How is the coaching AI ?

[DougW]

Am planning on running a retro league (1976 and on - choose the year because of the expansion.. so, the most "full teams" from scratch if I want to start earlier than '95).

Anyway, I would like to just do a GM run through. Draft, FA, Staffing, etc. And leave the coaching part to my head coach (game planning, line up setting).

1. Will this be fun ?

2. What can I expect from my coach ?
-Will he set a game plan up according to our talent ? (IE .. We used a 1st round pick on a stud RB, and our passing game isn't that good .. will he run more often ?)

-Will he coach for the scenario ? (IE .. If we're 2-10, will he know it's may be best to squeeze a couple extra reps to develop our youth ?)

-Does he come with a standard formation ? (IE .. Will he see that we have 4 solid LBs, and 1 DT .. does he run a 3-4, or is he hard wired to run his 4-3 defense).

-Do coaches come preset with their own tendencies ? Or would he coach completely different on a different team with a different set of players ?

-Are teams hard wired with tendencies ? (IE .. Will the Steelers always run a 3-4, or will this/that team always pass heavy, or rarely use a fullback)

Just wondering how they'll coach if I don't mess with that aspect of the game.

[lastcat3]

Rather it is fun or not really depends on you and what you view as being fun. The funnest thing about doing sp is creating your own imaginary league that has been tailor made based on the decisions you have made and the decisions the other teams in your league have made. Some like this and some couldn't give a hoot about that stuff and prefer to compete against other live players.

The coaches in the game will never be as smart as seasoned FOF players (wouldn't make good business sense to make a game like that as the quickest way someone will quit a game is if it is too hard for them). But overall the decisions the computerized coaches make are decent and they make the decisions they should make most of the time.

As far as I know the coaches come with a type of system they like to run. They will play that system regardless of the talent on the team but they will eventually bring players in that can run that system well so it turns out good eventually. But as far as I know they don't wrap the system around the talent on the team.

The coaches will call plays based on the talent on the team. If you have a really good qb they will utilize that qb and likewise for a good runningback and won't use them as much if they are not so good.

Overall though the AI isn't bad at all and is better than many people on this board who mostly play multiplayer will give it credit for.

[Front Office Midget]

Am planning on running a retro league (1976 and on - choose the year because of the expansion.. so, the most "full teams" from scratch if I want to start earlier than '95).

Anyway, I would like to just do a GM run through. Draft, FA, Staffing, etc. And leave the coaching part to my head coach (game planning, line up setting).

1. Will this be fun ?

Yes. It's a good handicap against the other AIs, I think.


2. What can I expect from my coach ?
-Will he set a game plan up according to our talent ? (IE .. We used a 1st round pick on a stud RB, and our passing game isn't that good .. will he run more often ?)

Yes.


-Will he coach for the scenario ? (IE .. If we're 2-10, will he know it's may be best to squeeze a couple extra reps to develop our youth ?)

This one, not so much. FOF coaches generally follow a pretty logical gameplan as far as, "will it be better to pass or run now to reach the first?" They don't think too much about personnel.


-Does he come with a standard formation ? (IE .. Will he see that we have 4 solid LBs, and 1 DT .. does he run a 3-4, or is he hard wired to run his 4-3 defense).

One or the other. Nickel/Dime though you can set.


-Do coaches come preset with their own tendencies ? Or would he coach completely different on a different team with a different set of players ?
Coaches don't have personalities.


-Are teams hard wired with tendencies ? (IE .. Will the Steelers always run a 3-4, or will this/that team always pass heavy, or rarely use a fullback)

Just wondering how they'll coach if I don't mess with that aspect of the game.

The Raiders seem to get penalized a lot. Other than that I haven't noticed much. It's generally based on talent. You can expect your coach to analyze your talent and decide if you should pass or run more, and if you should pass long or short more... but I think that's about it.

Edit: I actually think it's best to play the AI without gameplanning, because it's too easy to take advantage of their "logical" ideas by counteracting with a "well, it's illogical but it works in a computer sim" type of gameplanning.