OT: TPF Demo

[Dutch]

I just downloaded the demo for TPF on this rainy Saturday morning. I'm under the weather and figure hanging out playing FOF would be the way to go today. But as I am doing my rounds through the message boards, I do a quick look-see at .400 Studios to see how the doom and gloom is going. I see the TPF Demo is available.

Now, I'm not expecting much, and I haven't played it. But I did load it up and started the beginnings of a career (I have 3 days for the Demo which seems reasonable for me to figure out if it's any good or not.).

I really like the linear layout of TPF. It looks easy enough to follow and always lets you know just where you are. There are menu drop downs AND on-screen menu's to get you where you want to go. While TPF is relatively pretty to look at, that's not what I care about, and not the point of my intrigue. I want ease of use and simplicity so when I load up the game 3 weeks from now (if I owned the actual game and not the demo mind you) I can jump into my career, hitting the ground running, because one look at the screen will tell me what's up.

Just getting from Offseason Week #1 to Week #2 was a burden, but that's just being unfamiliar. I won't have that problem the next time I try it.

Anyway, I am curious how the rest of the off-season and regular season go. I HATE RTE's, so if I get one, it will throw up a barrier against my interest right away. I am not fond of lazy programming. But I like the layout, there doesn't seem to be much laziness when it comes to design aspects of the game. But anyway, that's the *Front End Layout*. I don't know a thing about the rest of the screens right now, I just think .400 Studios has hit the nail on the head with this particular aspect.

Hopefully the rest of the demo will grant me more pleasant surprises.

[ice4277]

Dutch, I had essentially the same experiences. It took me about 15 minutes just to figure out how to advance. Once you figure everything out, though, it is pretty easy to navigate. I didn't have as much time to play the demo as I wanted, but I really enjoyed the offseason, seems very deep. I played through the draft, and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. Still not sure I am going to purchase it, but it seems fun and I didn't have an RTE, so that is one plus.

[The_herd]

I haven't had an RTE since version 1.20 came out.

[Dutch]

I could really care less who has RTE's and who hasn't. My point was that if *I* get one, I won't be happy with the game.

[Deattribution]

I recently tried the demo out also, the screens/flashiness is great, but I've found the interface a bit unresponsive at times. So the interface has seemed a bit umm clunky I'd guess you say.

I've had times where the draft just doesn't want to seem to start. There seems to be an issue with starting the draft, having it not start right away and hitting suggest pick or something of that sort while it isn't your pick. Always causes a crash for me.

Other then that, I didn't have any issues with RTEs.

Some other quirks I've ran into is trying to advance through the preseason and having the advancing screen disappear, hit it again, have another advancing screen pop up an it says it's starting a new career. Seems to be more of a graphic issue though, as it advances as regular. bit of a scare the first time I saw it happen.

The stats seem solid in most places, but some issues with DBs getting alot of TDs. Seems much broader in performances compared to FOF, more common for my QB to throw 300-400 yards or my team to score 40ish points (or have 40 scored against) in TPF then I've had in FOF, and for my preference, I like that.

I haven't found much use for the sounds, especially during the draft, I wish they'd of used some noise that was longer then 3 seconds to loop. So that usually gets turned off.

I went through about 5 seasons, haven't saw any game stoppers but I tend to save often just incase I run into something...

Overall I find it to be a solid first start, I didn't play it early fortunately so I don't have all the gripes others have about bugs and missing features. I more than likely won't be purchasing this one though, I feel I much rather wait till TPF2 (if there is one) and give that a run. I bought FOF2k4, and it's a solid game also so probably sticking with that till next season. They both are good games, obviously FOF is going to be more fine tuned, but I also really like the direction TPF is heading in.

If you haven't tried it yet, the demo is certainly worth a twirl because it has things FOF doesn't, just as FOF has things TPF doesn't. At this stage, had I of purchased TPF before FOF, I'd of likely just stuck with TPF because I like them both, I just don't see the need or the time for owning them both though.

[Dutch]

Well, I agree that it is quirky and clunky at times. I'm only in stage 4 of the off-season. But my opinion is being formed early.

Some things of note.

1. No RTE's (as I expected I would have already). So that's good news.
2. I didn't like the way I made offers to OC's, DC's and ST's coaches/coordinators only to have no info on how to proceed. I hit the Proceed to next round button and everybody accepted my offers. The game offered me no clues as to what would happen if they didn't accept when I went to the next round.

3. I LOVE the idea of having a little area set aside to show me how many active players I have on my roster, how many inactives, how many practice squad guys, how many on IR. That's cool. Everything I want to know from week to week in a nice tiny little window. But setting these things (at least initially) is tedious. I have to go back and forth from the roster window to set my players. I think on the roster window, I should be able to click on the "STATUS" cell for any player and toggle through my selections....or have a drop down menu there if you click on a players "STATUS" cell. That would be so convenient.

4. When renegotiating deals with my own players, sometimes they would say, "The deal is accepted" when they accept and other times (after a rejected offer) they don't say anything, but the deal was accepted.

5. I was way over the cap, so I figured I'd unload my 2 most expensive guys. The first guy I traded away for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pick. The next guy was unable to be traded. There was no reason mentioned, just the propose trade button stopped functioning. At least as far as I could tell...

After week 4 of the off-season, the information is all there. There are some good points relative to FOF and some bad points. The winner so far is FOF due to familiarity and stability.

But let me remark again that TPF is certain a well thought out game and if the flow can get better (it can), it's going to be a fine game. Probably more to come.

[Deattribution]

Originally Posted by Dutch

5. I was way over the cap, so I figured I'd unload my 2 most expensive guys. The first guy I traded away for a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pick. The next guy was unable to be traded. There was no reason mentioned, just the propose trade button stopped functioning. At least as far as I could tell...

It seems the little red interest bar has to be within half a block of being filled otherwise you cannot complete the trade, I found that frustrating at first because I didn't know why the button wasn't doing anything since there is NO feedback.

[cthomer5000]

how do you advance to the next stage? I couldn't figure it out, then I hit some button that gave me a run time error and didn't even bother re-booting the game.

[ice4277]

There's a little button in the grid in the lower-left corner of the screen. I think its an arrow pointing to the right. That is the button you use to advance.

[cincyreds]

I d/l the demo this morning also, been raining here all day.

I changed all the team nicknames to the real ones.

Went thru a fantasy draft, which I like alot.

Hired some coaches.

Moved on to try and resign some of my FA's to be......RTE 91 error.

CRASH....lost everything I had setup.

I quit playing right then.

I will try again tonight.

[Dutch]

Alright, finished the first leg of free agency. Didn't sign the one guy I was targeting. My offer kept zeroizing after each round. When I make an offer, I want it to stay there until I decide I don't want it there anymore. Anyway, the guy I was after went somewhere else. Was not impressed with the initial look at Free Agency.

However, then moved on to the Amateur Draft. And I must say that while the comments by the guy on TV were almost completely useless, that was the most fun drafting I've had since I first drafted in FOF1. That was really cool. And a quick look up at the top shows who I've already taken and I can target guys for later rounds anytime in the draft and keep tabs on them. Just all around, pound for pound, the best effort I've seen in a text based sports sim (for presentation, mind you). It's too bad it's surrounded by a completely annonying Free Agency period, I'm almost dreading having to go into the 2nd leg of bidding on players.