Playing under another name?

[Spinynorman]

I am a bit worried that I am not going to be able to join in with as many FISO side games as I usually would due to the 5 team limit. I realise that a team can be in more than one league but with the weird, wonderful and varied rules of the various side games this does not always help. It may also be the case that not as many side games will be run due to these same 5 team rules.

What are folks thought on entering well established FISO non cash side games using teams under the name of family members? It's not something I have ever given any thought to before?

Is this just cheating?

Would this just not work at all?

Does it open up a nest of worms in a glass house with someone throwing stones at birds in a bush?

Thought and comments appreciated.

[Maldini]

I’m considering this as well.

I’d like to know what others think because I wouldn’t want to be seen as cheating.
The five teams would be used in games where it would be highly unlikely, with restrictions in place, for them to get anywhere near the top of the leaderboard.

Egg Cup x 1
Block League x 1
Highlander x 1
Hare and Tortoise x 2


I may even make a name up so inthe unlikely event of a cash win in the main game, I couldn’t claim the prize.

[murf]

Something I was considering too but I may just play 5 teams and ditch some side games.

Morally I think it is fine as long as it is only for bizarre rule sidegames and you vow to yourself to give your hamster's 'accidental' winnings to charity.

Main hassle is switching log ins I guess.

Would be good to all be open and above board but that sets you up to be caught / grassed up.....

[robot]

The worry would be winning with the other 5 then losing by default.

Also small chance in the games maldini mentions to actually win?

The highlander could still run, but just wouldnt have the usually tactics if a normal sessonal team was used.

[Maldini]

That’s the thing robot. If you can’t use specific tactics and are just using normal teams in these side games, it renders them pretty pointless.
The fun is managing different teams, with different restrictions, in different ways.
With a cap of just five teams, they’ve virtually killed this aspect of TFF.

I’ve contacted them to let them know this.

[Spinynorman]

I suppose the thing to do (if it's possible) is to play under your real name on an account with a different e-mail address specifically for your weird rule side games. I presume the problem would be that the Telegraph might still consider this to be cheating and possibly chuck out all of your teams.

[robot]

That’s the thing robot. If you can’t use specific tactics and are just using normal teams in these side games, it renders them pretty pointless.
The fun is managing different teams, with different restrictions, in different ways.
With a cap of just five teams, they’ve virtually killed this aspect of TFF.

I’ve contacted them to let them know this.

Yes agree, with the highlander though its still a possible game just not such a good one.

The problem with tff is there not going to come back and say yes its ok to set up more teams as long as you dont win anything?

[murf]

The problem with tff is there not going to come back and say yes its ok to set up more teams as long as you dont win anything?

That is true unfortunately.

It seems 90% of players last year just had one free team and were too tight/uninterested to pay for more - these people are those TFF care about - bizarrely.
TFF can't be bothered with the hassle of catering for those for want more and are willing to pay, other than putting on an arbitrary 5 team limit. Our only hope is they push that up for everyone but I doubt they will as they think the masses are put of by 'professional' multi entrants (in this day and age they care about the website clicks of the masses even if they don't physically want to pay for anything)

[Darbyand]

Would be good if you could self select to exempt all but 5 teams from prize money contention by a fixed date, early in the season.... or before.

[Maldini]

Agree. They’ve broken the game for the very people that have kept it alive.

I’ve decided to just go with five teams which means I won’t be able to defend my Block League and Xpander titles this season. Will also miss the 2020 game and my handful of cracks at a monthly.

Will put a team in Highlander but it will be a seasonal, totally reliant on luck rather than a specific team aimed at trying to win it.

2 x Seasonal (one in Highlander)
1 x Egg Cup
2 x Hare & Tortoise

That’s it .

I’ll definitely get more books read this winter.

[murf]

Hare and Tortoise would have been virtually the same as FISO 500 and FISO 2020 leagues so would have appealed to me - alas they are the very two teams I might drop to get down to 5

Think I will be -

Seasonal (£25 league)
Eggcup
Liverpool block (do one every year)
Highlander
Block league

Would like a 2nd normal seasonal team so may sacrifice Block league or use it in a non-dedicated Highlander team or start it as a Liverpool block and allow that to tweak.

[hayesag]

Agree. They’ve broken the game for the very people that have kept it alive.

I’ve decided to just go with five teams which means I won’t be able to defend my Block League and Xpander titles this season. Will also miss the 2020 game and my handful of cracks at a monthly.

Will put a team in Highlander but it will be a seasonal, totally reliant on luck rather than a specific team aimed at trying to win it.

2 x Seasonal (one in Highlander)
1 x Egg Cup
2 x Hare & Tortoise

That’s it .

I’ll definitely get more books read this winter.

Why would you not want to defend ur block league title. You can use a block team as a normal team. You also have first pick. So if you don't feel confident in picking out the best prem defence then u may as well quit now

[Maldini]

I have first pick. 19 other managers don’t.

Think we’d struggle to get all twenty with the team restriction.

[murf]

I have first pick. 19 other managers don’t.

Think we’d struggle to get all twenty with the team restriction.

Might have to be opened up for two each but will anyone want to use 2 or more of their slots?

[raoul]

Would be good if you could self select to exempt all but 5 teams from prize money contention by a fixed date, early in the season.... or before.

this seems a remarkably sensible suggestion. Have as many teams as you want, but nominate 5 (before the season starts preferably) that can win prizes of any sort. They have a ONE league, why not have a FIVE league as well (with the main prize, maybe all remaining prizes), and make the UNLIMITED league a small token prize only?

Can't be that hard to sort out?

[murf]

Would be good if you could self select to exempt all but 5 teams from prize money contention by a fixed date, early in the season.... or before.

this seems a remarkably sensible suggestion. Have as many teams as you want, but nominate 5 (before the season starts preferably) that can win prizes of any sort. They have a ONE league, why not have a FIVE league as well (with the main prize, maybe all remaining prizes), and make the UNLIMITED league a small token prize only?

Can't be that hard to sort out?

It's pretty much what they had last year with the paid league and free (everybody) league.

[robot]

Got to be worth someone asking the question, probably get nowhere but worth a try.

[morganb]

Re: Block league - perhaps you could have a semi-block league (choose 2 teams) and therefore only need 10 entries?

[Yorkshire Exile]

No chance they will reprogrammed limits and tweak rules in next couple of weeks

Not sure how I feel re false entries.... One hand keeps the side games alive on another gives advantage to those who bend the rules which is in essence cheating...I won't be doing it- the pots for most of the side games are better than all but first place.... Being honest if I come second (which is becoming a tradition) to someone who had bent the rules I would cry foul..... So hence I won't do it to avoid the risk.

So 3 proper teams for the seasonal and standard cash games and 2 for hare and tortoise.....

[Spinynorman]

I was only considering extra teams for non cash weird rule type side games where coming first in the whole world is almost impossible.

[robot]

The only othe option with side games is to do it like the sun guys do occasionally and run them offline but based on the tff scores, but needs someobe with either very good IT skills or someone willing to put the time in manually.

[Jamjack]

I’m going to e-mail them too. 10 free teams would not (in my view) open the TFF folks up to favouring multi’s and would be sufficiently accommodating for a community they should care about. Best solution to keep everyone happy. Well, when I say “happy”....

[forestfan]

I don’t see the harm in picking side game-only teams under a false name... I think we’ll see plenty of Mickey Mouses, Bart Simpsons and Darth Vaders in the leaderboard this season

[Maldini]

I’ve contacted them about the problems the five team limit will cause regarding side games. Also pointed out that it will definitely encourage people to cheat (especially in the monthlies and weeklies).

They’ve just got back to me and said that they wanted to level the playing field but they are going to look into a way around perhaps having more teams that don’t qualify for the main competition prize.
Haven’t promised anything though.

[Jamjack]

I’ve contacted them about the problems the five team limit will cause regarding side games. Also pointed out that it will definitely encourage people to cheat (especially in the monthlies and weeklies).

They’ve just got back to me and said that they wanted to level the playing field but they are going to look into a way around perhaps having more teams that don’t qualify for the main competition prize.
Haven’t promised anything though.

Me too in the hope that if enough people make the point, they might be more motivated to do something. I’ve suggested that some compromise / workaround on this might win back some goodwill from long term telegraph game advocates that have been disappointed by some of the changes in recent years.