(And by the way, I think potential and FSS are good additions to the game, so long as they continue to work out some of the kinks. So that's definitely not an anti-potential rant. But in its current incarnation, potential is very poorly suited to DIII. I haven't heard anyone clamoring for "12 All-Americans"; they simply want potential/FSS to be more adaptable to the DIII game and budget.)

Quote: Originally posted by HalfAstros on 7/29/2009Furry, there's no doubt FREEHD is a factor, but you can't say potential isn't one too. A lot of long-term coaches quit because of potential.As a D2/D3 coach, you know darn well that the number of FREEHD coaches doubled when they introduced potential. In fact, FSS cheating is probably why they got rid of FREEHD. The difference in the number of coaches between last summer and now is pretty stunning, and it's more due to potential than to FREEHD.

And I'd have to disagree that its due to potential. The coaches that are quitting/dropping teams are div I. Potential does not do anything to them. When potential first came out it was a domino effect in div III. A few coaches dropped that team or moved up, then everyone did. Nobody is going to play in div III vrs sims. Its not that there is less users, its just the users with multiple accounts have dropped teams. This started happening even before potential came out, but nobody noticed it really until a few months ago because FreeHD was keeping it look fuller then it really was.

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Well, the other factors that you sight such as randomness, "stupidity" in recruiting and obvious mismatches not working out exist at all levels. Yet it's DIII that's been abandoned, not the other levels. So that obviously speaks to the other factors -- FSS/potential fitting poorly at DIII and frustrating users, and lack of rewards points driving people away, both directly and indirectly.

Div III was only full because of FreeHD before potential. Coaches go where they have competition. For now that is not div III so it will remained dead until WIS opens up something to artificially inflate it back up.

Quote: Originally Posted By furry_nipps on 7/30/2009Div III was only full because of FreeHD before potential. Coaches go where they have competition. For now that is not div III so it will remained dead until WIS opens up something to artificially inflate it back up.

Before potential, my D3 conferences always had about half humans/half sims. Of those, only 1 or 2 were FREEHD each season. The rest were long-term D3 guys.

When potential came in, both my D3 conferences went from half humans to 10-11 humans. There were the same 5-6 long term guys, and 5-6 additional FREHD teams.

I 6 months ago, mostly because of potential. When I look at those conferences now, they have 1 and 2 humans respectively.

So, all the FREEHD coaches are gone, but 3-5 long term coaches are gone too.

FREEHD is certainly a factor, but potential is a factor too.

Quote: Originally Posted By furry_nipps on 7/30/2009
Div III was only full because of FreeHD before potential. Coaches go where they have competition. For now that is not div III so it will remained dead until WIS opens up something to artificially inflate it back up.

No, you're 100% wrong. DIII was full to nearly full for quite some time WAY before FreeHD was ever introduced.

Seems that your lack of awareness of that fact is what's fueling your fallacious argument, because that's a huge piece to the puzzle. I'm looking at what DIII was like BEFORE FreeHD vs. what it's like now. We all realize that it was artificially filled for a little while because of FreeHD.

(On a sidenote, one more reason for the increased # of sims: Expanding to too many worlds. I will say that myself and others warned about this before they opened up Knight and Phelan.)

Another season = more SIMs

Naismith
DIV III - Total teams =	384
Season	SIMS	%	Change	%
17	160	41.7%
37	196	51.0%	190	49.5%
38	211	54.9%	15	3.9%
39	222	57.8%	11	2.9%
DIV II - Total teams =	276
Season	SIMS	%	Change	%
17	86	31.2%
37	60	21.7%	0	0.0%
38	76	27.5%	16	5.8%
39	92	33.3%	16	5.8%
DIV I - Total teams =	324
Season	SIMS	%	Change	%
17	121	37.3%
37	136	42.0%	3	0.9%
38	137	42.3%	1	0.3%
39	133	41.0%	(4)	-1.2%
Total World #1 =	984
Season	SIMS	%	Change	%
* 17	367	37.3%	(1st year)
37	392	39.8%	193	19.6%
38	424	43.1%	32	3.3%
39	447	45.4%	23	2.3%

Smith rolling over ...ditto to recent trends. Does FOX even care about this product?

Smith
DIV III - Total teams =	384
Season	SIMS	%	Change	%
17	161	41.9%
37	231	60.2%	149	38.8%
38	256	66.7%	25	6.5%
39	273	71.1%	17	4.4%
DIV II - Total teams =	276
Season	SIMS	%	Change	%
17	63	22.8%
37	113	40.9%	(4)	-1.4%
38	127	46.0%	14	5.1%
39	137	49.6%	10	3.6%
DIV I - Total teams =	324
Season	SIMS	%	Change	%
17	138	42.6%
37	155	47.8%	13	4.0%
38	152	46.9%	(3)	-0.9%
39	151	46.6%	(1)	-0.3%
Total World #1 =	984
Season	SIMS	%	Change	%
* 17	362	36.8%	(1st year)
37	499	50.7%	158	16.1%
38	535	54.4%	36	3.7%
39	561	57.0%	26	2.6%

looks like the game just turned into a DII and DI game. those numbers have remained relatively static from 37-39.

Smith DIII averages 4 humans per conference. Thats downright embarrassing.

to be honest I liked the old HD before protential. you could get a player work with him a couple of seasons then by jr yr he would be a decent player. Now it's just too much research and not enough fun. Protential is just that not the be all of a player. A player should be able to grow how a coach sees fit. I'm a decent coach but I like the old HD better and maybe just maybe why so many people . Also it should be cheaper to play. It's hard to justify money to play a game when the economy is so bad. Make it cheaper and it will be more interest. It's entertainment not real and should be cheaper.

Quote: Originally posted by HalfAstros on 7/29/2009Furry, there's no doubt FREEHD is a factor, but you can't say potential isn't one too.  A lot of long-term coaches quit because of potential.As a D2/D3 coach, you know darn well that the number of FREEHD coaches doubled when they introduced potential.  In fact, FSS cheating is probably why they got rid of FREEHD.  The difference in the number of coaches between last summer and now is pretty stunning, and it's more due to potential than to FREEHD.

Potential was the final push for me.

I love HD as much if not more than ever now.

I personally like potential.