Modified 2024 roster for FOF 9.1

[jaredm]

I've made a new set of modified rosters for the 2024 season, using the FOF 9.1 rosters as a base. The thread for the 2023 roster is here (https://forums.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=99082).

The default 2024 roster does not have attribute ratings for the vast majority of players. Each player has an overall rating, and attributes are generated from that rating. In any game, Tyreek Hill will be a good WR, but he may not necessarily be a fast WR.

I've modified the 2024 roster to provide more detailed attributes for the players currently in the 2024 roster. Without going into too much detail, I estimated the statistical distributions of player ratings at each position in FOF9. I then created formulas to convert player ratings from other sources to FOF9, with the goal of having rating distributions that reflected FOF9-generated rosters.

As of right now, there are nearly full ratings for about 2000 players. This modded roster should add a bit more flavor to the game. Statistics from multiple sims using this modded roster generate stats that are similar to the default roster.

If you have an issue with a specific player's rating, this is a conversion from another source with a hint of randomness. Furthermore, your scouts will add some additional randomness. I welcome any sims with these rosters - hopefully these will provide NFL-ish stats and add to your game experience.

There are two ways to install.

Method 1

1. Go to the following directory:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Front Office Football Nine\default_data

Rename the original rosters (currently named 2023_players.csv and 2023_quarterbacks.csv) to 2023_players_orig.csv and 2023_quarterbacks_orig.csv

2. Take the downloaded rosters and place them in the default_data folder.

3. When you start your universe, leave "Use Front Office Football Player File" checked (with a 2023 start date). Because you've uploaded roster files with the same name, the game will start with the revised rosters.

Method 2

Follow the guide in the custom_example folder to create a fully customized league, using the modified roster files in that folder.

Files

2024_players.csv (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bSFpZD9BA-o2vMJChXsINKryLXKblCSQ/view?usp=sharing)
2024_quarterbacks.csv (https://drive.google.com/file/d/16i3AVBcYxDFTgACzHaiqDX3Ae_rC9pNO/view?usp=sharing)

Please provide any feedback here. Enjoy!

[Passacaglia]

Very cool!

For those who are interested in going into too much detail, would you be interested in sharing your methodology? I'm thinking of creating a new 1960 player file, and was planning on leaving the detailed attributes blank, but this may be worth looking into.

[jaredm]

For this, I took the ratings of a popular console game and matched them to FOF attributes. Then I normalized those ratings and then converted them to FOF ratings, trying to ensure that the attribute distribution from these converted ratings matched the attribute ratings from the generated default rosters included with the game. Essentially, this has a "25" as a replacement-level player, and a "50" as a league average player (though this varies by position). I then run test sims to see if the stat distributions generally match the NFL of that era.

You could try something similar with other sources (like PFF player grades). To do something like this with a 1960 player file, you could normalize rate stats from Pro Football Reference and convert - but I'm not sure that the stats there are granular enough for most game ratings (especially blocking).

[Passacaglia]

Thanks!

[Stanley92]

This looks really good.
The example you mention with Tyreek Hill is such a "problem". It's an issue creating those added draftable players in some sort of starting historical file.

It's a problem many games like this FOF have. Same story with creating a history file with DDS football version. Only overall value is in.
We could get a very running and agile Tom Brady and a true pocket QB in a very slow Lamar Jackson. It's not very fun putting down hours in creating these files when the outcome is as we had fictional players.
Then FOF8 had a bit more flexible ratings too on those attributes which was cut down in this FOF9, which made me a bit sad.
I'm still "working" on Nildors 2002 file and trying to replace all the fictional add-ons it has in the years after 2002 to fill out draftclasses.
It's an ever ongoing task and I fear it might end as in Draft Day Sport case with me running out of gas.

What really is sad in FOF9 historical start-file is that one can't start playing until all the years are filled. In FOF8 every year gave you a shot to include a new draftclass. That made the game playable a bit at a time and just concentrate on next upcoming draftclass and use the ones already made. I had been so much more happy if this was possible in FOF9 since it takes forever to transfer those FOF8 classes over and adjust all the attributes.
If only Jim would have kept the same setup on files.

[Passacaglia]

FOF9 Request Historical Players Files 2017-2019 - Front Office Football Central (https://forums.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=99504)

According to post 3 in this thread, you don't need to fill all the years immediately. I'm not sure I believe that, but I also haven't bothered testing it.

[Stanley92]

FOF9 Request Historical Players Files 2017-2019 - Front Office Football Central (https://forums.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=99504)

According to post 3 in this thread, you don't need to fill all the years immediately. I'm not sure I believe that, but I also haven't bothered testing it.

To be honest I haven't tried but just read it. Been busy filling out 2023 file with enough players to stop fictionals.
Tested a new flood of players for 2003&2004 drafts in that historical, but that kept me busy.
Lazy me since I had no time to test what could happen after 2003 if I filled in 2004 in "ongoing" file.
Better get back on the "job" to test

[Lann]

How can I use it?
I start a new game in year 23 and everything is ok.
I start a new game in year 24 and I get this error: New Game failed because the files containing team information do not match what's needed to support the chosen player file.

[NadiaEira]

It's a continuous effort, and I'm worried it might conclude like the situation with Draft Day Sport, where I end up exhausting myself.