KBLover's M12 Experimental Sliders, 2nd Experiment

[KBLover]

Yeah, the two things I'm looking at the most for any adjustments:

-FG %, especially from "typical" distances - basically under about 45 yds. Beyond that, anything goes.

-DL vs LB re: tackles. Granted, this might be a team thing. I'm playing as Ravens - they have Ngata that can blow things up on his own, and Bucs - McCoy and Bowers can get it done with individual effort and they run the 4-3 so more chances for one guy to make that effort vs the 3-4.

I have a fantasy draft Bucs franchise that's got LBs out the rear but a young, developing DL. I think I'll play as them and see how it goes. Also have my custom team that I'll probably redraft and focus on LBs as well.

[RogueHominid]

It seemed to me that CPU backs and receivers broke more tackles than I was expecting, but I need more games under my belt to see how that works out.

[KBLover]

Played game with my "uber LB team" (Beason, Mayo, Orakpo, and someone else...Lofton I think)

Well...don't know if it was them or what but they shut down the AI run game.

Peterson picked off a pass. Just jumped a route in man coverage.

Gabbert - didn't really push him much, stayed conservative, but hit a couple long plays off play action, one Mike Williams took 92 yds for a score. Another he caught and ran the last few yards for a 28 yd TD.

They are young, though, so LOTS of penalties.

No one LB had a lot of tackles, but they all had like 5 each, so 20 or so out of the 4 of them.

Still, came down to the last drive. Was facing Brady and had to stay after him all game and call some good coverages. Helps this team's secondary has some skills.

But Brady was marching down the field, got to my 23. He threw a beautiful sideline ball to Titus Young, but while Young was trying to get his feet down on the out route, Berry plastered him and forced him to drop the ball. That would have been a first down inside the 10 with about 40 seconds left.

Instead it was 4th and 15, and the coverage was good - Brady had to check down and Berry again made the stop to seal the game.

I do think I will increase a few things. I'm going to put CPU QB acc up 7 clicks higher than the User, and Run blocking for the AI 7 clicks higher than the user. I know my LBs are insane (DL isn't terrible either) but Tomlinson didn't even get 2 yds per carry. That's too good, even for a top run defense in the NFL.

I think I'll leave the FG sliders alone. AI made a FG and missed one just short from 52 yds out (would have nailed it if it had the distance). I made one from 50 (Alex Henery, must have a strong leg because it was no doubt), and BARELY made a 35 yd FG.

I have it at 34 FG Power and 31 FG Acc. Kick Off Power is at 50 and I saw some touchbacks from both kickers.

[RogueHominid]

I completed the first game of the pre-season with NE using all the front page settings (CPU Mixed for CPU).

The game was fine--I'll have a box score later--but there may be a major problem with the fatigue/injury/subs settings. I normally go with a hugely different setup that prevents players from getting anywhere past light green. This set gets them to gray, yellow, and red too easily. As a consequence, I lost 3 players for the season in week one and another player for 9 weeks.

I'll post stats later.

[KBLover]

I've never lost that many players, let alone for that LONG! Ouch. The injury and fatigue settings are actually close to what I used in my other sliders, so lots of games.

If players stay in the light green, do they actually play tired so they get the number of snaps, especially on defense? Also, does that mean you have back up OL coming in?

Sometimes my QB gets tired if he has to scramble a lot - keeping everyone in the green would sub in the backup QB.

Is fatigue a factor at all (and as such player STA ratings) with your usual set up?

I've never seen anywhere what the effects of fatigue are (i.e what ratings reduction at what color), so I just went until I could notice it impacting their play and create rotations at some positions while still allowing for enough plays for them to work (and accumulate production).

I turned the injury slider down a lot because I saw fatigue impacted injuries, haven't ever (literally) had a game with that bad of injuries that you just did. Worse injury I had was losing Mike Williams for 12 weeks and he was the only one. Before that, it was Gino Hayes for 4 weeks and Flacco for 3 weeks. I actually wanted MORE injuries because I was getting off easy.

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by KBLover

I've never lost that many players, let alone for that LONG! Ouch. The injury and fatigue settings are actually close to what I used in my other sliders, so lots of games. If players stay in the light green, do they actually play tired so they get the number of snaps, especially on defense? Also, does that mean you have back up OL coming in? Sometimes my QB gets tired if he has to scramble a lot - keeping everyone in the green would sub in the backup QB. Is fatigue a factor at all (and as such player STA ratings) with your usual set up? I've never seen anywhere what the effects of fatigue are (i.e what ratings reduction at what color), so I just went until I could notice it impacting their play and create rotations at some positions while still allowing for enough plays for them to work (and accumulate production). I turned the injury slider down a lot because I saw fatigue impacted injuries, haven't ever (literally) had a game with that bad of injuries that you just did. Worse injury I had was losing Mike Williams for 12 weeks and he was the only one. Before that, it was Gino Hayes for 4 weeks and Flacco for 3 weeks. I actually wanted MORE injuries because I was getting off easy.

Could be a one-game thing. I used the 30% injury with the 73% fatigue and all the suggested auto-subs. What I found was that I had players at LB and in the secondary especially dipping into the grey and red late in the game. That's when they got hurt.

In my old settings, I would have fatigue at 50 and injuries at 40 and would simply get backups in for a handful of snaps a game even at the LB and DB positions. I valued keeping the team fresh over keeping the starters out there for every snap.

I'm gonna keep going with these though and see what happens. My first game was very fun.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by Trojan Man

Could be a one-game thing. I used the 30% injury with the 73% fatigue and all the suggested auto-subs. What I found was that I had players at LB and in the secondary especially dipping into the grey and red late in the game. That's when they got hurt. In my old settings, I would have fatigue at 50 and injuries at 40 and would simply get backups in for a handful of snaps a game even at the LB and DB positions. I valued keeping the team fresh over keeping the starters out there for every snap. I'm gonna keep going with these though and see what happens. My first game was very fun.

I can understand that - I'm trying to go for the typical sub in/out for most teams, but that info is lost to me now thanks to pro football focus (where I got the info for M10) going behind a pay wall, and I haven't found a replacement source for that kind of info and don't even know if they track it anymore anyway.

I'm glad the game was fun That always the most important thing. Hopefully the injuries were just a fluke - a lot like the 6 INT game seemed to be.

I do see a lot of reds and stuff - especially if my offense stalls with 3 and outs, or even on quick scores. I just wish I could see quantitatively how much is lost with the colors. Would give me much better idea of where a good level might be. *sigh*

[KBLover]

Just took my first loss with the sliders.

Lost 17-14. Offense really was bad all game. Titans just had my number for everything we tried and the offensive line played like crap all game. No protection for Flacco, hit a lot, had to scramble, opened up nothing for Rice.

Both teams missed some FGs, partly due to the 19 MPH wind. AI did make one, as you can see. I missed from 45 and 50.

Pass defense gave it up late. Couldn't keep them off the field thanks to the offense failing so much. Didn't help Ray Lewis got hurt, and it really fell apart after that, like the team was deflated or something. Middle was open without his awareness in the field and the DBs just went to mush, though Smith did get a pick. Smith, however, was beaten for the Titans' go-ahead TD by vet Nate Washington. Washington turned the rookie around and had the ball in the endzone.

Had a drive going to try to get the tying FG - moved down to the Titans' 33, but got a holding call with :05 left! UGH. So no way we were going to make a 60 yd FG, threw up a last gasp to T. Smith, but Flacco overthrew it out the back of the end zone, and that was the game.

Both running games were bad. Chris Johnson had one long run late where he almost scored. Otherwise, he was contained. Rice had nothing. Longest run for him was 6 yds.

Hasselbeck threw for 292 yds (Nate Washington had 120 of them with a TD), 2 TD, 2 INT, 61% completion. Flacco (or, more correctly, the OL) was terrible. Difference in the game.

Ravens now 1-1. Losing to Titans, beat Steelers. Just like real life. Ray Lewis is out for 4 weeks as well.