I am with Mik on this, I don't like the SIM when it does that to your team and you lose a game that could have gotten you into the NT.

I agree with xlixer. You need randomness and variation in the simulations or else HD would be a lot less exciting/enjoyable. It's even tough for me to see it that way considering that two of my four losses this season at Santa Cruz were courtesy of missed free throws in crunchtime by my B-rated PG, but you have to live with that variation; it's part of the game. 

Seriously, the game would get boring if the best team always won. What would the point in playing the games be? Just line it up on paper and give the W to the better lineup...we could solve the whole season in a day. 

Yeah, it's maddening...the only loss my NC team had four seasons ago was as a 43-point favorite in a box score that resembled a UFO sighting because to this day I'm not really certain what I saw that night. But in a world where NJIT can knock off Michigan and Immaculate Word can topple Nebraska, inexplicable stuff like that happens and I'm good with it rearing its ugly head against me at times. 

yeah put me in the camp of pro-randomness, both because it mirrors real life and because it keeps things interesting. it definitely sucks to lose to a team you should beat on paper...and there's not much worse in this game than losing to a sim in a small conference's CT...but if only the most likely outcome happened every time, then that same team would have zero chance in the NT first round anyway.

I don't see much randomness in it though to be honest it's literally just 3 times a year for no reason my team will shoot 30% to a team that can't play defense, it's not random it's just a loss and 3 times a year I'll probably get a win out of it, but not because I game planned better or was able to exploit the other team somehow. The best team (coaches) almost always wins anyway IMO, and I'm not saying the sim should run just based on ratings but that game planning and matchups should be what is creating the randomness. 

In the real world we see these types of games (UFO sightings) a couple of times every year, but in this game you get a couple bad sims every season. I think one of the real problems I have with it is lack of control, when I look at the box score and see a guy with 10% distribution go 0-7 I'm left wondering what the **** the sim was thinking. A real coach would've told the guy to pass the ball.

I've posted this before, but I like the idea so much I'm saying it again.  When recruits sign, make them appear on your team immediately.  This would give you more time to add them to your depth chart, change player distribution, and tweak practice minutes.  I'm always in a rush to get the depth chart set up in time for the first exhibition, you really only have a couple of hours.  Plus it would give you something to do during the slow last day or two of recruiting.

Posted by mikvitu on 1/28/2015 2:38:00 PM (view original):

I don't see much randomness in it though to be honest it's literally just 3 times a year for no reason my team will shoot 30% to a team that can't play defense, it's not random it's just a loss and 3 times a year I'll probably get a win out of it, but not because I game planned better or was able to exploit the other team somehow. The best team (coaches) almost always wins anyway IMO, and I'm not saying the sim should run just based on ratings but that game planning and matchups should be what is creating the randomness. 

In the real world we see these types of games (UFO sightings) a couple of times every year, but in this game you get a couple bad sims every season. I think one of the real problems I have with it is lack of control, when I look at the box score and see a guy with 10% distribution go 0-7 I'm left wondering what the **** the sim was thinking. A real coach would've told the guy to pass the ball.

I think I see the root of your problem.  That thing you're referring to as "not-randomness" is actually "randomness".

I mean, this part:

literally just 3 times a year for no reason my team will shoot 30% to a team that can't play defense

...is pretty clearly an example of random variation.

My main beef is what many talked about before with the Ath. Saw a guy win the NT championship in
D3 a couple yrs ago with only Ath and Def. His fastest guy only like 60 and don't think he had a player with BH or passing above 40, but he had guys 70-90 in ath and def. His guys were so bad that even if they forced a TO they should have bounced the ball off their foot going to the basket cause they sucked so bad.

Posted by clouseb on 1/28/2015 2:52:00 PM (view original):
I've posted this before, but I like the idea so much I'm saying it again.  When recruits sign, make them appear on your team immediately.  This would give you more time to add them to your depth chart, change player distribution, and tweak practice minutes.  I'm always in a rush to get the depth chart set up in time for the first exhibition, you really only have a couple of hours.  Plus it would give you something to do during the slow last day or two of recruiting.

Agree very much with this

And, similarly from a user convenience perspective, allow first cycle recruiting moves to be entered during some window earlier in the day - like say enter them any time in the 3 or 4 hours before recruiting officially starts.  That 2 hour first cycle can be a pain - oh, honey, I'll be back at the dinner table in a few minutes, just checking something on line......

Posted by llamanunts on 1/28/2015 3:30:00 PM (view original):

Posted by mikvitu on 1/28/2015 2:38:00 PM (view original):

I don't see much randomness in it though to be honest it's literally just 3 times a year for no reason my team will shoot 30% to a team that can't play defense, it's not random it's just a loss and 3 times a year I'll probably get a win out of it, but not because I game planned better or was able to exploit the other team somehow. The best team (coaches) almost always wins anyway IMO, and I'm not saying the sim should run just based on ratings but that game planning and matchups should be what is creating the randomness. 

In the real world we see these types of games (UFO sightings) a couple of times every year, but in this game you get a couple bad sims every season. I think one of the real problems I have with it is lack of control, when I look at the box score and see a guy with 10% distribution go 0-7 I'm left wondering what the **** the sim was thinking. A real coach would've told the guy to pass the ball.

I think I see the root of your problem.  That thing you're referring to as "not-randomness" is actually "randomness".

I mean, this part:

literally just 3 times a year for no reason my team will shoot 30% to a team that can't play defense

...is pretty clearly an example of random variation.

Yeah but for me it comes down to is it actually random or is it a function of the game. Is the game literally saying you're shooting 30% tonight, which is what it looks like to me, or is it saying you'll probably shoot 30% tonight but maybe not?
To me it seems like there's no way around it, throw in the fact that it usually is a team wide phenomenon and it makes it even more unrealistic to me.

But back to additions I would like to see, possibly the ability to select a guy on your team to take the last shot. Obviously distribution mostly decides it and like distribution it can be affected by the other team, but I think it would be nice to be able to make sure a certain guy shoots the ball with the game on the line, or at least gets an opportunity to. Seems like a difficult addition but just another thing I would enjoy having.
 

Yeah but for me it comes down to is it actually random or is it a function of the game. Is the game literally saying you're shooting 30% tonight, which is what it looks like to me, or is it saying you'll probably shoot 30% tonight but maybe not?

It's not saying either of those things.  No decisions are made before the game is simulated.  30% just happens, it isn't preordained.  When you flip a coin 10 times and it comes up heads 8 times, that wasn't predetermined.  It just happened.

To me it seems like there's no way around it, throw in the fact that it usually is a team wide phenomenon and it makes it even more unrealistic to me.

It only registers with you as a problem when it's team-wide.  When a B FT shooter goes 1-6 but the team shoots 70% overall, you rightly consider it an aberration and don't give it a second thought.  When your *team* has a flukey result, the same principle applies.

I personally would like to see a player passing tendency box added. For example

+2 always pass
+1 pass often
0 balanced
-1 rarely pass
-2 never pass

Something like this for each player. It would really allow you to customize what your offense actually does and essentially allow for plays to be run the way you as a coach want it. Also some individual player defensive options would be nice, maybe something as basic as defensive attitude (aggressive, balanced, conservative) in relation to hold closely or losely they play their man.

Posted by llamanunts on 1/29/2015 11:32:00 AM (view original):

Yeah but for me it comes down to is it actually random or is it a function of the game. Is the game literally saying you're shooting 30% tonight, which is what it looks like to me, or is it saying you'll probably shoot 30% tonight but maybe not?

It's not saying either of those things.  No decisions are made before the game is simulated.  30% just happens, it isn't preordained.  When you flip a coin 10 times and it comes up heads 8 times, that wasn't predetermined.  It just happened.

To me it seems like there's no way around it, throw in the fact that it usually is a team wide phenomenon and it makes it even more unrealistic to me.

It only registers with you as a problem when it's team-wide.  When a B FT shooter goes 1-6 but the team shoots 70% overall, you rightly consider it an aberration and don't give it a second thought.  When your *team* has a flukey result, the same principle applies.

I think my problem is I can't see it so it just makes it harder for me to accept, if I could actually see the math or simulation or something it may register better. You guys are right, but I don't 'like' it (whatever thats worth) and wouldn't mind if they got rid of it. 

Posted by llamanunts on 1/29/2015 11:32:00 AM (view original):

Yeah but for me it comes down to is it actually random or is it a function of the game. Is the game literally saying you're shooting 30% tonight, which is what it looks like to me, or is it saying you'll probably shoot 30% tonight but maybe not?

It's not saying either of those things.  No decisions are made before the game is simulated.  30% just happens, it isn't preordained.  When you flip a coin 10 times and it comes up heads 8 times, that wasn't predetermined.  It just happened.

To me it seems like there's no way around it, throw in the fact that it usually is a team wide phenomenon and it makes it even more unrealistic to me.

It only registers with you as a problem when it's team-wide.  When a B FT shooter goes 1-6 but the team shoots 70% overall, you rightly consider it an aberration and don't give it a second thought.  When your *team* has a flukey result, the same principle applies.

Well everything is predetermined, just not by the Hoops Dynasty simulation engine. ;)