TCY kismet

[Runtheball]

As you watch the play-by-play in TCY, do you ever get the impression that the final outcome has been predetermined? Does it seem like your team throws the game in the 4th quarter in order for the predetermined final score to be reached?

I've lost count of the number of times I've seen these types of things happen....

...ahead by 14 with 3 minutes left, and throw back-to-back interceptions which are both returned for a touchdown. Then fumble the ensuing kickoff and give the ball to the other team on my 20 yard line with 10 seconds left to play.

...5 minutes left and a slim lead, and we mount a strong defensive stand in the final minutes that stops them from getting a score. They punt, and we run into the kicker. A few plays later they get a TD and they trail by two. All we have to do is kill the clock but we're forced to punt. The following two plays are a long pass and a 55yd FG.

...a minute left and we have a slim lead, but we have the ball near our 20. A false start and two holding penalties, and we're nearly back to our goal line. What do you do? Throw a pass and have it picked-off of course!

If any of these things happened just once in awhile, it would be acceptable. But this happens so often (and my team is usually ranked in the top 50, so its not like we really suck) that I can't help wondering HOW and WHEN the game outcome is determined. As I watch the play-by-play its usually pretty clear when my team has the opponent outmatched. But then something magical happens, and that opponent that could barely complete a pass the entire game pulls off a couple long bombs, followed by a series of improbable errors by my team, and all of a sudden I only have a two point lead with two minutes left, and I just KNOW I'm gonna lose the ball and have them kick a field goal.

It seems as if the game proceeds "fairly" for 55 minutes, with the results determined by the players and coaches abilities, but then during that last 5 minutes the game engine ensures that "enough" weird crap happens so that the predetermined score is achieved. Sometimes I swear the TCY game engine just realizes that if it doesn't call on Rod Serling for some Twilight Zone assistance, my team will win a game that it is predestined to lose.

Anyone else notice this? Or is my next stop really the Twilight Zone?

[33sherman]

I've had the exact same feeling, but I think it's just a matter of noticing heartbreaking losses much more than the games when you squeak by and hold on in the final minute.A the same time, I definitely think there are hidden variables in the game--some teams are great on paper but just seem 'cursed'-and some teams look average on paper but have magical seasons.

[sabotai]

The 2 biggest reasons for things liek this happening (at least in my experience) is 1) Player endurance and 2) Coach's ability. I have found, in my limited experience, that if you don't have good coaches and your players have bad endurance, you'll lose games late in the game.

[Wolfpack]

In the games I've witnessed, I feel like there is a pre-game check that determines how well my team plays. I had a bunch of great games in a row in my last season and then in the last game against an opponent I should at least have been competitive against, my entire team suddenly forgot how to play football and got blown out. (I'm not sure if this is a feature or not, though)

[Runtheball]

Originally posted by Wolfpack
In the games I've witnessed, I feel like there is a pre-game check that determines how well my team plays. I had a bunch of great games in a row in my last season and then in the last game against an opponent I should at least have been competitive against, my entire team suddenly forgot how to play football and got blown out. (I'm not sure if this is a feature or not, though)

This happens to me all the time. In my current season, I've beaten the first 4 teams by 35 points or more, then I play a conference opponent that has virtually an identical ranking to me, and they beat us 48 to 0! This is a common occurrence. In fact, scores like 55-7 and 48-0 seem to be very frequent whereas scores like 17-14 or 21-17 are very rare.

I've noticed with my own team that when I have the lead the plays are called according to my gameplan ("normal circumstances") and when I trail by even 10 points my staff calls passes on virtually every play. There doesn't seem to be any way to stick to the original gameplan, and when we're passing every down we get INTs, sacks, holding penalties, hurries.

I hope any future version of TCY allows for halftime changes to gameplans and personnel.