Beta Thoughts so Far in Season 2 Topic

I am posting this here for discussion and not to criticize. I know there are non beta testers here and I want to share my thoughts.

The Good:
  1. More balanced Engine (B+)
  2. Fewer last second comebacks
  3. I LOVE the test game feature. It serves very well to scout your team chemistry and provides feedback. I would keep this in the release, but limit you to scrimmages with your own team only to evaluate team scrimmages and effectiveness.
  4. Gameplans: I like the new set-up. MUCH more flexible and intuitive.

The bad
  1. Too many "Super Backs". There are RB's rushing for 10+ YPC in single games and too many running for excessive yardage over a city. RB's need to be curved toward the mean more.
  2. I would still like to see more IQ and Formation variance. IQ and formations need to be more influential than they are even in the new engine.
  3. All player prep, including:
    1. Lineups-setting. Too redundant. It takes more time for me to set 1 team lineup than my 4 teams combined under the current engine.
    2. Formation plays. I like what is being attempted, but basically do not like it. I am NS why. I just dread it.
    3. Player Roles Function. Get rid of Player Roles altogether, IMO. Useless for me. Another unnessaeary step IMO.

I would combine the player settings and depth chart screens. Just add the box for starter on the depth chart screen and call it a day or make it so your #1 guy has to be your starter (or #1 and #2 if it is a multi-player position like DE). 

Final verdict so far: Better game play in general, with some bugs still apparent, but right track. However, I will definately have to reduce my teams if this is implemented with the team management modifications. Not a threat, just feedback. There is no way I can manage 5 teams and remain competitive under life's time-constraints.
4/7/2013 3:56 PM (edited)
I could not disagree more with the bad #3 With the show recs button lineup need only be adjusted, and once you set the player roles, it auto adjusts them for you. the formations are my favorite part of the new engine. I actually have control over what offense I run outside of being saddled with cookie cutter formations I am forced into. If all five teams are under one ID, I'd say the new engine made it easier to control multiple teams. 

Combining the player settings and depth charts would be fine, but you'd also have to have the fatigue settings on there as well, and for those who choose advanced depth charts this would be a very clunky screen that likely would mean a very long screen there so I'm pretty sure that was the intent of breaking it up. I don't think two seasons is enough for you to really know the impact of the gameplanning aspects. By season 3 I plan to have a complete array of point and click options for my gameplan. Working on the ones that apply to my team currently while slowly building up my playbook. Can't stress how much I like that. 

The super backs are a problem, but I don't think its a problem with the engine anymore but a problem with the initial RB creation. I don't see those super backs existing when we are working with all recruited players. I, of course, am no fan of how passing is being done right now, but it is still not even testable and not to be used in evaluations yet. 

I'll probably come back with what I see as + - on it. 
4/7/2013 4:34 PM
Here's my 2 cents. 

The good

Editing Formations: Gives you the feel like you are in control of your playbook. It increases the immersion factor and makes you feel like you are actually a coach. Tip: Don't try to create your entire playbook you have in your mind right away. Work on those things that accentuate your current teams strengths and then expand from there. I plan to have a full playbook in 3 seasons if we are still going. Note: The formation settings are used for every team under your ID. This reduces the overall time required to create the playbook itself. 

Player Roles: If you like GUESS you really should like player roles. It makes it easier to see without bouncing back and forth to excel or some other program exactly what the recruits score is and the calculator is fully editable. GUESS it still applicable because it is still the only way to clearly see prognostication of recruit classes and individual team rankings. The Player Role really only helps you see your own recruits in relation to the other individuals in the current class and your own players. 

I concur about the test game feature. It being used as an evaluation of your own talent like a scrimmage would be immensely useful. 

gameplanning: it makes a big difference, but not so big that upsets are going to be widespread. I think its properly balanced. 

New Depth Charts: Allows you to really have a college attack. College's (and some pro teams a la the saints) have been specializing offenses for years and this is the best way to accomplish imv. It accomplishes it without making it look and feel like hockey style line changes. 

The Bad

Super RB's: While as I stated above, it seems to be due more to the starting ratings of DIII initial players in the test worlds being too high. There are so many backs capable and consistently delivering at 9-13 YPC that its kind of ridiculous right now. Since rushing has been the only thing even close to being completed it automatically is over powered compared to the passing game. 

Rushing QB's: Like the Super RB's...maybe these are because of ratings and not because of the engine. 400+ yards from a QB in a game is a bit much imo. 

The balance of the game is off, but that is because the passing game isn't completed

Final Grade: Incomplete. Passing is too important to me to really grade the engine yet. 


4/8/2013 1:25 PM
So far v 3 is good, but I do second the "redundancy" of setting your starters.  Only big difference I can tell is the "headscratchers" are gone.  I have a gut feeling that we are going to miss the simplicity of v 2 though.  Really like the test game feature and hope that it staysthe same.
4/11/2013 10:13 AM
ermackey, I'm curious to hear how you're grading the Formation IQ. After one season, everybody's default values are just starting to deviate from the mean as different practice plans are implemented. I don't really expect to see much variance until season 3 or 4. Maybe norbert can set some teams at really low/really high FIQs for season 3 so we can get a true comparison...
4/11/2013 11:30 AM
Posted by scrodz on 4/11/2013 11:30:00 AM (view original):
ermackey, I'm curious to hear how you're grading the Formation IQ. After one season, everybody's default values are just starting to deviate from the mean as different practice plans are implemented. I don't really expect to see much variance until season 3 or 4. Maybe norbert can set some teams at really low/really high FIQs for season 3 so we can get a true comparison...
Sorry, I have been traveling. I was basically relyng on the lessons of 2.0 and assuming they were applied forward in the new engine. You are correct, I am a bit premature. Make that complaint an "expectation" at this point.
4/12/2013 3:15 PM
I thnk the Player Roles Function is the best thing about version 3.  It makes the depth chart and recruiting so much easier! And it is completely adjustable to my own genius. ;)
4/17/2013 10:48 PM
The latest update seems to have upgraded passing, too much.
4/18/2013 12:43 PM
While I do agree the RB #'s are a little high you have to take into account we have not had enough time to recruit and create dominant lines yet.  I believe once coaches start adding better players on the DL you will see RB numbers go down for most teams.
4/21/2013 9:33 PM
Beta Thoughts so Far in Season 2 Topic

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