Watch “Paydirt gamers get updated charts, new Virginia face-to-face group thanks to 45-year fan,” a board game interview for Paydirt on BoardGameVideo.
Description provided by APBA Football Club on YouTube:
Paydirt rides again in Williamsburg, Virginia group
Doug Jones, known by his eBay handle quuf-56, has been playing Paydirt and Bowl Bound for 45 years. He’s also been making season and team sets that either improve on the originals or create teams never officially issued by Sports Illustrated or Avalon Hill. For instance, his Best of the 40s NFL set features the 12 teams who played for the NFL championship in the 1942 through 1947 seasons.
With customers all over the world, Doug found a couple right in his area in Williamsburg, Virginia. He’s looking to expand the group
We discuss some of his most memorable games he’s played since his mother picked up a copy of Paydirt at a garage sale in 1981. We also talk about:
8:32 His method for calculating team cards (it takes him 10 to 15 hours to research and calculate each team chart).
11:45 The six official eras of Paydirt charts.
18:17 Use of post-season statistics and big plays
28:10 Margin of error allowable in statistical accuracy (Super Bowl 7)sss
Email Doug to inquire about his team charts at QUUFINITY@YAHOO.COM.
Doug's eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/usr/quuf-56
Attend the Paydirt group’s Sunday meetings at the Williamsburg Regional Library, 515 Scotland St.
Paydirt groups on Facebook:
Paydirt and Bowl Bound Football Simulation Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1005086851798902
Paydirt and Bowl Bound Football: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1833627900252250
Paydirt and Bowl Bound Football Marketplace: https://www.facebook.com/groups/851833054261692
Evolution of Paydirt at Avalon Hill, according to Doug Jones:
"1st version charts-seasons 1969-1972: By Sports Illustrated. Grossly inaccurate. Very generic charts. Not created with correct team season data. Some of the first charts I decided to remake using updated and correct data.
"2nd version charts: Seasons 1973-1976 (1973 and 1974 seasons only partially completed). First charts created by Dr. Tom Nicely. They were very experimental and of poor design. In my one communication with the doc he told me he did not have complete stats to work with and that is why his early charts were so generic.
"3rd version charts: Seasons 1977-1980. Unlike his earlier efforts, these were the doc’s best effort and easily the best charts ever done for Paydirt. While I have seen the need to remake all of the other seasons, these seasons are great just the way they are.
"4th version charts: Seasons 1981-1983. These seasons were also done by Dr. Nicely but were not original charts. He started to use the “cut and paste” method of piecing together older charts to make new ones. Still better than his first effort but not better than his second.
"5th version charts: Seasons 1984-1987. Avalon hill contracted with Barnes do these charts. Seemingly older charts cut and pasted together at random. I have remade the 1984, 85 and 86 seasons with correct data. I will also be remaking the 1987 season.
"6th and final version: Seasons 1988 to 1993, the last done by Avalon Hill. Dr. Nicely came back to make these charts. He introduces several new elements including variable yardage and variable penalties. He also introduced offensive gains in parenthesis. Although not as good as his second effort, his fourth and final design was decent (although i have been remaking some of these charts for my clients).
In conclusion the elusive “secret formula” that Dr. Nicely used has been much sought after by chart makers as if it were the holy grail. But there is no one magic formula for creating charts. Dr. Nicely made some good charts, some bad charts and some mediocre charts. He is still considered the pioneer of Paydirt ,and we owe him a great deal for his contributions to the game."
