Improving Immersion for Future Versions of FOF

[Karim]

Here are some thoughts on how to improve immersion in FOF2004, borrowing from all the 3rd-party utitlies I've used and sports sims I've played. Add your thoughts and hopefully Jim can take a look at some of these for a future version.

1) City Editting. This is the most important for me. The fact that I was able to use ResHacker to input my city and other cities not included in the game, including data regarding weather, income, etc., increased the fun factor in a big way. Without this, I would have given TPF a much longer tryout.

2) Division and Bowl Names. Again, this wouldn't be possible without ResHacker. This may not be a huge thing for many, but I spent the time changing AFL to AFC and Solecismic Bowl to SuperBowl and Solecismic to NFL. Just adds a bit of polish to the game.

3) Custom Graphics. Again, thanks to ResHacker. Wheels' graphics have improved the image of FOF2004 from the background screen on loading to the awesome scoreboard. I didn't think the helmets/logos would make much of a difference, but that hasn't hurt immersion either and I've been able to input my own for the first time in the series.

4) Customized League Sizes. Immersion is greatly enhanced for me when the size of the player pool is reduced. Ideally, I'd like to create a 10-16 team league.

5) Coaching Personalities. TPF did a good job here. It would be nice to see offensive coordinators that favour West Coast offenses or Smash Mouth football. Likewise, defensive coordinators that have a heavy blitz defense. In this way, some of us who prefer to play as a GM could hire the "right" coach and coordinator and "trust" his gameplanning when clicking recommend and then evaluate the results.

6) Editting Stadiums. ResHacker can't do this and there are no 3rd-party utilities that enable this. I know you can build new stadiums, but upon starting a career I'd like to change the stadiums to existing reality, including names, as much as possible. Teams not in the NFL have stadiums not in the NFL. May just be my thing as I like to create a completely fictional universe.

7) Owner Profiles. CM does the best here, outlining the expectations of the board or owner for the upcoming season. Just makes our decision-making have a purpose, knowing someone is "watching".

8) Player Roles. TPF made a good start here, CM is probably the best. Whenever contracts are offered or renegotiated, it would be nice to be able to tell the player that he's a backup, starter, key player, etc. I just signed a "starting" MLB (who had backup ratings) in free agency who started 16 games with Miami but will end up being a backup to my stud MLB. In real life, he'd know he'd be behind my #1 guy on the depth chart and may have refused my offer. For agents or players to "read" depth charts and forecast playing time would probably be impossible to program. The alternative is for us to give him a role and for him to become upset if that role isn't fulfilled or refuse signing with our team.

9) Draft. The TPF draft is impressive. The commentary influences your selection. If you're seen as drafting someone "off the board" you wonder. The comments about "high character risk" really puts on the pressure. The scouting reports in the player profile are well conceived and written, and give you lots to think about beyond the player's size and ratings. All-in-all, very nicely done. If it only included FOF2004's draft-day trading.

10) Media. Jim has mentioned on a couple of occasions (paraphrased) that Marc (CM) has done such a good job in this area, that the amount of effort required to approach that level for a solo developer may not make the feature worthwhile. This may be true and I'm not how much can be done in this area.

11) Fido's Reporter. That thing is impressive, especially the latest development of tracking the success of every draft pick. If you check out Internet Hockey Database, that is exactly what they do. It's really cool to see how every player in every draft turned out at the click of a button.

[nilodor]

For city editing how do you use res hacker? When I try to open cities.fdt it tells me it is not a win 32 exe file.

[corbes]

Originally posted by Karim

4) Customized League Sizes. Immersion is greatly enhanced for me when the size of the player pool is reduced.

5) Coaching Personalities. It would be nice to see offensive coordinators that favour West Coast offenses or Smash Mouth football. Likewise, defensive coordinators that have a heavy blitz defense.

Yeh.

[3ric]

There's always Tasan's City Editor to help with editing cities.fdt...

[FargoFreez aka fof playa]

Isn't it Taco's City Editor??

[Fido]

Originally posted by Karim
11) Fido's Reporter. That thing is impressive, especially the latest development of tracking the success of every draft pick. If you check out Internet Hockey Database, that is exactly what they do. It's really cool to see how every player in every draft turned out at the click of a button.

Don't sell Jim short. He's been working on HTML generation and the stuff he does could blow mine away.

[3ric]

Originally posted by FargoFreez aka fof playa
Isn't it Taco's City Editor??

OK, OK, Taco, Tasan, Thadaleus, something like that...

[Tasan]

Originally posted by 3ric
There's always Tasan's City Editor to help with editing cities.fdt...

Wrong guy, its Taco ;- )

I came up with the batch file idea, which you refined.

[GoSeahawks]

Originally posted by Fido
Don't sell Jim short. He's been working on HTML generation and the stuff he does could blow mine away.

Don't sell yourself short. It would have to be a pretty incredible html generator to blow yours away.

[Fido]

Originally posted by GoSeahawks
Don't sell yourself short. It would have to be a pretty incredible html generator to blow yours away.

I wasn't selling myself short, at least that was not my intention. I am quite proud of the Reporter (unlike other utils I have written) and am flattered that people think it enhances the gaming experience. Some people even suggested that I shoudl charge for it which I actually consodered - something I never would have done if I was selling myself short.

All I was getting at is that Jim is working on HTML generation. He is a hell of a programmer - probably better than I am though that's impossible to quantify except in the most extreme of cases. He has complete acess to and complete understanding of every but of data in FOF which gives him a HUGE advantage over me. He has the benefit of seeing what I came up with and can extract things he likes from that if he chooses. All in all he has the potential to completely obliterate what I have done so far.

If he does, then that is GREAT! I don't lose anything from it and get an even better gaming experience. Plus I'll be able to see what he does and possibly enhance the reporter to try to regain top billing.

[Robbiero67]

I think that adding more to the coaching aspect would definitely boost the immersion factor. Aside from just having individual coaching personalities, here is part of my wishlist:

-More asst. coaches (i.e., throw in position coaches: QB, O-line, etc.) Likewise, the ratings can then be adjusted or formulated to be more specific.

-Coaches are eligible for the HOF. I have mentioned this before, and I think it would be a great (and I'm guessing a relatively simple) addition.

-Ability to hire/fire at anytime. I know this doesn't happen a lot, but it would be a nice option. Also, along these lines, the remote possibility a coach may resign/quit at anytime.

-Also similar to above: a way in which to pressure the coach or to let him know that things need to improve fast or else. Not sure exactly how that would work...

-During the draft, get the head coach's advice on what direction he thinks the team should go. This could be a before/during the draft giving either general/specific directions.

-Incentives for coaches


Just to name a few...

[Abe Sargent]

Expansion, expansion, expansion.


-Anxiety

[Icy]

Coaches personalities is a must if we want to play as GM, the same about owners, that way not all teams will use the same tactics but the prefered by each head coach and coordinators.

The news system must be enanced too, i love the one at EHM, it was amazing for a free game. Right now we need to search to know the transactions, injuries etc.

I agree about player roles, it's a must too to add more to the players personalities as they will get angry or happy not only depending on total play time but on the amount of play time that was promissed to them.

[maximus]

Originally posted by Fido

All I was getting at is that Jim is working on HTML generation....


If he does, then that is GREAT! I don't lose anything from it and get an even better gaming experience. Plus I'll be able to see what he does and possibly enhance the reporter to try to regain top billing.

Fido, is this something Jim is creating for FOF2K4? If so, this would be nice to see.

[Fido]

Originally posted by maximus
Fido, is this something Jim is creating for FOF2K4? If so, this would be nice to see.

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/for...highlight=html

Originally posted by Solecismic
The imported draft function should get you around this. I think I see a hole somewhere in the code. Believe it or not, another workaround would be to change a team's nickname before saving the career for the first time (you could also begin a new 1965 career, then change a nickname, then exit that new career without saving). This is going to be a difficult fix, but I'll do it when I get to the html update next month.

[maximus]

Thanks Fido. This sounds interesting.

EDIT:

I am guessing that this HTML update will be similar to what you are doing then Fido, with the Stat Reporter? If so, that gonna be hard to beat.

[Karim]

Yeah, that should have been Taco's City Editor, not ResHacker, which is used for everything else.

Expansion is also definitely cool.

[baystatebuckeye]

Karim,

You've got some great ideas there. Let's hope Jim sees them and incorporates as many as possible.

[Karim]

Thanks bsb. It will be very interesting to see what Solecismic has in store.