Single player challenge?

[Bode]

What are people doing to make the game challenging.

I've played a 10 season career and except for my first year from the draft I've won my division every year, and won the super bowl 5 times and lost once. The other times I lost in the playoffs.

From winning so much I was able to vote for a new stadium with no contribution from my team. It means the team now makes over $100,000,000 a year in profit.

I tend to get like 2 to 3 players each year from the draft that are usable, and fill my team with players from free agency for the rest. I stay away from older players past thier prime wanting big contracts. Instead I find younger ones with good solid numbers. I've consistently focused bigger contracts mostly on offensive players (QB, RB, WR), and the defensive line and secondary.

A lot of people on this board have played this game from previous versions. What house rules do you use to keep the game fun, but also challenging? Have you played this game enough to feel the challenge is accurate? Are the problems the AI has with the salary cap consistent from previous versions.

I think it should be difficult to build the right team, and even more difficult to stay strong. It definitely shouldn't be possible to easily make the playoffs every year because the AI mismanages it's money so bad it ends up with like 10 good teams and a bunch of awful ones.

My game settings are wall street and 200 injuries. I've done everything possible with the settings to make it hard.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Did you start with the Indy Colts? Or the Detroit Lions? Or Cleveland Browns? Or empty cupboard. Taking a less talented team to start with would be one option, if you didn't. Restricting yourself to one FA signing a year is another.

[DolphinFan1]

I've said this before. I don't find it easy. I start with the Dolphins.

[Front Office Midget]

It seems to me that a lot of people come here saying "This is too easy" while that doesn't seem to be the general consensus. So, perhaps you just have a good team with a lot of success? My team has been pretty successful so far, because I got the league's top (by far) QB, and built a great offense around him. But I haven't had unrealistic success.

[JeffW]

Empty Cupboard Start
No Trades
No Veteran Free Agent Signings except Leaders and Mentors who get no playing time
No Renegotiations, Franchise Tag(I don't use this in 2k7 because I'm gaining experience for MP)
No Veteran Staff Signings(Must have 0 games experience)

I still don't find Single Player very challenging even with all those rules, unfortunately. It is more challenging than FOF 2004, though, simply because the scouting error and improved AI have made drafting a contest. Even with 44 overall starter QBs, etc, I can routinely dominate(See my post: Who says you need a great QB to win at FOF?). I can't remember the last time I've found Single Player challenging per se, but I still enjoy the game.

[Front Office Midget]

Maybe I don't try hard enough... I've never really dominated much on any version of FOF.

[Narcizo]

If you want to make it tough don't have a star quarterback on your team and don't gameplan (if you're actually better than the AI at it, otherwise go ahead). SP is made very easy by getting a star quarterback.

Personally I don't mind winning and play SP games more as a sim than a competition. I just want to see what happens, and if that involves me winning too easily then so be it. I think I've already improved greatly at drafting but I should really be looking at how gameplanning works. Only I can't bring myself to muster any interest for it.

[perez24]

I have not found this game too easy, but in previous versions, in the odd instances when I found it too easy, I would sign a bad coaching/scouting staff, cut a few team leaders, and suddenly I was in re-building mode.

That being said, take the Redskins in FOF 2007...there's a challenge.

[perez24]

I have not found this game too easy, but in previous versions, in the odd instances when I found it too easy, I would sign a bad coaching/scouting staff, cut a few team leaders, and suddenly I was in re-building mode.

That being said, take the Redskins in FOF 2007...there's a challenge.

[miami_fan]

I've said this before. I don't find it easy. I start with the Dolphins.

Concur

[Bode]

To answer some questions.

I did a complete draft to try and make the teams equal. And they were the first year. I went 9-7 and didn't make the playoffs. Then year 2 came around and I was able to fill in some holes in my team. And presumably the AI was too, but the AI doesn't do this. Instead, they sign a bunch of overpriced aging players. They screw thereselves on cap space, and screw thier team as well.

Playing over a 10 year period all those players I drafted are gone. So it has nothing to do with those players. Some of them had something to do with early wins, but not 10 years in a row in the playoffs. 7 bowl attends, and 5 wins.

I guess I just wish the AI wouldn't make such horribly bad decisions. I'm sure programming AI decisions is not easy for Solesmic. It must be very hard. But wow this game would be truly amazing if the AI would make good decisions with thier cap space. It would make free agency challenging. You would be forced to really offer a competitive salary to get certain guys without blowing your own cap space. That would make the draft so much more important as well.

Regarding game planning I've never done any. I've always let the computer decide, and my coach is just average. The reason I win is the players. The computer constantly picks up crap players and builds bad teams with huge caps.

As you run your seasons check the franchise value button right after the late free agency period. If you are signing smart you will find that your team is always in the top 5 every single year. What I'm saying is that getting in the top 5 should be extremely hard. I just wish the AI would try to do the same thing every year while managing it's cap space.