Board 8 > I have won my Fantasy Critic league for the fourth straight year

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/3bdd3b6e.png

Unless Silksong stealth drops and I lose like 50 points, but I feel safe that that is vaporware.

Only had a few misses this year overall, and got lucky to win the bid war on Astro Bot.

Is this the year I convince enough of you to start a B8 league? Let's try:

https://www.fantasycritic.games/howtoplay

It's fantasy football, but for video games! That uses opencritic as the score aggregator. 70 is a baseline and gets you a zero. Anything below that you lose a point, 70-90 gets you one point and everything 90+ is 2 points. Counterpicks are the opposite, you're trying to pick games you think will do poorly (or my strategy is to pick ones that won't come out at all).

I have a vague memory of you giving your picks on this at the beginning of the year, or maybe I'm mixing it up with something else (movie review fantasy?), but in any case - congrats!

Is the list of potential videogames provided ahead of time as part of the draft so only games on that list can be picked? I've never heard of 5 games on your list and certainly know less about whatever's in store for 2025... at least with my NHL draft I'm somewhat familiar with what's going on, the amount of research needed to succeed with this sounds pretty intensive!

I think I'd be interested in a B8 league, but I doubt I'd do very well.

Oh yeah I usually ask B8 every year before we draft to give me your deep cuts to look out for.

There is a database of every game announced for you to pick from, as well as all rumored games. For example, you could have also picked up "Unannounced Zelda" during the draft and once Echoes of Wisdom was officially announced you would have it, but I am usually too picky to draft unannounced games or games that don't look like they'll escape beta (like Hades II). And so far that strategy has worked out well for me.

And after the draft you have a bank of money to pick up games throughout the year as they're announced through a bid system that processes every saturday night.

I would 100% join a b8 league.

I'd be interested in this!

I guess you had some early access clause so you didn't lose points on Hades 2?

Yeah default rules is that a game has to be released in 1.0 to count, but you can switch it to allow early access games if you want.

Dang didn't even get goty or the runner up

lmao Silksong

excuse you

Sir Geoff Keighley has decreed that Astro Bot is GotY

but you're right in that I didn't pick up Silent Hill 2 because I didn't have have faith in Bloober and I was wrong

(I also fucked up because the person who did have SH2 offered me a trade straight up for Double Exposure. And I "lol no"'d him. My one true screw up)

KamikazePotato posted...

lmao Silksong

That's why I counterpicked it! Someone has had it in my league every single year now. And someone will next year too!

(It was me last year, but I dumped it on Thanksgiving for Asgard's Wrath 2. A huge upgrade)

21 Winning Roster:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/9b9bf383.png

22 Winning Roster:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f2a14376.png

23 Winning Roster:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/2/20b83b99.png

To give you a historical idea. And yes shut up I drafted suicide squad and got bailed out by it getting pushed last year

Forsaken really did you dirty. Only negative earner on all four lists.

I don't remember why I bought into the hype on that one, honestly. But last year was a down year for scores across the board.

Btw is the order of games in your screenshots the order you drafted them? So like... Astro Bot was an absolute steal that wasn't on anyone's radar?

Oooh, a shame you didn't counterpick Lord of the Rings: Gollum in 2023 when it actually came out. I'm guessing counter picks have to be games that other people are picking? Otherwise, you could just pick some shovelware game.

This seems pretty cool, but I also wouldn't want to do this myself, since I don't really follow upcoming games.

I remember recommending Sea of Stars to you for '23, glad it worked out.

Yeah counterpicks have to be on someone else's roster and it also prevents them from dropping it as well, which is why I like counterpicking games I know aren't going to come out. Sure I get zero points but it's also a wasted slot for them.

I might be interested

was actually looking at the 25 list just to see the games at the top, MH Elden Ring and GTA all make sense in a way but the latter two are interesting counter picks if you think theres a delay

edit: also wonder if theres something similar for other mediums (movies, tv shows, etc)

I'm going to placefourth. Did this with some friends and family after you brought it up last year.

Keeping this alive for a potential B8 league.

Wonder if anyone had a massive come from behind win on picking Caves of Qud

Unpicked in my league!

I did come back and win last year but dropping Silksong and picking up Asgard's Wrath 2

I'd be on board

When are picks for this usually done?

Usually within the first two weeks of January.

I think my league is drafting next monday

Do we have enough here for a B8 league?

I'd be in for the B8 league.

This is going to be the third year I do one of these leagues with a group of friends. There's 10 of us participating with a roster size of 12 each. This year we drafted 6 games and 1 counterpick and will need to fill out the rest of the roster with 6 more games and another counterpick throughout the year. It's been fun. We set up the Fantasy Critic Bot in our discord and that helps drive interaction and conversation with the league

I, too, will also welcome deep cuts. We drafted on Monday and I came away with this:

Civilization VII
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Vampire: The Masquerade -- Bloodlines 2
The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-

CPK: Hollow Knight: Silksong

I am so convinced Silksong is vaporware that I took will counterpick it at every opportunity

I told you last year to pick Prince of Persia. Not sure if I have a dark horse like that in mind for 2025.

I'd be tentatively interested in a B8 league.

only thing I didn't see in the FAQ is what the budget looks like for drafting later in the year. Is it determined automatically?

Um, how do we actually start this? Does someone need to run the league or something?

yeah

I'm not a commish kinda guy though

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/6b162598.png

I'm not as confident this year, though I did get some bangers

Who counterpicked The Outer Worlds 2? That feels like a loss of points for sure

My best friend who is convinced it won't come out this year

with the logic that everyone is going to delay to avoid GTA

but I'm seeing rumors that GTA is going to be the one pushed so

Oh yeah I would've bet against GTA before basically anything else that's not Silksong tbh

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80918480

made a topic for a b8 league