*Minimum Contracts: What to do?

[CDub2]

I get the fairness argument, and I agree with it. Caps are there for a reason and they make sense.

But let's not use NFL as an example. This isn't real money. I can't go buy a house with it. I can't pass it to my children. You will never get the same incentive with league money as real money. Full stop.

Instead I am trying to tell you not how people should act in order to maximize the competitiveness of the game. I am telling you how they do act. We can't view this thing in a vacuum and assume people will do what is best for the entire league. They will do what is best for them which in this case of this league and this game sometimes means taking a cheap contract. Winning is fun. People play this for fun. Cheaper contracts can mean more wins. More rings. More fun!

So I like the idea of having some sort of outside incentive that contracts can add that you can't get elsewhere. I don't want it to be TPE because of reasons I've discussed in earlier articles. Contracts need to come with an incentive that isn't TPE but is something else of significant value. And I think something like the idea we discussed above of having a "token" to skip a PT attached to your contract value. Either a ratio like 1 token per $2m in contract or one token per $1m taken above the minimum cap hit....you get the point. This gives people not only cash to skip media/graphics, but also tokens to skip PTs. We appeal to people's laziness. They can be max earners for less effort simply by using the market to its full effect.

1) If we all agree with having a fair salary cap, then why do we also encourage circumventing it by players taking the minimum salary just because they don't need the money?

2) Why not use the NFL as an example? It's the NSFL. We're pretty much named after it. It's a simulated league based on a professional football league... like the NFL. And to your point, you're right, you can't but a house with the money, BUT you can gamble it, you can buy things that other users with less money can't (pro equipment) and here's the kicker, you can pass it on to your children (like a future recreate). Full stop.

3) You're right. Winning is fun. People always want to play for winning team. It doesn't mean we should continue to allow the abuse of the contract system. Unless something changes, the team with the active players with the most money will win the championship because of their ability to circumvent the cap by taking minimum contracts. It could lead to a point where active player TPE doesn't play a major role in team formation. It depends which team can afford the best filler free agents if all the actives are taking reduced contracts.

4) Not a bad idea with the PT tokens. But it doesn't really solve the minimum contract abuse issue. It's really just an incentive to the people on top who don't need money and don't want to contribute.