I am trying to figure out how Sim AI teams recruit.  I have several questions. I have noticed that when the season rolls over a large number of recruits (DIAA) are already considering Sim AI teams. 

Do Sim AI teams have a certain number of recruits that they target or a certain number that are considering each team depending on how many scholarships they have?  For example, if a team has 10 scholarships available do they target 10 players……. Do they have 10 players considering them?

If a human controlled team steals one of the players considering a Sim AI does the sim team add another recruit to their target list …..or another recruit considers the Sim AI team?

If several human controlled teams steal considering recruits from one Sim AI team, will that sim team have several unsigned scholarships?

Any help would be appreciated.

Jim I'll answer as best I can but others will be more informed than I am. The sims will start off with a certain # of recruits that are considering them. As far as I know these are the only kids a sim recruits. I don't know if that number matches the number of scholarships they have available or not. I guess you could use a tool like yatzrs and see how many recruits are considering a given sim school when recruiting begins.

Sims don't recruit like humans. They put "money" into a given recruit every cycle till that recruit is either no longer considering them, or the recruit signs with them. That is why it's so important to knock a. Sim off of a recruit. Sims are also not affected by distance. If the sim looses out on their recruits then they will get walkons.

I'll add that in some rare occasions, you won't be able to knock a SIMAI team unless you are prepared well beyond what WIS gives you in recruiting money per recruit. For example, this morning was the second time I've spent $9,000 (in Division II) trying to beat a SIMAI for a recruit and lost.

*Side note, If you can't beat a SIM with nine grand and 95% of all good recruits have a SIM on them, WTF is WIS doing to us?

It is not how much you spend. You have to knock off the Sim or they will keep putting in effort and win.

I don't go after any SIM recruits after the first full day of recruiting because they become too expensive. You need to knock them off in the first 3-4 cycles or else.

I spent all 9 grand the first three cycles. And they weren't all AC phone calls. I invested 6 Campus Visits, promised start, and promised playing time.

Strange thing happened to me. I was after the #3 lb (yatzr) which had one sim on him. I effectively dropped over 30k, stupid when I look back on it, and barely turned him yellow. I waited to go after him initially to see if the majors would scoop him up but started dumping 4-5 cv and 2-3 head coach visits per cycle to which he took over 12 cvs. Here's the part that was strange. After the second day, I was out of money and nobody would lend me any :). but had managed to turn him yellow with "you're in the lead", messages. After walking away for a day, I came back and signed my green recruits and offered the lb with what little money I had left. My last cv or head coach visit was early on the second day and outside of a scholarship offer, no money was spent on him after that. He signed with me on the 5th day along with an undecided rb that I offered with a AC scout but wouldn't turn green. If SIMS increase their spending or focus on interested recruits as the process goes along, why did this lb end up signing with me?

You had a pretty sizable lead on the SIM, but not enough to turn him green. And after signings started, the SIM ended up filling all of its scholarships with other recruits. That left you as the only school that the LB was interested in, so he signed with you. It happens like that every once in awhile.

Posted by madhatter324 on 3/1/2016 10:53:00 AM (view original):
Strange thing happened to me. I was after the #3 lb (yatzr) which had one sim on him. I effectively dropped over 30k, stupid when I look back on it, and barely turned him yellow. I waited to go after him initially to see if the majors would scoop him up but started dumping 4-5 cv and 2-3 head coach visits per cycle to which he took over 12 cvs. Here's the part that was strange. After the second day, I was out of money and nobody would lend me any :). but had managed to turn him yellow with "you're in the lead", messages. After walking away for a day, I came back and signed my green recruits and offered the lb with what little money I had left. My last cv or head coach visit was early on the second day and outside of a scholarship offer, no money was spent on him after that. He signed with me on the 5th day along with an undecided rb that I offered with a AC scout but wouldn't turn green. If SIMS increase their spending or focus on interested recruits as the process goes along, why did this lb end up signing with me?

I suggested a theory on here once that some people ridiculed me for. I had a similar scenario to yours this past recruiting season and this theory explains both our situations.

The theory goes like this: When recruiting starts it takes a certain number of points to get a recruit to notice you. Let's say 100. Each action has a point value assigned to it. Once you get 100 points the recruit will turn green. And all you need to do is offer a scholarship to the player. But if someone else is recruiting the player then things change. Once the 100 point mark is reached it then depends on how far away you can distance yourself from the other coach. Let's say you now need a 50 point lead over the other coach for him to turn green to you. As recruiting winds down and both coaches put forth effort, the amount of a lead needed starts to decrease. Let's say it drops to 40, 30, 20 etc. this is why (in my theory) you can run out of money for players and still get them to eventually sign. It also explains why a guy will go yellow to green (if no scholarship is offered) and why different guys you are battling for will sign in different cycles even though you've quit spending money on them at the same time.

As as I said its a theory but I believe it to be pretty close to how the engine figures out recruiting.

madhatter324, I had a similar situation happen to me. Part of the reason for the post in the first place.

spcbuzzard, Thanks for you response…..makes sense

Ridicule may be to strong of a word but a better one isnt coming to mind at the moment. I was essentially told I was wrong and that wasn't how recruiting worked. Perhaps I didn't word it very well.

How long ago was that? That is pretty much how it works, and I think most people are aware of that now.

Posted by bjschumacher on 3/1/2016 11:55:00 PM (view original):
How long ago was that? That is pretty much how it works, and I think most people are aware of that now.

Honestly I couldn't say. 6 months ago, a year maybe. There were a few sitemailes exchanged as well as as forum posts. No biggie. I just didn't want to put info out there and it be incorrect.