Coach Run/Pass Tendencies

[Art01]

Referencing both Jbrew and Return Specialist immediately previous posts:

I agree that in-game progress influences CPU play calling, as it should. My test games turned out to be close, low-scoring games, which probably permitted the CPU to call run/pass plays in line with the basic coaching strategy.

All of my sliders are set to 50 (play and penalty). I use the Offense and Defense Difficulty settings options to influence game play, depending upon the relative strength of the team I am coaching and the CPU team.

I don't believe the CPU AI is very well developed. I have seen too many bone-headed calls, especially when the CPU is on Offense and with a chance to win at the end of a tight game - even with Defense Difficulty set to Heisman. I would expect that the AI for the CPU pretty much operates in the same manner as the "ASK COACH" feature - presenting three situation-based play options and randomly choosing one of the three.

Incidentally, one of the CPU's tricks to stop the clock near the end of a close game, when the CPU is on Offense, needs a score to tie or win and is out of time outs, is to cause a False Start, which stops the clock until the ball is next snapped. I have seen this gimmick employed in a number of one score games.

As for the Playbooks, I have looked at them externally, using Modio 3 and the Editor to extract them from the game, but I have not tried to determine what the columns mean or how they might be used.

[Skulletor]

Quote: Originally Posted by Art01

Referencing both Jbrew and Return Specialist immediately previous posts: I agree that in-game progress influences CPU play calling, as it should. My test games turned out to be close, low-scoring games, which probably permitted the CPU to call run/pass plays in line with the basic coaching strategy. All of my sliders are set to 50 (play and penalty). I use the Offense and Defense Difficulty settings options to influence game play, depending upon the relative strength of the team I am coaching and the CPU team. I don't believe the CPU AI is very well developed. I have seen too many bone-headed calls, especially when the CPU is on Offense and with a chance to win at the end of a tight game - even with Defense Difficulty set to Heisman. I would expect that the AI for the CPU pretty much operates in the same manner as the "ASK COACH" feature - presenting three situation-based play options and randomly choosing one of the three. Incidentally, one of the CPU's tricks to stop the clock near the end of a close game, when the CPU is on Offense, needs a score to tie or win and is out of time outs, is to cause a False Start, which stops the clock until the ball is next snapped. I have seen this gimmick employed in a number of one score games. As for the Playbooks, I have looked at them externally, using Modio 3 and the Editor to extract them from the game, but I have not tried to determine what the columns mean or how they might be used.

can you share the playbook file and the config you are using?

[return.specialist]

Quote: Originally Posted by Art01

Incidentally, one of the CPU's tricks to stop the clock near the end of a close game, when the CPU is on Offense, needs a score to tie or win and is out of time outs, is to cause a False Start, which stops the clock until the ball is next snapped. I have seen this gimmick employed in a number of one score games.

Glad to learn that I wasn't imagining a pattern.

[jbrew2411]

I have been messing around with the fatigue setting. I noticed game after game that the CPU was running out of gas in the 2nd half forcing the play calling to turn to more passing. Like I have said I tried every setting out there for auto subs and it was all the same result.

So I played an entire dynasty season with fatigue off. It seemed to bring out the best from the CPU. Teams are running like crazy and with improved success. I have been playing on all default Heisman. Teams that have run based play books are staying true to that play book. Coaches with the 15/85 setting for run/pass are running 40-50 times per game with 10-20 pass attempts. Even in games where I am up by 3 scores the CPU is still trying to run. Late in games the CPU is calling safe plays when up and trying to score when down.

I want say it is a perfect fix but it has changed the game for me.

[martywebb]

Quote: Originally Posted by jbrew2411

I have been messing around with the fatigue setting. I noticed game after game that the CPU was running out of gas in the 2nd half forcing the play calling to turn to more passing. Like I have said I tried every setting out there for auto subs and it was all the same result. So I played an entire dynasty season with fatigue off. It seemed to bring out the best from the CPU. Teams are running like crazy and with improved success. I have been playing on all default Heisman. Teams that have run based play books are staying true to that play book. Coaches with the 15/85 setting for run/pass are running 40-50 times per game with 10-20 pass attempts. Even in games where I am up by 3 scores the CPU is still trying to run. Late in games the CPU is calling safe plays when up and trying to score when down. I want say it is a perfect fix but it has changed the game for me.

Fatigue can only be turned off/on for everyone, right? It's too bad you can't take fatigue off for CPU but not the User.

[return.specialist]

Quote: Originally Posted by jbrew2411

Even in games where I am up by 3 scores the CPU is still trying to run.

This is somewhat alarming, but it is realistic for some teams. On multiple occasions I have observed the AI, trailing by 2 or 3 touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, run on 1st and 2nd downs.

Quote: Originally Posted by jbrew2411

Late in games the CPU is calling safe plays when up and trying to score when down.

Do coaches get fatigued?? Or, perhaps, the play-call logic is based on fatigue and this could be circumvented somehow while retaining the effects of fatigue on game play.

Quote: Originally Posted by jbrew2411

So I played an entire dynasty season with fatigue off. It seemed to bring out the best from the CPU. Teams are running like crazy and with improved success. I have been playing on all default Heisman. Teams that have run based play books are staying true to that play book. Coaches with the 15/85 setting for run/pass are running 40-50 times per game with 10-20 pass attempts.

Interesting. Only 33.76% of players in the current season of my Dynasty are assigned a Stamina rating > 0. I am an OC and cannot profess to watch all defensive plays, however. If I do watch defensive plays, it is in the second half of a highly competitive game in which I am leading or tied--so teams are generally passing--or, I am multi-tasking and working on other things. Personally, the arcade-like feel of the default rosters is intolerable. However, your experiences are intriguing.

I wonder if your experiences can be duplicated by some combination of global adjustments to Coach substitution settings. It is nuanced, indeed, because such adjustments could significantly distort stats from simulated games (e.g., stars and starters not receiving appropriate stats).

[martywebb]

Increasing Stamina across the board might help this situation out a bit, but on the other side, you'd have to decrease injury ratings so that there'd still be enough across the nation.

[jbrew2411]

Turning fatigue off is not a fix for everyone. I had 2 major issues in my dynasty before turning the fatigue setting off.

1) The CPU lack of a run game beyond the 1st half. For 4 dynasty seasons it was all the same, I got a 3 score lead in the first half forcing every team to throw the ball. I wish I had been doing my dynasty thread at that time because I am 100% certain that I never allowed more then 10 points in the 2nd half.


2) The CPU always seemed to hit a wall where players were not playing the same as they were in the 1st quarter. I coached high school football for 10 years and I can tell you 18-19 year old kids get tired but can still play close to a normal level late in games. What I was seeing in the game was the CPU was out of gas. They were always out of position on defense and on offense could not block any more. Most teams would try running a few times late in games but it was always for a lose because the O-line could not hold a block.


So I decided to turn the fatigue setting off just to see if it would bring the CPU to life. What I found was teams that were running teams ran the entire game despite the score. The 2nd half was a game unlike before where I just had to win by halftime. The stats me not be to the likening of other, I have never put to much stock in video game stats since it is a game and not real life. The only thing I can tell you is it has created this new game for me. I now get more injuries as players still fatigue it just does not impact their play. I will give up the CPU subbing in that 2nd back for 5-7 carries a game to get a better playing game.


This thread is about run/pass tendencies so if you want those tendencies to really play out then just try turning the fatigue settings off.