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Is it just me or is the classics game really boring?

I admit I have a preference for stage racing, but this year I am finding the unlimited transfers and no purist competition has created a sterile and very boring game. Part of the problem seems to be the scoring as, we all know who the favourites are, and the high probability that one of them is going to win, hence they are expensive, and with the very high points scores for the first three, there is little point in going for the 11/20 position potential riders, at the expense of the big guns. Everyones Team seems to be pretty similar every stage, and to be honest I cannot wait for it to end. anyone else finding this too?

Rant over!

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14 comments

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VVV73 | 9 years ago
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WHINGWE WHINGE

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Twybaydos | 9 years ago
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I don't feel it was such an issue at the start when the races were different from one another, but this week is starting to drag. I could pick the same team, but I don't, because I'm allowed not to.

A week of Ardennes classics and the week of proper cobbles (e3, GW, RVV, P-R) could have been separate competitions on their own.

Omloop and Strade Bianche are wonderful races on their own and could be run as one-off competitions, bearing in mind how different the start lists are . KBK and Roma-Maxima were superfluous, and I would have liked a Schildeprijs sprint challenge as a one-off event.

MSR - personally meh but I suspect some people like it,

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cgipryan replied to Twybaydos | 9 years ago
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Twybaydos wrote:

A week of Ardennes classics and the week of proper cobbles (e3, GW, RVV, P-R) could have been separate competitions on their own.

I like this idea  41

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enrique replied to cgipryan | 9 years ago
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Twybaydos wrote:

A week of Ardennes classics and the week of proper cobbles (e3, GW, RVV, P-R) could have been separate competitions on their own.

cgipryan wrote:

I like this idea  41

Me too..

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chokofingrz | 9 years ago
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I've also found it quite boring. Because each race is a separate entity, with unlimited transfers, there's no continuity within your team. I just log in the night before a race, pick a predictable bunch of favourites and 3.0 guys, check in at race finish time to see if I did any good, and then, regardless of success or failure, just forget about the whole thing until the next deadline arrives. I've never felt less engaged with the game (maybe a good thing for my life!)

I seem to remember it was more fun last year when races were grouped into threes, and you had 2 transfers a time. You actually had to check startlists and do a bit of planning to make sure you had a bunch of guys who would score solidly through the block.

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enrique | 9 years ago
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I missed the deadline for the Purist Team for the Giro del Trentino, but looking at the game start list I see, wow, to my count, 29 (!) 'Popular' riders...

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enrique | 9 years ago
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Dave, is there a way for you to print out a report of who the were the most selected riders for a stage? Sort of like the "Dream Team', but instead of letting us know who were the Top 9 riders scoring-wise, have something that lets us see what were, say, the Top 15 most popular riders selected for a stage? Without having to go rider by rider to see what percentage picked that rider:? ...

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Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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It has been slightly more boring than other races, because it is not split into groups this year. All riders values have stayed constant. Which is a shame.

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Ghedebrav | 9 years ago
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Your point is fair enough (in as much as it's how you feel!), but to be honest I'm really enjoying them. And weren't Gilbert, Cancellara and Degenkolb all priced mid-20s? Vanendert, 2nd in AGR, was less than ten.

I'd agree that the purist is a bit redundant, but I'm quite enjoying being able to pick two teams and I'd sooner have the phoney war than have the option switched off completely for the one-day races. Of course, there's the unofficial forum purist thing for them what want it.

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stevemarks replied to Ghedebrav | 9 years ago
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Ghedebrav wrote:

Your point is fair enough (in as much as it's how you feel!), but to be honest I'm really enjoying them. And weren't Gilbert, Cancellara and Degenkolb all priced mid-20s? Vanendert, 2nd in AGR, was less than ten.

I'd agree that the purist is a bit redundant, but I'm quite enjoying being able to pick two teams and I'd sooner have the phoney war than have the option switched off completely for the one-day races. Of course, there's the unofficial forum purist thing for them what want it.

To me that is the problem:

It's not that there are not cheaper riders to pick from. But that we all know you have to pick Cancellara, Boonen, Gilbert or even Sep Vanmarke for a particular race, By the time you have put in the must haves, and that does normally take up a very large percentage of your budget, you have to put in 2,3,4 or even 5, 3.0 point riders.

I am not moaning, I am just trying to make my point and wondered if anyone felt the same. I love the game because it is not necessary to know that Contador is going to win a stage race to have the best scorer, even in a purist team. Do you go for guaranteed GC points or take a punt on a breakaway or a young guy getting high up in the sprints and picking up the young rider jersey? In the classics competition its find the first three or you haven't really got a chance. the rider values just become odds really and I can do that at the bookies.

To me there is no subtlety to the game. It adds nothing to my enjoyment of the race and does not allow me the flexibility to follow and try new cheap up and coming riders. It has just become a bit like having a bet or pining the tail on the donkey. the differences are too slight to make it seem worth while. I would suggest maybe using the stage race scoring system as at the moment in my opinion, the one day race seems to have too many points for the winner of the stage relative to the lower placed riders.

In some ways I do agree it is almost a welcome break not having to spend so much time on the fantasy game, but if I were honest with myself I am missing the challenge.

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cgipryan replied to stevemarks | 9 years ago
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stevemarks wrote:

I would suggest maybe using the stage race scoring system as at the moment in my opinion, the one day race seems to have too many points for the winner of the stage relative to the lower placed riders.

I also think that would make the classics more fun and would diversify the possible ways of winning... but then again, I've been rubbish at the classics this year, so my opinion might not count for much...

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enrique replied to cgipryan | 9 years ago
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stevemarks wrote:

I would suggest maybe using the stage race scoring system...

I like that idea, too...

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enrique | 9 years ago
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stevemarks wrote:

... the favourites are... expensive... with the very high points scores for the first three, there is little point in going for the 11/20 position potential riders, at the expense of the big guns...

How true... but I can already hear dr say:

drheaton wrote:

...everyone will still pick the same riders, everyone will pick the riders who are most likely to score points. Tweak the game however you want, that will never change.

but I'm of the opposite camp. I believe what you're saying is true... I believe the more flexibility we have in the budget and the less the point differences at the top the more people's willingness to try different lineups, especially if they're trying to play 'catch up'...

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enrique replied to enrique | 9 years ago
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stevemarks wrote:

... the favourites are... expensive... with the very high points scores for the first three, there is little point in going for the 11/20 position potential riders, at the expense of the big guns...

If what you're saying is true, then it could mean that it'll be really hard for anyone to score over say, 175 points for Liege Bastogne Liege... Thank God for Vanendert and Arredondo!  1

I would have to say everybody would have Valverde, Kwiatkowski, Gilbert, Vanendert and Arredondo... That would be 97.7 credits in the budget with some 52.3 credits left over for the likes of Dan Martin, at 25.6, Simon Gerrans at 29.8, Bauke Mollema at 29.7, Daniel Moreno at 26.1...  39 Then you could fill up with Tom Jelte Slagter at 17.6, Simon Geschke at 20.8, Michael Albasini at 21.0
or Wout Poels at 12.8... Yeah, it'd be nice to be able to fit in a few more riders...

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