.400 Studios TPF Forum

[Bee]

This isn't an attack on TPF or anything else, so you can call the dogs off. :D

I just have been noticing lately that the forums are pretty dead. I would have thought that there would be a lot more action and discussion going on. I never went there very often before, but with the game coming out next month I started going there more often and it seems like I see maybe a post or two a day. I'm not used to that. :D

[pjstp20]

If this forum was strictly dedicated to FOF it wouldnt be much more active, as of writing this, there were only three threads discusing the game or anything related to it.

[Bee]

Actually in the old days when this forum was almost purely FOF talk, it was almost as active as it is now. The thing is with FOF, we've all analyzed things over and over. TPF is new and I would expect folks there to be doing what we used to do here in the old days.

Edit: But even all the other forums there are kind of dead. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just weird to me. I'm used to much more active forums.

[FloridaFringe]

It will be a bit easier to analyze TPF once it has actually been released. Considering that the majority of posts on that board in the past month or so have been completely pointless and chalk full of distain it could be considered for the better that the forum has died down somewhat.

[Ben E Lou]

Bee:

I would suspect that there will be much more analysis of TPF once it comes out. The bulk of FOF analysis has usually come after the release, not before.

Another factor is that the 400 forums are SO subdivided that folks have much less of a chance to feel "community," or even be inclined to read most threads.

[Bee]

SD,
I agree about the analysis, but I remember before FOF2 came out there was lots of posts in this community about what the features would be like, what people were looking forward to, etc. There was a great deal of buzz about the game. That's continued to die down more and more every version, which makes sense since everyone knows what to expect. But TPF is a first version and I guess I was expecting more buzz on the forums. Again, I'm not saying this is bad, just that I found it unusual. Perhaps the subdivision of the forum is the reason or perhaps releasing information so far in advance of the release of the game "stretches" out the buzz.

Edit: Just to say it again, I don't think it's a bad sign or anything. I think the game will sell very well and I plan on buying it immediately on release. It's just when a new game is coming out and I go to the forum for the game I'm used to seeing a lot more discussion going on.

[Subby]

Go over there and start comparing and contrasting the impending TPF release with the TDCB disaster. Then, for good measure, call Markus a chocolate-snorting shut-in.

Oh - and close with, "Hey Cooley - I got your fansite RIGHT HERE *points to crotch*"

That will get it going... ;)

[Joe Stallings]

Actually, we kind of prefer it. It's a lot easier to finish the game when things are 'quiet.' Make no doubt about it, the .400 Software Studios pimping machine will be in full effect when the game is about 2 weeks away.

Joe

[Bee]

I thought about going over and posting "Why should I buy this game?" :D

[Buzzbee]

Think about it. WHO is going to post at the TPF forum? Ummmm.....maybe.....uh.....I don't know.....could it be......us?

And since we're all over here, why would there be anybody over there? I mean, YOU started a thread about TPF...over here. Why do we need to go there? :D

Oh, and it might be because we're all over at Fritz's having an "I survived Isabel AND the East Coast Blackout" party. Your invite must've gotten quarrantined.

[Bee]

Originally posted by Buzzbee
Think about it. WHO is going to post at the TPF forum? Ummmm.....maybe.....uh.....I don't know.....could it be......us?


Actually, I just assumed it would be all the people that SkyDog's banned since taking over. Shouldn't that fill up a forum? :D

Note: This was a joke, please don't ban me. ;)

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Bee
Actually, I just assumed it would be all the people that SkyDog's banned since taking over. Shouldn't that fill up a forum? :D

Note: This was a joke, please don't ban me. ;) There have been sightings of 'Nasty, 'Nifty and mrskippy over there recently. I haven't seen Horns or Happy though. I think those are the only regular users I've banned.

"Regular" means not including the dozen or so, "Doodz, I tried to hack {insert text sim here} but couldn't, can you send me a registration code?" Those guys get immediate lifetime bans. Captain SkyDog shows no mercy. ;)

[B & B]

SD ask yourself


"Why should I ban Bee?"

[Bee]

Originally posted by B & B
SD ask yourself


"Why should I ban Bee?"

As long as we don't do a poll...I'm sure that wouldn't come out well for me. :D

[HornedFrog Purple]

Just start one yourself and make sure you appease the trout delegation. You will walk.

[Shkspr]

Originally posted by SkyDog
There have been sightings of 'Nasty, 'Nifty and mrskippy over there recently. I haven't seen Horns or Happy though.

It's like the Seven Dwarfs gone horribly, terribly wrong. :)

[maximus]

Originally posted by Bee
This isn't an attack on TPF or anything else, so you can call the dogs off. :D

I just have been noticing lately that the forums are pretty dead. I would have thought that there would be a lot more action and discussion going on. I never went there very often before, but with the game coming out next month I started going there more often and it seems like I see maybe a post or two a day. I'm not used to that. :D

Like you Bee, "This isn't an attack on TPF or anything else, so you can call the dogs off....but......

From what I have read on "other" forums, some people, while they still browse the forums, they have stopped posting because most of their posts were questions and the questions they have asked have been unanswered. Personally I can understand why questions have been unanswred due to obvious reasons. However, while Arlie and Joe are making the sim, there still should be someone there giving some input like SkyDog, Primelord, and a few others do here at FOFC. That is the consensus from what I understand.

[sabotai]

I've found the .400 and OOTP boards to be similar to the SIGames, filled with fanboys and anti-fanboys. I pretty much stick with this forum, although will sometimes post on .400 and the TBCB fourms. But generally I just browse them.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Shkspr
It's like the Seven Dwarfs gone horribly, terribly wrong. :) :D

[McSweeny]

Originally posted by sabotai
I've found the .400 and OOTP boards to be similar to the SIGames, filled with fanboys and anti-fanboys. I pretty much stick with this forum, although will sometimes post on .400 and the TBCB fourms. But generally I just browse them.

my thoughts exactly

[tucker342]

Originally posted by sabotai
I've found the .400 and OOTP boards to be similar to the SIGames, filled with fanboys and anti-fanboys. I pretty much stick with this forum, although will sometimes post on .400 and the TBCB fourms. But generally I just browse them.

same here

[cody8200]

The .400 boards do have fanboys but what forum( this included) doesnt? The only reason there arent any anti fanboys (here) is probably cause they've been banned.

[QuikSand]

Originally posted by cody8200
The .400 boards do have fanboys but what forum( this included) doesnt? The only reason there arent any anti fanboys (here) is probably cause they've been banned.

If SkyDog and Ryan S deserve criticism for their actions regarding this board, they surely get it from the members here. This is a very open forum, and members speak their minds pretty candidly -- and that is very tolerated here.

This, however, is nothing but a two-bit potshot, and wholly misplaced. There has never been anyone banned, suspended, or otherwise hampered due to saying things critical of the FOF game(s). Not by the current forum leaders, nor any of their legitimate predecessors.

We have had some trolls here, some people who have made posts and actions that were clear attempts to incite or provoke negative reactions from the forum's members. For the most part, those people have been warned and given ample opportunity to make amends and join the community. In rare cases when they haven't been willing to, they have received appropriate punishment. But the grounds for these actions have never been on content, and never about anyone's opinions about the games.

I personaly wonder what motivates people who clearly hate the FOF games (or their creator) to come to a forum like this and complain. But those voices are here from time to time, and probably always will be. They are not being squelched by the site administrators, and to say so is either wholly misinformed or deliberately false.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by QuikSand
If SkyDog and Ryan S deserve criticism for their actions regarding this board, they surely get it from the members here. This is a very open forum, and members speak their minds pretty candidly -- and that is very tolerated here.

This, however, is nothing but a two-bit potshot, and wholly misplaced. There has never been anyone banned, suspended, or otherwise hampered due to saying things critical of the FOF game(s). Not by the current forum leaders, nor any of their legitimate predecessors.

We have had some trolls here, some people who have made posts and actions that were clear attempts to incite or provoke negative reactions from the forum's members. For the most part, those people have been warned and given ample opportunity to make amends and join the community. In rare cases when they haven't been willing to, they have received appropriate punishment. But the grounds for these actions have never been on content, and never about anyone's opinions about the games.

I personaly wonder what motivates people who clearly hate the FOF games (or their creator) to come to a forum like this and complain. But those voices are here from time to time, and probably always will be. They are not being squelched by the site administrators, and to say so is either wholly misinformed or deliberately false. Thanks, Quik.

The one exception I'd say to what you're saying was the case of rexallsc. For months he kept saying the same things over and over again about TCY: "How can you play such a buggy game?" He would insert that statement into many, many threads discussing the game. I did ban him for his continued opinion about the game, but only after several warnings. He has since been reinstated, and overall has behaved himself since his return.

I can't think of anyone in this forum who is a Solecismic "fanboy". Even those who are generally supportive of Jim and his games are willing to listen to, and to provide, constructive feedback. When I think of a "fanboy," I think of someone who, when something about the game or developer is criticized, jumps in with something that has all the analytical content of "u r crazy d00d, this game RULES!" That kind of thing just doesn't happen here.

Finally, I close by, once again, posting the classic commentary from Dutch:

From Dutch...I thought this was great and didn't want it to be buried in a threadAnd no matter who complains, kisses ass, agrees, or just offers logical unbiased opinions, the bottom line of success or failure rests with the .400 studios. And I am pulling for you, I am rooting for you, but now that you are in my playground (the FOFC) don't be alarmed if I (and anyone in this independently run forum) bust your chops from time to time. You can't ban us or lock us down here. But you can also rest assured that if you do the job right, the FOFC will be kind. We love this shit! Our opinions aren't company affiliated, they aren't edited for content by anyone, sometimes they are harsh, sometimes they are kind, and almost always, they are honest. You cannot intimidate us into being quiet here by calling us names or telling us to grow up.

Welcome to the FOFC, a Game Developers heaven or hell if he chooses to participate. Hell, we've even pounced on MV from time to time and he's the master. :D

[Ksyrup]

Originally posted by cody8200
The only reason there arent any anti fanboys (here) is probably cause they've been banned.

I didn't take this to be a potshot, just an ill-advised statement by someone who thought he could get away with lumping this board in with all the rest, because most other boards do ban people for expressing negative opinions.

[cody8200]

Ksyrup, you've hit the nail on the head. I was merely trying to point out that most boards do have that kind of problem. Having been away from these boards for a long while I had figured that this board would have went through a similiar evolution.

[Joe Stallings]

I've found the .400 and OOTP boards to be similar to the SIGames, filled with fanboys and anti-fanboys.

I think is a bit unfair. Speaking for .400, I think the reason that this is the perception is because the developers are very active in the message board community. That creates a (mostly) positive vibe, where ideas and comments are shared in a constructive manner.

When one of our developers goes on and says, "I think we will implement a 75 man rosters for the preseason in the football game," someone will say, "Wow, that's a great idea. Great job guys." And this is (mis)construed as fanboyism. It seems like, the more active the developer(s) are on the boards, the more that that community becomes a candidate for the "fanboyism" label.

BTW, I've never met a FOF-hater. I have met a lot of TDCB, OOTP, .400, Markus, SI Games, et. al., haters.

[sabotai]

Joe, I wasn't talking about the TPF forum specifically. How could I, there's like 3 posts a day there. :)

I was more talking about the sections of the forums that are associated with a game that has already been released (OOTP5, TDCB, etc.). I remember the whole episode with TDCB and while there were a lot of good threads, most were either "I know you'll fix this game in no time" or "You guys suck" threads. Fanboyism and anti-fanboysim. The fanboy had no idea if you could have fixed it (plenty of games in the past have gone unfixed) and the anti-fanboy didn't give you a chance to.

And the same with OOTP. When SkyDog made the suggestion of pitcher rotations and how the game overused the 5th pitcher, I remember several people on those boards shooting it down. Why? Not because what he suggested was unrealistic (because it was). But simply because it wasn't the way the game already did it (and because Markus wasn't the one who said it). It wasn't until Markus agreed that it stopped (or the fanboys changed their tune).

And on the subject of TPF, there really isn't much to be a fanboy about (there's no game to be a fanboy for yet!), but you do have people over there saying "this is the game to beat" and it hasn't even been released yet!! That's fanboyism.

[The Shadow]

Joe (or Arlie or any other TPF developers),

There's many questions on the TPF board on the game, like player packages, substitutions, audibles, college stats, etc.

Is there a reason why you are not answering those question? I'm just curious...........since you've replied to a few threads in FOFC.

I was wondering if you decided NOT to make any game related comments until the game is released. The threads that you've replied on all seem to be more philosophical and not on the game itself.

Thanks.

[maximus]

I've already been labled a fanboy of TPF but oh well.

Joe is right, alot of times someone will comment on what a developer says in the forum and then all of a sudden...thats person is a fanboy. In fact, I think the name "fanboy" is gay. It even sounds gay........

[daedalus]

Originally posted by maximus
I've already been labled a fanboy of TPF but oh well.Where exactly in this thread do you see this? [If this epithet was from another thread, my apologies.]

[daedalus]

Originally posted by cody8200
Ksyrup, you've hit the nail on the head. I was merely trying to point out that most boards do have that kind of problem. Having been away from these boards for a long while I had figured that this board would have went through a similiar evolution.No disrespect, but wouldn't it be better then to wait and see what is rather than make an assumption which speaks rather negatively on the moderators?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by daedalus
No disrespect, but wouldn't it be better then to wait and see what is rather than make an assumption which speaks rather negatively on the moderators? It is ok. I came into this role already having a pretty thick skin, and it has gotten thicker. I'm pretty much used to assumptions that speak rather negatively of the moderators. ;)

[Arles]

Originally posted by The Shadow
Joe (or Arlie or any other TPF developers),

There's many questions on the TPF board on the game, like player packages, substitutions, audibles, college stats, etc.

Is there a reason why you are not answering those question? I'm just curious...........since you've replied to a few threads in FOFC.

I was wondering if you decided NOT to make any game related comments until the game is released. The threads that you've replied on all seem to be more philosophical and not on the game itself.

Thanks.

I thought I had already answered most of these over the past few days. I don't remember a thread on college stats, though. So, I may have missed a few. If there is something that I have missed, just bump the thread or ask the question again. I will try and check a little later this evening.

[maximus]

I'll be called a fanboy for saying this :) but Arlie is posting like crazy over at the TPF forums.

[Arles]

Yeah, I'm trying to find the one on college stats ;)

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by maximus
I'll be called a fanboy for saying this :) but Arlie is posting like crazy over at the TPF forums. Fanboy. :mad:




















;)

[maximus]

Arlie/Joe, you did answer the college stats one.

Joe-College stats are in the game. Only last season though (i.e., not career, but senior season or junior season). We considered doing career college stats but it was just too damned time consuming. In any case, we have a nifty college report that is updated each month of the season with stats and shows which players are rising and falling

EDIT: I think that this is old news though as I have read that it appreas that more than just the final stats for college players will be in the sim. Here is where I am reading this from;

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15178&highlight=college+stats

Joe Stallings-"The original plan was to only show the top leader for each stat for teams, have limited retired stats (ie, Hall of Fame and All-Star calibur players) and have only the final stats for college players.

Based on feedback, we changed to do a top 10 for all team and league records (instead of just the top guy), store retired stats for most players that play in the game and do a college stat update every month during the season."

[maximus]

~dola

From the TPF forum..on college stats:

College Player Statistics

Don't take the media's word for it on who the best prospects are - check out the stats for yourself! Each month during the season, college player's statistics are updated and you can see who's stock is rising or falling.


Link:

http://www.400softwarestudios.com/invboard/upload/index.php?showtopic=43169&hl=college+stats

[Buccaneer]

Fun stuff!

[MizzouRah]

It's going to be interesting to see what TPF can do. Even for a first chapter, I'm a little anxious to see the game in person.


Todd