How to handle Game Plan files?

[Ben E Lou]

I'm quite sure that within the next couple of weeks there will be dozens of game plans that people want to share. I'd like to get some feedback on the best way to get these organized. Please vote, but also comment. I'd love to hear opinions on the pros and cons of various ways to do this.

--Ben

[Ben E Lou]

I'll do the Quiksand thing and post the first response to my own question. My thought is that eventually we're going to want to go with Option 5: stickying a handful of threads in the strategy forum, with titles like:

Offense: Passing-Oriented
Offense: Run-Oriented
Offense: Balanced

Defense: 3-4, Aggressive
Defense: 4-3, Aggressive
Defense: 4-3, Conservative
Defense: 3-4, Conservative

This seems to me the best way to handle eventually having a BUNCH of different game plan settings.

[Alf]

I agree here

[Subby]

How about just two stickies in the Strategy Forum...one for offensive game plans, one for defensive game plans. Appoint a mod for the strategy forum to keep an index post within each sticky keeping track of all of the gameplans added - gameplan authors would be responsible for writing in detail about their gameplans. Keep both stickies strictly limited to index post and gameplans....

[Barkeep49]

I voted for #5 as well, but think that some sort of searchable database, based off the front page, would really be better than trying to run this through the board.

[Ksyrup]

I think Subby's option is the best, so that things don't get too unruly.

Another question, along the same lines - is there a plan for archiving good discussion threads that we have in this Forum, in the Strategy Forum? I'm assuming that given SOP around here of everyone discussing everything in this forum, trying to restrict discussions of strategies to the Strategy Forum would be useless and counter-productive. However, to avoid having to repeat ourselves a couple of months down the line, it would be nice to be able to point to an archive of recent discussions of the various FOF2K4 features that we're likely to have. Just a suggestion.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
Another question, along the same lines - is there a plan for archiving good discussion threads that we have in this Forum, in the Strategy Forum? I'm assuming that given SOP around here of everyone discussing everything in this forum, trying to restrict discussions of strategies to the Strategy Forum would be useless and counter-productive. However, to avoid having to repeat ourselves a couple of months down the line, it would be nice to be able to point to an archive of recent discussions of the various FOF2K4 features that we're likely to have. Just a suggestion. That's a good call. I wonder if I can copy a thread, rather than just moving it. I'm going to try with Celeval's option thread.

[Ben E Lou]

Dola--

Just tried it. It is a very simple procedure to copy threads to the strategy forum. When a strategy-oriented thread dies, I'll just copy it over there.

[Celeval]

Hm... I can see some game plans erupting into pages and pages of discussion, so I favor something similar to Subby's - have the sticky threads (be they by type or just by offense/defense), but within those just have a link to the relevant thread. Then when a gameplan is posted, a new thread can get started by the creator with a rundown of the plan - any discussion specifically about the game plan can happen there.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Celeval
Hm... I can see some game plans erupting into pages and pages of discussion, so I favor something similar to Subby's - have the sticky threads (be they by type or just by offense/defense), but within those just have a link to the relevant thread. Then when a gameplan is posted, a new thread can get started by the creator with a rundown of the plan - any discussion specifically about the game plan can happen there.

that's probably best. So ultimately, in the sitcky thread someone can post:

Gameplan: Defensive
Creator: Mel Kiper's Hair
Base: 3-4
coverage: bump-n-run

basic description:
Best played with a run-stuffing defense line, this defense rushes most linebackers up the middle. Physical corners are preferred, and a ball-hawking free safety is a must.

origin thread (http://www.fakegameplan.com)

And we have a basic overview, as well as a link to the complete submission/discussion of the gameplan.

[JAG]

Funny, I was going to ask you this morning if there was going to be a plan to handle this SkyDog. I want to throw in my agreement with Subby-Celeval-cthomer5000. I think something like a brief description as cthomer5000 mentioned is a huge plus for people sorting through what I'm sure will be a bunch of gameplans.

[Gallifrey]

Originally posted by SkyDog
I'll do the Quiksand thing and post the first response to my own question. My thought is that eventually we're going to want to go with Option 5: stickying a handful of threads in the strategy forum, with titles like:

Offense: Passing-Oriented
Offense: Run-Oriented
Offense: Balanced

Defense: 3-4, Aggressive
Defense: 4-3, Aggressive
Defense: 4-3, Conservative
Defense: 3-4, Conservative

This seems to me the best way to handle eventually having a BUNCH of different game plan settings.

I agree with this...It would be nice to cut the chase when looking for other opinions on game plans.

[RPI-Fan]

All that's been said so far I agree with.

Though, this is making me wish you could save offensive and defensive plans seperately.

[Sweed]

Originally posted by JAG
Funny, I was going to ask you this morning if there was going to be a plan to handle this SkyDog. I want to throw in my agreement with Subby-Celeval-cthomer5000. I think something like a brief description as cthomer5000 mentioned is a huge plus for people sorting through what I'm sure will be a bunch of gameplans.

This way works for me too.

[JeeberD]

Very true. I'm not quite sure how Jim couldn't see that it would make sense to save them seperately. Maybe (hopefully) that's something he could adjust in a patch...

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
All that's been said so far I agree with.

Though, this is making me wish you could save offensive and defensive plans seperately.

It is my deepest hope that this will be patchable.

[Eaglesfan27]

I also agree with everything in this thread, especially hoping that a patch will allow seperate saving and loading of offensive and defensive gameplans.

[Ben E Lou]

I (obviously) haven't looked at the save/load gameplans yet. I figured if there were any quirks to it, y'all would have pointed it out by now. My plan was/is to sit down tonight or early tomorrow morning and enter and save several game plans for use when the game comes out. It never occurred to me that offensive and defensive couldn't be saved separately. I'll be clamoring for this in a patch. Hoping it is possible.

--Ben

[Celeval]

I'm working on a Gameplan viewer utility, expect a beta of that by the end of the day. Will let you look at gameplans, create new gameplans, etc. without opening FOF2004.

Will also allow importing gameplans or pieces of gameplans - including Offense, Defense, Misc, and Personnel - so you can take a piece of one and a piece of another, save it, and load that into the game.

i.e. From one saved plan where you want offense and one where you want defense, can import each of those in and create a third.

Also as a side benefit, should allow importing of one version of saved game plan to another; as you have to figure that the gameplan save will eventually change formats with patches, etc.

I'm pretty far along, have cracked the format and done all the formatting code, including importing, etc... just working on displaying the data to the user.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by Celeval
I'm working on a Gameplan viewer utility, expect a beta of that by the end of the day. Will let you look at gameplans, create new gameplans, etc. without opening FOF2004.

Will also allow importing gameplans or pieces of gameplans - including Offense, Defense, Misc, and Personnel - so you can take a piece of one and a piece of another, save it, and load that into the game.

i.e. From one saved plan where you want offense and one where you want defense, can import each of those in and create a third.

Also as a side benefit, should allow importing of one version of saved game plan to another; as you have to figure that the gameplan save will eventually change formats with patches, etc.

I'm pretty far along, have cracked the format and done all the formatting code, including importing, etc... just working on displaying the data to the user. Kevin, you are the wind beneath my wings.

[Celeval]

dola...

A full gameplan includes:

- All the offensive and defensive percentage pages (Offense - Normal, Offense - With Lead, Defense - Inside Own 6, etc.)
- Situation/Formation Preferences (Extreme Passing - I-Form, etc)
- Miscellanous page (Blitz directions, Injured player use, etc)
- Personnel pages

Basically, everything in the gameplan area except for Depth Charts.

[Celeval]

Originally posted by SkyDog
Kevin, you are the wind beneath my wings.

Yeah, well, I was hoping to surprise people with it when it was done. ;)

The big plus (and original thought) is that you don't have to open up FOF2004 and load a game to check out someone's gameplan.

[Celeval]

Dola...

There was interest in this topic for this, so:

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16497

[Vince]

Ok, since I guess it hasn't been suggested...

Why not a sub-forum under the Strategies forum, similar to the 'Dynasty Polls' sub-forum? That way you 'unclutter' the stickies, and it's all tidy and neat in there (not like anyone uses it much anyways). Might make it too convoluted to get there, but just thought I'd throw it out there.

[Ben E Lou]

bump...unstick