[scotto313]

I have been checking this board for what seems like an eternity and there doesn't appear to be any Fictional Leagues starting up. So I ask, is the Fictional League a thing of the past, or is this just a down cycle?

[SandMan]

Originally Posted by scotto313

I have been checking this board for what seems like an eternity and there doesn't appear to be any Fictional Leagues starting up. So I ask, is the Fictional League a thing of the past, or is this just a down cycle?

It must be a down time for fictionals. I would tend to believe that more players that play solo do it with fictional teams and/or players. It is probably true that those looking for a online league prefer the historical, at least it appears this way.....

[BoofBonser26]

Originally Posted by scotto313

I have been checking this board for what seems like an eternity and there doesn't appear to be any Fictional Leagues starting up. So I ask, is the Fictional League a thing of the past, or is this just a down cycle?

Well, I've "recently" joined a new 24-team fictional league. We're about two weeks into our first season, and we have, after much trial and error, found 24 active owners. So I wouldn't say they're all dead by any means.

[Recte44]

Some of the long term fictionals I've been involved in have become more of a "chat community" with baseball as a sidebar.

There might be something new, yet.

[Corsairs]

Feel free to give the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance a look-over (this is the league BoofBonser26 was referring to). We're a start-up fictional league that's been lucky to attract a number of creative, friendly owners. I've really been impressed with how enthusiastic a number of our owners have been, especially in sharing their creative writing contributions.

We're full-up on ownership at the moment, but as with any online league that can and will change suddenly. If you'd like to get on our waiting list, send me a message through our webpage. Always glad to hear from people looking for something a little different than the standard MLB experience.

[satchel]

The roster sets of real players in the new release have inspired more real-player 2008 roster leagues, I'd say.

[Beavis Christ]

Check http://www.ggnl.org/ I don't really know about any leagues other than this one.

[[WWBL]Batboy]

It is tough to fill them sometimes but the Fictional League is not dead

[Neags23]

Dog Days Baseball is an absolutely fantastic fictional league. One of my favorite things about it, aside from the fictional cities, city bonuses, and long history of the league, is that the commish isn't a GM.

I'm absolutely addicted to this league and very much look forward to each sim.

[canadiancreed]

I'd agree that fictional leagues are not dead. I know four off the top of my head that are doing just fine. (JOBL, NPBL, WHBL, CBL)

[jdettbarn]

Originally Posted by canadiancreed

I'd agree that fictional leagues are not dead. I know four off the top of my head that are doing just fine. (JOBL, NPBL, WHBL, CBL)

The JOBL is actually re-starting soon. We're totally re-vamping the league (still fictional, though)...

More details coming soon!

[Recte44]

Not dead, but there's def. been a hit to them with the new program being so much more intensive. 6.5 was def. more accessible to online leagues, but as people are getting used to the new game they are alive and well.

[remangiii]

WHBL (www.whbl.org) is a great fictional league that has a couple of spots open.

[Corsairs]

I spoke up earlier in the thread, but just a note that PEBA is still going strong in our inaugural season of play. Hopefully we'll add some young blood to the established fictional leagues out there.

People would do well to give fictional leagues a try. It may seem like a barrier at first, but with a little creativity those fictional players really come to life. We're just halfway through our first season and I already feel like I know guys like Ramón Flores and Jack Cobb as well as I do current real-life major leaguers!

So, no, the fictional league is far from dead. There will always be those of us that are looking for a different kind of experience than the standard modern/historical setups. No question that it takes a rare breed - and Batboy is absolutely right that it can be difficult to fill spots at times - but those that get it love it.

[satchel]

Are there any non-financial fictional leagues going, besides the NPBL?

[bp_]

I'm in a really good fictional. We don't have many openings though because we are small. http://www.overthemound.com/

[beorn]

Originally Posted by scotto313

I have been checking this board for what seems like an eternity and there doesn't appear to be any Fictional Leagues starting up. So I ask, is the Fictional League a thing of the past, or is this just a down cycle?

I think the main thing here is "starting up." Lots and lots of fictional leagues are running.

I commish Dog Days, and we are long running and stable, with one current vacancy.

I run a team in the PCBL , and I know we have at least a couple vacancies. Just post on the forum waiting list if you have an interest.

Also enjoy the ATHL , although, as far as I know, it is currently full.

As to new leagues forming, that usually peaks when a major new edition of the game comes out and/or early in the baseball season. However, you are usually better off grabbing a vacant team in a long standing league, because the last thing you want is to put a lot of time into building your team, and then see that the commish or a bunch of the owners are not really in for the long haul, and the whole thing falls apart.

In my view, fictional is the way to go, because leagues based on real rosters have a higher mortality rate. First of all, you are surrounded by GMs who signed on for "real" but they are disappointed when, after a few seasons the real rosters morph into fictional rosters. Second, most real life roster sets overrate current players and, especially, prospects, and you end up with weird talent distortions down the road. Historical leagues have something to offer (I am in a very good one) but they minimize the minor league development aspect of the game.

[Deft]

We have actually seen the opposite trend in the ATHL. Participation is at an All-Time high, with several very good new GMs just coming on board. I think there was an awkward transition to OOTP2007 from 6.5 but most of our owners are now sold on the new version and I think its reinvigorate the league. Plus, I don't have to make all those player pictures.

[Corsairs]

Originally Posted by beorn

As to new leagues forming, that usually peaks when a major new edition of the game comes out and/or early in the baseball season. However, you are usually better off grabbing a vacant team in a long standing league, because the last thing you want is to put a lot of time into building your team, and then see that the commish or a bunch of the owners are not really in for the long haul, and the whole thing falls apart.

Not in any way intended to pick on you here, because it's absolutely true that any first-year league is at far greater risk of collapse than an established one. However, this becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy if taken too far. Amongst the numerous fly-by-nights there are a handful of quality start-ups out there. The problem is that most people aren't interested in making a young league better; they want to join a league where everything's 100% setup and there's little-to-no work to be done. That makes life particularly difficult for those start-ups that really are serious about becoming long-term players.

I think our own league is a good example of this. PEBA has been extremely fortunate to have 20 stable owners since we began play, a luxury few start-ups have. While I definitely am counting my blessings for that, we've been challenged by the remaining 4 teams which have featured revolving-door ownership situations. Whenever a vacancy comes up for one of those 4 teams I make a post in this forum, yet invariably I receive no reply. Or the person replying decides not to join because we're not established. Again, the question becomes: How does a league become established if people aren't willing to help it grow?

I think there's a certain amount of common sense "due diligence" that prospective owners should undertake when considering new leagues. If you see that there's no activity on their forums (or they have no forums at all), that the membership isn't well-spoken, that people are arguing or bad-mouthing the league... all these are good signs to stay away. And oftentimes that's exactly what you'll find. But if you see that the league has a number of stable ownership positions, that people are engaging in at least some level of meaningful chatter, that there's creative writing going on, etc.... make a leap of faith. Playing in an established league is great fun, but it can be an equally rewarding experience to help a dedicated start-up reach its full potential.

[beorn]

Originally Posted by Corsairs

Not in any way intended to pick on you here, because it's absolutely true that any first-year league is at far greater risk of collapse than an established one. However, this becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy if taken too far. Amongst the numerous fly-by-nights there are a handful of quality start-ups out there. The problem is that most people aren't interested in making a young league better; they want to join a league where everything's 100% setup and there's little-to-no work to be done. That makes life particularly difficult for those start-ups that really are serious about becoming long-term players.

I think our own league is a good example of this. PEBA has been extremely fortunate to have 20 stable owners since we began play, a luxury few start-ups have. While I definitely am counting my blessings for that, we've been challenged by the remaining 4 teams which have featured revolving-door ownership situations. Whenever a vacancy comes up for one of those 4 teams I make a post in this forum, yet invariably I receive no reply. Or the person replying decides not to join because we're not established. Again, the question becomes: How does a league become established if people aren't willing to help it grow?

I think there's a certain amount of common sense "due diligence" that prospective owners should undertake when considering new leagues. If you see that there's no activity on their forums (or they have no forums at all), that the membership isn't well-spoken, that people are arguing or bad-mouthing the league... all these are good signs to stay away. And oftentimes that's exactly what you'll find. But if you see that the league has a number of stable ownership positions, that people are engaging in at least some level of meaningful chatter, that there's creative writing going on, etc.... make a leap of faith. Playing in an established league is great fun, but it can be an equally rewarding experience to help a dedicated start-up reach its full potential.

You are right, and I am sorry if I worded things so as to sound overly negative about new leagues. All I ever really meant was: If the poster is looking for a fictional league to join and there are no new leagues forming, there is a lot to be said for joining an established league. Sorry if I went overboard.