Talk Fantasy Football

I'd like some ideas for rules that encourage painted minis, but not via negative reinforcement. i.e., I don't want to penalize coaches who don't paint (like the rule I saw recently that unpainted minis can only ever be rookies, not players with additional skills) but one that gives a modest bonus to those who do.

Just a little bit of encouragement to paint, but not enough to discourage coaches who really want nothing to do with painting.

Well, how about painted teams get an extra cheerleader? Or an assistant coach?

As I've said before, a bonus for one coach is a penalty for another, depending on which side of the fence you're on.

Joshua Dyal wrote:I'd like some ideas for rules that encourage painted minis, but not via negative reinforcement

I agree with Darkson, that's impossible to do, since giving a bonus to some and not to others is actually penalizing those other people. It's negative reinforcement regardless.

If you're encouraging painted minis, then you're discouraging unpainted ones. That's just basic logic, no way around it. Stop kidding yourself.

I'm not kidding myself. I'm also keeping in mind the fact that, since you've firmly come down on the side of not wanting to worry about mini painting, your opinion is quite probably not objective or without bias!

And I'm aware of the semantic splitting of hairs that one teams bonus is another team's penalty. I think it's pretty clear what I'm looking for without trying to argue me out of doing it at all, or argue just for the sake of arguing about semantic nit-picks. I like the idea of a free cheerleader or assistant coach. Any more out there?

And how would you feel if the "non-penalty" cheerleader or asst. coach your opponent had won him the match, just because he had painted figs. and you didn't. I know I'd be well pi**ed, and would question my involvement, rather than decide to paint. Still, if your plan is to rid your league of non-painters then it's a good one. I'm not arguing just for arguments sake, I feel very strongly this is the wrong way to go about encouraging people to paint.

Why not go for a non-rules related solution, like money/mini's?

If you are speaking of a league that has already been playing without painted figs, and there are those in the league who are like-minded to some who have posted here. Then throw a tournament where only painted teams can be entered. Make it a big event and you may get support from GW in the way of prizes. Watch and see how fast people get their figs painted when they want a chance to win a new set of figs or to prove they are the best of the best in your league. Death Bowl 2003 that is going to be held here in Montreal will be a painted team only tourney.

As far as making league rules for having figs painted that's something you'll have to get a feel for in your own league. If it looks like you're going to loose a lot of people because of it then maybe it's best not to sweat it and just enjoy the game. If most people in the league are in favor and it's just the usual one guy (like me ) who hates painting his figs. Well maybe you'll just have to hurt a few feelings and bring in the rules. If their telling you the game isn't about the figs their missing half the point anyway.

Our league offers a one time +1 to fan factor when your team is painted. It inflates the $$$, TR & might give you a slight advantage against someone without the paint point...

But I would question someone's committment to your league if they couldn't paint their minis. Maybe they should try the play by email leagues.

I'm not thinking of throwing a rule on a league of confirmed non-painters, I'd like to start a new league (I've moved over 1000 miles since I last played in a league) once the game is rereleased. I'd like to start off on the foot that painted minis are preferred, but the incentive to do so is small enough that it wouldn't really discourage die-hard anti-painters from joining if they just wanted to play. Just a little something so folks aren't painting or getting "appropriate" figs because they're too lazy. If they're really going to get their panties in a bunch over painting, I'm not sure I want them in the league anyway. And since I don't know who these putative coaches are, I'm not concerned at this point with turning them off of my league.

+1 FF is another good one - and one that makes some sense. A good looking team is likely to be more popular than another one, all other things equal, right?

Darkson, I'm not following what you're saying. All other things being equal, I probably don't want someone who's going to be nagging at me about something like that as you describe to even be in the league, because that's usually indicative of headaches about all kinds of issues that they want to question and argue about. But what I've seen proposed here so far is extremely modest. I don't know what kind of other incentive you're talking about. If you're referring to me paying people to have painted figs in my league, I'll nix that idea right in the bud!

Darkson gets very grumpy when the idea about being forced to paint minis comes up.

Isn't it much nicer to play both with and against painted minis?

I'm a really poor painter, and don't enjoy doing it, but for 16 figs it doesn't take that long to slap a few of colours on.

We play that unpainted minis can't use any extra skills. This means newbies have got time to paint without offering any sort of permanent advantage to painted teams.

Ian

The Necros I'm using at the moment are primed, inked and drybrushed. Took all of 90 minutes for a muppet like me. AFAIC they're distinct and easy on the eye enough to put on a table in front of an opponent.

I will, of course, get around to painting the whole team properly eventually, but in the meantime that's enough to make the game more enjoyable for the opponent.

and what about giving extra $10,000 to painting teams at the postgame?
That will not give any advantage on the game but is a reward for the time spent.

Dain

In a league situation +10k per game is going to make a big difference to team composition and strengths. On average that a 25% increase in earnings...

Everyone knows that nicely painted minis make their rolls more often. Isn't that reward enough?