Since I ruffled some feathers when I told mexmat that I didn't believe he dropped from 6 teams to 1 solely because "scouting is too time-consuming", I kept track of my time during my first scouting session in my 2nd season.

I isolated 12 targets in roughly 15 minutes and scouted to Level 2. Came back a bit later, during a commercial break in Memphis/W KY, and decided on my 2 targets in just a couple of minutes and scouted to Level 3.

While I'm not done, I have a lot of scouting money left(I learned a lot in my first season about just punching buttons), I'm down to the 2 I want in less than 20 minutes. Doubt I'll get both and I may cut another player to add a 3rd but I didn't find it time-consuming at all. I rather enjoyed those 20 minutes.

It depends on your goals. We all are pretty picky when it comes to players that fit our philosophy. The new system take more time for sure.

My goal is to win. What's your goal?

I never said it didn't take more time. I said I don't find it time-consuming. I also said I come from HBD so my tolerance of clicks is probably a little higher. I have no doubt I'll spend roughly an hour when all is said and done. But it will be 5 minutes here, 3 minutes there, etc, etc on my way to 1/14 and, if needed, the 2nd session.

In the time it took me to type these two posts, I could have found a couple of other players to target.

We understand that scouting takes more time than it did in HD 2.0 and that is because there really wasn't any scouting besides FSS, which only required you to select a few states. Scouting in HD 3.0 is much more intensive and is now a much larger part of the game and that is why we give you plenty of time to scout before any recruiting actually starts.

So you are correct that scouting takes longer than the previous but the biggest issue may be that you are trying to do all of your scouting at one time. There is a reason the scouting period is so long and that is because our idea was that each user could spend 10-15 minutes scouting each day (obviously you can spend however much time you want, but this is what we had in mind). If you do this, you will realize that scouting is not really time consuming and that you have plenty of time to scout any number of recruits to any level that you want by only spending a few minutes here and there per day (like MikeT said).

Posted by cwisniewski on 12/21/2016 9:58:00 AM (view original):
We understand that scouting takes more time than it did in HD 2.0 and that is because there really wasn't any scouting besides FSS, which only required you to select a few states. Scouting in HD 3.0 is much more intensive and is now a much larger part of the game and that is why we give you plenty of time to scout before any recruiting actually starts.

So you are correct that scouting takes longer than the previous but the biggest issue may be that you are trying to do all of your scouting at one time. There is a reason the scouting period is so long and that is because our idea was that each user could spend 10-15 minutes scouting each day (obviously you can spend however much time you want, but this is what we had in mind). If you do this, you will realize that scouting is not really time consuming and that you have plenty of time to scout any number of recruits to any level that you want by only spending a few minutes here and there per day (like MikeT said).

I don't mind. I kinda like all strats you can use in the new scouting system. I just want everybody to understand it needs skills now and a strategy on how to scout is important. Plus, check out the guide to know what the value of the letters are. It helps take decision. Beware of the money you spend on international scouting or far away recruits, especially in D2 and D3, but in D1 too. I cut down on this and I do not have any problems anymore.

Posted by cwisniewski on 12/21/2016 9:58:00 AM (view original):
We understand that scouting takes more time than it did in HD 2.0 and that is because there really wasn't any scouting besides FSS, which only required you to select a few states. Scouting in HD 3.0 is much more intensive and is now a much larger part of the game and that is why we give you plenty of time to scout before any recruiting actually starts.

So you are correct that scouting takes longer than the previous but the biggest issue may be that you are trying to do all of your scouting at one time. There is a reason the scouting period is so long and that is because our idea was that each user could spend 10-15 minutes scouting each day (obviously you can spend however much time you want, but this is what we had in mind). If you do this, you will realize that scouting is not really time consuming and that you have plenty of time to scout any number of recruits to any level that you want by only spending a few minutes here and there per day (like MikeT said).

I think the recruiting portion is what is much more time consuming. You need to be active from the very first cycle which is much different than in 2.0.

One suggestion - when someone you're recruiting signs with another team, can the APs that were allocated to that player be redistributed automatically to other players you have APs set for? It's tough to check the over night cycle (11pm to 5am), at least for me. So if I have 80APs on a guy that signs, they are wasted if I don't log in and reallocate. Which doesn't take that long, but if I have multiple teams recruiting at the same time, it can be tedious and annoying if I'm unavailable.

Posted by Benis on 12/21/2016 10:08:00 AM (view original):

Posted by cwisniewski on 12/21/2016 9:58:00 AM (view original):
We understand that scouting takes more time than it did in HD 2.0 and that is because there really wasn't any scouting besides FSS, which only required you to select a few states. Scouting in HD 3.0 is much more intensive and is now a much larger part of the game and that is why we give you plenty of time to scout before any recruiting actually starts.

So you are correct that scouting takes longer than the previous but the biggest issue may be that you are trying to do all of your scouting at one time. There is a reason the scouting period is so long and that is because our idea was that each user could spend 10-15 minutes scouting each day (obviously you can spend however much time you want, but this is what we had in mind). If you do this, you will realize that scouting is not really time consuming and that you have plenty of time to scout any number of recruits to any level that you want by only spending a few minutes here and there per day (like MikeT said).

I think the recruiting portion is what is much more time consuming. You need to be active from the very first cycle which is much different than in 2.0.

One suggestion - when someone you're recruiting signs with another team, can the APs that were allocated to that player be redistributed automatically to other players you have APs set for? It's tough to check the over night cycle (11pm to 5am), at least for me. So if I have 80APs on a guy that signs, they are wasted if I don't log in and reallocate. Which doesn't take that long, but if I have multiple teams recruiting at the same time, it can be tedious and annoying if I'm unavailable.

Recruiting is pretty similar Benis when it comes to time. I'd say it's even less time consuming since it's not 3 hours anymore. Once the signing starts, I can understand it being more time consuming for a bit, but not that long. In d2 and d3, recruiting tends to be like it was before with the second session being really important.

Mike T23, am I seeing you have a D3 School only at this time, correct? Yeah D3, even to just win games you can recruit much quicker then at D1 just trying to keep from drowning. I have added back two of my squads that I gave up when we started 3.0, but I will never go back to a team in all Worlds, because it does take longer. I also see under 18 as your age, not slamming that, but how about Job, Mortgage, wife, kids, elderly parents, bills to pay, and I can go on. I am really glad that I have gone back to a 9 to 5 job, so I have a couple breaks and lunch to do a couple of real life activities, and maybe recruit one or two guys. When I was in car sales walking the car lot, recruiting was on a "smart phone" when I could and trust me in 3.0 I would have already quit all Worlds...I do not see how guys do that now. In fact I am taking my entire break posting this, and I should actually be paying a bill or two.

But do not think for a minute the guys who win titles at all levels only recruit during commercial breaks watching TV. I see that you and I are both around .500 for our HD Career and unless you have other User Names (I do so you could), you have a 27 season Career in HD. I am not slamming your HoF Status, that is impressive. Please take only the fact that it was quicker to recruit in 2.0, plus some of the old timers had spreadsheet programs designed to aid recruiting. And those are all gone now. How long and how hard it is to recruit is between the user and his goal. For me, I don't stress in a couple Worlds, and in a few others I spend hours looking. We will all get quicker, and perhaps we will have some "Recruiting Aides" designed in the future. But let's all just give it time to shake out.

Honestly Zorzii, I don't even think this is debatable on time requirements. It's not even close.

In 2.0 you could NOTHING for the first 2 days. Then right before signings, you put in the money and you could sign some guys. Typically my strategy was to go for a couple easy guys and then a couple drop downs which I'd wait a little bit for. But all it was mostly was checking to see if someone else came on to my guy.

Now in 3.0, you are constantly reallocating resources starting from the very 1st cycle while monitoring what is going on. Have I unlocked actions, have other teams jumped on the guys I was going for, do I see a potential battle brewing and need to move APs to another guy from one that is 'safe'. etc etc It's MUCH more involved and more time consuming because you can get behind if you don't check and something happens.

To be clear, I LIKE these changes a lot and find this to be a lot of fun. It feels more dynamic to me than the previous system. But I can't deny that it's taking me WAY more time than before.

Posted by cwisniewski on 12/21/2016 9:58:00 AM (view original):
We understand that scouting takes more time than it did in HD 2.0 and that is because there really wasn't any scouting besides FSS, which only required you to select a few states. Scouting in HD 3.0 is much more intensive and is now a much larger part of the game and that is why we give you plenty of time to scout before any recruiting actually starts.

So you are correct that scouting takes longer than the previous but the biggest issue may be that you are trying to do all of your scouting at one time. There is a reason the scouting period is so long and that is because our idea was that each user could spend 10-15 minutes scouting each day (obviously you can spend however much time you want, but this is what we had in mind). If you do this, you will realize that scouting is not really time consuming and that you have plenty of time to scout any number of recruits to any level that you want by only spending a few minutes here and there per day (like MikeT said).

For me, it isnt a question of per day time on scouting - its total time devoted to scouting.

Personally, I dont like doing a few minutes here and there - need to compare players - so in 3.0 I tend to do just about all of the pre-recruiting scouting on two or at most three days. I have never compared players through a calculation or XLS - my approach for better or worse is more subjective/intuitive and I need to think about their current and potential skills in comparison to other recruits. I want to think about other options before spending $ to scout a player to the next level, lest i spend $ on information that is unlikely to change what I will do.

In 2.0, I could feel thorough in a single sessions of 20-30 minutes

In 3.0, I'm more like 2-3 hours, but getting better and faster at it with experience.

I've reduced my number of teams (mamxet and metsmax) to avoid increased time commitment - but some people may think more time scouting is more fun and more value for money. To each his own.

Posted by wvufan76 on 12/21/2016 10:19:00 AM (view original):
Mike T23, am I seeing you have a D3 School only at this time, correct? Yeah D3, even to just win games you can recruit much quicker then at D1 just trying to keep from drowning. I have added back two of my squads that I gave up when we started 3.0, but I will never go back to a team in all Worlds, because it does take longer. I also see under 18 as your age, not slamming that, but how about Job, Mortgage, wife, kids, elderly parents, bills to pay, and I can go on. I am really glad that I have gone back to a 9 to 5 job, so I have a couple breaks and lunch to do a couple of real life activities, and maybe recruit one or two guys. When I was in car sales walking the car lot, recruiting was on a "smart phone" when I could and trust me in 3.0 I would have already quit all Worlds...I do not see how guys do that now. In fact I am taking my entire break posting this, and I should actually be paying a bill or two.

But do not think for a minute the guys who win titles at all levels only recruit during commercial breaks watching TV. I see that you and I are both around .500 for our HD Career and unless you have other User Names (I do so you could), you have a 27 season Career in HD. I am not slamming your HoF Status, that is impressive. Please take only the fact that it was quicker to recruit in 2.0, plus some of the old timers had spreadsheet programs designed to aid recruiting. And those are all gone now. How long and how hard it is to recruit is between the user and his goal. For me, I don't stress in a couple Worlds, and in a few others I spend hours looking. We will all get quicker, and perhaps we will have some "Recruiting Aides" designed in the future. But let's all just give it time to shake out.

First, I'll address the age thing. Don't believe everything you read on the internet. I had someone look after my HBD teams many years ago. They changed my profile and I thought it was funny. The fact that I've been here since 2002 should probably indicate I'm not under 18. And I'm also not from Cuba. I've gotten several laughs because user such as yourself have looked and A) banged on my age B) banged on my nationality. Thanks for the smile. I'm a middle-aged white man who has owned his own business since 1997. I have all the outside things you mentioned and a few more.

Second, I agree that the higher levels are probably more competitive. Yet, when you're a 16 y/o n00b, D3 is just as challenging. I want to win. I'm sure those at D1 and D2 want to win also. So, despite skill level, that is there.

Finally, I last played in 2006. That was probably 1.0. The game is much different now. However, I know my comfort zone with regards to free time. I just don't think it's all that time consuming. With all the preference options, you can whittle down your options pretty quickly. That said, some may not want to spend 20 minutes initially, 5 minutes today, 8 minutes on Friday, 12 minutes Saturday morning, etc, etc. If one wants to do all of it at once for RS1 and then finish in RS2, I imagine it seems more like a job than fun. It's up to each user to decide HOW they want to do and HOW MUCH TIME they're willing to spend but it just doesn't seem that bad to me.

Sorry, I've been here since 2003. And, obviously to me, my profile was changed in 2007 when Boise State was trying to break into the big college bowls. I was a big fan of that.

Posted by Benis on 12/21/2016 10:19:00 AM (view original):
Honestly Zorzii, I don't even think this is debatable on time requirements. It's not even close.

In 2.0 you could NOTHING for the first 2 days. Then right before signings, you put in the money and you could sign some guys. Typically my strategy was to go for a couple easy guys and then a couple drop downs which I'd wait a little bit for. But all it was mostly was checking to see if someone else came on to my guy.

Now in 3.0, you are constantly reallocating resources starting from the very 1st cycle while monitoring what is going on. Have I unlocked actions, have other teams jumped on the guys I was going for, do I see a potential battle brewing and need to move APs to another guy from one that is 'safe'. etc etc It's MUCH more involved and more time consuming because you can get behind if you don't check and something happens.

To be clear, I LIKE these changes a lot and find this to be a lot of fun. It feels more dynamic to me than the previous system. But I can't deny that it's taking me WAY more time than before.

I forgot to mention that Sims are not much better recruiters and don't just go in on a recruit at the beginning so you need to be aware of what they're doing as well.

Also, there are two sessions! How could that not be longer? Unless you're getting guys at your level and early/EoP1 signers, you'll be doing something in the 2nd session. I'd say the vast majority of us have to do some recruiting in the 2nd session most of the time. In 2.0 I RARELY was doing anything on the last day of recruiting.

Yes, they used to be 3 hour cycles instead of 6 but I don't think that really matters because of the way signing logic was. If I was the only one on a guy at signings, I got him. I knew the time exactly when he would sign- 5pm. If later on after signings started I found a guy who was considering no one, I'd send 2 HVs and a scholarship offer and wait for the cycle to process. 3 hours later, he signed. It was all very predictable. This required me to log in ONCE - to send the 2 HVs and scholly and let it process (maybe do it right before bed) Now you need to first unlock the scholly and then log on again to send the scholly. This is double the amount of time/effort just to send an offer.

Finally, you never run out of resources in 3.0! In 2.0 you could burn through all your money and have nothing left for the final day. So even if you wanted to, you couldn't do anything. Now, you will always have at least 20 APs to play with. Maybe try for a guy that is a little out of your reach and hope you get lucky and cut a guy for him at last minute? Not necessary, but you can certainly do it.

The tips hughesjr and chapel shared a few weeks ago might really help people, especially regarding how to utilize the assistant effectively. I don't spend any more or less time (still roughly 30 minutes before recruiting starts) but I do get more guys to level 4, which is nice.

My updated process:

1 - FSS (roughly a minute)
2 - Private camp with 200 D1 recruits (for D1 and D2, I'd add D2 recruits in there at D3, probably) (takes a minute, but of course it runs on its own time)
3 - Asst coach scouts already discovered players, 25 at a time. I start with a 300 mile radius and work out from there, as resources allow (I hold 10-15k in reserve). Usually gets me everyone D1 within 500 miles to level 4. (Couple minutes and a few clicks)
4 - Find some targets, using filters (both attribute filters and preference filters). I look for a primary, a secondary, and two backups for each slot I intend to fill. Takes as much time as I care to spend, usually around 20 minutes.
5 - after recruiting starts, if it all falls apart, I have a reserve of 10-15k to go back and look at those level 1 guys outside of my asst search radius.

ETA - updated above, in the west I can usually get to a radius of 1000 miles. The east is more congested with recruits, the radius is smaller, 400-500 miles.

shoe - you dont do public camps? whats the thinking on those?