Ladies and gentlemen (well, let's be honest, probably almost all gentlemen), thanks for your patience with the difficulties we had with this season's playoffs. I hope the free Influence makes up for that, and one of our top priorities for this season is rewriting the playoff code (which is at this point some of the oldest code on the site). Really, we'd rather have a system that doesn't penalize teams for playing in harder divisions and going to a simpler format (and probably even including a few more teams each season for more chances at glory.) But that's next season, let's talk about the here and now.
The contract system has been vastly simplified and no longer will price out your players as they level up (especially in the top leagues). Replacing the generic contract with a money formula based on experience level and a range based on league, you now issue a type of contract to a player based on what role in your organization you want him to play: Development, Journeyman, Everyday Player, Star, or Franchise.
These new contract types come with a built in bonus for the player that receives them, such as an experience bonus for development guys, and added intangible effects for Stars. The downside? Player salaries aren't going to be as high as they once were. But rather than just penalizing your players for gaining levels, team owners (and players) now face the decision of just what level of contract they are willing to accept ... as only so many of each type are available. So no issuing 25 Franchise contracts ... the prestige and money that go with it are available only to select players.
Because of this new structure, contracts can be for much longer periods of time, particularly at the top end of the scale. If you're willing to give a guy a 10 year Franchise contract with a big signing bonus at the WBL, you can do that. Here are the contract types, number available, and bonuses:
Development (3 available): This contract is intended for your younger bench players who are still developing into starters.
Special: Experience Boost.
Journeyman (9 available): This is a more veteran player who plays either as a platoon or possibly in the bullpen. Versatile, reliable, and necessary.
Special: No moxie loss when appearing in a game.
Everyday Player (6 available): The meat of a team's lineup and a starting rotation. These guys may not win you the pennant, but they can lose it for you.
Special: Bonus to all training types.
Star (5 available): The guys who appear in team media and are starting to make the bigger money. In contract terms, these are the "clubhouse leaders" ... guys whose behavior will lead the team by example.
Special: Double intangible bonuses for background and personality.
Franchise Player (2 available): Your biggest superstars, the ones who make the big bucks and will anchor the lineup or rotation.
Special: Huge salary.
This is a simplified system, with a little bit more video game type elements and bonuses, and less overall number crunching. This also helps to close some of the major exploits in the salary system (signing 2 or 3 year contracts when a guy is low level). So keep all your own guys if you want. Just know that some of them are going to have to make financial sacrifices to stay with your team .... as is realistic.
So good luck out there in Season 15!
