Online draft

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Re: Online draft

Post by footsteps »

wobnam wrote:Eklund, Seasian & Albatross_Viking: What price range/themes/sets do you think are good?

Handar: Thank you for your excellent input.

I agree that if the draft is to be done by live turn, it has to be done at a specific time when everyone is on. But is this the best way to do it? Finding a time that is good for everyone, with participants potentially from around the world, might prove difficult. Then there's all the problems that will arise if someone doesn't show up, or experience technical issues - seems very unfair that you should end up with all the worst parts just because your net is down for half an hour sunday night. I imagine a lot of people would want out if something like this happened.

A different way of doing it, as I mentioned in the first post, is leaving it to a computer program. Here's the software I'm imagining:

1: The draft lots are added to an online database, and each participant is given a user account.

2: Everyone logs in and create their personal prioritized list, sorting all the lots by how much they want them.

3: When all the lists are ready, the computer assigns a random draft order.

4: Using this order, the computer performs the draft, always picking for each individual the highest prioritized available part on their list.

What do you think?
I like this approach "as is". I know it takes away from the live participation aspect, but given the vast diversity of time zones & countries, it would be really difficult to find a time amenable to everyone. And what if someone's internet/computer crashes in the middle of the process? Are they disqualified because they're no longer "participating"? They've made picks in round 1 & 2, then 'disappeared' for later rounds -- what happens?

What may be of more interest is to have an "after draft" event, for trades!

Suppose:
Drafter A wins lots 2, 6, 11 (as determined by A's preferences)
Drafter B wins lots 10, 1, 5 (again using A's preference system for comparison sake -- the order reflects B's preferences)

Scenario: A's lot 2 is only valuable to A if lot 1 is included. B's lot 10 is only valuable if lot 11 is included. So before the loot is mailed out to the drafters, A & B ask that lots 1 & 11 be switched.

Is that clear? Or muddy?
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Re: Online draft

Post by footsteps »

Determining participants may have to be a multi-step process:

1) Interest: Set the 'buy in' price i.e. $20 per person. Are you 'interested'?

2) Options: 10 people express 'interest'. With $200, we can have 2 copies of Set A; or 3 copies of Set B; or 7 copies of Set C.

3) Selection: through a process yet-to-be-determined, Set B is selected. Two people lose 'interest' and drop out, but five more become 'interested', allowing for 4 sets of B to be purchased, with some left over.

4) Commitment: 13 people 'Commit' and send in money. Four copies of Set B are purchased and parted out into lots.

5) Draft: using whatever system is developed (not meant to be solved in this posting).
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Re: Online draft

Post by footsteps »

Further thoughts regarding the person who does the purchasing/parting/mailing:

1) US based. The USPS has the most cost effective postal system (yes, really), and most participants are likely to be in the US.

2) A portion of the 'buy in' price should be reserved as a "gift" to recognize the effort to purchase/part/mail. Perhaps 2%-5%.

3) Mailing costs are extra -- not included in the 'buy in' price.
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Re: Online draft

Post by wobnam »

Thank you footsteps, good input!



Any ideas on how to handle minifigures?
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Re: Online draft

Post by footsteps »

wobnam wrote:Any ideas on how to handle minifigures?
Ah, yes, the elephant in the room!

One option: each fig is a lot.

Much depends on how many types of fig, and how many in total. This is by far the messiest, thorniest, issue -- and could cause the whole enterprise to collapse. Don't mean to sound like a prophet of doom, but it needs to be said before tempers flare through misunderstandings.
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Re: Online draft

Post by Bluesecrets »

Hey guys, if we do this...I probably will take the lead and buy the sets, but it may have to wait until after Christmas. With the CCC coming, people's extra LEGO funds will be tied up in BL orders. And then of course there is the Holidays which have a strangle hold on funds.

But I am going to suggest this...sticking only to castle sets...well that is a bit restrictive. A LOT of other sets are really good. Honestly, the PoP sets are GREAT for castle builders. And those we might be able to find in quantity and a nice price now. I have drafted an Atlantis set and a creator set that I did not think would have much for my castle needs, but ended up REALLY happy when all was said and done. To be honest, that Atlantis set with the temple in it is a FABULOUS set to draft with. Oh was that very very very yummy with the parts.

There is also the discussion of what is to happen with figs. Sometimes people want to keep their figs. Sometimes people want whole figs as a part. Sometimes people want the figs parted out into pieces.
______
EDIT!!
Whoa..three of us posted at once there. I am going to say this. This won't be restricted to the US only. I am constantly shipping International. If the box weighs less than 4 pounds, then its easier. But that is the price one pays for entering this draft...paying for shipping if they want to participate.
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Re: Online draft

Post by Fraslund »

I endorse the prevous message. :D
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Re: Online draft

Post by footsteps »

Bluesecrets wrote:Hey guys, if we do this...I probably will take the lead and buy the sets, but it may have to wait until after Christmas. With the CCC coming, people's extra LEGO funds will be tied up in BL orders. And then of course there is the Holidays which have a strangle hold on funds.

But I am going to suggest this...sticking only to castle sets...well that is a bit restrictive. A LOT of other sets are really good. Honestly, the PoP sets are GREAT for castle builders. And those we might be able to find in quantity and a nice price now. I have drafted an Atlantis set and a creator set that I did not think would have much for my castle needs, but ended up REALLY happy when all was said and done. To be honest, that Atlantis set with the temple in it is a FABULOUS set to draft with. Oh was that very very very yummy with the parts.

There is also the discussion of what is to happen with figs. Sometimes people want to keep their figs. Sometimes people want whole figs as a part. Sometimes people want the figs parted out into pieces.
______
EDIT!!
Whoa..three of us posted at once there. I am going to say this. This won't be restricted to the US only. I am constantly shipping International. If the box weighs less than 4 pounds, then its easier. But that is the price one pays for entering this draft...paying for shipping if they want to participate.
To clarify my US comment: I only meant that the person buying/sorting/shipping should be in the US. Anyone in the world can participate -- the USPS rates for shipping anywhere are better than from any other country. Don't get me started on Canada Post rates and "service".

Good observation about non-castle sets. I think it would help, when it comes to organizing a draft, to have a variety of sets (castle and non-) from which to choose as the draft set. Majority rules -- and if someone loses interest based on the set chosen, so be it.

I don't suppose there are any suitable sets out there that don't have minifigs. That would solve that conundrum. :D
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Re: Online draft

Post by Bluesecrets »

I don't suppose there are any suitable sets out there that don't have minifigs. That would solve that conundrum. :D
As long as the people in the draft agree to what is to be done with the figs, then it shouldn't be a problem. The drafts I just took part in two things were done:
1) we kept one copy of the figs for ourselves (note: we used two copies of the set each for the draft) and then parted the other set into parts for drafting.
2) we kept one fig (the gold guy from the atlantis temple set), built the fish and lobster guy, parted the other guys..and drafted those parts and whole fishy/lobster guys.

I think what happens with figs is a brief discussion, majority rules, and if someone doesn't like the decision..they do not have to participate.
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Re: Online draft

Post by footsteps »

Bluesecrets wrote:
I don't suppose there are any suitable sets out there that don't have minifigs. That would solve that conundrum. :D
As long as the people in the draft agree to what is to be done with the figs, then it shouldn't be a problem. The drafts I just took part in two things were done:
1) we kept one copy of the figs for ourselves (note: we used two copies of the set each for the draft) and then parted the other set into parts for drafting.
2) we kept one fig (the gold guy from the atlantis temple set), built the fish and lobster guy, parted the other guys..and drafted those parts and whole fishy/lobster guys.

I think what happens with figs is a brief discussion, majority rules, and if someone doesn't like the decision..they do not have to participate.
Fair enough. I find this whole draft idea to be very interesting. I'll stay tuned.
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Re: Online draft

Post by BiggerJim »

i'm in, schedule permitting
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