How do you make 2007 harder?

[famatu]

I have been to 10 of the last 13 FOF Bowl's and won 6 of them. I have found this game to be much less challenging than the 2004 version. I have the settings on "Wall Street" and i guess I have been blessed with Roethlisberger and another great QB I traded up to draft after he retired. Any reccomendations to make this a bit more realistic?

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/6790/fofbowlsce8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Logan]

Stop bragging :).

[QuikSand]

Maybe build your own team, rather that take on a fully-developed one, especially one with a highly rated QB.

[famatu]

Maybe build your own team, rather that take on a fully-developed one, especially one with a highly rated QB.

I do use the same game plan every year and build the team to fit the plan.

[JeffW]

House rules.

Anyway, I haven't played a ton of FOF 2k7 yet but it seems to me to be harder than FOF 2k4. This is my longest term FOF 2k4 dynasty:

Front Office Football 2004
GM Performance for Sanford Jeffries of the San Diego Chargers

Year Team Eval Perf Diff Proft FrVal Record Playoffs
2027 SDO 94 90 75 100 96 14-3-0 Division Final
2026 SDO 92 90 72 97 92 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2025 SDO 92 90 73 100 83 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2024 SDO 92 90 74 100 79 17-2-0 Bowl Winner
2023 SDO 94 90 74 100 91 16-2-0 Conference Final
2022 SDO 92 86 74 100 89 15-4-0 Bowl Winner
2021 SDO 93 90 74 100 89 16-3-0 Bowl Winner
2020 SDO 90 83 74 100 80 12-6-0 Conference Final
2019 SDO 83 63 74 100 73 13-6-0 Conference Final
2018 SDO 92 90 74 100 83 18-1-0 Bowl Winner
2017 SDO 92 86 74 100 90 16-3-0 Bowl Winner
2016 SDO 92 90 73 100 83 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2015 SDO 92 90 73 100 78 17-2-0 Bowl Winner
2014 SDO 80 90 75 72 93 18-1-0 Bowl Winner
2013 SDO 81 90 76 73 100 18-0-1 Bowl Winner
2012 SDO 80 90 77 72 95 17-2-0 Bowl Winner
2011 SDO 72 90 80 66 57 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2010 SDO 75 90 81 72 55 16-2-0 Conference Final
2009 SDO 80 90 85 85 45 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2008 SDO 69 66 86 76 42 15-5-0 Bowl Winner
2007 SDO 59 45 87 68 42 9-7-0 None
2006 SDO 50 5 87 72 45 4-12-0 None
2005 SDO 58 0 84 92 47 0-16-0 None
2004 SDO 57 45 82 60 58 8-8-0 None

under these house rules:

House Rules

1. Empty Cupboard Start.
2. No Trades.
3. No Franchise Tag.
4. No renegotiations except with veteran holdouts.
5. May resign rostered UFAs and RFAs at any time.
6. May not sign players who were drafted before 2005.
7. May sign 1 FA during 20-step period.
8. May sign only undrafted free agents after.
9. Contracts must either meet the player's initial demand or include a signing bonus equal to the largest contract year.

I set Injuries to 150 and turn off cap increases. I generated a fictional universe with preference draft.

I definitely can't see having that kind of success in 2k7. It's a lot harder to draft good talent.

[famatu]

House rules.

Anyway, I haven't played a ton of FOF 2k7 yet but it seems to me to be harder than FOF 2k4. This is my longest term FOF 2k4 dynasty:

Front Office Football 2004
GM Performance for Sanford Jeffries of the San Diego Chargers

Year Team Eval Perf Diff Proft FrVal Record Playoffs
2027 SDO 94 90 75 100 96 14-3-0 Division Final
2026 SDO 92 90 72 97 92 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2025 SDO 92 90 73 100 83 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2024 SDO 92 90 74 100 79 17-2-0 Bowl Winner
2023 SDO 94 90 74 100 91 16-2-0 Conference Final
2022 SDO 92 86 74 100 89 15-4-0 Bowl Winner
2021 SDO 93 90 74 100 89 16-3-0 Bowl Winner
2020 SDO 90 83 74 100 80 12-6-0 Conference Final
2019 SDO 83 63 74 100 73 13-6-0 Conference Final
2018 SDO 92 90 74 100 83 18-1-0 Bowl Winner
2017 SDO 92 86 74 100 90 16-3-0 Bowl Winner
2016 SDO 92 90 73 100 83 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2015 SDO 92 90 73 100 78 17-2-0 Bowl Winner
2014 SDO 80 90 75 72 93 18-1-0 Bowl Winner
2013 SDO 81 90 76 73 100 18-0-1 Bowl Winner
2012 SDO 80 90 77 72 95 17-2-0 Bowl Winner
2011 SDO 72 90 80 66 57 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2010 SDO 75 90 81 72 55 16-2-0 Conference Final
2009 SDO 80 90 85 85 45 19-0-0 Bowl Winner
2008 SDO 69 66 86 76 42 15-5-0 Bowl Winner
2007 SDO 59 45 87 68 42 9-7-0 None
2006 SDO 50 5 87 72 45 4-12-0 None
2005 SDO 58 0 84 92 47 0-16-0 None
2004 SDO 57 45 82 60 58 8-8-0 None

under these house rules:



I definitely can't see having that kind of success in 2k7. It's a lot harder to draft good talent.


WOW!

All those undefeated seasons are amazing! Do you have a standard game plan you use every season or do you change it based on your team?

[Logan]

I do use the same game plan every year and build the team to fit the plan.

Maybe you'll find it interesting and more challenging if you try some different types of teams to build (run and shoot, west coast, run-heavy, 46 defense, bitz-happy, etc).

[M GO BLUE!!!]

What difficulty setting are you using?

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Try playing with the Detroit Lions, instead of the real-life defending SB champions on which the initial ratings are based.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Try playing with the Detroit Lions, instead of the real-life defending SB champions on which the initial ratings are based.

Word.

[Subby]

Rub it with peppermint lotion and shove your tongue in its ear.

[tucker rocky]

Better yet, try playing empty cupboard with first year players rated 20 and below.

This is what I've been playing, very tough.

One season I scored a total of 74 points, had a qb get sacked 75 times, and throw 30 INTS and 3 TDS.

I know one thing, I have a healthy cap, as no FA signings(early and late).
I draft the worst rated player at any particular position.

Lately though, I've trying to build a team strictly through the draft, still no FA signings.
With the way my team has been playing season after season, I get first pick of the litter on positions based on my needs.
It's been a slow process, but its getting there.

[aran]

The only house rule I play is no trades. I've found FOF2k7 to be a bit more difficult than 2k4 in general.

Maybe you should've started out as a middle-of-the-road team?

[DolphinFan1]

You want it harder. Do like me and start with the Dolphins. Then we can talk about who loses the most.

[MizzouRah]

It's not he was going to the SB right off the bat, we're talking 7 years later. Pretty impressive, imho... also a bit depressing as in today's football I don't think you'd ever see a run like that but who knows?

[dbd1963]

Well I got ahold of a great QB who was in his 11 year. I had him 6 years and went to, and won, 5 championships. That made 8 for him total.

In all my other seasons with no better than a 50~ QB at best, I've only actually made the championship game once, and that was with a true stud running back in his 2nd year. He never went again.


I think the QB might be a tad too important in the present incarnation of FOF2k7.

[famatu]

It's not he was going to the SB right off the bat, we're talking 7 years later. Pretty impressive, imho... also a bit depressing as in today's football I don't think you'd ever see a run like that but who knows?

I used the Steelers because I am a die hard Steelers fan. I even went to Super Bowl XL :)

Actually, I thought this career would suck pretty bad. I went to the playoffs my first six years with pretty good records and had home field advantage some of the time and lost every single one of them in the first round. I got my first playoff victory in year 7 and things just took off since then!

As an update, I won my third consecutive championship after I made the original post then I went 10-6 and 11-5 the next two years and was soundly beaten in the first round of the playoffs both times.

I think the quarterback is very important in FOF2K7. I had Roethisberger who was pretty much maxed out for my first 11 - 12 years and then I traded up and got the #1 overall pick who ended up maxing out and he has won 5 championships. Roethlisberger was 2-4.

If I start over with anyone I guess it would probably be the Browns. I will go from my favorite team to my most hated. Maybe I'll implement some of the house rules you guys talked about too and see if I can get things a little more realistic.

[Narcizo]

Let the coaches set your gameplans?

[Northwood_DK]

Join a MP league.

[JeffW]

I think the QB might be a tad too important in the present incarnation of FOF2k7.

I don't know, QB is by far the most important position in real life football as well, followed by Offensive Left Tackle, Weakside Defensive End and then Cornerback.

How often do teams with marginal qbs end up going deep into the playoffs? The teams with the best QBs are the ones we see dominating the standings year in and year out.

[JeffW]

WOW!

All those undefeated seasons are amazing! Do you have a standard game plan you use every season or do you change it based on your team?

I have a standard template in my brain, but I rewrite it from scratch every time I start a season to match my personnel. Of course, this isn't true in FOF 2007 as I haven't developed a murderous gameplan yet. Gameplanning in 2k7 is game theory oriented, just like real NFL play calling, so it's not quite so easy as in 2004. Luckily, I am one of the few that actually enjoy game planning, so I look forward to the challenge.

[Narcizo]

My all-conquering gameplan from 2004 actually does worse than the AI when I tried to convert it to 2007. I don't know the first thing about real-life play calling (particularly on defence) so that's me screwed. :(

[Leonidas]

Guy takes on the Super Bowl champs for a dynasty and is bummed the game is too easy. Hmm.

[dbd1963]

Guy takes on the Super Bowl champs for a dynasty and is bummed the game is too easy. Hmm.

Seriously? You think it's credible that the Steelers go that many times? I don't.

I stand by my thinking that the QB is too important. I know you need a great QB to make the playoffs year after year, but it's a question of game balance, and right now, the QBs are very unbalanced.

[MizzouRah]

I do get the feeling QB's are MUCH more important in 2k7 than in 2k4.

[famatu]

My all-conquering gameplan from 2004 actually does worse than the AI when I tried to convert it to 2007. I don't know the first thing about real-life play calling (particularly on defence) so that's me screwed. :(

I converted my best game plan from 2004 to 2007 (as close as I could) and it resulted in mostly 3-13 seasons. My QB was throwing like 30 picks a season. I thought it would work close to the same because the settings were almost exactly alike but no dice!

[bselig]

So far I'm getting destroyed by the game. C- drafts every year, any attempts at gameplanning have been a disaster. There's also not the bottomless well of depth in FA every year that there used to be

[Noop]

Man I am struggling to find a QB and draft is a crapshoot. I have a QB rated 33 and there are not that many good free agents so I am sitting on a boatload of cap space with no one to spend it on.

[Front Office Midget]

I think that success by the Steelers there might just be an amazing dynasty, as not many people seem to be reporting such results.

[Narcizo]

Basically it looks like, if you have a 80+ rated quarterback then you can expect lots of success. If you don't, then you can't. I hadn't missed the play-offs for about 15 years while I had my league leading quarterback in tow. Stupid CTD so I had to redo the start of season and lose him. Now I'm catapulted into the realms of mediocrity. Huzzah! :D

[MizzouRah]

Yeah, I'm beginning to wonder when Buffalo is going to fire me.

[perez24]

I find that playing as the Redskins makes the game rather complex.

[Front Office Midget]

I'd be interested in seeing Famatu's team history screen.

[nilodor]

Yeah, I'm beginning to wonder when Buffalo is going to fire me.

That's one thing I love about this game, when did I ever have to worry about being fired in the past? It makes for some interesting decisions during free agency and the draft. Also it makes the game alot more rewarding when you get a dynasty going.

[JeffW]

I do get the feeling QB's are MUCH more important in 2k7 than in 2k4.

I don't know if they're much more important, but they're scarcer.

[Front Office Midget]

I got fired in FOF2. I sucked at that game.

[Narcizo]

I don't know if they're much more important, but they're scarcer.

I think they will be much more important in MP play. In 2004 it's possible to make up for deficiencies at quarterback by gameplanning. I don't think that will work out so well with this version.

Basically I have two years to win the Superbowl with my San Francisco team. After that I'm shagged.

[MizzouRah]

That's one thing I love about this game, when did I ever have to worry about being fired in the past? It makes for some interesting decisions during free agency and the draft. Also it makes the game alot more rewarding when you get a dynasty going.

Yep, I can already read the headlines.

"GM MizzouRah gets fired for not trading up to get future QB star as Detriot nabs him at #4, right before Buffalo's #5 pick... team is now 0-5 to start season as they desperately need help at QB."