How long does it usually take to get a response from Solecismic

[stevew]

I emailed them about a bug/bad design decision in the draft order a couple days ago.

In reference to this thread
http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/for...ad.php?t=20402

Sooner or later this is a problem that will affect many of you in multiplayer leagues.

Basically the bug being that in the draft order, the computer places teams in postions 25-32 that won their division, regardless of the teams record in the regular season.

Some may say I'm overly harping on this issue, but if you manage to capture your division at a sub .500 mark, and then happen upon getting the 25th pick in the draft, dont say I didnt warn you.

[Chubby]

if you make the playoffs you can't have any better than the 21st selection as far as I know.

[cthomer5000]

Since I'll be in a fictional multiplayer league, I have no problem imagining those are the league rules of my league.

I don't see this is a huge issue, but you are correct in saying the draft order in the game doesn't match the NFL system.

[stevew]

Everything Ive read suggests otherwise than just being able to have the a pick greater than 21. Its inverse of record, and then the superbowl players 31 and 32. And the rest of the rules drastically contradict my 7-8-1 team picking 25th......25th makes no sense whatsoever.

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Chubby

if you make the playoffs you can't have any better than the 21st selection as far as I know.

not true. Read the thread he posted, and the CNNSI link within. It just doesn't happen in real life, so no one has ever known/cared about the techinal rule.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

not true. Read the thread he posted, and the CNNSI link within. It just doesn't happen in real life, so no one has ever known/cared about the techinal rule.

ahh, FOF is sooooo unrealistic then lol

[stevew]

Well in a solo league it doesnt really bother me, but in a MP situation, where I may get picks every 2-3 months realtime, it kind of does. Its hard enough to build a team, and when you back into the playoffs, you shouldnt get screwed.

[Mel Kiper's Hair]

I think it's a big deal.

If I'm going to play a footbal game, I want it to be as real as possible. Draft position is a huge deal in football, and it's not something you can just let slide.

The Hair

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Mel Kiper's Hair

I think it's a big deal.

If I'm going to play a footbal game, I want it to be as real as possible. Draft position is a huge deal in football, and it's not something you can just let slide.

The Hair

I hope you've made up with Jim Irsay...

[stevew]

Isn Jim Irsay Dead?

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by stevew

Isn Jim Irsay Dead?

Exactly, prior to death. Mel Kiper's Hair couldn't live with that type of guilt...

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by stevew

Well in a solo league it doesnt really bother me, but in a MP situation, where I may get picks every 2-3 months realtime, it kind of does. Its hard enough to build a team, and when you back into the playoffs, you shouldnt get screwed.

You didn't get screwed, you made the playoffs... If making the playofs is getting screwed, then I need to dump by girlfriend and run to Houston.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

You didn't get screwed, you made the playoffs... If making the playofs is getting screwed, then I need to dump by girlfriend and run to Houston.

At 7-8-1, you make the playoffs by default. My division was just that bad. Why should I get a shitty pick, that makes no sense(for example Baltimore got pick #21 in this years NFL draft in the same situation being division champs). If I got pick #21 or soemthing, even which wouldnt be right, thats one thing. Pick 25 makes no sense whatsoever.

[Chubby]

If it's not setup to NFL rules then yes it should be fixed. But I hate to break it to ya, if you think getting #21 instead of #25 is going to put your team over .500 your very mistaken...

[stevew]

Actually i should be getting pick #15.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

Actually i should be getting pick #15.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH well then, it should be fixed so you can go 13-3 next year!

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Chubby

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH well then, it should be fixed so you can go 13-3 next year!

Do you even like Football? Its all about draft position. Im not expecting some "massive turnaround" or anything, but the difference between 25 and 15 is substantial. Especially in a league full of real people, who will take the guys the computer will usually pass on.

[Mel Kiper's Hair]

Sorry Chubby, but stevew is right on this one.

Even 5 spots change in draft position is a big deal. This is something that needs to get fixed.

The Hair

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by stevew

Do you even like Football? Its all about draft position. Im not expecting some "massive turnaround" or anything, but the difference between 25 and 15 is substantial. Especially in a league full of real people, who will take the guys the computer will usually pass on.

What is this "foosball" that you speak of?

I guess it would have been much better to not make the playoffs and get the #15th pick then, no?

You haven't been wronged to the nine trillionth degree like you come of as. If it's not to NFL rules, it's a bug. Jim will fix it. Jim will not send you a box of cookies and a personal voicemail stating that he appreciates you sending in the bug report.

[Easy Mac]

he sent me one... and a hooker

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Mel Kiper's Hair

Sorry Chubby, but stevew is right on this one.

Even 5 spots change in draft position is a big deal. This is something that needs to get fixed.

The Hair

I think you may be missing the...

Originally Posted by Chubby

If it's not setup to NFL rules then yes it should be fixed.

[Mel Kiper's Hair]

Why do you have to be like that, Chubby? He just found a bug and was wondering how long it takes to get a reply from the developer.

People like you give messageboards a bad name.

[rkmsuf]

This is Jim's version of professional football...not Mel Kiper's Hair's version...

What happens when Mel shows up without the rug one day?

[Mel Kiper's Hair]

I am real hair!

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Mel Kiper's Hair

I am real hair!

That's the spirit!!!

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Mel Kiper's Hair

Why do you have to be like that, Chubby? He just found a bug and was wondering how long it takes to get a reply from the developer.

People like you give messageboards a bad name.

umm actually people like me give messageboards A name.

and if you would read, i know that's asking a lot, but I started out saying that I didn't think it was a bug and then that it should be fixed if it doesn't fit with the NFL rules. Since he's going bonkers like this is the end of the world and that it doesn't affect anyone else (cause it does) then I decided to get sarcastic. I'll have to run my posts by you 1st next time, ok?

[Easy Mac]

Couldn't it be that he doesn't feel the need to respond to every email if its something he can easily fix... Shouldn't it matter that it is fixed in a future patch?

[Mel Kiper's Hair]

Note that I did not claim to actually be attached in any way to Mel's head.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Couldn't it be that he doesn't feel the need to respond to every email if its something he can easily fix... Shouldn't it matter that it is fixed in a future patch?

thank you, but you didn't add some smarmy remark like me

[GoldenEagle]

I think Jim has more important MP issues to work out first.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Chubby

thank you, but you didn't add some smarmy remark like me

ummmm, monkeys are gay... you're rubber i'm glue... cats have feelings too... I got nothing.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

I think Jim has more important MP issues to work out first.

Yeah, Id definately agree with you there.

[TLK]

I actually like it better the way it is in the game.... What happens if somehow you manged to win two games and lost in the Conference final? Would that be fair to be bounced up to the 15th pick.....

[stevew]

Originally Posted by TheLionKing

I actually like it better the way it is in the game.... What happens if somehow you manged to win two games and lost in the Conference final? Would that be fair to be bounced up to the 15th pick.....

That would require an act of god on my part Considering I beat 1 team with a winning record.

[Solecismic]

The process when you send mail to support is as follows:

Ethan receives the mail, makes a quick sort. Since he's unpaid, he doesn't have regular hours, but always checks at least once every 24 hours.

Sort 1) General comments. He thanks the customer, then forwards to me.

Sort 2) Bug Reports. Usually he forwards to me first. I reply to him with a preliminary assessment (whether it's a real bug or something just requiring a little help) and he forwards a precis back to the customer.

Sort 3) Personal Mail, or much more involved comments than the usual from sort 1. He forwards to me. I'll reply myself or instruct him how to reply.

Sort 4) Stuff that's found in the FAQ. He'll usually reply by quoting the relevant piece from the FAQ.

Sometimes, I'll forward him mail from my own account that falls into 1,2 or 4 above, just because the more mail he sees, the faster this process goes.

In this case, he's already forwarded me the email. And yes, it's a bug and I'll fix it, though it's going to be a time-consumer. I'll assume stevew sees this reponse, so I won't forward mine back to Ethan. The email is 26 hours old, I see.

While I don't send cookies, I do appreciate all bug reports. Everything that gets caught improves the product. I don't consider this a trivial issue, unless, of course, someone is claiming that it completely ruins the game.

I am intending to get to work on 5.0c very soon now. Should I even bother with html given Fido's utility? He's got some features in there that are pretty nice - much more time consuming than I was anticipating.

[FBPro]

Jim,

Thanks for the update, IMO you shouldn't worry about the html and focus on sharpening the multiplayer and fixing the bugs you've got.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I am intending to get to work on 5.0c very soon now. Should I even bother with html given Fido's utility? He's got some features in there that are pretty nice - much more time consuming than I was anticipating.

Yes, bother, unless you intend on giving him all the code you use to store everything. If you provide a lot of help, then I guess it isn't necessary.

[stevew]

Man, Id love some cookies .

[cthomer5000]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Yes, bother, unless you intend on giving him all the code you use to store everything.

I pretty much agree with that.

[Chubby]

IMO, focus on other things, I think most people will be using Fido's utility.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

Sort 3) Personal Mail, or much more involved comments than the usual from sort 1. He forwards to me. I'll reply myself or instruct him how to reply.

So the goal for FOFCer's today is to actually get an email to Jim that he needs to respond to himself!

Go to it, folks!

CR

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

So the goal for FOFCer's today is to actually get an email to Jim that he needs to respond to himself!

Go to it, folks!

CR

done. a long time ago tho

[Buzzbee]

What I would like to see would be a focus on bugs fixes, tweaks, and game improvements (being able to save when partway through a depth chart tweak in MP would be my #1 right now). Once that is completed to Jim's satisfaction, I would like to see either Jim develop an HTML utility, or to collaborate with fido to a) enhance fido's extisting utlility, or b) officially incorporate fido's utility into FOF2k4. My preference would be a collaboration since it would reduce the amount of time Jim works on it and allow him to go back to Front Office Baseball, or to fire up development on TCY2.

[stevew]

Dang, I never heard about Front Office baseball. That should rock.

[Buzzbee]

Originally Posted by stevew

Dang, I never heard about Front Office baseball. That should rock.

Pure speculation on my part. Jim was working on another game prior to FOF2k4, but the publishing deal he was shooting for fell through. There was/is much speculation as to what the game was. Based on nuggets that Jim dropped here and there, most believe it was one of the big four (football, baseball, basketball, hockey) but obviously not football. However, no one has been able to determine definitively what the game was. SkyDog ran across a web domain that suggested Front Office Basketball, but many of us aren't convinced.

[MizzouRah]

The process when you send mail to support is as follows:

Ethan receives the mail, makes a quick sort. Since he's unpaid, he doesn't have regular hours, but always checks at least once every 24 hours.

Sort 1) General comments. He thanks the customer, then forwards to me.
Check

Sort 2) Bug Reports. Usually he forwards to me first. I reply to him with a preliminary assessment (whether it's a real bug or something just requiring a little help) and he forwards a precis back to the customer.
Check

Sort 3) Personal Mail, or much more involved comments than the usual from sort 1. He forwards to me. I'll reply myself or instruct him how to reply.
N/A

Sort 4) Stuff that's found in the FAQ. He'll usually reply by quoting the relevant piece from the FAQ.
N/A

Sometimes, I'll forward him mail from my own account that falls into 1,2 or 4 above, just because the more mail he sees, the faster this process goes.

I had an issue where alot of AI controlled teams only had 2 Qb's, Jacksonville only had 1. Now, I sent my universe file to Ethan and never heard anything back from anyone. My season fixed itself the following year, but a reply would have been nice, or something letting me know you looked at the file I sent. I would like to thank Ethan as he did respond, and at least sent my universe for Jim to look at.

[3ric]

Originally Posted by Buzzbee

What I would like to see would be a focus on bugs fixes, tweaks, and game improvements (being able to save when partway through a depth chart tweak in MP would be my #1 right now). Once that is completed to Jim's satisfaction, I would like to see either Jim develop an HTML utility, or to collaborate with fido to a) enhance fido's extisting utlility, or b) officially incorporate fido's utility into FOF2k4. My preference would be a collaboration since it would reduce the amount of time Jim works on it and allow him to go back to Front Office Baseball, or to fire up development on TCY2.

I agree with everything Buzz said here. Well put.