Tightening Up FOF: My List

[Adamski47]

First off, I'm loving this game so far but I wanted to start compiling the few bad things I've noticed so far anda few things I think would enhance the game if added in a patch. I will update this list once in a while. Feel free to add upon the things I've written down. Enjoy!

-The benching of players other than QBs by your head coach DURING a game. (RT giving up 4 sacks!)

-When I give up a 32 yard pass on 3rd and 16 I want to know who's fault it was. (Think of yourself on a couch watching the game screaming.)

-After kicking a FG, a team should not accept a penalty of 5 yards (no first down), only to rekick the FG on 4th down.

-DL should not be credited with a "hurry" when the QB takes a knee.

Big Wish:
I'd love to see an OOTP type play relaying..."Harrington gives to Stewart...hit at the line but breaks off that one and heads around tackle...hit hard and brought down after a pickup of 3 yards."
or
"Ball on the Chicago 35. Harrington drops back...good protection...HE's THROWING THIS ONE LONG TO THE CORNER OF THE ENDZONE.........McQuarters breaks it up at the last second!
Incomplete. 3rd down. Rogers just didn't get the height he wanted to on his jump."

-Why is my QB throwing a pass on 2nd and 8 with 38 seconds left in the 4th quarter when I'm winning by 10 and my opponent has ZERO TOs left?

-In regards to injuries on the rosters screen, I'd love to see an indicator letting us know that it was a fresh injury that occured the previous game.

Big Wish:
Bring expansion back. I'd have no problems having 36 teams like in FOF2. Starting with your own team is such an amazing gaming experience. I miss that more than anything from FOF4.

-Start off right after the Super Bowl in the offseason.

-Ability to customize coaches as well as their contracts. I never understood why you can edit players but not coaches.

-Joey Harrington went down for the last two weeks of the season. I had to sign an undrafted rookie for an emergency QB. I let my coaching staff make all of the depth chart/gameplan decisions (just in my solo league) and they have the rookie, who has never taken an NFL snap and has only been with "the offense" for a week be the #2 QB. Sure Ty Detmer isn't what he used to be but there is NO WAY this would ever happen.

Edit: Added expansion wish. Added wish to start in offseason.
Edit2: Added ability to customize coaches.
Edit3: UDRFA QB #2?!??!?!?

That's all for now!

[RPI-Fan]

-In regards to injuries on the rosters screen, I'd love to see an indicator letting us know that it was a fresh injury that occured the previous game.

Umm, just look at the e-mailed injury report.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
Umm, just look at the e-mailed injury report. I'm with him on this one. If there is an indicator that it is a *new* injury this week, you know it is something you need to do something about. There have been times I've missed a new injury, particularly with an injury-prone player.

[Bee]

That's a good point. Maybe Jim could make new injuries listed in the email be bold or something? That's got to be an easy addition, doesn't it?

[Subby]

Or have them dripping blood.

[Adamski47]

I was actually referring to the other teams in the league. I like to look at the injuries list each week to see who's been hurt and it takes forever sifting through 31 teams when you have to look at the same injuries each time. It sort of helps that players who are still active are listed in red because that's usually a good indicator that the injury is fresh.

[Bee]

Originally posted by Subby
Or have them dripping blood.

This is why we really need player photos in the game. :D

[Maple Leafs]

Good thread, may I add a few?

- Please, please let us get an e-mail after a bye week. The new e-mail notice that "Smith is now back to 100%" is great, but what's the point if you don't get notified after your bye week (the week for letting players heal up)?

- I'd love to have the option to color code the play-by-play. For example, scoring plays in blue, inuries in red, penalties in yellow, turnovers in green, etc. Maybe I'm the only one, but I don't read every word of the play-by-play, I set it to a decent speed and then watch the game. Nothing worse than missing a turnover because the "fumbled and recovered by Jones" was burried on the sixth line.

- I'd also like to have the option to have the pbp stop for certain events. If there's a turnover, for example, stop until I hit the spacebar. Let me get caught up. I'm Canadian, we're slow.

- Add Canadian locations to the available cities list!

- The game really needs some sort of league-wide inury report.

- On a related topic, I'd love to have the option to get more e-mails. Maybe you could have an e-mail of all serious injuries in the league that week. Or an e-mail notification of any trades.

- Is there a way to edit coach names? If not, would it be possible to add that? I'd love to have real coaches names in my real players league.

- The end-of-half AI needs some cleanup. If the defense has no time outs and the offense is in a FG situation with 30 seconds to go, they should let the clock wind down to a few seconds left before they kick. Right now the offense kicks right away and hands the ball back to the other team with time left.

- Expansion. I know that it came out because it's a huge pain to do a scheduler for more than 32 teams in the current division set up. But it seems like it would be worth the effort to bring it back. This was the single feature that really sold me on the FOF series when I first saw it. I just thought it was the coolest thing I'd seen in a sports sim, a major selling point.

[gottimd]

I was just skimming through Adamski47 post and I wanted add a few things that, I know it is being spoiled but I wish were on the game.

1. In other games, when you click on the player, it gives you a text summary of the player as well such as "He has incredible potential, and is worth remaining on your roster. In a few years he will has a good chance at becoming one of the leagues elite receivers." Something along the lines of that with the obvious career highlights etc.

2. Game Previews. I know in the simulated screen there is a checked box over who has the better Qb vs. Qb, but maybe have a pregame text of two analysts giving their opinions on the players, as in which players should excel in this game, and highlight breakout players on each team thus far in the season, etc.

3. Counter Offer trades from other Management. When you submit an offer to a team, a simple no is the reply you get in more words than one. Is it possible to have AI generate a counter offer from your original offer? Example: I offer player x to team 1 for their #1 Draft pick. The GM says no, but counter offers with player x and my #3 Draft pick for their #1 Pick.

Of course these are just ideas that are just being outright picky, the game thus far is great.

[Maple Leafs]

Thought of another one, and it's entirely possible that this is only me, but: could we please have age listed on the player card? It lists date of birth, sure, but then I have to do math. What am I, QuikSand?

[yabanci]

Originally posted by Adamski47
I was actually referring to the other teams in the league. I like to look at the injuries list each week to see who's been hurt and it takes forever sifting through 31 teams when you have to look at the same injuries each time. It sort of helps that players who are still active are listed in red because that's usually a good indicator that the injury is fresh.

I wish there was an injury log too, like the transaction log where it can be sorted by time, team, or lenthof injury.

[yabanci]

The other tiny thing I wish could be done is have the injury info on the player report in red if the player is injured, so when you open a player report you immediately see he is injured. It doesn't seem like it would be hard to make the injury text red instead of black.

[korme]

On the player information screen it'd be neat to list a Rings Won, then you could sort of see who has won the most umm, Solecismic Bowls. Maybe make it clickable, like a list where it shows the year and team he won his ring(s) on.

[Gambit]

Filters for the Staff hiring phase would be a nice addition. It's still a click-fest to try and get a coach/scout you want.

A Free Agency preview at the end of the season so you'll see which players will be out of contract(rather than going to each team).

NFL Europe :)

[jamesUMD]

Ability to customize coaches as well as their contracts. I never understood why you can edit players but not coaches.

This is something that I have been crying for for quite a while now and my cries have fallen upon deaf ears. I would really like to see this feature finally put in.

I also second the addition of exspansion teams if at all possible. I too thought that it was a totally different perspective to wean a franchise from the ground up.

[portnoise]

The thing I wish were there is something I like in the OOTP games-- how the game keeps a history in a small text file of all the transactions a player has gone through. Probably too late for this version, but it'd be interesting to see where he signed, for how much, when/how he was released, etc.

[gottimd]

Two other things:

1. Realigning divisions/conferences as well as the expansion issue. A Create city utility as well.

2. On the players individual stats, some have a large lapse in season numbers. As in you may have had a superstar performance by one of your starters, but next season, he had a torn ACL and was out. An asterisk by that seasons figures or something that notes he was out for an injury. What about an "injury prone" statistic?

[Subby]

Originally posted by gottimd
2. On the players individual stats, some have a large lapse in season numbers. As in you may have had a superstar performance by one of your starters, but next season, he had a torn ACL and was out. An asterisk by that seasons figures or something that notes he was out for an injury. What about an "injury prone" statistic?
I see where you are coming from, but I really hope he does not put an "injury prone" rating in the game. I would rather that be a hidden factor that reveals itself over a player's career rather than in some handy-dandy rating. I would refer to Honolulu Blue's SLB The Devastator as a great example of how this works.

What <i>would</i> be nice would be what was suggested previously - <b>an injury history for each player</b>. That would be incredibly helpful when making FA decsions on players.

[Ben E Lou]

What Subby said.

[j51]

I would love it if you were able to call the play from the View Play screen.

Also when looking at other teams players it would be convienient if there were a button that took you to the trade screen with the player preselected.

[gottimd]

A playoff scenario screen would be nice to have as well, but just a thought. After week 12, you can see other than the Blue and Red dots, the race for the Divisions and Wildcards, and any scenarios that need to happen for a team to make the post season.

[Adamski47]

That's a good idea gottimd.

[gottimd]

Hey thanks, every once in a while I post something decent.

[A-Husker-4-Life]

Hey, how about an option to keep Player College Stats for more than just their 1st year. This is something I've wanted in FOF for years and its only half Implemented, Oh well maybe Jim can fix it.

[dixieflatline]

Expansion. I know that it came out because it's a huge pain to do a scheduler for more than 32 teams in the current division set up. But it seems like it would be worth the effort to bring it back. This was the single feature that really sold me on the FOF series when I first saw it. I just thought it was the coolest thing I'd seen in a sports sim, a major selling point.

This is a really great thread with lot's of very good ideas. Some of these probably are easy to implement but I'd imagine there are some real problems with variable number of team leagues/expansion.

First you really have to have the talent distribution just right or the stats are going to stray. This wouldn't be a big deal except that the AI would have to be very robust to handle this. Smaller leagues good QB's become plentiful and you shouldn't bust the bank on one. In large leagues getting a star might well be worth it.

Secondly, the scheduling is a total nightmare. It seems like that would be something easy to program in but it really is a mess. With the bye week and the NFL not letting two teams play back to back weeks having variable length divisions much less variable numbers of divisions would take forever to get right.

I'd vote for Jim to clean up a couple items on this thread before he tackles expansion. Would be a great feature though.

[korme]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
On the player information screen it'd be neat to list a Rings Won, then you could sort of see who has won the most umm, Solecismic Bowls. Maybe make it clickable, like a list where it shows the year and team he won his ring(s) on.

Something like this.

http://www.jbl.ootp-leagues.com/host/rings.jpg

[korme]

bump

[Adamski47]

Here is something else to add to the list:

Joey Harrington went down for the last two weeks of the season. I had to sign an undrafted rookie for an emergency QB. I let my coaching staff make all of the depth chart/gameplan decisions (just in my solo league) and they have the rookie, who has never taken an NFL snap and has only been with "the offense" for a week be the #2 QB. Sure Ty Detmer isn't what he used to be but there is NO WAY this would ever happen.

[cuervo72]

Originally posted by Adamski47
Here is something else to add to the list:

Joey Harrington went down for the last two weeks of the season. I had to sign an undrafted rookie for an emergency QB. I let my coaching staff make all of the depth chart/gameplan decisions (just in my solo league) and they have the rookie, who has never taken an NFL snap and has only been with "the offense" for a week be the #2 QB. Sure Ty Detmer isn't what he used to be but there is NO WAY this would ever happen.

Yeah, no way that would happen in real life.

http://philadelphia.comcastsportsnet.com/news/images/091602-spurrier.jpg

[Adamski47]

Ha, was Tim Hasselbeck (sp) a rookie?!?!

[pjstp20]

Before the Sunday night game he only threw 2 passes in the NFL

[pjstp20]

Back on topic: I wonder if it would be possible to keep coaches season by season stats through a patch. This is something I really wanted to see included in this years edition. Is there any interest from anyone else for this?

[Adamski47]

Jim,

I just had a punt return in which the CPU fumbled the ball, recovered their own fumble and return it for a few more yards.

There were two tackles according to the pbp. One tackle on the fumble and another on the tackle that ended the play.

Should this be recorded as two tackles? Maybe it's "not recorded" in the stats but...

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by pjstp20
Back on topic: I wonder if it would be possible to keep coaches season by season stats through a patch. This is something I really wanted to see included in this years edition. Is there any interest from anyone else for this?

what kind of stats? It keeps the season by season record (and the position they held) now. Just click on the "record" text... whatever text is in blue under the coach.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Adamski47
Ha, was Tim Hasselbeck (sp) a rookie?!?!

how much cap room did you have? Danny Kannell was forced to start for the Broncos, Tim Hasslebeck has already been pointed out, and the Raiders are starting Rick Mirer (and I have NO idea who is backing up at this point).

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
bump

Nice visuaul representation of the championship listing idea.

[pjstp20]

Originally posted by cthomer5000
what kind of stats? It keeps the season by season record (and the position they held) now. Just click on the "record" text... whatever text is in blue under the coach.

Ha, I didnt even know that. So I look stupid asking for something thats already included, but at least now I know it is.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by pjstp20
Ha, I didnt even know that. So I look stupid asking for something thats already included, but at least now I know it is.

Don't worry, I didn't notice either until someone else pointed it out. :)

[Canadian Football Guy]

CANADIAN CITIES YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Adamski47]

What about when a decent FA gets cut during the regular season...the human team ALWAYS has first bid to get him. Perhaps a waiver system could be added? Or at worst, what about putting in a bid (like MP) and be told once you "advance" what team got him (so the CPU teams would have a shot too). This would have to take place BEFORE you simmed though so you could change your roster.

P.S. I'm too lazy to keep updating the first post in this thread. Look for new stuff within the thread.

[SegRat]

A couple of things I would like to see added. What about players committing team violations. Much like TCY you either ignore it or take action, such as suspend a player for X amount of games, or fine the player. I would really like to see players with more personality. Players late for curfew, missing practice or team meetings. Call it the Meshawn Johnson rating.

Also when play calling, you have the choice to either call your play, or let the coach call it. I would like to see a coach recommend button. That way you know what play is going to be called. Maybe you then want to call your own play or you agree with the coach and you let him call it.

[Adamski47]

Those are terrific ideas SegRat.

[Samdari]

I hate that only 46 players can be active for preseason games. I can live with rosters needing to be cut to 53, but would prefer to see 60/54 (or something) in preseason games before the 53/46 required for regular season.

[SegRat]

One more thing I would like to see is on the player card I would like to see what weeks the stats are for. By looking at the card now you might just see 12 weeks worth of stats. I would like to know what weeks he missed. Also on the player card I would like to see his playoff stats.

[The_herd]

Career playoff stats for a player and career playoff records for players would be great as well.

[Buccaneer]

Originally posted by Samdari
I hate that only 46 players can be active for preseason games. I can live with rosters needing to be cut to 53, but would prefer to see 60/54 (or something) in preseason games before the 53/46 required for regular season.

I agree. This is one of those glaring weaknesses in simulating the real NFL.

[gottimd]

Not sure if this can be done, but what about when you are simulating a game with the play by play, if a player eclipses some sort of record, either league or team record, it notes it in the play by play like:

Deuce McCallister rushes for 12 yards (Surpassed New Orleans all time career rushing yards)

Also, be able to elect players from your team for the Hall of Fame