CFM: Losing too many games while simming?

[InvisibleAndre]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

Well it looks like the team rating fits your roster. And you are right that it is a balanced team so playbook and scheme should not matter all that much. Because as you point out the AI teams win according to their talent and also in my experience my team performs as expected when I sim, I am hesitant to say your problem is the result of problems with the game. Have you noticed patterns in your games? Where does your offense and defense rank? Just going by what you listed, your linebackers may not be nearly as good as overall suggests. Prototype heavily favors physical talent to the point it can be very misleading. I had an OLB rated 64 but when I changed my player type to prototype he jumped to a 79. But this alone would not explain the discrepancy.

Good thought on the prototype LBs... I hadn't thought of that. I switched my scheme to balanced for them but it didn't change much. I do jack up the AWR to 85+ for pretty much all of my players so that might have helped with that.

Right now (remember I had to get rid of a few players from the team I listed) my offense is rated a 95 and my defense is an 89. It's week 14 in the current season and my OFF rank is 2nd and my DEF rank is 17 (which seems about right?).

Here are some stats that may or may not be relevant (keep in mind the season isn't over):

Team Stats:
5210 Total yds, 3896 passing and 1314 rushing
33.1 ppg,
4440 yds allowed, 3332 passing and 1108 rushing
12 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 15 interception (we are at a -4 differential so far, near the bottom of the league)

QB: 97.2 rating, 3903 yds, 28/17 TD/int, 70% completion
HB1: 962 yards, 4.5 avg, 12 TDs
HB2: 260 yards, 3.7 avg, 6 TDs
My top 3 WRs have 1000, 900, and 800 yds respectively and ~6 TDs apiece
My MLB has 119 tackles, next is my SS with 74 (that's odd, right? the next LB has 60)
Nobody on my team has more than 3 sacks.
One corner has 6 interceptions, but no other DB has more than 3
My kicker (Blair Walsh! Finally a real person) is 20/25 FGs

Everything seems pretty normal except for the tackles (which if I remember correctly have been weird in Madden for years). My D seems somewhat solid except for the lack of turnovers which is hurting us. We ARE 7-5 so far, so we'll see how the rest of the season ends up.

[InvisibleAndre]

Maybe I was a bit premature in making this thread.... we ended up going undefeated after that 7-5 start, only to be knocked out in the wild card round again by a few injuries to key starters. I was a little frustrated by the outcome, but I guess that's pretty realistic.

I wouldn't necessarily chalk my previous seasons up to bad luck, though, because I've had the majority of this team for the better part of 10 years now.

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by InvisibleAndre

Good thought on the prototype LBs... I hadn't thought of that. I switched my scheme to balanced for them but it didn't change much. I do jack up the AWR to 85+ for pretty much all of my players so that might have helped with that. Right now (remember I had to get rid of a few players from the team I listed) my offense is rated a 95 and my defense is an 89. It's week 14 in the current season and my OFF rank is 2nd and my DEF rank is 17 (which seems about right?). Here are some stats that may or may not be relevant (keep in mind the season isn't over): Team Stats: 5210 Total yds, 3896 passing and 1314 rushing 33.1 ppg, 4440 yds allowed, 3332 passing and 1108 rushing 12 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 15 interception (we are at a -4 differential so far, near the bottom of the league) QB: 97.2 rating, 3903 yds, 28/17 TD/int, 70% completion HB1: 962 yards, 4.5 avg, 12 TDs HB2: 260 yards, 3.7 avg, 6 TDs My top 3 WRs have 1000, 900, and 800 yds respectively and ~6 TDs apiece My MLB has 119 tackles, next is my SS with 74 (that's odd, right? the next LB has 60) Nobody on my team has more than 3 sacks. One corner has 6 interceptions, but no other DB has more than 3 My kicker (Blair Walsh! Finally a real person) is 20/25 FGs Everything seems pretty normal except for the tackles (which if I remember correctly have been weird in Madden for years). My D seems somewhat solid except for the lack of turnovers which is hurting us. We ARE 7-5 so far, so we'll see how the rest of the season ends up.

Good info thank you. We've isolated the problem to defense I think.

Talent wise it should not be ranked 17th. Biggest problem is sacks it looks like. So something is happening in the simulation of games that causes your defense to be passive or not effective.

Is this an online CFM? by the looks of the passing stats it looks to be online. This limits our options as if it was offline we could do some tests. Right now I am wondering if there is a meaningful difference in the sim engine between a base 4-3 scheme and a attacking 4-3.
I might google this and see if anything comes up

[InvisibleAndre]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

Good info thank you. We've isolated the problem to defense I think. Talent wise it should not be ranked 17th. Biggest problem is sacks it looks like. So something is happening in the simulation of games that causes your defense to be passive or not effective. Is this an online CFM? by the looks of the passing stats it looks to be online. This limits our options as if it was offline we could do some tests. Right now I am wondering if there is a meaningful difference in the sim engine between a base 4-3 scheme and a attacking 4-3. I might google this and see if anything comes up

Yes, it is online, unfortunately.

I might have figured out the problem... When I'm upgrading my DE's, very rarely will I put points into finesse or power moves. Usually I put the points into tackling or block shedding.

My thought process is to leave pass defense to the secondary unless the player is a natural pass rusher (in which case they would already have decent skills for that). I think I'm trying to make my DE's do too much, even though they're the weakest link on my defense (according to ratings).

I'll try dumping some points into pass rushing moves tomorrow and see if that improves.

[voodoo_magic]

While running some test sims, I've seen teams go 10-6 and then the next sim go 1-15 with the same roster and injuries off.
Seems really random.

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by InvisibleAndre

Yes, it is online, unfortunately. I might have figured out the problem... When I'm upgrading my DE's, very rarely will I put points into finesse or power moves. Usually I put the points into tackling or block shedding. My thought process is to leave pass defense to the secondary unless the player is a natural pass rusher (in which case they would already have decent skills for that). I think I'm trying to make my DE's do too much, even though they're the weakest link on my defense (according to ratings). I'll try dumping some points into pass rushing moves tomorrow and see if that improves.

That may be it. If I am correct the only difference between a base 4-3 and attacking 4-3 is the blitz. Playing against AI teams who run base 4-3 tend to rarely blitz or do anything special to generate pressure. Attacking 4-3 teams will blitz though. I can't say with any certainty but I would think the sim engine would replicate this.

Aside from putting points into FMV and PMV, try switching to an attacking 4-3 and see what the results are. Hopefully this is the problem

[bsurocksrule]

I will agree with you, that I can rarely put together winning teams. I run a lot of Seahawks franchises, and even with the LOB on the roster for the next 5-7 years and Wilson and Lynch carrying the team, I build pretty good rosters through the draft in my opinion, and the best record I can usually get is 10-6 or 11-5. I can very easily go 2-14 or 3-13. It's hard to go 0-16 in this game. Although I'll say I've had problems building winning teams since last year's game as well, but it could be that I'm not putting enough value to some attributes like you said.

[InvisibleAndre]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

That may be it. If I am correct the only difference between a base 4-3 and attacking 4-3 is the blitz. Playing against AI teams who run base 4-3 tend to rarely blitz or do anything special to generate pressure. Attacking 4-3 teams will blitz though. I can't say with any certainty but I would think the sim engine would replicate this. Aside from putting points into FMV and PMV, try switching to an attacking 4-3 and see what the results are. Hopefully this is the problem

Frustrating update. I went ahead and switched to an attacking 4-3 scheme and switched the playbook to something that would take advantage of that. I had to give up a few more defenders this offseason (that's why you don't buy superstar development for everyone, kids. ) so my defense is now an 86.

Right now I'm at 2-4-1 on the season after a 2-0 start, and my entire team has a measly two sacks. Both by DTs, of course. At this point, there has to be something wrong with the sim engine, right? My RE is an 89 OVR with 80+ FMV and PMV....

I'm going to supersim the next couple of games to see if there's a difference.