Offseason Point Task - 25th Anniversary Special

[AgentSmith]

As a new player (class of S27), I haven't been here long enough to really develop the memories that would allow me to write something super meaningful about the first 25 seasons of the ISFL, so I'm going to write what I hope and think this league can become in the next 25 seasons.

I’m relatively new to the world of sim sports leagues. I joined the SHL back in April after a bunch of peer pressure from some of my friends and have embraced it fully with the amount of free time that I have due to the pandemic and working from home. I wasn’t sure about joining other sim sports leagues because I really didn’t want to divide my attention, but some of the same friends that convinced me to join the SHL created players here in the ISFL and convinced me to join. I’ve also met a ton of people on the SHL site that also have players here, and they all seem like excellent people. I love the sense of community and the ability to bond or argue over the most random stuff with people I’ve never met before, like books, sports teams, and food. Not only is my love for the sport of football growing, but I’m really enjoying the people I’ve met and the locker rooms that I’ve joined in the few short weeks since creating my player. I’m really excited about the upcoming draft and watching my player grow and perform alongside my teammates on whichever team I end up with. With plans to switch to a new sim engine in S27, and as the league continues to grow, it will be very interesting to see how not only I but the league as a whole will change for the better. While I missed the change in the SHL from the Simon T Hockey Simulator (STHS) to Franchise Hockey Manager (FHM) by a few seasons, I’ll be able to experience the change first hand here in the ISFL. I can only hope that it has as much of a positive effect on the league as the switch in the SHL did.

I don’t think my plater will last 25 seasons in the league, so it will be interesting to see what my second player will be like. Will he/she be related to my first player? Will I choose offense again or create a defensive monster? Will I have a better idea of what team(s) I’ll want to be a part of? How will I feel about recreating in general? While these questions are all but impossible to answer now, I hope I can find this post in 25 seasons so that I can answer them on that momentous occasion.

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458 Words

[KC15]

Favorite moment has to be being drafted in expansion by the Honolulu Hahaluas.  Are you kidding?  Being drafted off the champion New Orleans Second Line who feasted at the, then NSFL, banquet table to go to the newly created Hahaluas who were like beggars scrambling for scraps off that same table?  Yep.  Why, you ask.

When I was playing in my second year or so on the Second Line, I was starting to lose interest.  New Orleans was a great place with great GMs and teammates, but I just wasn’t as in to it.  Maybe it was because I felt like the unneeded piece in an otherwise powerhouse machine.  The GMs were really good to me and encouraged me to continue with whatever activity level I felt comfortable with, but I think they were also glad to have a player they could expose that wasn’t and integral part of their winning machine.

So, off I went to Honolulu.  Having actually developed into a fairly decent receiver in NO after staring in the DSFL as a running back, in spite of my stretched interest levels, I came to the Hahaluas as one of the best pieces to build around.  Now I had an important role and could really contribute to the success of a new franchise.

This energized me and I began looking for every TPE opportunity and have continued that to this day to the best of my ability.  I even made my own sig – partly because I wanted to learn some of the basic graphics skills, but also to earn money for equipment to reach even higher levels of skill.  I think it actually came out pretty good and that just got me all the more bought in.

Since then, it has been a joy to continue growing as a player and watching the very quick rise of the Honolulu franchise.  We only spent one or two seasons as a lower tier team and are always in the hunt for a .500 or better season and a trip to the playoffs.  One of these seasons it is all going to come together and we’ll make the promised land.  I do hope it is soon though as I just entered my first year of regression this season.

That is not as exciting a prospect as now I have to fight just to not lose more ground than necessary and it’s tough to know that you are going to get worse each year rather than get better and better.

Still, it has been a fun ride and I’ll ride the regression train as long as I am relevant to my team the Hahaluas.  After that, I will hang up my cleats and ride off into the bright Hawaiian sun – thankful to the ISFL, the Luchadores, the Second Line and my beloved Hahaluas for the opportunity to have played the game.  Happy 25th ISFL!

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482 words

[LatinViking]

What does the league means to me...
Such a strange question full of different answers...
For me? I would say that comunity...
A league as social as this one it's home to tons of different people... People from all around the world, with their own unique tastes and experiences...
People that joined for a friend, their love of football, to make new friends or experience an old broken dream... 
If you ask me? I joined to excel.
My sole purpose is to win, win a lot and win every single thing I can. 
I wanna look back and enjoy all the different championships, awards and accolades I've earned. 

As I like to say I'm not a peoples person and by that I mean that I'm not comfortable dealing with large groups or chatting about the weather.
I do like the numbers so being able to analyze performances and find trends to optimize my chances to be successful are a huge part for why am I still around.
When people asks why do I wanna go up, the answer it's simple... I have nothing else to fight for down here... Already won the championship and I won't be able to do it back to back.
Does that mean that I won't come if I have no better option? Of course not, I might stay, maybe I won't try as hard to win nor will I try to prove everyone that this.... Developmental league ain't enough. I do believe that's pretty clear for everyone now but oh well... If nobody up there wants me I guess I'll have to wait and prove people wrong like I did the moment I joined this league.

My next goal? If I go up, win a championship.period.
If I have to stay down for the 3rd straight season (yes I do count weeks 10 to 14 and the playoffs for season 23 as 7 games out of 17 are enough for me to consider that a sent down) I might try to get the Offensive Lineman of the year award. I know I have some people that dislike me but it doesn't matter... Only fools try to cover the sun with their thumb...
So this is what this league means to me. 
Competition, winning, eating chumps before breakfast. 
This league it's about about making my mark and prove myself that I can win everything you all have to offer.


403 words

[slothfacekilla]

I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary in the ISFL soon-ish, which is crazy to think about.  With the slow start here I definitely did not see myself sticking around, let alone for two years or more.

I think the reason that I have stuck around in the league this long is simply the great friends that I have made here.  Ever since day one landing in Tijuana as a waiver claim (and eventually winning my first Ultimini championship that season) I have felt connected to people in the league.  Tijuana's locker room was instantly welcoming to me and they offered me a lot of help, which was necessary because my linebacker's starting build was pretty funky.  I definitely did not know what the meta was or anything.  But more importantly, people like Ben, Payton, and Raven made me feel welcomed in the locker room.  They were encouraging me to get involved and earn TPE, and the championship only made it better.  I ended up getting drafted back to Tijuana, which was a dream come true.  I made some even more friends in that great draft class, including Tom Hanks who I would be linked with moving forward in the ISFL.  The next season we would fall short of repeating as champions even with our strong team.  Yet I was still excited about the ISFL draft, and soon I heard my name called in the first round by New Orleans.

The Second Line would continue a nice tradition of meeting great friends along the way.  Not only was Tom Hanks drafted to New Orleans, but another linebacker was drafted in the first round with me terriblehippo!  Along with all of the draft picks and a great GM in Juosu, we slowly built up a fun culture and locker room, and we were able to turn around the franchise's fortunes.  After a lot of my friends started cycling through the management positions in New Orleans, we were able to finally reach the top and won the Ultimus!  It was crazy to get there after what NOLA was like when we first got drafted there.  And it was all thanks to the great people we drafted into the system and signed in free agency.  I know I started naming names earlier, but honestly there are too many to count in New Orleans.  Shout out to especially our war room as it is always fun talking random stuff with you all.

But this just highlights the best part about the league, the people in it.  They are the reason the league means a lot to me and I'm excited to see where we go from here.

445 words

[Seymour]

I am new to the ISFL but after about a week of being here it feels like I have been here for more than that. The people that I have been since joining have been amazing, they have been so nice to me since day one. The rookie mentors have been amazing, they answered all my silly questions without making me feel judged no matter how simple the question was. The GMs of teams have been also as great. While yes, they have to have their teams’ best interest in mind, they also care for the players and the community. Each and every one of them offered to help me if I had any question so it made me feel good. It gave me a sense of community that I feel like I am being welcomed to with open arms. My favourite part so far has just been interacting with people, the people in this league are so nice and so funny. It is an understatement to say that I am so lucky to have stumbled upon this league. I hope to be able to stick around to experience the next 25 seasons and hopefully become a part of the history of the league. I cannot wait to start and finish my first character’s career; see what teammates and coaches he meets along the way. Then have to retire him and let him live out his days in peace (or comeback like Farve did... probably not but maybe if the money was there) These are just some of the things that I am excited to experience and I can’t wait to meet great people along the way.

Now as to where I can see this league being in 25 seasons, I can see this skyrocketing and being bigger than ever. I believe that there could be as many as double the amount of amount and teams. With the community as it is, I cannot help but imagine that this place is ready to take off and accept even more people. I said in another thread that with EA letting down so many of their franchise fans in their fan base that this league can satisfy those players for what they want in career mode. ISFL has everything it needs to be success, great management, great team GMs and coaches, wonderful rookie mentors, and a great community that is ready to support each other. I fully believe that the ISFL is double its amount and I would not be surprised either if my guess is blown out of the water and I hope it does.


(434 words)

[Billybolo53]

The ISFL was my first introduction to the world of Sim leagues. I stumbled upon the /r/nfl recruitment post in late February. I love OOTP and have been looking for a football version for a long time. I never thought there would be a whole league built around a sim.  "Create a player" modes have always fallen flat to me in most sports franchises because there is very little depth after the initial creation of your player. The context of the world around your player was never as interesting in-game as it was in my imagination. I would have storylines for all of the players on the team I managed and they would all have unique personalities. With the ISFL, the immersion comes from the depth of all the different storylines. The teams are all living breathing things and now my story interacts with others in a very organic way. It has been absolutely addicting to me and has helped me write creatively for the first time since I was in college.

The biggest factor in me staying active in this league has been the people I've met. Starting in Myrtle Beach, I came into a situation where we were especially closed knit. The Mb S22 draft will end up producing 3 of the 5/6 best earners in the class. Everyone on the team and all the alumni made my first few months in this league so much fun. Winning a ultimini in my first season was magical. Taking that challenge to the ISFL has been even more rewarding. I have the privilege to have been gmed by frost in both the DSFL and ISFL. He's team-building philosophy is on point. He knows how to spot the sure-fire guys and well fill the pipeline with moderate earners. I can not wait to win a championship with Sarasota. It will be awesome. I have been all over the place with this point task, but ultimately this league is something I found by complete chance. It has been my coping mechanism through the pandemic more so than I even realize. It gave me purpose and relief. I look forward to game days all day. I love seeing my tpe number rise over time. With all the faults with the sim, this league has still been amazingly rewarding. I am looking forward to going to the new sim and seeing a new era in the ISFL. I think the Sim is the only thing holding the ISFL back from being on the same level as the SHL or PBE as far as immersion and enjoyment.


WC: 434

[YoungTB]

In my time during the ISFL, I have gotten so many bitches and have continued to be the greatest there ever was. It's just part of my pedigree, I am simply a different breed. Before the ISFL, I was a straight up beta. I did not know what success felt like. But, then I became the GOAT I am today and simply upgraded. Let me take you back to 2018, where a Young YoungTB didn't even know what the ISFL was. He was scrolling through /r/Madden one day looking for franchise leagues to join until I found this one league called the NSFL. "What the hell is this?" I asked myself. But then it hit me. Become a player! Be the greatest! "Holy shit", I said to myself. It was what I always wanted to do. I used to love playing the create a player mode in Madden, but it is so shit and I hate it so goddamn much. I wanted a realistic experience in which I can become a player and simulate what it is like to be in a league. A "sim-league" if you will. It is truly remarkable that this came to exist. So I became a player and logged in and created Marquise Brown... and the rest is history. I was picked up by the San Antonio Marshals in the S8 draft and had no clue what the hell I was doing. But then I met Ramero and KcKolbe. These two guys were the MVPs in helping me become the man who I am today. They taught me the ropes, learning how to update, what to do for updates, and how to be the best. I credit them into me becoming the GOAT. And then I was drafted to the Liberty and man did I go off. I broke the rushing yardage record in my first year and it was truly glorious. Then I became MVP two seasons later. I then went to Baltimore, put up some monster numbers for 3 seasons, and won a ring during my time. Again, absolutely glorious. So then I went back to Philly to win a ring for them. Some complications happened with contracts so I was then shipped off to Chicago where I was laid to rest for the final time. I broke the rushing yardage record all time, season, and won a ring, an MVP, and multiple RBotY. I am the GOAT and this league helped me to become the GOAT

[SomeSay...]

How an internet league helped fight COVID and helped build friendships

Man, 25 Seasons so far. I joined back in February in that large S22 Reddit class. It definitely has been a journey. When I first joined the league, I worked third shift IT job, and I really wanted something to kill time when I was bored at work. I joined on my phone to keep things off of my PC at work and casually did the best I could at first. I honestly had a tough time starting; it took me a minute to get used to things on mobile. I continued strictly mobile for the first six months just cause I had gotten used to it. So, I had a small group of teams reach out for the DSFL draft. Mostly questionnaires which are looked down on now, and I definitely know why, it was not very engaging and kind of left you feeling shitty like you were mr. Irrelevant pick. Which now, I understand at the time with how large the class was. I did most things on the site initially, not a ton, but enough, but it was not until I reached out or @Dewalt27 reached out to me after drafting me. This is where I started to get more into it. He guided me through everything I was struggling with and helped me with my build, and pointed me in the right direction for information. 

I was doing everything I could but afford the training and equipment. I got to know everyone in the locker room and got some conversations started by posting my BBQ/Smoking pics. Man, I miss summer. But this led to me asking about how to make money, and the big dog @Jangorhino reached out and helped me tackle my first media piece, which was an interview of his player MVP. This led to me bugging everyone I had talked to about doing an interview to cash in on that sweet, sweet league money. Throughout the next two DSFL seasons, I began to find my place in not just the Locker Room, but it was a home. We all had a bit of different personalities, but we all hit it off. That Locker Room is still the best in the league, don't care what you say, but in S22-S23, it was prime. There was no better place to be for anything you needed than Minnesota. "After Hours" VC with @TheCC @ForSucksFake@RussDrivesTheBus @Tylus and others I may be forgetting that was the best. 

After DSFL, I figured I would continue to max earn and hope to be the best Cornerback I could be for wherever my career took me. I never wanted anything more, but about halfway through my last season with SJS, I really thought about it, and if I was putting so much time into making sure I was 100% with my player, why not try to get more out of the league and try to give back a bit. So, I did my best with putting up rewards for the NCAAP auction stuff. I then decided it was time to get into this "war room" stuff I had heard, "sim testing" and "jobs" and others. Here I have to thank @Dewalt27 again for giving me a chance to help him and high build Berlin. And I want to thank @TheCC again for letting me in Minnesota War Room to help my alma mater; thank him for the bullshit sessions, gaming sessions, sim test sessions, everything he's helped me with to get my chances at eventually maybe GM'ing in the DSFL. 

Overall, I really just wanted to touch on who the league has connected me with and how much fun it has been to be here and get a break from the craziness going on around all of us. I'm a old head a bit and been through a lot, so I definitely know what having an outlet can do to help. 

So sorry for the tags, fellas, but thank you to all of you guys, and others like @SnowyWolfz, @BenDover and everyone else that's had a blast with me in Minnesota or elsewhere.

[negs]

I have been in this league for just a short amount of time, but it has already had a really great impact on me and has already found a place with my life. So far, my favorite part of being in this league is the friendships that I have built in both my team’s locker room and among other players of the community in general. In my pre draft process, every single person I asked about the league spoke so highly about it and were willing to help with whatever I needed. Whether it was me asking Jango 90 different questions about each update page or player creation or asking CC where I was going to be drafted and how everything worked and just bugging everyone. Not one person ever turned their back on me and let me fend for myself. Everyone was welcoming and helpful and made me feel at home in the community. Once I got drafted to the Minnesota Grey Ducks, my experience in that locker room and the league overall exceeded my expectations more than ever. The people in the locker room made every day a lot more fun and bright than it normally would be. Everyone got along great and they accepted me like I had been there for the past 5 seasons. Once the season got started, every single Tuesday and Wednesday night I was looking forward to the 8 o’clock games like I was going to watch an actual football game. Except with this, I could see my effort and work on the forums pay off on my player. Some of the best moments of this league are on gameday. Even early in the morning there would always be QUACKs in the chat ready for the night. As we approached gameday, almost every active player in the locker room would pop in to watch the games and shout and type in discord about it. Even if we lost it was still an absolute blast. Overall, even though it has been just a short amount of time in the ISFL, it has already made my days a lot more fun than they were before and I now have friendships that I would not have found otherwise. I really hope to continue this journey and be around for the next 25 seasons. Maybe I could even get a hall of fame player or two who knows? If the first year was this good, I cannot wait to see what is on the horizon for the ISFL.

[Amidships]

As a user who has been around for a few seasons now, I've found that the narrative of the league is one of the coolest and most interesting parts about this community. At the end of the day, we're a group of more than three hundred people that have decided to get together to create a story. The sim acts as the framework around which we are able to create and tell our story. Everyone with a league job helps bring that story to life. It's a very unique idea for a community, and one I'm really glad to have stumbled upon. I think it's very important to keep this story's history as accurately as possible, and the ISFL wiki is certainly one of the best ways to do it. It is important that we as a league work together to make sure this information is accessible to new players, media writers, and history nerds of all kinds going forward. A written log of every player's season is an extremely important record for future players to look back on that provides a lot of value to new and old users alike. With all of this said, one of my favorite TPE tasks, one I feel is actually integral to the league, is the Wiki Update task. This task provided users a nice bump in TPE in the offseason and helped users reflect on their season and their stat lines. It encouraged users to reminisce about their performance and the impact they had on the year. It also let them dig into the games a bit more and see what really happened in the sims that year. I really enjoyed going back through the play by play lists and seeing exactly where my stats came from, and what circumstances surrounded them. It helped me build a narrative for my player that gives a more life like look into the player rather than a bunch of numbers. The loss of this offseason task is a loss for the league as a whole. I know I'm likely not in the majority with my view, but I hope that at least some others like this task the same way I do. Removing it as a task hurts the league's future by allowing us to forget its past. While I'm not sure why it was removed, I truly hope it can be brought back in the future to inspire the rest of the community to keep up on their pages.