Question for TDCB players

[dawgfan]

So I started playing TDCB again a few days ago. I downloaded the 1.33 patch from the .400 website and fired up a new dynasty. I ran through the initial steps, hiring my scouting service and monkeying with my schedule. I then evaluated my roster and decided to redshirt a So. PG named Larry Williams. He then showed up in red on the team roster screen and his player card said he was redshirting the season. So far so good.

I manually coached my games, and I noticed that in both the depth chart screen and in the in-game substitution screens, he was available to be used. I didn't think this was a problem, since it made sense that if I'd had an injury emergency at the position I could use Williams and negate the redshirt for that season.

Once I finished the regular season, I had a hard time figuring out in the play/simulate screen how to advance to my team's next game. As a result, I ended up skipping past my team's first conference tournament game which was auto-simmed. I was a little annoyed, but since I won I didn't think too much about it.

Fast forward to the next season - I proceeded through all the offseason steps: setting my players' offseason drills settings, looking at job offers, hiring/firing my staff, hiring a scouting service, fiddling with my schedule. I then examined my roster for the new season to find Larry Williams is listed as a Jr and is still shown in red, with his player card saying he's redshirting the year. WTF? I then put 2+2 together and checked his player stats - he'd played in 1 game the previous season (for 1 freaking minute). I'm 99.9% certain this playing time came in the 1 auto-simmed game, and not from me putting him in a game accidentally. When I click on the 'remove redshirt' button, it tells me that he would prefer not to redshirt going into his Senior season. He now is greyed-out in the depth chart screens and in-game substitution screens - I can't play him even if I wanted to.

So, my questions are:

1. Why can't I remove the redshirt designation from him?
2. Assuming the game he played in came in an auto-simmed game, how do you prevent the computer from playing guys you intend to redshirt?
3. If I had successfully redshirted him last season, would he have developed more successfully in the offseason?

[RPI-Fan]

Answer to all of the above: Quit playing TDCB and get FBCB.:D

[sooner333]

What he said.

[dawgfan]

Is that a consensus, that FBCB is much better than TDCB?

[RPI-Fan]

I can't speak for everybody, but as long as you don't ask Windows 98 or ME users (FBCB doesn't work on these systems), you'll have a very hard time finding anyone that tells you they don't enjoy the game.

There's a free 3-day demo - DEFINITELY should try that as long as you aren't running ME or 98.

[sabotai]

FBCB > (TDCB *100)

IMO. :)

[dawgfan]

Wow - well, I guess I'll have to try the demo and check it out. I like TDCB otherwise, so if FBCB is that much better I should really enjoy it.

Besides, I should really support a fellow UW alumnus shouldn't I? :cool:

[dawgfan]

Dola - can FBCB users describe why exactly they prefer it to TDCB? Just out of curiosity...

[RPI-Fan]

Interface was the biggest thing for me. On top of that, there are pretty much no bugs at all, the coaching mode is definitely much better, and the engine just feels a lot more real than TDCB.

On that last point, the stats end up a lot better on FBCB - the leading scorers, rebounds, and assists are definitely in line; something I felt was a problem with TDCB.

The recruiting is also a lot more intuitive, I think. I'll let others delve into that if they want.:)

[Calis]

FBCB is miles ahead of where TDCB is imo, and I don't think you'll hear anyone here at least say differently. We've got a pretty big FBCB fanbase here.

As we've said a few times, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes it so much better, but it just feels like an all around better game. Give the demo a shot, I'm sure you won't go back after that!

[dawgfan]

Interesting. I actually like the interface in TDCB better than what I've seen in the screenshots for FBCB, though once I play the demo I may find the FBCB interface more intuitive/easier to navigate/etc.

I haven't spent a lot of time analyzing the stats for the player universe in my TDCB dynasty, but I did think the assist numbers for PG's were a little high.

I like the recruiting in TDCB - it feels more "human" than the process in TCY, though I suppose after a few seasons of it I may find that it's really not really much different. My biggest complaint with the process is I wish there were an overview screen that showed players school preferences rather than having to open their player cards.

[mgadfly]

I own both, and it is hard to say why exactly FBCB is so much better. I guess it starts with the sim engine actually feeling as if your decisions make a difference, and that it is actually basketball (and college basketball at that) that is being simulated. The engine is very good and makes for a very enjoyable game.

Recruiting is better. Once again, it is hard to put your finger on why it is, but it just boils down to being fun, remaining realistic, and not being a chore at all.

In-game coaching is excellent.

All this leads to better statistics, which is important, not so much because I'm a stat-freak (though I might be), but because it makes me believe that I'm playing a college basketball sim. The difference is kind of like watching two movies, both supposedly set in London in 1800, with one movie having actors in authentic costumes with British accents while the other movie has a guy with a Jersey accent wearing sneakers. It's hard to point at that and say, "that ruined the movie because it kept reminding me it was just a film," but that's the reason why FBCB is so much better to me. I get immersed so completely that I forget I'm playing a game and cringe every time a senior goes down with a scratched cornea; not because I lose his help for 35 days, but because I feel bad for my cyber-athlete who is going to miss out on 10 games during his senior year.

[MizzouRah]

It took me awhile, but I'm really getting into FBCB. I like TDCB as well - heck, the player faces help as well as the graphics as far as 'immersion' go, but I haven't gone near as far in TDCB as I have FBCB. I think I'm finally getting to like simplicity better than pretty graphics. :)

It all comes down to coaching your games, increase the 3pt slider a few notches, and you get instant results with FBCB. I guess what I'm trying to say is it's easier to coach your games in FB than TD, imo. I also like how easy it is to navigate the menus in FBCB.

Taking the worse team (Savannah State - 0 in prestige) and slowly turning them into a decent team has been quite fun. I always find myself saying, "wait until next year", even though I have offers from other schools. :)


Todd

[Neuqua]

I don't know if you are interested in multiplayer or not but that facet of FBCB is 100x easier than it is for TDCB.

[Sweed]

I have both and to me it's all about the in game coaching. As others have said you can see that the decisions you make as a coach make a real difference in the game.
I would say it's the best game I've ever played for "in game" coaching.

[dawgfan]

It took me awhile, but I'm really getting into FBCB. I like TDCB as well - heck, the player faces help as well as the graphics as far as 'immersion' go, but I haven't gone near as far in TDCB as I have FBCB. I think I'm finally getting to like simplicity better than pretty graphics. :)

See, this is a key thing for me - I really want to like TDCB because of the pretty graphics and the immersion you get by having player faces. I like FOF too, but I'd like it even more if it was as attractive a game to look at as TDCB and had the immersion TDCB gives you with it's faces and player quotes in the recruiting process.

It all comes down to coaching your games, increase the 3pt slider a few notches, and you get instant results with FBCB. I guess what I'm trying to say is it's easier to coach your games in FB than TD, imo. I also like how easy it is to navigate the menus in FBCB.

That's a good point. I like playing TDCB and the redshirting thing is really the only major complaint I have so far. I have noticed that coaching a game manually can be frustrating in the sense that I'm not sure how much real effect my changing offensive sets and defensive sets really changes the outcome, but I figured this was fairly realistic - how closely do actual teams follow their coaches' instructions?

I have so far ignored the strategy sliders in TDCB, partly because I figure the AI will do a better job of adjusting these on its' own to fit my team and my particular matchups than I would, partly because I'm not entirely certain if changing some or all of the sliders have any effect when I manually coach anyway.

In this respect I might find FBCB more fun. In some ways, I like the simplicity of coaching SimulatedSports basketball - 3 basic settings for offensive tempo, defensive style and 3-point shooting, as well as basic settings for playing time for my players and their shooting tendencies. Where SimulatedSports falls short is in flexibility in setting player rotations, playing multiple positions and defensive matchups.

Thanks for the responses so far, and I'd love to hear from more users on their impressions. I'll download the FBCB demo and give it a try in the meantime...

[Glengoyne]

For me it comes down to in game coaching. That is much better than in TDCB.

The other and probably bigger thing...recruiting. In TDCB I found it tedious to the point that I struggled to play until I went to auto recruiting. In FBCB the process was much more streamlined. The only reason I still have TDCB loaded is that I am still using Win98, so FBCB is simply broken for me.

[MizzouRah]

how closely do actual teams follow their coaches' instructions?

Very well. In fact, I like letting my coaches handle a game at first, then taking over for awhile, then back to my coaches again. I LOVE how in FBCB you just click on a number to increase/decrease coaching settings - instead of a slider ala TDCB.

In this respect I might find FBCB more fun. In some ways, I like the simplicity of coaching SimulatedSports basketball - 3 basic settings for offensive tempo, defensive style and 3-point shooting, as well as basic settings for playing time for my players and their shooting tendencies. Where SimulatedSports falls short is in flexibility in setting player rotations, playing multiple positions and defensive matchups.

Exactly :)

Again though, TD is a fun sim as well.

[HornedFrog Purple]

I agree with just about everything everyone else said.

I personally prefer the interface of FBCB myself. It is very streamlined, I can get to what I want very quickly.

The promotion/demotion option is pretty cool as well. I started a new career just trying that out.

[WussGawd]

Dola - can FBCB users describe why exactly they prefer it to TDCB? Just out of curiosity...

Um...for one, FBCB uses the same engine to sim games as it does if you coach (TDCB doesn't).

I think the interface is a little nicer as well.

[MrBug708]

Heavy Reign is such a nice, likeable guy....

Thats why

[LastWhiteSoxFanStanding]

To me, FBCB is the best, most enjoyable game since FOF2

[Peregrine]

I'm a huge FBCB fan as well, and I bet you will be too, dawgfan, once you give it a shot. It's just super streamlined, simple, and easy to manage, but still gives you the best feel of real college basketball of any game I've tried.

[hukarez]

I was really contemplating getting FBB myself, though is there a new incarnation of it coming out? From what I understand...FBCB is a more of a 'new' release to the college genre, if not the first by HR? So would a 'new' version of FBB be coming about soon? :confused:

(I'm actually thinking of getting both, of such was the case)

[Groundhog]

FBCB is the first release of HR's college game. FBB:SE is the latest release of his pro game. He is currently working on the next version I believe, but has released no timetable for it's completition.

[mystyplk]

I don't know where you get the idea that FBCB or TDCB does not work on Win 98. I have both games and they work very well on my computer. The only problem is that TDCB is a little slower than FBCB. My vote for the best of the two of them goes to FBCB.

[HeavyReign]

I've heard instances of people being able to run FBCB on Windows 98 but it is rare. Do you have the original Windows 98 or second edition?

A new version of FBB is my next project. No official ETA at the moment.

[mystyplk]

I have windows 98 SE and seem to have no problems, although at the end of the season, It usually takes about an hour to save the game and advance to the next season. By far this game is the best college BB game on the market. I also think that Fast Break Basketball and Season Ticket Basketball are also great games.