You can set them to 'Standard' or 'Enhanced'.

* The 'Game Start Date' must be set to 'North America (Aug. 30th 2006)' for this challenge.

* We are no running a fantasy draft, so the 'Start With Fantasy Draft' box must remain unchecked.

* 'Use Real Names' and 'Enable Fog of War' should both be checked!

* You must create a GM for your NHL team (the NY Islanders for this challenge). Creating a GM for you AHL affiliate (the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in this case) is optional but highly recommended!

* When creating your GM(s), please keep the GM's name "clean". No profanity please. If you are also creating a GM for your AHL affiliate, please make sure to give him a different name than your NHL GM. The 'Nationality' can be whichever you choose.

* When adding your GM(s), the 'Past Experience' should be set to 'Automatic'.

* You must at all times be the only one in charge of player movement and team management for your NHL challenge team. This means you cannot ever set your challenge team to go on 'vacation'.

* You may set your AHL affiliate GM to go on vacation. If you set your AHL affiliate GM to go on vacation you should have your 'Vacation Options' set to 'None'/'Do Not Change'/'Reject All'/'None'/'No'. Basically, this does not allow any player movement or contract negotiations to happen while the AHL GM is on vacation.

* You may play as many or as few seasons as you choose. We do, however, encourage everyone to approach their team as a three year arc and not to just build a "win now" or "pay with our future to improve our present" team. We will record additional seasons as long as there is still enough interest to make a Challenge worthwhile and competitive (i.e. at least 4 people participating in that season of the challenge).

* You are not allowed however to be GM of a National Team during a Challenge. This is an effort to keep the GMs on an "even playing field".

* You must coach all games.You are not allowed to sim through the games with the Head Coach controlling them. You must be in control of all in-game tactics.

Budget:

There is no "TBL Budget" for this challenge. You must stick to the budget you are given by the team. In this challenge, the NY Islanders have allowed you $44.8M and you start the game with an 'Averaged Club Salary' of $38.8M, so you're starting within your budget. Your 'Total Annual Player Salaries' is $46.25M when you start and that is over the budget but as long as you keep your 'Averaged Club Salary' within budget, you'll be fine. The budget you are given by the team may change in season 2 and beyond. You will be required to post a screenshot showing your budget (as explained in the next section) with your first quarter stats post.

Section 3: Challenge Stats Recording :

Stats recording should be the same as in the original section (linked above). You must post your stats at the 20, 40, 60, and end of season (82 games plus any playoff games played).

The Challenge Stat Recording tool may be found here. The tool is in a MS Excel format. If you do not own Excel, go to Google and search for Open Office. It is a free open source version of the software and it will allow you to use the tool.

Requirements:

1st quarter (20 games)

* Stats from recording tool

* Names of Young UFA signings

* Names of Standard UFA signings (none in 1st season)

* Names of Homegrown player(s) (none in 1st season)

* Screenshots of Homegrown's 'Playing Career' and 'News' from the 'History' screen of the player profile.

* Screenshot of Finances

* Screenshot of player contracts. This is done by going to the 'Roster' screen, setting the 'Filter' to 'All Contracted'. Then change the 'View' to 'Contract'. This will show all players you have under contract (including those assigned to your AHL affiliate and those sent back to their junior club) and how much you are paying them. This will not fit in one screen shot. You will have to take 2 screenshots. Take one, scroll down to show the rest, and then take another. You can either post 2 separate screenshots for this or if you'd like you can "stitch" them together in something like Photoshop to make one extended screenshot. Your choice.

* Screenshot of the 'Staff Out' page in your 'Transactions'. (1st season only)

2nd quarter (40 games) and 3rd quarter (60 games)

* Stats from recording tool

4th quarter (82 games and Playoffs)

These stats and screenshots should be taken in the month of June. This should ensure that the playoffs have ended (even if you weren't invovled) and the free agency period hasn't started.

* Stats from recording tool

* Screenshot of Finances

* Screenshot of player contracts. This is done by going to the 'Roster' screen, setting the 'Filter' to 'All Contracted'. Then change the 'View' to 'Contract'. This will show all players you have under contract (including those assigned to your AHL affiliate and those sent back to their junior club) and how much you are paying them. This will not fit in one screen shot. You will have to take 2 screenshots. Take one, scroll down to show the rest, and then take another. You can either post 2 separate screenshots for this or if you'd like you can "stitch" them together in something like Photoshop to make one extended screenshot. Your choice.

* Screenshot of the 'Staff Out' page in your 'Transactions'. (1st season only)

* Screenshot of the NHL Standings

* Screenshot of your team's Player Stats

* Screenshot of your playoff results (if you made the playoffs). This can be found by going to the 'Schedule' and changing the 'View' from 'Month' to 'Season'. Then just scroll to the bottom.

* Screenshots as proof of any long-term injuries to Homegrowns not meeting their games played requirements.

This should cover the standard stat and screenshot requirements. There may be circumstances where you'll be asked to provide further screenshots or information. Please be prepared to do so.

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:57 pm

Section 4:Official Scoring & The Second Season and Beyond

This section should not be affected by the rule changes for Challenge 12.

Section 5: Roster and Trade Regulations for EHM Challenges:

This section is where the bulk of the rule changes for Challenge 12 have been made. Please make sure to read this section extra carefully!

Core Roster Players are not being used for this challenge.

Homegrowns:

* Beginning in season 2 (2007-08), the GM will be required to nominate Homegrown players on his/her NHL roster. These players will be players in “your system”.

Homegrowns required by season...

Season 2 : 1 HG
Season 3 : 2 HG
Season 4 : 1 HG
Season 5 : 2 HG
Season 6 : 1 HG
Season 7 : 2 HG

*In order to qualify as a Homegrown player, the player must:

1) have played less than 25 regular season games in the NHL during his entire career (including games prior to 2006-07 season); and be 24 years old or younger when at the beginning of his Homegrown season.

2) be a player drafted (he cannot be acquired by any other method) by your team AND he has been in your system for over one full season (i.e. he must be signed and present on your roster no later than 1st September in the season prior to you nominating him as your Homegrown player. He may, however, be loaned back to a junior team during this time)

* The Homegrown player is required to play 50 games (2400 minutes for goalies) in what would be his rookie season. Provided the Homegrown reaches 50 games he can be sent up and down between your minor league system and your NHL club.

* You must keep them on your roster for at least two seasons from the date he is declared a Homegrown. This means that he must stay on your team for at least the one season after his homegrown season. In that second season he is required to play at least 50 games (2400 minutes for goalies).

* Games played requirements that are not met will need proof of injury and its duration. A screenshot of the news item announcing the player's injury in EHM is sufficient.

Roster Requirements:

In addition to fielding an NHL squad, you are responsible for stocking your AHL affiliate (in this case, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers) with a full team of players. In addition to any players that Bridgeport had under contract themselves, you must have 2 goalies, 6 defensemen, and 12 forwards assigned to your AHL affiliate that are under contract with your NHL team. This means you can't trade away half of your AHLers to beef up a trade deal. This also means that you might have to re-sign some players that you know will never make it to the NHL.

Once again, you are not required to create a second GM to take control of your AHL affiliate but it is highly recommended because it allows you greater control over the development of your prospects.

The free agency section will explain what kind of signings you may make to help fill out your farm team.

Free Agency Restrictions:

In this challenge we are going to have 2 different types of Unrestricted Free Agents. The first type is the standard UFA that you would sign to your NHL rosters. The second type we are going to refer to as "Young UFAs".

Standard UFAs may only be signed between 1 July and 31 August, inclusive. They may not be signed during the season. In your first season you are not allowed to sign any Standard UFAs. From season 2 on, you are allowed to sign 2 Standard UFAs each season, still following the allowed signing period. This does not include your own RFAs (Restricted Free Agents), which you may freely sign. It does, however, include UFAs that have left your team.

Young UFAs are different situation. They are intended to fill out your farm team and maybe (if you're lucky) join your NHL roster some day in the future.

Requirements:

* Age 24 or younger

* Ineligible for waivers. This means they must be able to sent down to your AHL affiliate without having to clear waivers first.

* must sign for the league minimum ($450k). No bonuses! The # of years doesn't matter. It could be 1 year, it could be 3 years. Whatever.

In season 1 of Challenge 12 you will be allowed to sign 3 Young UFAs (1 goalie, 1 defenseman, and 1 forward). You actually start the game with enough players to satisfy the 2 goalie, 6 defensemen, and 12 forward AHL requirement but we wanted to allow for some flexibility. From season 2 on, you will be allowed to sign 2 Young UFAs, in addition to the 2 Standard UFAs, each season.

A player signed as a Young UFA may not play for your NHL club in the season that you signed him. If you sign a player as a UFA in season 1, he cannot play with your NHL team until season 2. This also means that this player would not be eligible to be declared as a homegrown player until season 3. (see Homegrown rules for the reason why)

Personnel:

Your head coach and Assistant General Manager must remain with the team in the positions they have at the start of the game. Neither may be fired or reassigned new duties until July 1, 2007

You may only FIRE one assistant coach, two scouts and one trainer prior to July 1 2007. All other staff members in place must remain with the team until July 1, 2007. This applies to both the NHL and AHL teams in the challenge (meaning you may fire one assistant, two scouts and one trainer at each level).

With Challenge 12, since your AHL affiliate is pretty bare to start, this really doesn't affect you at this level. You are allowed to hire a Head Coach for your AHL team in the first season though. When you take over as GM, you're actually becoming the GM and Head Coach. For your NHL team this means that your coaching staff will pretty much be the same as what you start with. You're just allowed to fire one of the assistants and hire a replacement. For scouts, you're allowed to fire 2. You start with 1 scout shy of the number of scouts that the game allows you to sign. So that means you can bring in 3 new scouts once you fire 2. This allows you to get rid of the wasted salaries of some of the useless scouts they've got signed. Of course, you'll still have a bunch of scouts that should not be trusted. Use them how you will.

Trading and Drafting Restrictions:

* No trades are allowed between 15 July - 15 October. This means that at the start of the game, you are already in a no trade period. You may not start trading until October 15th. If a trade is not confirmed, and the traded for player is not on your roster by July 14th, the trade cannot be completed. Further, we know it takes a few days to make a trade in most cases, so there should not be any confirmed trades on October 15th in your game.

* There will be no trades of any kind allowed on draft day, in any season.

* Trade deadline day trades are acceptable.

* You may not trade your 1st round pick or receive another team's 1st round pick. You can not "trade up" your first round pick. You must draft where you finished the season.

* Only 1 draft pick may be traded per season, in or out. For example, you could trade an aging player for a 2nd round pick or you could add a 3rd round pick to an offer that will land you that experienced defenseman you need for your Cup run but you could not do both of these in the same season. You can't offer your 2nd round pick and a player to another team for their 2nd round pick so that you'll move up in the draft.

* No trading unsigned prospects ...period. That means you can't beef up a deal by adding in all of your unsigned prospects that you don't think will ever make the NHL. That also means you can't go and trade for all the best unsigned 19 year olds that every team has drafted and not under contract yet.

* Proof of trades being made during appropriate times may be required. In your player history there is a "transactions" news item, showing the date he was acquired by your team. This may be requested on occasion.

Challenge 12 starts with the NY Islanders having 1 1st round pick, 3 2nd round picks, and 1 pick each in rounds 3 - 7.

Waivers:

You are not allowed to claim players off waivers. Far too often we'll see highly skilled players (or even just good ones) waived by their team because of finances. We don't want this taken advantage of in the challenges. We'd rather see you develop your own talent.

And that should cover the rules for Challenge 12. This post covers rules that have been changed plus existing challenge rules. If there are any questions or confusion over the wording of any of these rules, please post them in the Challenge Questions and Feedback thread.

We also highly recommend that you keep backups of your saved game going back to the last stat recording period that you logged. We've seen people unable to continue the challenge because they had 2 or 3 seasons worth of stats recorded and the their game became corrupted. If it happens in the 1st season it's not such a big deal but once you get into multiple seasons it's really not feasible to restart your game. Please keep this in mind!

bruins72 · Post by **bruins72** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:02 pm

Please make sure to read the posts in the Challenge Questions and Feedback thread (linked above). Some rules have been clarified there and explained in greater detail. Reading those posts are a part of your responsibility as a challenge participant. Don't suffer a penalty because you missed something!