its often been questioned on the forums, if who you start in exhibitions affects growth. i never really knew, i felt like there was a good chance it didn't, because not everyone plays them. i think i used to have more rationale along those lines but can't remember right now. on the other hand, i had zero observations to suggest it went either way, but a bunch of long time coaches seemed pretty convinced that it did - so i just figured that was probably true. i always wondered if CT games might also not have interest in who started - so everyone's practices would run the same way - that might be related some how, been a long time since i considered this issue myself, but i seem to remember thinking they were related somehow.

however, i just noticed something interesting, that maybe other people know, but i've never seen it mentioned. i just checked like 20 something teams - 0 players anywhere have gained a point of work ethic, after 1 exhibition game in tark. there are plenty of areas of growth for players on these teams, so not like practice didn't run. maybe its small sample size, but i just checked like 10 more wondering how i never noticed - anyone have a team during exhibitions gain a point of work ethic? ill check again after tomorrow, im curious if that holds. i have a team in the CT part of the season, but the first 2 games were already played - that means no more practices, right? or is there one more? assuming its over, anyone else about to enter the CT or something, who could see if the same is true for the CT?

if there really can't be work ethic growth in the exhibitions, that would suggest to me that practices are set up differently, although it wouldn't prove starts don't matter. but i guess i just think it would add an interesting perspective to the discussion, and i would think if the practices were run different (especially if its CT as well), that it would be to adjust for teams who don't play - in which case i would think playing time and start bonuses are exactly the benefits teams who played wouldn't get, as an adjustment. that wouldn't explain no work ethic growth, so i figure i might be looking at it wrong or something. just wondering if anyone else has seen this (if anyone can confirm), and what people make of it?

If this is the case, I think big picture, it's NBD

its no big deal for sure :) still interesting to me though. technically, the answer affects optimal play, albeit very slightly. 

There's some light to be shed on this topic by perusing this thread.  My best guess is that the "start" in exhibition is not at all significant compared to minutes.   

I doubt that the "practices" are differentiated between exhibition & regular season, but that practice improvement is a function of WE, but WE improvement is a function of PT & Starts during the regular season and first few games of the CT (and not of practice).  The exhibition starts aren't "tracked" in the individual player's stats, so I doubt that they are incorporated into that function.

I think it's most likely that the WE gain is there, but is such a small fraction that nobody is gaining a point in the first exhibition game... 

Posted by nc2457829305 on 9/12/2014 11:49:00 AM (view original):
I think it's most likely that the WE gain is there, but is such a small fraction that nobody is gaining a point in the first exhibition game... 

then why wouldn't the same hold for the rest of the ratings?

Posted by rogelio on 9/12/2014 10:37:00 AM (view original):
There's some light to be shed on this topic by perusing this thread.  My best guess is that the "start" in exhibition is not at all significant compared to minutes.   

I doubt that the "practices" are differentiated between exhibition & regular season, but that practice improvement is a function of WE, but WE improvement is a function of PT & Starts during the regular season and first few games of the CT (and not of practice).  The exhibition starts aren't "tracked" in the individual player's stats, so I doubt that they are incorporated into that function.

interesting... i see you already pointed out the work ethic thing there. also that girt ticketed seble and got an answer. well, i guess i missed that one somehow. when i was reading your thread (well, that thread) i read your response about how off game practices have no WE improvement and it doesn't matter what your depth chart is, and because exhibitions have no work ethic, they are probably the same - i figured that was spot on - actually i think that was my working theory back in the day, when i had a working theory... kind of surprised to see later girt/seble show that is not true. kind of unlikely both of them are wrong.

it seems strange to me there would be three kinds of practices - on days, off days, and exhibitions. maybe its just that the starts aren't tracked but i wouldn't think the tracking of stats would particularly relate to the practices, i would think practice would be its own routine with some inputs, but i suppose they could be fed the same inputs that get fed into the team stats. the only problem there is, the minutes don't show up in the stats, but the argument is they do show up in the practice. so, it still seems a little strange to me, but i guess it is what it is. thanks for clearing that up!

i wonder if CT has work ethic growth? sounds like it probably will... definitely starts and minutes get tracked, but that would be interesting if WE wasn't affected.

Pretty sure I've had WE growth in the CT.  I usually don't set depth chart for WE growth at that point, however, so it's not something I have closely tracked.

Posted by gillispie1 on 9/12/2014 11:52:00 AM (view original):

Posted by nc2457829305 on 9/12/2014 11:49:00 AM (view original):
I think it's most likely that the WE gain is there, but is such a small fraction that nobody is gaining a point in the first exhibition game... 

then why wouldn't the same hold for the rest of the ratings?

I've had this convo before and was proved wrong in another thread.

I believe NOW that the WE impacts are turned off in pre season. Everything else is the same.

Posted by gillispie1 on 9/12/2014 11:52:00 AM (view original):

Posted by nc2457829305 on 9/12/2014 11:49:00 AM (view original):
I think it's most likely that the WE gain is there, but is such a small fraction that nobody is gaining a point in the first exhibition game... 

then why wouldn't the same hold for the rest of the ratings?

Perhaps all WE ratings start on even integers, and other ratings don't?

does work ethic change with practice or with playing time? I always assumed that WE related to playing time and the exhibition minutes did not coulnt as playing time for that purpose

ages ago, I would start my freshmen in exhibitions - expecting a nice WE boost. Nope.,