Name Something Solecismic Could Do...

[Dutch]

...that would be beneficial for FOF2K7 MP leagues/commissioners.

[RedKingGold]

Come out with a new and improved version of the game.

[bwyant32]

Tell me how to get this MP allocation league up and running :p

[ShaneTheMaster]

communicate

[Epi_862]

Work on the game.

[BYU 14]

Publish TCY 2

[Kodos]

More American Idol commentary.

[gstelmack]

1. Automate turn execution. Monitor folder for files / time expiring, import, run sim, export.
2. Allow the commish to edit EVERYTHING, including contracts, moving players without needing a trade, etc.
3. Allow users to change passwords. Single password means as folks come and go, someone else has the password for your team.
4. Allow users to open and browse the league without actually having a team.
5. City editor.

[beargrowlz]

Integrate the capacity for multiple leagues into the game to do away with batch files. Many of the younger players stare at me blankly (metaphorically) when given instructions on batch files because they've never even heard of DOS.



Cheers,
-Bear

[RedKingGold]

Seriously though, it's time to create some kind of web-based version.

[Nogram]

I am not even going to start...just walking away this time.

[TheMeat]

Seriously though, it's time to create some kind of web-based version.

Yup.

But haven't I already started the rumour that Ben is working on this for Solecismic? Or maybe it's that Sole has been working on a game engine for Ben's web-game for the last 10 years...

[sidthelid]

involve us, communicate, release the patch he has promised, sort the bugs out, etc etc etc etc etc

[Yoda]

2nd everything Greg and Bear said.

[stevew]

Seriously though, it's time to create some kind of web-based version.
with all the data extraction stuff and automators out there, I'm kind of surprised nobody has figured out how to reverse engineer an export. That way you could do most of your work outside of the game. And at work.

And as far as piracy goes, it could probably be checked that a user has a legit version of the game.
I'd still play MP if I could do a quick export from my mobile phone.

[gstelmack]

Seriously though, it's time to create some kind of web-based version.

When someone can show me a decent, reliable, FAST interface for doing all the crap that goes into managing a pro football team on the web, I may jump on this bandwagon. I just think the UI requirements blow away what the web can provide.

[MizzouRah]

Alex: What is update the rosters and release a patch?

[gstelmack]

Answer: Something Solecismic has done pretty much every year around football time, although he's a bit later than normal maybe this year.

Alex: What is update the rosters and release a patch?

[MacroGuru]

When someone can show me a decent, reliable, FAST interface for doing all the crap that goes into managing a pro football team on the web, I may jump on this bandwagon. I just think the UI requirements blow away what the web can provide.

I think the interface would have to be FL or SL based in order to accomplish it.

[Izulde]

Eliminate the batch files requirement as bear said.

[MizzouRah]

Answer: Something Solecismic has done pretty much every year around football time, although he's a bit later than normal maybe this year.

I'm just being sarcastic.. I know he's been good about doing this.

I figured by mid-season we would see something though.. I hope Jim still has the itch to program the FOF series.

To me, it's one of those games where I feel totally satisfied with the outcomes of games and the way the AI does things. I never find myself saying, this needs patched.. what I do mean by patching is I would love to see Jim add some additional goodies!

[Swaggs]

TCY patch that includes:
--updated conference affiliations.
--the ability for conferences to increase/decrease in prestige
--updated bowl setup, with the new BCS arrangement and where bowls are set up to renegotiate with conferences every four years, based on the conferences' prestige.
--allow teams to sign up to 25 scholarship players per year/85 total.
--if he wanted to totally blow my mind, I'd love to see periodic conference expansion/realignment (dissolution of the SWAC, Big 8 to Big 12, ACC/Big 10 adding one team, etc.).

I'd be psyched with that and happily pay between $10-20 for it. As the fan of a Big East team, it is hard for me to get immersed in a 7-team Big East that doesn't include 3 of the current teams.

[sidthelid]

I have just listened to the POD cast again and i think it's pretty clear nothing is coming in the forseeable future which is a big shame. Jim says he would like to release a maintenace upgrade at the start of the season , well it's week 11 now so i would suggest it's not a delay it's just not coming (hopefully i am very wrong).

What made me laugh was though when Jim said "I like to stay in touch once in a while and i try to do that". Just when was the last post from Jim?!

He also says he is working on something but now is not the time to mention what it is, that says to me it's some time off that's if it has something to do with FOF or TCY's. Ok the interview was a little time ago so maybe there will be some news this decade LOL.

Lastly he says i am not working in another field entirely, that says to me he is working in another area but not totally. That's kind of worrying.

I think we are stuck with what we have for a while yet, hopefully someone else brings out an up to date game as FOF is tired.

[sidthelid]

Let's stop trying to figure out what this guy "means" or "seems to reveal" or whatever. Communication is clearly not his forte.
There has been no new game in 3 or 4 years, this is a dead franchise and the only people still interested is that same community that was here 10 years ago.
that's all fine and dandy but please stop worshiping this man. He did good but that was in another life. He's old news now.

Believe me i am not worshipping him, i am as fed up as the next man. I am also of the opinion this game is dying and has more holes in it than Green Bays OL.

[dubb93]

The only game I would buy this christmas that he could make is TCY 2. I would also take either a TCY or FOF free update.

I've really been holding out hope for a good college football game for as long as I can remember and it seems like I'm always disappointed. To me BBCF was a disappointment and TCY is just way too dated for me to get into again.

[MizzouRah]

Let's stop trying to figure out what this guy "means" or "seems to reveal" or whatever. Communication is clearly not his forte.
There has been no new game in 3 or 4 years, this is a dead franchise and the only people still interested is that same community that was here 10 years ago.
that's all fine and dandy but please stop worshiping this man. He did good but that was in another life. He's old news now.

:lol:

[Jughead Spock]

Define 'or so'. As in, 'next month or so.'

[MalcPow]

Define 'or so'. As in, 'next month or so.'

Gotta admit, the delay (and silence) on the announced maintenance update is frustrating. I may have to stop worshipping this guy.

[Groo]

I think the biggest problem is money. The fact is, MP leagues are desperate for new players. However, they aren't getting them. So, any new stuff coming out from Solecismic is going to be bought right away by a core group of players, then sales are going to dwindle to near nothingness. Is there enough of a following to support a time consuming project? Also, is there enough of a long term draw to keep money flowing in after the initial 200 or so people buy the product?

No matter how great the product is, the fact is that someone needs to make money worthy of the time invested. As far as FOF goes, the core following is fanatical, but is there more out there after this core group?

I think he isn't talking about it because he doesn't want to lose the core group of players, but he can't afford the time to work on it. He is probably working on something that will make him money to live off of.. then, if the time comes available or the money issues aren't pressing (we are, after all, in a bad economic time), he can work on the next installment of FOF.

Finally, consider that there is a lot of time commitment AFTER the release of the product, to fix issues.

So, you aren't hearing from him, in all likelihood, because he has better money making projects that he is working on. He would probably LIKE to work on FOF, but can't see it making the money necessary, so has to go with other things at this time. He probably WANTS to, and PLANS to, work on FOF... he just can't give a timetable as to when the situation will be right for that to happen.

[Yoda]

Personally, I don't think the problem is so much the lack of players as it is the over saturation of leagues availible.

[Celeval]

I think the biggest problem is money. The fact is, MP leagues are desperate for new players. However, they aren't getting them. So, any new stuff coming out from Solecismic is going to be bought right away by a core group of players, then sales are going to dwindle to near nothingness. Is there enough of a following to support a time consuming project? Also, is there enough of a long term draw to keep money flowing in after the initial 200 or so people buy the product?

It's been stated a number of times by Solecismic that the group of people on FOFC is only a very small percentage of overall customers. Not sure how accurate or what numbers are there, but take that for what you will.

[Yoda]

As for the roster update, I tend to look more at it like maybe he's found the drive again and is looking at some of the issues with the current release.

If there isn't something by the middle of Jan or so, then I'll start to wonder.

[Nogram]

So we get the roster update patch just before the superbowl???

Also, about the sales comment above, I think that the landscape could be ripe for a very successful launch. With Steam and Impulse there is a whole new audience that could be reached.

Nogram

[beargrowlz]

I'm not holding my breath, after all it's a business and he may have better options than making another product I like. So he'll do what's best for him, as he should,

FWIW, I've gotten far, far, far more than my money's worth out of the FOF and TCY series, so I'm a satisfied customer. If he produced another football or sports game I'd likely buy it - his track record provides good value for the money.



Cheers,
-Bear

[Illinihopefull]

I am in as much frustration as the next guy that there has not been anything. Would you think if he is not working on some sort of update that he would put something on his website. Why mislead? Why make the statement in the podcast? I would assume,( make ass of you or me) if he would cancel the series or not do any more updates that Jim would state something.. at least most companies do.. Football text simming is not going to last long.. Jim was our only hope for the future.. Greydog = dead, wolverines = dead. Action pc football = not good... I hate to say it, but pc football is dead... Anyone else want to attend the funeral?

[sidthelid]

If he was going to release something then surely it was best for his business to do so at the start of the season when more people want to play a football game, not at Superbowl time. Also why would he update FOF 2007 to a web based game if most of his customers are SP Players, that makes no sense either, maybe a completely new game. Why would he tell us if FOF is not to be continued, that would make any potential new buyer stop and think before buying it if the game is not going to be supported etc moving forward. Seriously when was the last time he posted, updated his web site etc. Wolverine have just posted that they will not release there game before April 2010 as well.

[Fonzie]

If Jim truly is not going to keep working on FOF (and what behavior can we point to and say "yeah, he looks like he's going to keep up with this game"?) then the best thing he could do for MP leagues is to release the source code. Let the community develop the game from here on out, if he won't be doing so.

Not going to happen, but that's my answer to the question posed in this thread.

[MizzouRah]

I'm not holding my breath, after all it's a business and he may have better options than making another product I like. So he'll do what's best for him, as he should,

FWIW, I've gotten far, far, far more than my money's worth out of the FOF and TCY series, so I'm a satisfied customer. If he produced another football or sports game I'd likely buy it - his track record provides good value for the money.



Cheers,
-Bear

I don't think anyone would say they haven't had the game pay for itself many times over, we are all fans of his games and it's just frustrating not to hear anything for so long - I know that's the way Jim does things..

I'm a seasonal gamer, so I've set Puresim aside and have been playing FOF - I just like that push that an update does for the game.

I honestly believe he's working on TCY 2... just a gut feeling.

[MalcPow]

As a somewhat serious suggestion, the ability to customize league size would be enormously beneficial to MP leagues and commissioners. It's just really hard to form a social/competitive circle of 32 people in my mind. I know some leagues were able to sustain that for a period of time, but I think it's an unnatural number for these sorts of things. A smaller league with, say, 16 teams might be able to push through with little turnover and more engaged ownership. It is so rare to see an MP draft without a handful of inexperienced or unrepenting owners that hold things up inexplicably that it's not even enjoyable when things run smoothly. It ends up being disorienting and you regret not having enjoyed the actual decision making process because you were building lists to not be another asshole.

I know this is basically an impossible request at this point, just putting it out there as something that might be a very real benefit to league enjoyment.

[RedKingGold]

If Jim truly is not going to keep working on FOF (and what behavior can we point to and say "yeah, he looks like he's going to keep up with this game"?) then the best thing he could do for MP leagues is to release the source code. Let the community develop the game from here on out, if he won't be doing so.

Not going to happen, but that's my answer to the question posed in this thread.

I like it. It'll never happen, but it's the best answer to this thread yet.

EDIT: Especially tied with MP's post above.

[stevew]

I'm more depressed that the genre of games seems to be dead.

I figure that Jim will pop in and thank everyone when he is finally done coding games. Until that day comes I will assume he is working on things when the mood hits him.

[sidthelid]

I will assume he is working on things when the mood hits him.

Assumption is the mother of all f-ck ups ;)

[RedKingGold]

I hope someone talks you into coming down from the rim, there, sid.

[sidthelid]

I hope someone talks you into coming down from the rim, there, sid.

sorry did i almost type a rude word

[Illinihopefull]

this game has died... pretty sad no update of any kind this season.. I purchased every version.. I really like the first version on how you could bet on the games... With no response, pretty sad from Jim, I guess he does not care on future installments or future updates.. You would at least think he would post something to his followers... Just like all things, good things must come to an end... Football text sims are dying, or dead.... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!!

[headtrauma]

As a somewhat serious suggestion, the ability to customize league size would be enormously beneficial to MP leagues and commissioners.

How dare you ask for something that OOTP has offered since the late 1990's!

[RedKingGold]

this game has died... pretty sad no update of any kind this season.. I purchased every version.. I really like the first version on how you could bet on the games... With no response, pretty sad from Jim, I guess he does not care on future installments or future updates.. You would at least think he would post something to his followers... Just like all things, good things must come to an end... Football text sims are dying, or dead.... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!!

Well....which is it? Dying or dead?

[beeznik]

I think everyone is overreacting. We had a version in 2004 and a version in 2007, yes? Before that, 2001, I think. Seems like a pattern there.

Maybe he's waiting until 2010??

[Flasch186]

I think everyone is overreacting. We had a version in 2004 and a version in 2007, yes? Before that, 2001, I think. Seems like a pattern there.

Maybe he's waiting until 2010??

+1

and being mean to boot.

[Jughead Spock]

The worship is back ON!

[Marc Vaughan]

Football Text sims of all nationalities are alive and well, have faith FOF will return imho ... you can't keep a good sim down :D

[Flasch186]

The worship is back ON!

I'd say neutral is a better description as opposed to the piss and vinegar Ive seen on the other side of the coin....

[RedKingGold]

The worship is back ON!

Too bad I already killed the fattened calf for Total Pro Football.

[azjoe_02]

:deadhorse:

[MalcPow]

Well we had FOF2004 in the fall of 2003, and we had FOF2007 in the Fall of 2006. Just saying. :)

[IMetLyleAlzado]

Not sure we've ever had a year with no update of some sort at least.

[Dutch]

Not sure we've ever had a year with no update of some sort at least.

I have no doubt that Jim is working on something. Making money is fun and rewarding. However, I'm beginning to waver in my belief that Jim is working on something that would be of interest to this community.

[sidthelid]

I have no doubt that Jim is working on something. Making money is fun and rewarding. However, I'm beginning to waver in my belief that Jim is working on something that would be of interest to this community.

+1

[cactusdave]

Maybe EA hired him to join forces and do something about their pathetically weak AI capabilities for dynasties in Madden or NCAA.

[webb]

I guess as a first time commish period, with FOF, I'd love to have it where you can basically adjust anything from the commish's standpoint. If for instance, your league has a rule against a certain kind of contract, being able to easily click and discard an offer. Even something like manually being able to increase the league minimum or the cap.

[3ric]

I have no doubt that Jim is working on something. Making money is fun and rewarding. However, I'm beginning to waver in my belief that Jim is working on something that would be of interest to this community.

True. See post #6 in this thread:
The "I'm Working on Christmas" Thread - Front Office Football Central (http://operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=76078)

[Dutch]

True. See post #6 in this thread:
The "I'm Working on Christmas" Thread - Front Office Football Central (http://operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=76078)

Excellent news!

[Dutch]

dola,

And with this news, it might be a good time to get any quick-fix ideas to Jim that he could realistically work on.

I can almost guarantee that anything that takes more than a day or two to program won't get included, because if we know Jim he didn't just decide today to work on v6.3...he's been banging away at it for months now...but maybe some of the programmer-types out there can recognize improvements that don't take a lot of developer/testing time and advertise them now.

[Jughead Spock]

How do we know he's not kidding?

[MIJB#19]

How do we know he's not kidding?Is it April 1st in Michigan?

[Ben E Lou]

...but maybe some of the programmer-types out there can recognize improvements that don't take a lot of developer/testing time and advertise them now.I'm not sure if you mean this literally or not, but it's probably worth pointing out that "advertising" (by which I can only assume you mean "posting about the issue at FOFC") is not the equivalent of "getting the word to Solecismic Software." It's true that in the short window immediately after new version and patch releases, there's always a bugs/issues thread. As a courtesy to the board members and to Jim, I consolidate the contents of that thread and send it along to Solecismic. I do not do the same for stuff that comes up over time. I don't read every single thread here, and neither does Jim. If someone has an issue at this point, posting it here is *not* the way to get it on the list of potential fixes. I have been assured more than once that when it comes time to patch the game or do a new update, Jim goes through every single bug/issue report that is sent to the support address to see if it's something that can be addressed.

[Dutch]

You're right, I did mean "posting at FOFC" but I've seen you mention that Jim is very good about his e-mail traffic. Didn't mean to exclude the better avenue.

However, this place is a close 2nd, I'll bet you $10 right now that Jim has been reading this very thread. :)

[Ben E Lou]

i think it's pretty clear nothing is coming in the forseeable future

this is a dead franchise

I hate to say it, but pc football is dead... Anyone else want to attend the funeral?

this game has died

Prophets, all.

[TheMeat]

hehe

[Epi_862]

I'll preface this following post with this:

Im not a bitter troll, and i really appriciate the game. I dont hate on anyone, dont hate on solecismic, and i certainly appriciate the new update.

That being said, i dont thing Ben should really act like everyone was wrong. I really dont think this update did much to make those people feel like the game is alive and well.

Im guessing, like me, some were waiting on the game moving forward more. The user interface is still way below modern day standards, and you still need to use outside programs/excel sheets to enjoy the game properly. I really think there are people like me here, that DO appriciate the game engine being refined, but are waiting on FOF to bring itself to the standards of modern gaming. And that is something that should be on the pipeline, if the man really wants to be in the football sim industry another decade.

And i know you feel like im beating a dead horse here, and i actually, i know i am. But some communication on what does the future in general hold would be appriciated by the many of us here that feel like the game is really not moving forward the way we hope for.

[Ben E Lou]

I didn't act like "everyone" was wrong. I acted like the predictions that "nothing is coming in the forseeable future" and that JG was done with FOF were wrong--which they most certainly were. *shurg*

[Pumpy Tudors]

OK NOW THIS IS THE LAST LAST FOF. THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER ONE. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[strickzilla]

perhaps what Epi was trying to get across is the "i told you so" thing was a bit unnecessary, im sure those posters are glad for the update.

in this microwave generation we come to expect things instantly. madden 08, 09, 10 regardless of quality we want it NOW!

cant we all just get along

I didn't act like "everyone" was wrong. I acted like the predictions that "nothing is coming in the foreseeable future" and that JG was done with FOF were wrong--which they most certainly were. *shurg*