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Unfortunely you had right...

Yes but that's normal for recent weeks. A couple of hundred more people leaving than entering. Its certainly less people leaving per week than there used to be, even as a percentage of total users.

Well...I think you are right. First botification had place on the 28th of July, and the new manager didn't logged since... the 14 of July.

An app is a wonderful idea. Definitely a must-have for any successful game. However, there is probably more to it than that. I was a user about 1yr ago but i ended up losing track of the game and quitting. I'm back because it is by far the best BBall simulator out there. I noticed one thing that probably intimidates new managers upon my return. The prices of players in the transfer market have increased dramatically. I've been looking to strengthen my team via transfer and the players that i bought a year ago for 25-50k have shot up to 100k. Role players that i'm looking for right now would have cost me about 15k back then and now they cost about 25-30k. Being a new manager and coming into an inflated world like this would intimidate almost anybody. So, to stop the decline of users BB needs to: A. make and app, and B. find a way to decrease market prices slightly so that new players aren't scared off by the cost of getting a new player or staff member. Combining those two things would most likely improve the number of users and the diversity of play in BB making it better for all.

Everything you said is true, although I think you can still build a pretty good team with a limited amount of cash in this game. The problem for new users, and I have experienced this too back when I started out, is that everyone is so eager to dominate this game that their first instinct is to immediately purchase the best players possible. They simply do not know how to make the most out of their limited supply of cash. Most people when they start out probably go looking for guys with 20+ in every skill, and don't truly understand that in your first few seasons you can pretty much win with any team as long as you manage your enthusiasm and game shape (or that players with 20+ in every skill just don't exist for that matter :D).

The real problem is that it takes time to get acquainted with this game, and let's face it most new managers probably don't take the time to go through the game manual or the forums. Almost everyone I know who plays this game, including myself for that matter, wasted their starter cash on players that weren't even that good. New managers are constantly buying worthless players for large sums of cash because they simply do not know any better. After all their money is gone and they start losing games or losing cash fast because they're in D.5 with a 60k C, then their desire to continue on is extinguished. It's just hard for someone whose never played before to understand the insides and outs of this game, and to realize that in the beginning it is smarter to invest in solid trainees and your arena than a guy with legendary jump shot and atrocious every thing else. A lot of people come in with the mindset that they are going to be the best in the world after one season, but this is simply impossible.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that even if the market prices were decreased, it wouldn't solve the problem of new managers just not having enough knowledge of the game to understand what is best for them. I have no suggestions for how to fix this problem other than to encourage new users to read the game manual and ask questions as much as possible, although some people just don't like to read or have the patience to play this game. BB isn't for everyone, because unlike most console games it takes time to get rewarded. You actually have to think, and that is why the game is fun. And honestly, the best part of this game is that when you really don't know something you can just ask. Even though it is declining in users BB still has a great community and someone is bound to answer your question no matter how stupid it is.

Last edited by SREZ at 8/21/2014 7:51:16 PM

After all their money is gone and they start losing games or losing cash fast because they're in D.5 with a 60k C

And now, we should think, why is this happening. To build up a 7 player roster with 6-25k salary, we need... ~700k if we are talking about a 1-2 season project, when we're buying 34-37 year old gramps:). If we are talking about younger players, the sum that we need goes up 2x or even 3x. And in the same time, 50k+ players are waaay cheaper, because Utopia still can't afford them. And what would you pay for as a newbie, who yet doesn't know his financial situacion - a 50k guy with higher skills for 100k or 15k guy with lower skills for 250k?

So, to build up a team, that would last more than a season, we need about 1M+arena expansions. How can a rookie get such money in short period? Only if he's lucky in the draft lotery. So, he has to wait... And in my opinion this is a term, that only 1/5 of new users are able to accept.

So, to sum up, Utopia made the V, IV (leages where new players are given birth) players really expensive, when comparing to the money, given for a rookie. Because of this problem, newbies go bankrupt or simply stop playing the game, because their finances get f*cked up.

I don't know is this problem is fixable, so these were only my thoughts.

I don't know is this problem is fixable

while your initial observation is valid, it lacks further analyses.

first: it is true the balance between higher and lower division teams changed with the introduction of utopia(and especially the buying power of these teams ). that affects the market temporarily. but as next season will start we will have teams playing in the second division of utopia, the season after that even first division teams. the problem will shift to players with higher salary. here i expect a rise in transfer price over the next seasons. but then we will also see the first finished utopia trainees on the market.

second:these 15k players were sold . so there is money transfered from new teams (utopia) to old teams. this money floods the market so 50k+ players also get more expensive because the teams bidding for them have more money.

overthe past years we had a decrease of players. many of them going bankrupt or bot. they took a large amount of money with them. their players became free agents. the money spent for free agents is taken out of the game. thats why we saw a deflation over the past years.

now there are about a thousand new teams and there money influenced the market over a short time. in longterm these 1000 teams are just 1/30 of the total amount of teams and their money gain will dry out when they have real competition in higher leagues. i expect the market to be more predictable as soon as this season before the playoffs begin.

the problem that new managers spent there money unwise at the start still remains. there was a discussion a while ago which proposed that new teams shouldnt be able to buy players in the first week. i personally think this makes the start even more boring.

another thought that was brought up in this discussion was a restart button which you can use in the first week of your managment career

Last edited by jonte at 8/23/2014 4:48:19 AM

So, yes there is a inflation of the market guys. Thats what I predicted to happen when Utopia was brought out. Yea, for a couple seasons we were gonna see some inflated prices on the 15-30k salaried guys. BUT I think at around season 30 or 31 will be the time where the prices for these players drop back down to their normal prices, since less Utopia teams would need them, thus giving newbies the chance they need to get their players and gun for promotion. As said in post above, the Utopia (finished) trainees will also be slowly and gradually going into the market, which since these are mostly all intelligent managers, deflate the high salary guys a bit too, since more polished players on the market.

NO, I don't think BB is dying. Right now it's just growing pains and a road bump in order to make it to a highway. Once Utopia gets in full swing, we'll be ok, maybe we'll even have more teams sign up cuz of Utopia

If we can start getting some development on the BB App as early as 2015, then I think we are in great shape.

+1. well thought out and true really. Good trainees are more expensive as well though. But still, what you say is true.

its really easy answer to getting million in 1 season. Just don't make any financial moves . The 1st season is build revenue and players. Which mean save all your money don't do any thing but fire the olds, learn the playbooks and etc. Just have 5- 8 players.. which is healthy

The 1st season or 1st year is a learning period. Don't make any money moves. The money will come, then by the second season you should have the money to do arena. Then mid season the same year find 1-3 good player a youth.. you should have at least 1 million if not 1.7 million in the bank. this again is healthy.

As far as fixing finances. I think the inflation of player value is absurd also the cost of things to fit a team. Big Teams with big salaries effect the small player with low salaries. The game has went to who is best trainer not who is best tactic knower. If a guy knows how to train a youth to be a monster, the market will never help you even the odds. On top of that, he has training money, also selling money. I spoke of this before.. All you can do is really build and sell for a while and hope to win games. Other than that its Pretty much hopeless

Last edited by Mr. Glass at 8/24/2014 7:36:09 PM