FOF Multiplayer: How would you rate it so far?

[Kodos]

How do you feel about multiplayer? Did it meet or exceed your hopes, or did it fail to live up to your expectations? Because I see not reason no to make responses public, it will be a public poll. :) VOTE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! :p

[Marmel]

Good poll, dufus.

[Marmel]

Thats a little better now that you have actually added a poll.

Stupid aliens.

[Kodos]

Hey Mr. Poll-o-phobe. It posts the thread before you get a chance to enter the poll. Although I can see from your vote that you are really into instant gratification, so I understand where you're coming from.

[Marmel]

That nice and all, but your polls still suck Mr. "8 armed freaky alien freak person."

[Bad-example]

Have not tried it.
Have no interest in trying it.

[cwilloughby]

It has been very fun. You can tell that it's Jim's first attempt at it, as it's a little rough around the edges, but it's fun to see how you match up against other people from the community.

[MIJB#19]

I think this poll is influenced by the latest IHOF scores...;)

[gstelmack]

I voted for "could still use some improvement", although me real vote is really for "It's the best thing since midgets were invented, but still needs more improvement." I'm having an absolute blast, but a closing a few weaknesses would make it even better (these have been posted before, so no need to rehash).

[VPI97]

my real vote is really for "It's the best thing since midgets were invented, but still needs more improvement."That's my thought, too, so I'll vote midgets to even us out :)

[Eaglesfan27]

I think it's fun, but there are some issues that still need to be addressed. The computer makes some odd AI moves when you temporarily exceed the roster limit. Also, there are a few other quirks that are escaping my power of recall at the moment. That being said, I'm having a blast in the eNFL.

[korme]

Hell yeah, me and Marmel are the only two cashing in on the solo-sex.

[chinaski]

I went with.. "It has been disappointing for me."

Which isnt entirely true, more of a mix between 'its been fun' and 'disappointing'.

The fun part is the game itself - when it works - and if you can put aside not being able to save your changes and the "hold your breath" mentality in hopes your team export actually works. The disappointment is from Jim not fixing or addressing these problems in this past year. Seems like he doesnt even play or likes FOF, if he did he would more than likely fix the glaring bugs in MP or fix the completely busted single play.

[Kodos]

I added the last option for Chubby. I hope he votes soon!

[yabanci]

I gave it the highest vote, but it certainly can use some improvements. My main complaints are:

1. No play-by-play. You can watch the game log in the third-party utility, but it's not the same as watching the full play-by-play (with formations, details, etc) on the FOF scoreboard. This is a big, giant, glaring hole for me. Since you can't quick sim in multiplayer, the main focus is what happens during the games. But FOF multiplayer gives you nothing but a dry game log and box score.

2. Depth chart craziness. If you have to sign a free agent during the season due to an injury, the AI can go crazy with your depth chart.

3. Can't sign players released during free agency. If a guy gets released during free agency, nobody can bid on him until second stage free agency. This doesn't make any sense and is unrealistic.

There are other things that can be improved, but these are the main ones for me.

[Chubby]

I added the last option for Chubby. I hope he votes soon!

If the last one was "I love coming up with new strategies that dimwits such as Kodos could never think of in a billion years" then I would have voted for that one :D

[stevew]

The general getting f'ed over by the computer whenever you have to make a roster move just pisses me off soooooo much. But other than that, i suppose its okay.

[3ric]

The disappointment is from Jim not fixing or addressing these problems in this past year. Seems like he doesnt even play or likes FOF, if he did he would more than likely fix the glaring bugs in MP or fix the completely busted single play. Now THAT's taking things a bit far... Jim's involved as a MP owner in the IHOF, and is as active a participant as most members. Don't assume you know everything about his decisions on how to run his own company.

[Kodos]

If the last one was "I love coming up with new strategies that dimwits such as Kodos could never think of in a billion years" then I would have voted for that one :D

If not actively searching for ways to defeat the AI and flaunt the intended gameplay makes me a dimwit, then you can just call me Forrest.

[Chubby]

If not actively searching for ways to defeat the AI and flaunt the intended gameplay makes me a dimwit, then you can just call me Forrest.


Thanks for telling me the inteneded gameplay Jim, oh wait, you're not Jim.

/goes and grabs a copy of Kodos unwritten rules of playing FOF (copyright 2004).

[chinaski]

Now THAT's taking things a bit far... Jim's involved as a MP owner in the IHOF, and is as active a participant as most members. Don't assume you know everything about his decisions on how to run his own company.

I said, "it seems like he doesnt" just because i was grasping for reasons why these bugs would go unfixed. Im a programmer and a sudo-perfectionist, if a program i wrote and used frequently had bugs in it, i would go crazy. I love the game, just disappointed some of the bugs have gone unfixed.

[Chubby]

I said, "it seems like he doesnt" just because i was grasping for reasons why these bugs would go unfixed. Im a programmer and a sudo-perfectionist, if a program i wrote and used frequently had bugs in it, i would go crazy. I love the game, just disappointed some of the bugs have gone unfixed.
I'm not speaking for Jim but I haven't seen any "gamebreaking" bugs in either SP or MP. "Inconveneient" bugs sure but nothing "gamebreaking". Personally, I'd rather Jim work on new projects that tweaking FOF2004 over minor bugs.

[VPI97]

I said, "it seems like he doesnt" just because i was grasping for reasons why these bugs would go unfixed. Im a programmer and a sudo-perfectionist, if a program i wrote and used frequently had bugs in it, i would go crazy. I love the game, just disappointed some of the bugs have gone unfixed.If you're "holding your breath" and hoping your export works, then you're not doing it properly. I can count on one hand the number of exports that have been unusable in IHOF. Once the proper way to create exports was documented, we've had no problems with getting ones that were imported correctly. As for "completely busted single play", I don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about. I doubt anyone does.

I'm a programmer too, but I realize that you don't necessarily have to go the route of publishing a patch every day. Sometimes multiple issues, multiple fixes, and testing new code calls for an extended schedule of patching. That is the method that I believe Jim subscribes to. I have no way of knowing, but I would suspect that there's a very good chance of another patch for FOF2004. It's not going to appear until it's ready, though...just as it should be.

[Subby]

Im a programmer and a sudo-perfectionist... Snicker...

[Buzzbee]

Im a programmer and a sudo-perfectionist...

Snicker...

That cracked me up too. I was wondering if anyone else caught the irony.

[chinaski]

you guys take things too seriously. my comments were in response to this thread, in passing, with no attack or ill will behind them. i personally have never had a bad export, because i know how to get my team in order before i export. But, people can screw it up and its not very hard to do either.

the single play bug i was talking about is this one http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?t=21936&page=1 - this has been discussed since the last patch came out, 4 months ago. i know "completely busted" was over the top, i wasnt 100% serious, i rarely am. it is a very lame situation though and its taken most of the fun out of single play for me.

sudo-perfectionist. left field computer geek slang, not pseudo-perfectionist.

[Kodos]

Wow. Seven out of 10 people who chose the top option are from IHOF.

Way to go, VPI. You are king of commishes! :)

[Blackadar]

the single play bug i was talking about is this one http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?t=21936&page=1 - this has been discussed since the last patch came out, 4 months ago. i know "completely busted" was over the top, i wasnt 100% serious, i rarely am. it is a very lame situation though and its taken most of the fun out of single play for me.

sudo-perfectionist. left field computer geek slang, not pseudo-perfectionist.

The funny this is that by playing multiplayer, this isn't an issue.

I'm in two IHOF leagues - both run very differently - and yet to have an export problem. This sounds more like a user error than anything else...

[Blackadar]

Wow. Seven out of 10 people who chose the top option are from IHOF.

Way to go, VPI. You are king of commishes! :)

8 of 11 now. :)

[Darkiller]

I consider myself a "solo" player first and foremost, which is why I love the FOF series...but FOF2004 added multiplayer to the mix and I have to say that it's been a real BLAST playing it.
I love the experience, truely awesome.

Our league, the IHOF, is a dream come true for all long-time FOFers like myself.
Having FOF2 and TCY for my solo play is already great...but now being able to add the IHOF (FOF2004) for multiplayer purposes to this streak of FOF play really makes it a totally, complete, football-sim experience to me.

[KWhit]

The funny this is that by playing multiplayer, this isn't an issue.

I'm in two IHOF leagues - both run very differently - and yet to have an export problem. This sounds more like a user error than anything else...

There's only one IHOF.

:)

[sovereignstar]

I'm in two fucking eeltit leagues - both run very differently - and yet to have an export problem. This sounds more like a user error than anything else... Fixed. http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

[stevew]

After playing OOTP, and having the "Auto Export to the League FTP server" option built in, the FOF way of having to attach the shit to email is so fucking 2002. And I dont want to hear any shit about VPI's fancy ass looking IHOF thingy either. Thats not first party :)

[Bill Abner]

I run the NCFL and have been an ardent supporter of FoF since the first game, but I'm finding multiplayer a bit lacking. On a user friendliness scale it's all over the map. When I started the NCFL I brought in a lot of FoF newbies to join the league, many of whom are also owners in my OOTP league. The players that are used to FoF are more patient than the new players. The #1 complaint I have from new FoF players is that the interface and the overall sterile feel of the game takes away some of the enjoyment. I've had three owners just plain quit, all friends of mine, because they couldn't get past the interface. These are guys I talked into buying the game and were looking for a fun time.

That, and the fact that a team can make it to the playoffs without even touching his game plan or roster. We had an owner resign in week 5 or so and while I was searching for a replacement, his team rattled off like 6 wins in a row and finished 11-5 and made it to the AFC Championship game. That was running 100% on auto pilot and not even subbing out injured players. Something just doesn't seem right with that. I mean...what's the point? His team had three starters hurt and no one steering the ship.

As with every MP game, a league is only as good as the players that play in it and the level of devotion of the commish but I'd have to say MP in FoF is bordering on the disappointing scale for me. Maybe my fun-o-meter will go back up once football season starts?

I'm not posting this to bash FoF and start the tomato throwing, but FoF MP (hell single player too IMO) needs work and I hope it receives it because it's still the only real option for text simmers.

[SFL Cat]

I think a lot of what you get out of MP is what you put into it. I don't have a lot of complaints (my main complaint is that the game doesn't give you total flexibility in how you can set up your league)...course I'm in the best MP league out there (IHOF) and as others have said, with VPI running the show everything is pretty seamless. It's also nice to see that the game's developer is actively involved in a MP league getting first hand knowledge about what works in MP and what might need a little tinkering.

Unlike some other game purchases I've made in the past, I can honestly say that I've always felt the money I've spent on Jim's products has been money well spent.

[Bill Abner]

Wow that it one impressive website (IHOF)

[Kodos]

Yep. VPI kicks ass. :)

[Darkiller]

Wow that it one impressive website (IHOF)
you bet it is !!!

[MIJB#19]

Yep. VPI kicks ass. :)There is this word I try to explain in english ("wisselwerking") that I think there is between the parties involved (commish, owners and non-owners), that make this experience so great.

I can't come up with the good word for it as of now, the word interaction seems to fit, but the Dutch word for what I mean to say sounds stronger then the word interaction.

Yes, VPI is a great commish and deserves most of the credit, yet without the owners interacting with the effort the commish puts in it, the communication between owners, the way owners try to give their teams their own image. And then there are the non-owners giving a "new" dimension to the IHOF.

Not to sounds like the IHOF must be the best out there or that the people involved are the best FOF-players, but from what I think we have there now, it doesn't surprise me that 9 of the top 13 votes are IHOF owners, 1 is the commish and 1 has become very involved as a non-owner. From the owners side, I see names of losing teams, the doormats/laughing stocks of the league "losers".

From what I read at the IHOF boards, I think most of the IHOF people have been looking forward to this experience for 4-5 years, but have been sceptic about what it would be like and now see how the IHOF has surpassed their wildest dreams about it multiplayer-FOF.

[wig]

The only problem I see with the FOF multiplayer experience, is that the lack of focus that the game has shows up a lot more.

Is it a coaching sim, a GM sim, or an owner sim? It can't decide, and all of the aspects suffer for it.

Examples that have been brought up in my various leagues:
(owner mode)- Coaches, scouts, and revenue. All of these are hopelessly useless in the MP environment. There is no point to finances, and revenue has no bearing on your ability to make rediculous contract offers to coaches.

(coach mode)- THe gameplanning screens are HORRIBLE. You can't figure out exactly what some of the settings do. "How do I make my team throw to the WR more often, instead of the TE and FB?" Sorry, you can't without getting new players. "How do I know what situations I'll be running Man defense, and when I'll be running zone?" Sorry, you don't. You have a good guess, but nobody knows for sure. "How does the playing time work for my depth chart?" Once again, sorry. :(

(GM mode)- By far the best part of the game, but again shows the lack of focus. Want to sign a 5th LB before a league sim? Good luck. Your depth chart will be totally fucked up by the AI. Have 1 too few active OLB on your roster on sim day? I sure hope that your young CB prospect doesn't get cut so the CPU can sign some shitty OLB.

Focus. :(