Draft Candidate Resource

This page is designed to be a resource for everyone thinking about creating a character for the FBA draft. If you have any additional questions, feel free to stop by the chat anytime. The people in there should be quite capable of helping you build the best possible character you can.

Background

The background in many ways is the most important part of your submission, so take your time and make sure to get it right. When the Primary Contacts (abbreviated PC) are deciding who they want on their team they only have your characters position, their backstory and anything you do with that character. Even still the backstory is the first glimpse that any PC will have as to who your character is unless you spend a lot of time building them up from stories and whatnot.

A good background should give the reader a very clear understanding of where your player is coming from, how they grew up in life and why they decided to go into a life of basketball. This does three things for the PC.

1. It lets the PC know what kind of player would they be getting and then can decide how good a fit your player may or may not be with the team they have
2. It lets the PC know what they can potentially expect from you, the owner of the player. Though writing stories for your character are not mandatory, they are appreciated and if the background clearly shows effort involved with a complex character, the PC knows that there could be a really good chance you could end up writing up an interesting story involving your player.
3. Seeing as the FBA is a big collaborative project, other people may want to use your character in their stories. The better an idea of what your player is like, the easier it is for them.

Keep in mind that we do not accept Fursonas as submissions. While we understand everyone has a connection or bound to characters they create, we want to foster a separating between the creator and the character. When they are one in the same, In-Canon events and outcomes can quickly become Out-Of Canon problems as the line between character and creator is not there with a Fursona.

Character Details

A few things to keep in mind when building your character.

• Species
• Position
• Play Style
• Strengths/Weaknesses
• Height/Weight

Species

For species, as you saw in the terms and conditions, just about anything is fair game in regards to species including creating hybrids between two species of the same family/genus. However, when picking a popular species group, be aware of the Atwood Rule. As a means of promoting diversity in the league (so you don't have a team with nothing but wolves), each team is only allowed a maximum of 5 players per species family (Canines, Cervines, Felines, Avians, Rodents, etc.). If they go over that number they are in breach and are liable to automatically lose any chance of making it to the playoffs. Now does this mean avoid making any canine or feline character? No. There are tons of wonderful characters whose stories are so much better even if (or because of which in some cases) what they are. All it means is that for those teams close to their Atwood Rule for that species group they are far more prone to overlook your character based on species.

Positions

The position your player plays where they perform the best, in the application you may also select a secondary position they can play.

Point Guard: The Point Guard (abbreviated PG) is usually responsible to call and run the plays as they typically are the ones to be inbounded the ball, often making them a de facto leader. Normally a PG is required to be good at passing, though some player builds do exist that are focused solely on scoring, see below under playstyles for an expanded list on different builds. Most PG are under 6'6"

Shooting Guard: The Shooting Guard (abbreviated SG) is usually the go-to scorer. Shooting Guards usually excel in at least one if not two areas on the court, whether that be Close Range (Inside the Key/Paint), Mid Range, or behind the Three-Point line. SG tend to be taller than PG but still somewhat on the small size for basketball players (probably good around the 6'2" - 6'8" range). SG can often be a hybrid of both being okay with playing the PG position as needed or the SF position (see next).

Small Forward: The Small Forward (abbreviated SF) is the middle player of the lineup. They tend to be a jack of all trades, being good at a number of skills, however they are able to specialize in just about any skill set. This can mean their success is more dependent on how well their playstyle meshes with the team. Given their spot they can usually being in the 6'6" - 6'11" range in regards to height.

Power Forward: The Power Forward (abbreviated PF) is often considered the athletic bigman, though there are a number of different styles of play. One of the most common skills that help define a good PF is their rebounding, given they are often posted up in the paint where they are in a prime position to pull down the boards. Most PF tend to be in the 6'8" - 7'1" range.

Center: The Center (abbreviated C) is the big guy (or girl) on the team. They are generally the ones taking part in the jump ball (where the ball is tossed into the air by the ref and one player from each team tries to retrieve it). Centers tend to use their strength and size to push their way in close or get the rebound. Most centers over 6'10"

Playstyle

Next is how your player contributes to the team when they are on the court. Keep in mind the below playstyles are not necessarily the full list, nor are players limited to developing in only one playstyle.

First we will list the General playstyles that can apply to all positions:

• Athletic: Uses their immense physical abilities to outperform their opponent, whether that be their Strength, Speed, Jump, or Endurance.
• Rebounder: Great at pulling down Rebounds, whether offensive, defensive, or both. Typically also have good Strength and Jump in order to help them box out and reach the ball over their opponents.
• Defensive: Specializes in shutting down the opposing player, depending on their position they may be good at Perimeter or Post Defense. Also usually good at Blocking or Stealing the ball from their opponent.
• All-Rounder: A jack of all Trades who doesn't excel at any one stat per say, but doesn't have many if any weaknesses
• 3 Point Specialist: A player who excels from behind the 3 Point line

Now here are some Position Specific Playstyles:

• Score-First PG: These are Point Guards who focus on getting to the basket or putting up a shot. Sometimes called 'selfish PGs' due to their habit of looking to put up the shot themselves rather than finding the open fur with a pass. These types of players are usually good at Dribbling, Speed, and one or two areas of shooting such as Close Range, Mid Range, or 3-pt Range.
• Pass-First PG: The antithesis of the Score-First PG. Rather than trying to score themselves they will look first to pass the ball to an open teammate or run a play in order to get someone open. These kind of PGs are best at Passing and Dribbling with some other specializations in something like defense or athletic skills.
• Combo Guard: These are PG or SG who specialize in both Passing and Scoring, usually it takes a year or two to develop into this kind of Guard it is possible for a rookie to specialize in both Passing and Scoring if they struggle in other areas of their game. These players are comfortable playing either spot and can be a dangerous one-two punch along side another PG.
• Swing-Fur: These are players who bridge the gap between SG and SF, usually SG who are big enough to defend against other SFs but specialize in scoring. Can lean either more towards SG or SF.
• Slasher/Cutter:A PG/SG/SF who specializes in using Speed and Dribbling in order to get around their defender and get closer to the basket, usually specializes in Close or Mid-Range Shooting.
• Big-Fur: These are furs who can play both PF and C, usually these are above average athletic Centers who are able to move outside the post to help score and defend.
• Post Up (Back to Basket): These are SF/PF/Cs who use their size to get low in the post, turning their back to the basket and using their Strength to push the defender closer, they also typically specialize in Close-Range Shooting, and Jump.
• Faceup: These are PF/Cs who play face to the basket from mid-range to the post, they specialize in Dribbling, Close-Range Shooting, and possibly Speed/Jump in order to get by or around the defense

Not every playstyle may be listed here, as there are many nuanced styles that are variations or combinations of some of the above. When creating your draftee don't be afraid to think about more than one style they might eventually grow to represent, what we are looking for in the application is the one main style that you feel best describes their play. If you don't see one listed, make sure to use the provided space in the application to describe the style to the best of your abilities!

Strengths and Weaknesses

A well-rounded player has both Strengths and Weaknesses, no player is perfect. In your draft submission, you will want to talk about both what the excel at, and what they struggle with. If you are having trouble coming up with what to write about a great resource is http://www.draftexpress.com/! Below all the Grade Skills are listed along with their general meaning and effect. It's usually a good idea for every strength or two you have at least one weakness to offset it. Not all Strengths or Weaknesses have to be directly stated as one of the below stats either, such as saying your player struggles with their footwork or that they have off-court issues might be a weakness for them but they are excellent Hustlers and never give up on the ball.

• Strength: how strong your player is; influences post defense, rebounding, and post scoring
• Speed: how fast your player is; affects shooting and defense
• Jump: how high your player jumps for their height; influences shooting, defending, and rebounding
• Endurance: how fast a player tires during a game, decreasing their skills, and how likely they are to be injured
• Fouling: lower levels are more likely to foul
• Contact: how likely a player is to initiate contact to draw a foul
• Free Throw Shooting: how accurate your player is from the free-throw line
• Close Range Shooting: 2 point shooting from inside the paint. included both post play and dunking
• Mid Range Shooting: 2 point shooting from between the post and the three-point line
• Three Point Shooting: Shooting from the furthest range behind the three-point line
• Blocking: To physically put a paw on the ball a player shot, a blocked shot is a miss
• Stealing: Ability to generate a Turnover off an intercepted pass or to reach in and steal the ball while dribbling
• Dribbling: influences how likely to turn the ball over (the higher the grade the lower the Turnovers), also increases shooting success
• Passing: influences how likely to turn the ball over when passing (the higher the grade the lower the Turnovers), also increases teams overall shooting success
• Offensive Rebound: Ability to pull down a missed shot on offense, thus creating a second chance to score
• Defensive Rebound: Ability to pull down a missed shot on defense, denying the opponent a chance for a second shot
• Post Defense: Ability to put pressure on an opposing shooter in the post/paint, reduces their shooting effectiveness
• Perimeter Defense: Ability to put pressure on an opposing shooter from mid range and 3pt range, reduces their shooting effectiveness

Height and Weight

A good resource for defining height and weight: http://pinwheelempire.com/p/nba/prototypical-size-vs-reality-in-the-nba

Though keep in mind that the FBA is far more diverse than the NBA and typically has more extremes for each position. However, we still try to keep it within the realistic realm. A 7'3" PG submission or a 5'5" C submission will raise eyebrows and the contributor will be contacted about possibly changing their position or height to be more realistic. Here are the ranges that draftees can be without additional committee approval:

• Draftee must be 18 years old at the time of the draft
• Draftee must be no taller than 7'6" at the time of the draft^
• Draftee can be no shorter than 5'0"^
• Draftee can be no heavier than 350 lbs^

^Draft contributors can request height/weight boosts that may allow their character to exceed this, however are dependent on stories and approval from Committee and might be required to happen after the draft

Top 24 Consideration

Now here is a seemingly arbitrary question that should still be asked. Now let's talk advantage and disadvantages of this consideration. If someone is picked to be in the top 24 then they will be marked as the cream of the crop. With the 2018 Draft, the top 24 will get to play a game in the Draft Combine. Generally speaking, being picked for the Top 24 all but guarantees that player will get chosen in one of the 48 draft picks. Given that advantage if chosen why would someone ever say no to that question. Well the answer is twofold. 1) if you feel that though your character is good enough for the FBA, they are not in the best of the league, hoping for story to get them in on the other 24 picks, which is perfectly fine, especially if there are still aspects of the character you still want to develop. 2) Only 1 player from each creator will be allowed in the top 24, to help promote diversity and reducing favoritism towards certain creators. As such if you are submitting multiple candidates (there is no real limit to the number of characters you submit towards the draft) then only one of your characters have any chance of making it to the Top 24. So if there candidates that you want into the top 24 than others, saying no to one of them being a top 24 hopeful will help the committee decide which of your players might make it into the top 24.

• As a reminder, each creator is only allowed -1- submission in the top 24.
• If a creator submits multiple top 24 submissions, it will be up to the committee to select -1- submission eligible for top 24 status.
• The committee can re-arrange and 'draft' non-top 24 selected characters as they see fit based on background, story, potential, and any other factors they see fit, into the top 24.
• Sockpuppeting characters, (playing as someone else's submitted top 24 character) when you already have your own is a grey area. Its perfectly acceptable for you to Role Play and write stories about another contributor's character, however the line is drawn when a contributor ends up doing the majority of development work on another's top 24 character. This will be addressed by the committee in the case when this happens.
• Submitting multiple top 24 characters under different names to get around the limit is a bannable offense.
• The committee tends to be 'easier' on first-time contributors and the bar for quality submissions grows for more experienced contributors.
• If ranked in the Top 8 the prior year your character will not be considered for the Top 8 the next year. This is to allow more variety of Top 8 Draftees year to year among contributors.
• Overall, doesn't hurt to say yes, but if you don't want a yes, feel free to say no. And now to explain what to pick when doing the Top 24 consideration page:

Top 24 Explanation

This field is much different than the background one in the previous page. This one isn't about what happened in your character's life, but why they should be considered one of the best 24 players in all of the draft pool. Basically this whole field is entirely just to show the committee why you chose yes for if they'd be in the top 24. Now while background is more for PC's to see if they like your character and thus be as long as you want it to be, this question is for the committee that has to assess all 100+ candidates.