Action PC Football
 

I remember almost pulling the trigger on it a few years ago, but never did. Does anyone play this? If i'm not mistaken, it is capable of head to head internet play. Does it do anything for you? Also, is anyone here getting excited about Total Pro Football? Man, there seem to be many choices for football sims and i'd like to hear your thoughts on any or all of them.

Todd

theres no career mode in Action PC Fball - thats why it's not worth your time.

Boy, thats the most ignorant statement that I've heard on here in quite some time.

Although I don't own the game, Action PC from what I've heard has one of the best game engines in the business. I'm thinking about picking it up as well, as it has tons of past seasons, and plenty of college disks (something that Strat-o-matic doesn't offer). Just because it doesn't have career play doesn't make it "Not worth your time".

I have it, I don't play it.

Just like all those games of that genre, it's too expensive. They nickel and dime you for every season disk.

Also...I got halfway through replaying the Ravens season (the one AFTER their Superbowl) and got them to 8-0. I quickly lost interest after that...

I've heard people enjoy the head-to-head aspect for league play - but I'm much for interested in "what if" rather than replaying "what was".

Somtimes replaying what was is fun. Maybe you can squeeze a win or two out of your favorite team in a year where they just missed the playoff's. Maybe you pull Pedro Martinez in the 8th to win the pennent for the Red Sox.

I think each (career play vs single year replay) has its advantages.

I use it ONLY for a head to head league in its 11th season. Does the job quite nicely. We have 16 teams and now have a long history.

Senator,

Got a link?

To what ? The league website?

http://www.yahoo.com

And when I say 11th season. That means 11 years. We play one game a week, and follow the NFL schedule all the way through off season.

Nice setup. So how do you like the game in general? Have you ever played strat-o-matic. Do you actually play the games head to head or do you submit game plans. I'm on the edge of buying this game, but not sure if its worth it.

You actually play the games head-to-head...

The game is solid for head to head. For solo or career, pass on it.

I have never played strato other than the board game as a kid.

We actually play the games head to head over the internet. It takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. Just skip a tv show once a week, and play. We like to call our own plays against each other, so this works well. Submitting game plans would bore us.

If i knew i could get into a league right away, i think i would get it. But i'm a little confused about the season disks? Do you use the same players every season? Is there a way to have a rookie draft from generated players?

We have a keeper league. We cut down to 25 players after the season. Action releases a season disk around April of every year with updated stats from the previous year.

We then have a supplemental draft around June, and then the rookie draft in September. We play using the previous years performance.

So, yes, we use the same players every season, but we of course trade, and guys get hurt, and retire ect...

This is my current roster: and I am a wild card team at best.

ROSTER
QB Manning,Peyton
QB Griese,Brian
QB Palmer,Jesse
RB James,Edgerrin
RB Hearst,Garrison
RB Shipp,Marcel
RB Rogers,Charlie
RB Crockett,Zack
WR Brown,Troy
WR Moss,Randy
WR Smith,Steve
WR Northcutt,Dennis
WR Boerigter,Marc
TE Conwell,Ernie
TE Schobel,Matt
G Dixon,David
G Naeole,Chris
G Brown,Ray
T Steussie,Todd
T Meadows,Adam
C Benjamin,Ryan
C DiNapoli,Gennaro
G-T Allen,Larry
C-G-T Flanagan,Mike
G-T Dixon,Mark
DT Simon,Corey
DT McFarland,Anthony
DT Roye,Orpheus
DT Buckner,Brentson
DE Okeafor,Chike
DE Strahan,Michael
DE Porcher,Robert
ILB McKinnon,Ronald
ILB Morgan,Dan
OLB Armstead,Jessie
OLB Peterson,Julian
OLB Bulluck,Keith
OLB Clark,Danny
CB Bailey,Champ
CB Washington,Dewayne
CB Abraham,Donnie
CB Hill,Renaldo
CB Walker,Denard
CB Bolden,Juran
S Sharper,Darren
S Flowers,Lethon
K Stover,Matt
P Feagles,Jeff

Thanks for all your input..

Do you actually spend time during the week preping for your current game? With strat-o-matic it feels more like a "roll of the dice" rather than actual matchup issues. Does this game reflect that well?

Yes, for instance this week I play my division rival who has a potent ground game and a dangerous QB in Vick. (last years stats).

So, with the scout feature I can tell what his tendencies are, and my plan is to get more guys up front and stunt the LB's more than I usually do. So, I earlier this morning I set up the defense in my settings accordingly.

Next week I play against a high flying offense that runs out a 4 WR set. I expect to plan my game around my nickel and dime and matchup my DB's to get the best use of them.

Nice... So I assume your league is full right now?

It is. But I know we are having two openings at the end of the year, if you think you might be interested. We really want some long term players. Most of us have been in it 11 years. We want to be doing this when we are 80.

We are always looking at choices, and I thought TPF might be an ooption, but you cannot call the actual plays from what I gather. Action is really nice. You just pop in the IP address and away you go.

You say Vick is dangerous this year beacuse of last year's stats. What happens for next year? Obviously Vick won't have as many games, and what if his game is rusty if and when he comes back for the last part of the season?

Sounds good Senator. Will you guys be looking at the new FOF? will that offer head to head play? I'm asking because I need to know whether or not I should invest in ActionPC. Also, do you guys upgrade the software every year, or simply buy the new season disk?

Right now, the coach owning Vick has to make a call. He can cut him as his use to him next year is small, and we have a real tight maxiumum roster.

Or he can keep him in the hopes he bounces back. I kept E. James a few years ago on my roster after he blew out his knee, and he just sat there using up a spot.

If Vick comes back, those stats will reflect in the game, but there is a high fatigue factor after those stats have been equaled. Also he will surely have a high injury rating and if he tries to use him, he will not last more than a few plays at a time.

Example. Vick comes back and plays four games. Next year this team starts him. Pretty quick in this game he will be injured and most likely it will say - Vick has been injured for 12 games.

I have not seen where the game misses on this.

Just for the record, I am not an Action advocate. It just serves its purpose for our league. I always want more. And as a solo game, it sucks.

What sucks about it from a solo game perspective?

Philliesfan980,

We will be looking at FOF if it has head to head. I just don't think it does, and it is a different game.

In Action we do not use the salary cap option. I don't think FOF will work the way we want it to in this capacity. I think you send in game plans and such.

If I were you, I would wait and see how FOF pans out and TPF before buying Action.

We usually buy the updated game and the season disk once a year. That part is the worst.

I have never had a solo game where I didn't win pretty easily.

Whereas in the head to head, it does not come easy at all.

hmm... sounds alot like console video game playing if you ask me.

Thats a real shame. Because no-frills text based sports games are supposted to be about accuracy, and if they don't have that, they really have nothing.

Thanks for the tip.

One day, someone, somewhere, is going to combine all the features of FOF with the head to head play feature. And it will be THAT game/sim that will be the be-all end-all of football sims as we know them.

I come here normally not to talk about text based football games but to hang out. So please don't laugh at me when I ask this question: Are there any head to head games in the future? TPF going to be head to head now that FOF isn't?

Action PC Football has an odd sim engine I think.
I replace my starting QB to give my backup playing time, and in the first game the sim attempted 1 pass, the second game 3 and the third game 3.

It just doesn't adjust to changes. I think it is OK when a human calls the plays against another human.

You have to go into ROSTERS/TEAM/COACH and set the passing/running choices. The default coach is 100% run and you have to change it or you get the above scenario.

Looks like I can keep on playing ESPN football and get the same results as I would with a highly complicated text sim!

Ahh.
One day I may go back to it. But FOF is the engine I like best.

I have played it off and on for a few years and for league play it is decent, but for solo play IMO it just does not "do it for me".

Yeah, I hear ya. Normally single season text games keep my interest for about half the season. Then the fact that there are no contracts, no career stats , etc, along with no graphics. Not enough to hold my interest.

Actually, you do (or should I say 'can') call plays in TPF. We've got a couple hundred plays in the game's play database.

Example

Joe

Nice screen shot.

Can you play head to head?

Not with the initial release it is in the plans but don't know when.