6.3a Released

[Ben E Lou]

Solecismic Software: Home of Front Office Football

EDIT: The best practice for updating is to uninstall the previous version first, then install. You do not lose your saved games by uninstalling. If you haven't yet upgraded to 6.3, you need to do the file moving stuff. If you're upgrading from 6.3 to 6.3a, you only need to uninstall then install.

The following changes are included in the 6.3a update, along with everything changed through 6.3:

• Corrected player experience in 2009 player file.
• Corrected cosmetic error on player salary screen regarding the expected veteran minimum salary for years 2-7.
• Did some minor tweaking of the end-of-half algorithms, trying to fine-tune play-calling. This is an inexact science. Hopefully, it's a little better than it was, though it certainly isn't perfect.
• Attempted to eliminate time out calls when the clock should be stopped.
• Corrected cosmetic error with television graphic on schedule screen.
• Increased fullback rushing and finesse rushing to better meet percentages in game-planning screens.
• Corrected cosmetic error where game plan calls for -1% rushing on fourth down during bye week.
• Attempted to reduce the potential for gaming the system by placing low-endurance starters as backups in the depth chart.
• Remove the potential for Summer League injuries when injury setting is turned off.
• Tweak the Hall of Fame admission algorithm for various positions.
• Tweak the player creation algorithm for various positions.
• Reduce the number of receptions by running backs, caused by 6.3 changes to pass distance.
• Tweak the slope of player contract demands during free agency. It was made a little too flat in 6.3.
• Corrected an error in the new home-state choice algorithm.
• Examined and implemented study showing most fumble returns for touchdowns occur on sack plays, and all scores are generated by the defense.
• Added msvcr71.dll to the installation folder.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

• Increased fullback rushing and finesse rushing to better meet percentages in game-planning screens.

This guy approves.

[Subby]

As does this guy.

[Celeval]

Jim, thanks immensely. Customer support ftw.

[Dutch]

Examined and implemented study showing most fumble returns for touchdowns occur on sack plays, and all scores are generated by the defense.

This one has the potential to be a big game-changer. If you can gameplan to generate more sacks than normal, then theoretically, you should be able to get more turnovers and more defensive TD's then what we previously thought we had control over.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Celeval

Jim, thanks immensely. Customer support ftw.

QFT. The fix list in this "patch to a patch" looks *very* strong. 6.3 + 6.3a feels a lot like getting a brand new FOF.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

• Tweak the slope of player contract demands during free agency. It was made a little too flat in 6.3.

Couple questions if Jim wants to weigh in...

1. Is it *just* during FA? (So doesn't affect renegs?)
2. Does "slope" mean that contracts will escalate more, or more difference between marginal players, good players, and studs?

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

QFT. The fix list in this "patch to a patch" looks *very* strong. 6.3 + 6.3a feels a lot like getting a brand new FOF.

I love the changes in these 2 patches but this is taking it a little too far...

[Jughead Spock]

Examined and implemented study showing most fumble returns for touchdowns occur on sack plays, and all scores are generated by the defense.

Thank you thank you thank you. This one's always been a big peeve of mine. Between this and the FB rushing, big improvements.

[markprior22]

Thank you Jim

[Antmeister]

Originally Posted by Jughead Spock

Thank you thank you thank you. This one's always been a big peeve of mine. Between this and the FB rushing, big improvements.

Agreed on all counts. Just wow. Thanks from the masses.

[markprior22]

I'm still seeing 6.3 shown as version after installing. Anyone else?

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Subby

As does this guy.

You wound me.

[cuervo72]

Oh - and thanks.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Chubby

I love the changes in these 2 patches but this is taking it a little too far...

Depends on your perspective, I suppose. I'd been usign the same game plan in every single league (five now) for roughly two calendar years running, so these patches are massive game-changers for me.

[George]

Originally Posted by markprior22

I'm still seeing 6.3 shown as version after installing. Anyone else?

Same here.

[Ben E Lou]

Interesting...I'm showing 6.3a...

One place to check would be misc. offensive settings. FB max changed from 25% to 15% in 6.3-->6.3a. If you have a 25% there, you're still on 6.3.

[nickelback]

I'm having same problem. Mine is showing 25%. I downloaded 6.3a from the link above.

[Front Office Midget]

I hate to be obvious, but did you try uninstalling before you installed? That's what did it for me...

[EVEN8184]

Originally Posted by nickelback

I'm having same problem. Mine is showing 25%. I downloaded 6.3a from the link above.

Same problem for me.

EDIT: Finally got it to work.

[Sef0r]

I am having the same problems, using windows 7.
Will uninstalling the game remove all my saves?

[Firefly]

Originally Posted by George

Originally Posted by markprior22
I'm still seeing 6.3 shown as version after installing. Anyone else?

Same here.

Uninstall game and install again. That did it for me.

[Ben E Lou]

Oh yeah. I always uninstall before installing new versions of anything. Should have been more clear there.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Examined and implemented study showing most fumble returns for touchdowns occur on sack plays, and all scores are generated by the defense.

Well, not ALL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SKdStccuE

There was also the Robert Meachem fumble recovery for a TD this season:

RotoExperts - FANTASY FOOTBALL: ANGLES: THE FUMBLE HEARD 'ROUND THE FANTASY WORLD

but yes, the vast majority should go the defense's way, and I'm happy to see the offense advance many fewer fumbles than they do.

(And yes, I'm one of those obnoxious students that used to get into fights with my teachers over true/false questions where I could provide an exception )

[Sef0r]

Uninstall and installing again does not delete saved games/leagues. Just did it, now showing 6.3a

Good to see only 1 RB in the top 20 in receiving this time around.

[Subby]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

You wound me.

Fixed!

[RedKingGold]

Thanks again Jim. Looking forward to playing around with the patch.

[PraetorianX]

The news about RB's receiving is good, I was just about to come on here and ask about that.

Not that I minded Lorenzo Silberman and his 370 Rushes for 2087 yards and 112 catches for 1097 yard season (or his other various season of similar, if slightly lessened stats). But it was sort of odd that the leagues all time leader in receptions was a RB (Silberman w/1,001 by the time he retired).

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

• Reduce the number of receptions by running backs, caused by 6.3 changes to pass distance.

So far, this looks to be done extremely well in that *stud* receiving RBs can still get up in the 80s ad 90s in catches in the right circumstances (few guys with good receiving skills, team that passes a lot), but the great majority don't get above 60 or so. I'm a big fan of having rare outliers in any text sim.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Chubby

I love the changes in these 2 patches but this is taking it a little too far...

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Depends on your perspective, I suppose. I'd been usign the same game plan in every single league (five now) for roughly two calendar years running, so these patches are massive game-changers for me.

Having played around with 6.3a more last night, I think I have a more directed response to this than the previous one. In 6.2 and prior (really, even back to FOF2K4, we just didn't know it yet,) there were several things that worked really poorly no matter what, so they were always best avoided, and several things that worked really well no matter what, so they were always best used. Dutch said it very well in a thread here a while ago: something along the lines of "game planning in FOF isn't about focusing on you and your opponents strengths and weaknesses. It's about tailoring your game plan to best take advantage of the game engine's weaknesses, and avoid its strengths." *THAT* is what has changed dramatically in 6.3 and 6.3a, as far as I can tell.

In 6.2 and before, I would avoid (no matter WHAT my talent)...

• screen passes
• 0-4 yard passes
• using run aggressive defense
• running the ball in the red zone
• ever having my RB or FB catch a pass if at all possible
• inside running
• probably several other things that I'm not thinking of at the moment

In 6.2 and before, I would do a lot of (no matter WHAT my talent)...

• 5-8 yard passes
• medium, intermediate, and long passes
• passing the ball in the red zone
• outside running
• probably several other things that I'm not thinking of at the moment

In short, no matter what the particular talent of my players, the pitfalls of the engine were to be avoided, and the soft spots in it were to be taken advantage of. Building a team around a philosophy is my favorite part of the three text sims I play fairly regularly (FOF, OOTP, FBCB). FOF was starting to get stale in that because of the items mentioned above, I was always building to the same philosophy pretty much. That is what has changed dramatically in 6.3/6.3a, as far as I can tell, and that's what makes it feel like I'm playing an entirely different game.

[Hammer]

•Examined and implemented study showing most fumble returns for touchdowns occur on sack plays, and all scores are generated by the defense.

I suspect your going to see a whole new set of patterns now. I can see GMs going short pass crazy, and they will be able to do as they won't have to run mainly 5-8 yard routes. The smart defensive GM will then start running more 1 deep defense, presuming that doesn't influence YAC too much in this new version...

The sense rush bar is going to now sit somewhere between oxygen and gravity on a list of a FOFers most important things list.

I think the change was necessary, it helps make defense more important. For the next version, I think the offensive line needs to become more of a factor at the expense of the sense rush bar. Plus, perhaps Jim will have a good look at the cohesion issue and give it a boost.

I also kind of get the feeling, that provided you have one great pass rusher your sorted. He will just get phenomenal numbers. How about a pass block double team option Perhaps some sort of a nudge here, to reward those with a _group_ of great pass rushers. Right now, that doesn't seem to be rewarded.

Great work though, just leaves me hungry for the next game as we are clearly making progress.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Hammer

I suspect your going to see a whole new set of patterns now. I can see GMs going short pass crazy, and they will be able to do as they won't have to run mainly 5-8 yard routes. The smart defensive GM will then start running more 1 deep defense, presuming that doesn't influence YAC too much in this new version...

The sense rush bar is going to now sit somewhere between oxygen and gravity on a list of a FOFers most important things list.

I think the change was necessary, it helps make defense more important. For the next version, I think the offensive line needs to become more of a factor at the expense of the sense rush bar. Plus, perhaps Jim will have a good look at the cohesion issue and give it a boost.

I also kind of get the feeling, that provided you have one great pass rusher your sorted. He will just get phenomenal numbers. How about a pass block double team option Perhaps some sort of a nudge here, to reward those with a _group_ of great pass rushers. Right now, that doesn't seem to be rewarded.

Great work though, just leaves me hungry for the next game as we are clearly making progress.

I've always been under the impression that sense rush is about sacks only and o-line vs. d-line affects hurries. I read a study at Football Outsiders that would indicate that's actually the correct way to do it. (Basically it indicated that by and large sacks are the QB's fault and hurries are the line's fault.)

And yeah, I'm very curious about 1-deeps and the impact of corners and the better linebackers against what's sure to be a bit more emphasis on short passing. That said, if you have big ol' red bars in downfield passing, that still works, too.

[Firefly]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

I've always been under the impression that sense rush is about sacks only and o-line vs. d-line affects hurries. I read a study at Football Outsiders that would indicate that's actually the correct way to do it. (Basically it indicated that by and large sacks are the QB's fault and hurries are the line's fault.)

+1

In my book, OL was more important than sense rush in 6.2 and even more so now.

[MizzouRah]

Thanks Jim!

Time to get those Rams back to contenders!!!

[Raiders Army]

Thanks Jim!

Originally Posted by Front Office Midget

I hate to be obvious, but did you try uninstalling before you installed? That's what did it for me...

I had 6.3 showing, but after an uninstall and fresh 6.3a install that worked.

[gelat]

6.3a won't update the main EXE file if you changed some bitmaps, that's why the update still shows 6.3.

Uninstall first or you can just delete FrFoot2007.exe before you install 6.3a

[Emiliano]

For some unknown reason, I'm not able to download this from the Solecismic website, it starts and keep disconnetting. Does anyone have a mirror for me?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Emiliano

For some unknown reason, I'm not able to download this from the Solecismic website, it starts and keep disconnetting. Does anyone have a mirror for me?

Link in the reference thread above updated with 6.3a.

[Chubby]

you can still get the flu with 0 injuries which will mess up fast sim leagues.

[MIJB#19]

•Corrected cosmetic error on player salary screen regarding the expected veteran minimum salary for years 2-7.

Although I don't think it's a big deal, this doesn't seem to be fixed (yes, I doubled checked whether I'm on 6.3a).