Training camp - large ratings decreases

[gadorg]

I ran a series of training camp sims to see what effect different types of camps would have on my team (ie, modifying the hours allocated for the listed activities), and what was frustrating was that most of my better players (say, 63 and above) experienced 5-7 point overall ratings decreases. Most of my better players are in the 32-35 year old range, and they all went from say, 65-72 to as low as 59 (31 yo Jeremiah Trotter went from 71 to 59).

Obviously I'm doing something terribly wrong OR should it be expected that older players can decline almost immediately and heavily like that?

Is the training camp hour allocations to activities as well as weights the only training camp activities my team can do?

[QuikSand]

In brief:

-Older players will suffer a drop in camp pretty frequently, if not universally

-There is substantial randomness in camp results, but I have no idea if it's something you can control with time allocations

-You should be able to change the time spent on anything except meals

[gadorg]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

In brief:

-Older players will suffer a drop in camp pretty frequently, if not universally

-There is substantial randomness in camp results, but I have no idea if it's something you can control with time allocations

-You should be able to change the time spent on anything except meals

1. Ah, that sucks. I franchised Trotter for ~5.3MIL, and he goes from All Star to merely solid in one feel swoop. Any chance he gets back to his 71 rating level during the season?

2. I changed the time allocations for 3 sims of training camp, but that didn't seem to stop the precipitous ratings drop for my star vets.

[QuikSand]

I think your old guy is going to drop, period. It happens. For a LB, it's pretty much a sure thing once he gets to season 11 or 12, I'd say. Very very very unlikely that he'll ever get those ratings back.

[gadorg]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I think your old guy is going to drop, period. It happens. For a LB, it's pretty much a sure thing once he gets to season 11 or 12, I'd say. Very very very unlikely that he'll ever get those ratings back.

Wow, that's a shame, but I know that in the NFL, guys can get old overnight. In my case, Trotter was born in '77 so he's now 31 going into this upcoming season, so this would be season 9 or 10 for him. Sounds like I shouldn't have franchised him

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Sounds like Trotter in real life.

[Matthean]

Large jumps either way can be tied to Volatility. I checked him in a couple leagues and he comes across as always having a high amount of it.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Large jumps either way can be tied to Volatility. I checked him in a couple leagues and he comes across as always having a high amount of it.

If, as he said, he has run the camp over and over and gets the same sort of ratings drop every time, this has nothing to do with volatility, and everything to do with the inevitable degradation of older players during training camp.

[RedKingGold]

Count to ten, walk away
Count to ten, walk away
Count to ten, walk away

[DeltaWhiskey]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

If, as he said, he has run the camp over and over and gets the same sort of ratings drop every time, this has nothing to do with volatility, and everything to do with the inevitable degradation of older players during training camp.

While initially counterintuitive, this does make some conceptual sense.

As I understand it, Rookies "degrade" b/c the scouts are getting their best look so far at the player. (i.e. putting the rookie through his paces, seeing what he can(not) really do).

The same holds true for older (and really all) players. Training camp follows the offseason, and players report to camp out of shape, healing from injuries, etc. in real life. To me, this is simply the equivalent of discovering that beloved Senior Citizen stud has "lost a step."

[gadorg]

Originally Posted by DeltaWhiskey

While initially counterintuitive, this does make some conceptual sense.

As I understand it, Rookies "degrade" b/c the scouts are getting their best look so far at the player. (i.e. putting the rookie through his paces, seeing what he can(not) really do).

The same holds true for older (and really all) players. Training camp follows the offseason, and players report to camp out of shape, healing from injuries, etc. in real life. To me, this is simply the equivalent of discovering that beloved Senior Citizen stud has "lost a step."

I hear ya.... it's just unfortunate that all of my beloved Senior Citizens decided to lose a step (or three) simultaneously

[kislingbury]

I had a 32 year-old Asnate Samuel pick up 9 points in the EFL last season and all of a sudden look like a starter. The he went down injured for the season in the first preseason game.

[WelshWizard]

In the NAFL I had a WR Tony Lyons a 7th year receiver who had seen a decline in ratings for approx 3 years in a row was something like a 59/59 going into camp this past offseason and came out a 74/74 receiver.

[QuikSand]

Every once in a while, players receive an adjustment that's essentially random (tied to volatility rating, but unpredictable) -- it may be large or small, up or down. That's the volatility change in the game, it's reasonably well understood, and can happen to pretty much anyone.

What the original poster is asking about is clearly not this sort of occasional seemingly random big movement in player ratings. He has indicated that he ran camp time after time, and saw essentially the same result. This is not volatility at work.

What the original poster is seeing is just the routine and inevitable decline in older players. He framed his question pretty fairly, I think it's a disservice to him to suggest that this whole thing is terribly complex. For a newcomer to FOF, there's value in a fairly straightforward answer to this sort of question, I think:

With older players, it's wise to be prepared for a meaningful ratings decline happening during the annual training camp.

I hope that helps. There's possibly a worthwhile discussion to be had somewhere about what can happen from "the volatility stick" but this really isn't the place for it, I don't think.