Brand New to FOF7...Getting started?

[alexbond45]

So, after playing a lot of football manager I wanted something to sim my favorite sport: MURKA FOOTBALL!

So I bought FOF7. I've played a few seasons but I have no idea what I'm doing, I feel like I am breezing too quickly through the game and not putting enough effort into it because I'm not sure what I need to do.

Thus, I have a few questions:

Number 1:
How do I effectively develop players? I began with the packers (I renamed all the teams to be how it should be so that I can connect the dots best). I tried building an OLine, but all the players never seemed to breach 50. This resulted in an abysmal running game and an offense that was either explosive or anemic. Lemme rephrase: It was the Houston Oilers with Warren Moon.

Number 2:
What settings should I use? Is there a multiplayer standard?

Number 3:
How much involvement should I have in my team? Specifically: How much involvement can I have when I do multiplayer? Is it a good idea to mess with how your offense plays?

Number 4:
How do I make effective trades? I don't want to trade a star player...but I don't want to lose draft picks either. This is a dumb question but Im asking it anyway.

Finally,
Number 5:
What should I do to get ready for the multiplayer leagues? How do they work? I don't want to join a league and completely trash a team, especially if it's a very long-running league. I feel like I might destroy a storied franchise and revert it to Cleveland Browns status (sorry Browns fans, glad to see yall on the rise for once though!).

The best way I learn games is by picking people's brains and reading. If anyone runs the game through steam, my handle is Alexbond45. I have quite a few questions but they tend to be sporatic.

Thanks!

[garion333]

Number 4:
How do I make effective trades? I don't want to trade a star player...but I don't want to lose draft picks either. This is a dumb question but Im asking it anyway.

This one is easy: Trading with the AI will generally favor the AI. The game is coded that way so you can't constantly fleece the AI with trades (a la Madden).

In sp, I never trade with the AI. It's a house rule for me.

[Nemesis]

Number 5:
What should I do to get ready for the multiplayer leagues? How do they work? I don't want to join a league and completely trash a team, especially if it's a very long-running league. I feel like I might destroy a storied franchise and revert it to Cleveland Browns status (sorry Browns fans, glad to see yall on the rise for once though!).


Best advice here is to not trade at all until you get a handle on drafting. ESPECIALLY 1ST ROUND PICKS!!1!!11!!! I see way too many trades happening with new players in MP leagues. Once you get the hang of drafting good players, by all means play the trade market.

Regarding game planning, start off with just using the recommend button and move from there. Things like recommending your defense, then manually adjusting your CBs to never blitz (as garion pointed out in another thread) is what I mean.

EDIT: Most leagues have a "setup" instructions part so that you can easily set everything up. Check out the multiplayer matching making section of the forum to see different leagues.

[antdroid]

I very occasionally will trade players that are about to get big contracts and I have a surplus and I can't pay for them the following year and cash them out for future draft picks. In one career, I traded Russell Wilson (sadly) before I was going to pay him $17-20million for 2 1st round picks, 2 2nd round picks and a 3rd rounder and re-built my team on the cheap. It worked out quite well, as I was able to get a new franchise QB and RB and some top lineman and defensive players.

[alexbond45]

Best advice here is to not trade at all until you get a handle on drafting. ESPECIALLY 1ST ROUND PICKS!!1!!11!!! I see way too many trades happening with new players in MP leagues. Once you get the hang of drafting good players, by all means play the trade market.


I have now played 7 seasons and I've noticed that no matter what happens in the draft, the 1st round pick I get tends to have very good potential.

[aston217]

Welcome to the game, alex! This is a great resource and a place to pick people's brains. Taking it slow and soak in knowledge via osmosis is a great approach :)