u/Balev8

So, I've been working on a basketball management sim for a very long time. Recently, I've accelerated the work and it's progressing well. I'm interested to learn a few things... What would people wishlist in a game like this? What's included in other Sims (doesn't have to be basketball) that I would be crazy not to include? What are some clear "stay away from" ideas? Below is a general idea of most of the features:

* Possession-by-possession individual play resolution simulation engine

* Tactical schemes

* Player development and trait progression

* Roster and squad management

* Staff hiring and department building

* Arena system and progression

* Draft and free agent market - inclusive of FOW scouting system

* Finance and revenue management

* Reputation system (Court, Commercial, Fans)

* Chapter-based career mode with narrative progression

* Sandbox mode

* Difficulty settings - inclusive of honour mode (one save)

* Full season schedule, playoffs and promotion/relegation

* Two versions: Single Player via Steam and MMO-like via browser and mobile.

No need to be "polite" with me because I'm keen to learn rather than be placated. In other words, I'm after the critical feedback.

Cheers.

The game I'm building has two versions. A single player mode where you build a team from a community programme up through the divisions or just play Sandbox, and a browser based multiplayer mode (Living League) where human managers compete in persistent online leagues with promotion and relegation.

For the single player version, contracts feel right. They mirror reality, create natural tension, and force long term planning. That friction is part of the game and easier to manage.

However, for the multiplayer version I'm less certain. Contracts in a living online league mean players become free agents on a schedule, managers compete to sign them, rosters churn between seasons. That could be exciting. It could also be a logistical headache that drives people away, especially if real life gets in the way and you miss a signing window. Or just simply that there's too much to do.

The alternative is a simpler ownership model. Your players are yours until you choose to move them on (sell, fire, retire). Less realistic but lower logistical challenges.

For people who play/have played online management sports sims with player contracts... Did it add to the experience or become the thing you dreaded every off-season? Or something else entirely?

AI Disclosure: I use Claude as a coding and architecture partner during development. No AI generated art or audio is currently in the game. AI generated images are being explored for concept work and promotional materials but nothing is finalised for use yet.

The game I'm building has two versions. A single player mode where you build a team from a community programme up through the divisions or just play Sandbox, and a browser based multiplayer mode (Living League) where human managers compete in persistent online leagues with promotion and relegation.

For the single player version, contracts feel right. They mirror reality, create natural tension, and force long term planning. That friction is part of the game and easier to manage.

However, for the multiplayer version I'm less certain. Contracts in a living online league mean players become free agents on a schedule, managers compete to sign them, rosters churn between seasons. That could be exciting. It could also be a logistical headache that drives people away, especially if real life gets in the way and you miss a signing window. Or just simply that there's too much to do.

The alternative is a simpler ownership model. Your players are yours until you choose to move them on (sell, fire, retire). Less realistic but lower logistical challenges.

For people who play/have played online management sports sims with player contracts... Did it add to the experience or become the thing you dreaded every off-season? Or something else entirely?

Something that's always bothered me about basketball sims is how unplayable rookies tend to be. You draft a guy and he's rated so low he's a liability, but you need to give him minutes to develop him. While the development, for me, is one of the most fun parts of a sim, I struggle with the realism part.

Pro league rookies are not unplayable in real life. Luka Doncic averaged 21 points as a rookie. LeBron James was an All Star in his first season. Look at Wemby, or even Harper from the Spurs. Even role players coming out of college are often contributing meaningfully from day one because they have already spent years developing their game.

In what I'm building, rookies start at a higher floor to reflect that. The tradeoff is that the development arc is less dramatic. You will notice improvement over seasons but it won't be the huge leap you see in other sims, because the huge leap was never that realistic to begin with.

Is that the right call, or is the dramatic development curve something that's actually preferred even if it's not strictly realistic? What would you ideally want?

I'm building a basketball management sim and am wrestling with a design decision around offensive tactics/schemes.

So, a user can select to run certain schemes, like in professional basketball. Each team has a certain style of play, so I've put this into a scheme concept. One example is the Triangle Offence.

The way I've implemented it... When you switch to a new scheme mid-season, your players go through a familiarity curve. They run it at reduced effectiveness for a few weeks while they learn it. The idea is that tactical decisions should feel meaningful and reward long-term planning over constant tinkering, reflective of basketball IRL. This being said, players with higher IQ and teams with more advanced coaches have their transition time and disruption reduced.

I'm having some huge second-guessing moments, though... Does that kind of mechanic actually add to the strategy for the player, or does it just feel like a punishment for experimenting? For me, this is realistic, which is what I'm aiming for, but would it take away the game fun too much?

I play a lot of deep management sims and obviously have my own opinions, but that's just my subjective experience. I'm curious what other people who also play deep management sims actually think. Over realistic, not a good game mechanic and not fun? Or the right kind of realism and, therefore, fun? Or something else?