Is there any king of new cool FOF thread we could launch ?

[Darkiller]

just wondering...
if you guys have any ideas...

[cuervo72]

Darkiller, I hereby bestow the title "King of New Cool" upon you.

:)

[Samdari]

Well, DK, I think most here found FOF4 extremely disappointing, and do not play, so there is little to talk about. Perhaps that could be a somewhat interesting thread.

Who bought FOF4?

Who did not buy it, and why?

Of those who bought it, who still plays it with any sort of regularity?

[Darkiller]

I guess the "why have you been so disapointed with FOF4 ?" thread topic could be quite interesting...

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Darkiller
I guess the "why have you been so disapointed with FOF4 ?" thread topic could be quite interesting...

so start it up and let's find out.

[JeeberD]

I bought it. I enjoyed it. I haven't played it recently, but that will probably change once training camp starts up...

[FrogMan]

Originally posted by JeeberD
I bought it. I enjoyed it. I haven't played it recently, but that will probably change once training camp starts up...

Same here. I had lots of fun with it, but have not played it since changing my PC about 3 months ago. Will probably reinstall it and start up another career when training camps will start...

FM

[thesloppy]

I'll give this a shot:

First off, it should be noted that I enjoyed the entire FOF series, including FOF4. However, although I wouldn't categorize myself as 'disapointed', the amount of time I spent playing the game definitely didn't compare with the rest of the games in the series. For me, there are three clear reasons that it didn't keep my attention very long.

Firstly, as has been discussed before, FOF4 is basically just too easy, mainly because I, like many others, have been playing the franchise for years now, and the learning curve was almost non-existant. It might take me two or three years to get to the Super Bowl, but once I got there, it took very little effort to return year after year, due to unaggressive computer AI, and the relative ease in keeping your roster intact. Although I was definitely glad to not have to deal with the inflated, outrageous contracts from FOF2001, it was too easy in FOF4 to hold onto 95% of your quality players without much effort...once you figured out the offer system, you could apply your method to to each and every player.

The second reason is unfortunate, as it is the opposite result of what Jim was trying to achieve with FOF4. The new gameplan system was just too complex for me, as I don't like to fiddle with my gameplan too much in between games, and would usually only adjust the settings 3-4 times a year in previous versions. What is unfortunate, is that the complexity and depth of the new system was just too much for a 'fast-simmer' like myself to deal with, and I ended up adjusting my gameplan every 3-4 seasons, as opposed to 3-4 times a season. Since I could keep my roster relatively intact, and I was going deep into the playoffs year after year, there was little need to adjust my gameplan. In essence, the addition of complexity and depth to the playcalling interface, actually caused me to further simplify my playing style.

Lastly, is a reason that is a combination of the previous two, as well as an eafter-effect of TCY. With my playing style now simplified, and my roster locked, FOF4 pretty much split into two differnet phases...during the pre-season, I am relatively involved with the game, signing free agents, adjusting contracts, trading dead weight, and drafting, but once the season starts, I pretty much hit cruise control. My only interaction coming from switching out injured players. It is anti-climactic for me to spend that much time preparing for the season, building up the possibilities, and then spending ten minutes pressing the 'sime entire week' button. This is also due again to my playing style, as much as it is the game design..I don't call my plays, and tend to sim the games without watching them, just reading the box-scores the day after. In my mind, the season and it's outcome seems like it should be the meat, and potatoes of the game, but due to my style and the issues listed above, it turns into a ten minute cake walk. This is all compouned by the fact that FOF4 comes after TCY, which by necessity had you heavily involved during the season week after week, game after game, due to the recruiting mechanics. In comparison the cruise-control seasons of FOF4 seemed much more like watching a game, than playing it.

There it be, my two cents. Again, it should be noted that I still enjoy FOF4 5-10 times a month, and I hope the above doesn't sound like a totally negative rant, as I totally enjoy the game more than 90% of the crap that makes it onto my harddrive.

[Ksyrup]

I bought it, and played "with" it for about a week. It was not enjoyable to me.

My main reasons I detailed in a thread - the title of which had something to do with getting the hair off of my chest - that was posted way back when. The sum of the points I made, as I recall now, was that none of the new features meant much of anything to me because there was no cause/effect relationship. For example, the position leader idea was neat, but because I saw no tangible proof how, if at all, the negative or positive relationships altered the outcome of the games, it was an empty feature. I felt that way about most of the new features.

That, and the new breakdown of positions just killed it for me. I ended up either cutting players or changing players' positions just be able to field a team by the midway point of every season due to injuries, simply because I didn't have an ILB or SS or FL, etc. That drove me crazy and and almost single-handedly ruined the game for me. Well, since I only played it for about a week, I guess it DID ruin the game for me.

[azjoe_02]

thesloppy, you just about summed it up for me. I too quicksim the entire season, (week by week) and spend the majority of the time in te offseason aspects of the game. I am not currently playing the game, but will play it off and on for about 5 - 10 seasons then, after winning championships and continually going deep into the playoffs, retaining so much of my roster and seeing no end to the dominance that I have, will lose interest and quit for some time. I can't say that I have been dissappointed in FOF4, but I have not played it nearly as much as previous versions. I do not like the tedious work of the gameplan (though, I can see it's use in the game). My .02


-azjoe

[Blade]

I never bought FOF4. I have played the previous versions a lot, but I never did get FOF4. The main reason was that Jim said he always had problems shipping the games to my province in Canada. However, I never had any problems getting TCY.

Now that the football bug is set to hit me again, I will give some thought to FOF4...but I may just stay with the version I currently own. Either that, or back to TCY!

[mckerney]

I got one - Front Office Football: The Hattrick Years