Simulation: It's Meaning & Importance

[BezO]

2 parts

1. What does sim mean to you? Realistic stats? Realistic Scores? Realistic difficulty? Realistic AI? Realistic animations? Something else?

Me? It's all about the AI & animations. I'm not sure what realistic stats look like. RBs have rushed for negative yards up to 296, for example. And scores? Scores have ended 0-0 up to over 100 total points. And records are meant to be broken. As for difficulty, it should be at the user's discretion. Everyone's dexterity & football knowledge is different.

As long as the game looks & plays like the NFL, I'm OK. A 300 yard rushing game is cool if it unfolds realistically and not because of sticky suction blocking, for example. A 500 yard passing game is cool if it unfolds realistically and not because QBs can wander out of the pocket at will & throw rockets across their body.

2. Is a football simulation important to you? Whatever you consider simulation to be, is fun more important or does simulation = fun?

Me? An NFL simulation is what would make Madden fun for me. Like several people have said, football is chess, not checkers. The fun is in the strategy & execution. The same reasons I played, coached & watch real football is why I want to play Madden. And the game is marketed as a simulation.

[thudias]

Simulation means to me the imitative representation of the functioning of the NFL in everyway shape and form by means of the functioning of another.

MIMIC...reproduce...

Yes..stats, difficulty,schedules, roster sizes, draft dates, mini camps, pro days, stadium sights and sounds...

Everything you see on Sunday and everything that happens throughout the year.

[Boucher]

Simulation is very important to me and to the vast majority of users here.

[BezO]

Thudias,

Can you expound on stats & difficulty?

What would make for realistic stats? Are you OK with everything between the extremes of what has already happened in the NFL? For example, would you be disturbed by someone putting up 296 yards on you with Adrian Peterson or another good RB? Are you OK with record breaking performances? Do you want results closer to NFL averages, individual player averages or team averages?

And what would be a realistic difficulty level? Do you think people should adjust & practice their way to success with set difficulty levels or are you OK with sliders so folks can match the difficulty to their skill level.

[roadman]

I know I answered this in a thread last week about not having stats=sim.

I don't know why it can't be in both worlds. It's ok to pick and choose what you want sim to mean, but I feel they can coexist.

Initially, I try to get the stats over a period of time(not just one game) to pretty close to the NFL avg's. The NFL avg's for the major categories don't fluctuate over a period of a year or two.

Then, once I get those stats close to NFL stats, hopefully, the AI and presentation carry me through a season.

So far, this years only has me at the stats stage. I don't foresee this improving, either.

[krc1130]

Quote: Originally Posted by BezO

2 parts 1. What does sim mean to you? Realistic stats? Realistic Scores? Realistic difficulty? Realistic AI? Realistic animations? Something else? Me? It's all about the AI & animations. I'm not sure what realistic stats look like. RBs have rushed for negative yards up to 296, for example. And scores? Scores have ended 0-0 up to over 100 total points. And records are meant to be broken. As for difficulty, it should be at the user's discretion. Everyone's dexterity & football knowledge is different. As long as the game looks & plays like the NFL, I'm OK. A 300 yard rushing game is cool if it unfolds realistically and not because of sticky suction blocking, for example. A 500 yard passing game is cool if it unfolds realistically and not because QBs can wander out of the pocket at will & throw rockets across their body. 2. Is a football simulation important to you? Whatever you consider simulation to be, is fun more important or does simulation = fun? Me? An NFL simulation is what would make Madden fun for me. Like several people have said, football is chess, not checkers. The fun is in the strategy & execution. The same reasons I played, coached & watch real football is why I want to play Madden. And the game is marketed as a simulation.

I 100% agree. Sports are sports, people are people. Anything is possible. That's why i dont think that stats are an issue. its the way those stats come about.

[kcarr]

While I have no problem with someone having a 300 yard rushing game or 500 yard passing game if a larger sample size I think it should average out to similar averages in line with what is seen in the NFL

[JMD]

Simulation to me means how you play the game. Do you play the game the way it's played in real life - punting on 4th down, not dropping back 25 yards with the QB , or abusing glitch and cheese plays and so on.