MP really brings out the interest in gameplanning

[Dutch]

I have to admit, before MP, I didn't spend too much time messing around with my gameplan. It was all so tedious. Now I love looking at my gameplans and seeing what I can do differently.

This brings up a suggestion for the future of FOF. I would like to see the gameplan compartmentized to some degree. Obvious choice would be to submit an offensive gameplan and a defensive gameplan. But also your running gameplan and your passing gameplan, your run defense gameplan and your pass defense gameplan, and a special teams gameplan.

Also, OC and DC recommendations for any or all of these sections if I don't want to or don't feel comortable setting these myself.

What do ya think?

[cthomer5000]

well, there are a couple utilities that allow you to split or merge offensive and defensive gameplans, so that's a help already.

Personally, I'd like to be able to split up formation info from the actual percentages of play-calling.

[Easy Mac]

do those things work with the latest version?

[Subby]

It is early in my FOF multi-player career, but I think that good gameplanning is fairly essential to success. You can have a number of less-espensive players that are good in just one or two things (say third-down receiving and avoiding drops) and accentuate those strengths through a gameplan.

You can also tweak your formations and formation use percentages to make sure your best players are one the field a higher percentage of the time...

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Subby

It is early in my FOF multi-player career, but I think that good gameplanning is fairly essential to success.

Don't you need some kind of "control" to make conclusions like this? It might very well be true... but playing a few games and seeing what has happened (or even a season or two) doesn't really give a whole lot of insight here.

I'm inclined to think that gameplanning around specific players' strengths and weaknesses (pass coverage and blitzing both come immediately to mind) probably makes a difference... but whether it's a 1% difference or perhaps a 10% difference, I don't know. But, as Sec. Rumsfeld says, there are the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns... or something like that.

[Subby]

I am fairly prone to wild swings of enthusiasm and fact-claiming based on purely anecdotal evidence.

[sachmo71]

I'd like to choose field goal attempt distance.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

I'd like to choose field goal attempt distance.

agreed. I think this should definitely be in the next version. I would like a "under normal cirumstances, never attempt a kick of over X yards" as well as a "only attempt a kick of X+1 through Y when it is end of half/game, or in overtime"

Basically, with my lousy kicker I'm fine with any attempt 40 and under, and only want to see longer kicks in game-winning or tying situations as a last resort. I'd rather go for it on 4th and 2 then attempt a 51 yard field goal with 10 minutes to go in the game.

[chinaski]

I hate the yardage breakdown (1-3, 3-7, 7-10, 10+). I know it sounds like more work, but id much rather have our yardage situations defined on a yard by yard basis. Theres a huge difference between 3rd and 3, and a 3rd and 7. We have the coach recommend option, so i dont see it being anymore work for people who choose not too get that in depth in gameplanning.

It would be nice if you could lock each section of your game plan, a checkbox for % of running plays called, running direction, and passing distance. I like too use the coach recommend for some parts of a game plan, but not all.

field goal distance for sure.

I wish we could see what plays are in each set.

[stevew]

I think it'd be great if the Gameplans were split into various "sub categories" like this.

Run and Shoot
Smash Mouth
Red Gun
West Coast
Fun and Gun
Single Back
etc.

Each one would have a basic hint of what you need to have for the gameplan, for instance the R&S would require 4 WR, wtc. And just like the 4-3 requires less LB on your roster than the 3-4 does, if we choose one of those types of Gameplan, for instance the R&S wouldnt require you to have any TE on your roster or FB.
The formations that dont apply to your specific type of offense, would be grayed out, and you couldnt use them.

Also it would be great if their were some Shotgun formations that increased your pass blocking effectiveness at least, but maybe would require your QB to have some sort of "shotgun effectiveness" rating.

[Fritz]

Originally Posted by Subby

I am fairly prone to wild swings of enthusiasm and fact-claiming based on purely anecdotal evidence.

Subby is a sceintologist!