When it comes to advising newer players on team building, it is far more common to see advocates of overall youth than experience. I think there is a lot of value in older players that some people overlook, and that most new players should seek to fill their rosters with players in the 29 to 32 age range outside of trainees. Here are some reasons I like older players.
Opportunity Cost
With older players you get a lot more immediate bang for your buck. You will often pay double or more buying a 24 year old compared to the same build at 32. For newer players especially this is crucial. The extra money you save could go in to your stadium setting you up for the future, or it could go in to buying an extra player which will allow you to promote, allowing you to make more cash next season.
Depreciation as a Percent of Value
Age doesn't matter, only depreciation (drops in value) matter. If age didn't cause depreciation it would be totally irrelevant. Players depreciate throughout their careers, very fast at the start (due to potential training), slowing down to a steady pace through middle age, and then at an accelerating rate as they approach and begin decline. These drops in value are closely linked to the value of the player, i.e. a player might decrease in value 20% in their 32nd year and 10% in their 23rd year (without training). But because the same build is worth far less at 32 than at 23, even though the older player might be depreciating twice as fast as the younger player as a percent of value, in real terms (what actually matters, i.e. how much depreciation is costing you for the performance you are getting) often times the older player will depreciate at a similar rate to the young player, or at least close enough that other advantages will make up for it.
Deflation is a B*tch
This game has seen a significant overall drop in prices on the transfer list over time. The more players who leave the game, the more cheap players get put on the market, and the more depressed prices get. If you make a large investment in a million dollar 25 yo SF, and then market prices gradually drop across the board, in one year you might be able to buy a similar 25 yo SF for just 600k. Deflation affects older players less than younger players because less of their value depends on market prices in future seasons, and because deflation typically happens as a percentage of net value.
Experience and Affordable Build Efficiency
Higher experience means that players just before decline on average play better per dollar of salary than any other age group. Experience does have a noticeable effect. Combine this with the fact that older players are cheaper and you can usually buy older players who play much better per unit of salary than if you bought younger players.
Imagine this scenario: a team is looking for a new PF, if he wants a 30k/week player who plays like he's a 25k/week player he can pay 300k for a 25 yo or 150k for a 32 yo. If he wants a 20k/week player who plays like he's a 25k/week player he can pay 650k for a 25 yo or 350k for a 32 yo. In this scenario the older more expensive player will often be better because the more efficient build at a young age uses too much cash (maybe you wanted to spend it on your stadium, dont have it, or could better use it to replace your SG) and buying the older player will save you ~120k over a season in lower salary because of his build efficiency, making up for the potential extra depreciation.
Of course this flies out the window once the skills start dropping, which is why a)33+ players are most efficient to start the season b)30-32 are the "golden years" as far as value for money goes and c) although the rock bottom prices of 33+ players can make them worthwhile in certain situations, one should be careful with these players.
Last edited by w_alloy at 8/29/2012 1:59:55 AM