Developer Chat

Gridiron Dynasty

JConte

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EST


The LIVE portion of this chat will begin on

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 at 3:00 PM EST.

Here's your chance to ask questions and/or provide comments/suggestions about the coaching options in Gridiron Dynasty -- depth chart setup, practice setup, and game plan options.

If I play a 4-3 Defense and I only have 2 DB's on my team, who fills the remaining two spots? (djgomez33 - Hall of Famer - 2:54 PM)

The sim will look to other positions to set your lineup. In this case, WRs will be looked at first followed by LBs.

How does game instinct come into play performance wise for an offensive lineman. (ncheels85 - Pro - 2:56 PM)

Game instinct is used mostly for picking up blitzes. Offensive linemen need to know how to adjust their blocking assignments in these situations for pass protection.

What is the "1" major factor or ranking of multiple factors that determines why a player gets injured and how can it be prevented? Thanks (beattle34 - All-Star - 2:58 PM)

The most important factor in determining injuries is durability, but stamina and the amount of action a player sees in the game are also factors. If a player is getting over-used and is very tired, his chances of an injury are increased. The best way to prevent injuries is to adjust your practice plan to increase your players' ratings in these areas and your game plan to not abuse players by using them too much.

What good is the 5-2 Defense? Is it better against the Wishbone than the I-formation? (cowboygriz - Hall of Famer - 3:01 PM)

All the various sets have their strong points and their weak points -- the 5-2 is very good against tough inside running attacks, but is weaker against an aggressive passing attack. The effectiveness has a great deal to do with your players as well. If you have 5 good/great linemen but have weaker linebackers, then the 5-2 might be a good way to go against both the formations mentioned. It is not necessarily better against either one in a general sense.

Are there any plans to ever develop any pro dynasty games or a college baseball dynasty game? Those would be great. raiderzman33 (raiderzman33 - Hall of Famer - 3:02 PM)

Baseball (MLB) dynasty is in the works!

Does work ethic effect a players ability to recover fumbles? What about strength or athelticism? (zamiam - Hall of Famer - 3:03 PM)

A player's work ethic does not really come into play much as far as the game play goes. Strength and athleticism do play a part, but where the player is on the field when the fumble occurs is also a major factor.

As it stands now, when you're setting your defensive gameplan, the same defense you set for 1st and 10 ends up being what you run on 3rd and 19, since you set it against distance only, not down and distance. Is this going to change soon? (briandnlo4 - Hall of Famer - 3:05 PM)

No, there are currently no plans to change the way the defensive game planning is setup. Defenses generally match the offensive players on the field and the game plan is currently setup to follow this practice.

I am wondering just how much TEAM PRACTICE affects game play? I mean, individual practice shows improvements for players, but how does TEAM PRACTICE help? Or how do you know it helps? (randawg - Prospect - 3:07 PM)

Team practice effects your team's knowledge of the various sets and their ability to execute them. As your team improves in these areas, you will see less penalties and a greater ratio of successful plays out of those sets.

How do I red shirt a player? (ryansrats - Hall of Famer - 3:08 PM)

Click the link next to your players' names in your office -- Apply Redshirt. It must be before the 7th game of the season and you must have seasons remaining on your account.

Can you tell us if there are different levels of teams at DIA. There are a few of us in Bryant that are going to be looking to move up soon. Would it be safe to assume teams in BCS conferences are going to be harder to move to than a team in say the MAC or C-USA? (shattujw - All-Star - 3:09 PM)

Yes, that is a safe assumption. There is a distinction between the BCS conference teams and the others as well as some distinctions made among the BCS level teams.

Does a QB put in for the 2nd half have any disadvantages like being 'cold' or not in the flow of the game? (cowboygriz - Hall of Famer - 3:09 PM)

No, the QB is not at a disadvantage if he did not play in the first half of the game.

When defending the pass is it better to run a nickel, with a bad to average 5th DB, or a 3-4 with a better rated 4th LB? (jeffkahleb - Hall of Famer - 3:11 PM)

That really depends upon the formation you are facing, the overall quality of your players, your team's ratings at the two sets, the offensive team's rating at its set, etc. The best way to find out is to try them both out in a game and then go with the one you feel worked best.

Which DB (by means of the depth chart) is the most likely to blitz out of the 4-4,4-3-seems rather random. (geedub - Hall of Famer - 3:12 PM)

It is rather random -- sometimes it is a corner blitz (either right or left side) and sometimes it is a safety blitz. It gets spread around.

If you set your running to conservative, will it help cut down on fumbling? (jeffkahleb - Hall of Famer - 3:15 PM)

It will help because you will run less risky plays, but fumbles are more a result of your player's technique, strength, and elusiveness. Technique for carrying the football, strength for holding onto it, and elusiveness to avoid the type of hit that would cause a fumble. Fatigue also plays a role because tired players tend to get sloppy.

I heard that that WIS takes the overall rating of your O/D line. Is there any way to create advantages by listing them in the starting depth chart? Trying to create matchups? Or does WIS just put the best rated against the best rated, regardles s of depth? (jeffkahleb - Hall of Famer - 3:17 PM)

Since you cannot specify the exact positions across the OL/DL, the overall rating is used. You cannot create mismatches by listing your players in various orders on the depth chart.

Will games between two SimAI coached teams ever have boxscores created? Thanks. (hypnotoad - Hall of Famer - 3:18 PM)

These games do have a boxscore, just no play-by-play.

Is there any chance we are going to get anything to help us decide if our practice plans are working for our Offensive and Defensive game plans? I have no way of knowing if my team is just bad or i am not practicing the sets enough (guerrilla - Hall of Famer - 3:20 PM)

If you are getting a lot of penalties, then your team does not understand the set you are running very well and you need to increase your practice time. Likewise, if you are not seeing much success out of a particular set, try increasing your practice time in that area to improve performance. We are currently looking into some ways to give you more feedback as the coach in this area.

Are the defensive and offensive sets all or nothing? That is, if my team has not practiced the Shotgun, should I never try running it? Or, since they are well-practiced in Trips, they should be able to run it with some degree of success? Same with defense, if I practice the 4-3 should I be able to run the 5-2 with relative success? Thanks! (paranoid0 - Hall of Famer - 3:21 PM)

They are not all or nothing, but your team will be much better running the sets that you do practice. You will see less success and more penalties running the sets that you do not practice.

what is the best formation to run out of if you have a poor offensive line (nugp33 - All-Star - 3:22 PM)

There is no "best" formation as they are all dependent upon your players. If you want to run behind a poor offensive line, then I would suggest running out of sets that are designed more for the running game -- wishbone or ND box -- as a starting point.

The most difficult thing I have found to gauge, is the effect of the aggressiveness settings (more so on defense). Is there any way to shed some light or provide a translation into how that plays on the field. (% blitzing, corners bump & run, or way off?) (SvennyI - Hall of Famer - 3:25 PM)

The aggressiveness of a defense is directly related to how often you blitz and go for turnovers -- players try to strip the ball instead of simply making the tackle or jump passing routes to get the interception. These types of actions may create a "big" play, but it makes it much easier for the offense to break a "big" play of their own.

I have been changing my depth chart not on overall ratings but adding the ratings of the categories that the help page says are areas of concentration for a position. Ex. OL--Str, Bl and tech. I have been starting guys that are higher in these three combined areas as opposed to overall rating--is this a good thing or bad thing??? (ckparsons - Hall of Famer - 3:27 PM)

It is a good thing -- the overall rating of a player does not factor into the game play, the sim always looks at the individual categories. Starting players that are higher in the categories you feel are important for their position is the way to go.

Is it possible to change the plan at half time? (wrmiller13 - Hall of Famer - 3:29 PM)

Yes, that is why the game is split into halves. As long as you make your changes prior to 2:30 PM EST they will take effect for the second half of your game.

What happens if, for deceptive purposes, a coach selects a primary offense that he doens't intend to run, I.e. he doesn't practice it or include it in any of his 1-4 down settings? Any consequences? Same questions re: primary defense. Thanks. (rhuff1119 - Veteran - 3:30 PM)

No, their are no consequences for doing this at the present time.

What factor is important for DBs and their ability to have interceptions? (dbelford - Pro - 3:32 PM)

A lot of things play into an interception, but I'd say the most important factor is game instinct to recognize the route and be in the right place to make the play. Obviously, he has to have the speed to get there and the hands to catch the ball as well.

If my QB has a weak arm but is high in GI would he automatically know not to throw deep too much? (trojanman2k3 - All-Star - 3:33 PM)

No, he will try to make the play called by the coach. If you have a weak QB, then you probably want to go with a more conservative passing attack that will have shorter throws than an aggressive one.

During recruiting, I offered a recruit a starting position as a freshman. He refused the offer but lost the money from my recruting budget. I eventually signed him...do I need to start him now? (ezea - Hall of Famer - 3:34 PM)

No. As long as he did not accept the offer, you do not need to start him.

If I run the Shotgun and put my best WR as the 4th starting WR, do I have an advantage because he's going against my opponent's #4 DB? (pottle - Hall of Famer - 3:36 PM)

If your QB has the time to get to his 4th read, then you would have an advantage at the individual mathcup between WR and DB, but you have to have a very good line to give your QB that much time in the pocket.

Does playing aggressively on defense mean you'll blitz more as opposed to playing conservatively? (trojanman2k3 - All-Star - 3:36 PM)

Yes.

Does a team have an IQ for an offense that affects the effectivenss of the offense? If so, is it cumulative over the course of a college career, or does it reset at the beginning of each season? (breum - Hall of Famer - 3:38 PM)

I would call it more of a rating than an IQ, but yes. It is cumulative over the course of the season and then gets recalculated at the beginning of the next season to take into account players who have left and new players that have arrived.

If you start using a new offensive or defensive formation, how long does it take for your team to run it effectively? Assuming a reasonable amount of practice time is devoted to it, that is. (3putt21 - Hall of Famer - 3:39 PM)

This really depends upon your players and the amount of practice time devoted -- personally, I wouldn't want to run a set that I haven't practiced for at least several days.

What are the yardage ranges for long, medium, and short when setting defensive sets (short is 1 to ?, etc)? (methomps - Prospect - 3:40 PM)

These are used to matchup against your opponent's offense. When your opponent is in a "long" situation, then your "long" defense for that set is used.

Are the re-vamped depth charts going to be coming out any time soon? Care to mention any features they will have? Thanks! (3putt21 - Hall of Famer - 3:42 PM)

They are on the way and will include a method to control substitutions rather than allowing the sim to decide when a player needs to come out of the game. The release date is TBD.

Does it matter where I put my best player at any position on the depth chart ? For example, would it be better to put my good, but slowest linebacker in the second spot on the depth chart considering I am running a 4-3 defense ? Or does it not mattter at all ? (mileininger - Hall of Famer - 3:43 PM)

Yes, it does make a difference. The higher up on the depth chart the player is, the more integral he will be in the game -- more carries, thrown to more, cover the best WR, etc.

Is it safe to assume that your 2nd two DB's listed on the depth chart are the safeties and the first two are the corners? So for safeties, tackling and GI are more important than technique and speed? (3putt21 - Hall of Famer - 3:46 PM)

Yes, that is correct. Tackling and GI are very important, but I wouldn't downplay the importance of technique and speed. The safety might know where to go and be able to make the tackle if he gets there, but he may not have the speed to get there or the technique to take the proper line.

Hands plays no part in the equation for players fumbling? (breum - Hall of Famer - 3:48 PM)

Yes, it does play a role. A player with poor hands will be more likely to fumble.

How come when I go to set my 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th downs after I save it it refreshes with it something different then what I saved it as? (trojanman2k3 - All-Star - 3:49 PM)

This sounds like a problem -- please submit a support ticket regarding this issue.

If I want my team to "go for it" on 4th and 1, what should my settings be? (PSU83 - Hall of Famer - 3:50 PM)

The best way to maximize your team's tendency to go for the first is to set your primary offense to very aggressive as this is used to set the overall style of your team's offensive play for these types of decisions.

Is there any talk about expanding the depth chart to include more positions (CB and S instead of just DB)? And is there any talk of being able to set your depth chart for each formation? (sweetsalve - Hall of Famer - 3:52 PM)

We are not looking into adding more positions -- CB, S, etc. We are, however, considering a way to get more control over who plays in the various formations, but don't want things to become too complicated or burdensome to setup.

Lets say you have a QB rated over 500 but his strength, technique and GI aren't as good as a player rated at 450. Does the player with the highest overall rating produce better then one with high numbers specific to his position? (trojanman2k3 - All-Star - 3:53 PM)

I would be starting the 450 rated QB.

Other things equal, is your team more likely to commit a penalty against a formation it hasn't seen before in the season? (cowboygriz - Hall of Famer - 3:54 PM)

No, the other team's formation does not effect your team's penalties.

I have solid DBs and good LBs. Against Trips and Shotgun, I like to run the Nickel instead of the Dime, but tried them both at various times, but I simply can not stop the pass! Any suggestions? (gern44 - Pro - 3:56 PM)

I would play around with your settings -- aggressive/conservative.....heavy pass/always pass...etc. and see what works best. You might also want to increase your practice time on whichever set you choose to run so that your players become better at the execution.

Is it better to have multiple formations on offense, or just concentrate on one? If I run one really well, isn't that better than just being OK at 2 sets? (shanepentz - Pro - 3:57 PM)

I'd rather be good at 2! I'd suggest practicing 2 formations -- one for running situations and one for passing situations.

Does a 2nd back's blocking ability have an effect on how well the #1 back runs in a pro set? (PSU83 - Hall of Famer - 3:58 PM)

Yes. The 2nd back is used as a lead blocker and can be the difference in breaking a big run.

what about medical redshirt what are the requirments going to be to be eligible for that.? And how soon is this going to happen? (Cubs_4_Life - Hall of Famer - 3:59 PM)

Medical hardship waivers are a part of GD currently. Please refer to the FAQ for more info in this area.

Is there any future plans to adjust the offseason funneling to a 90 ranking? (Ariansa - Hall of Famer - 4:00 PM)

This has already been changed -- players will go down (get rusty) in the offseason but it is based upon their work ethic. Also, you will no longer find incoming freshman that have ratings over 90.

What's your take on coaches who intentionally sabotage their team for whatever reason? Are there plans to take technical and policy steps to assure these situations do not arise? (vandyman96 - All-Star - 4:01 PM)

I obviously wish it didn't happen and would like to think that everyone playing our games are mature enough to not do so. Right now, it is dealt with on a case by case basis.

How many minutes of practice do you think should be spent in the O/D/special teams sector. Any advice on how many sets to run as well? (curtains - Hall of Famer - 4:03 PM)

I would never go below 10 minutes on a set that I plan to use in the game or on special teams. I also don't think anything over around 25-30 on a set is very effectively used. I'd suggest a minimum of 2 sets on both offense and defense.

Does a quarterback or punter with good hands help them hold onto the ball at all? (fritzmw - Pro - 4:04 PM)

Yes, hands are important for holding onto the football.

Which defensive players are responsible for pass coverage of tight ends and running backs? (boclaird - Hall of Famer - 4:07 PM)

Tight ends and running backs can get covered by many difference players depending upon the defensive formation, but most often a LB or a safety (DB) will be on the coverage.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us -- I'm sorry if I didn't get to your question, but that is all the time I have for today. Thanks for supporting WhatIfSports!

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