KBLover's Run/Pass, Coaching, Aggression Sliders

[DJ]

Can you make these edits to a roster file outside of Franchise mode? I'd like to set all of this up beforehand, so when I fire up Franchise, I won't have to worry if I set these things or not.

KB, could you also offer up (if possible) an explanation on the position priorities and what they do to the game?

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by DJ

Can you make these edits to a roster file outside of Franchise mode? I'd like to set all of this up beforehand, so when I fire up Franchise, I won't have to worry if I set these things or not. KB, could you also offer up (if possible) an explanation on the position priorities and what they do to the game?

I don't believe you can. I have only seen them accessed in franchise mode. What you van do is do all this once and save it as a "template".

So you'd save new saves in a new file and start a new franchise, so to speak, by loading your template.

[mooch49]

i just need confirmation on a couple of things. i would like to do a 32 team franchise. first, do i change the coaching schemes and aggression for every team as listed, including mine. second, do i use the priority and style strategy #'s for every team, including mine that you have listed in your other thread. thanks so much for your dedication and making this game even better

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by mooch49

i just need confirmation on a couple of things. i would like to do a 32 team franchise. first, do i change the coaching schemes and aggression for every team as listed, including mine. second, do i use the priority and style strategy #'s for every team, including mine that you have listed in your other thread. thanks so much for your dedication and making this game even better

You can set them all, including the one you want to play.

If you want to use my set up - do what's here for all teams, but then use the following for your team (i.e. the one you will fully control):

Quote:

Offense: Run/Pass: 50 Aggression: 100 HB Carries: 20 Positional Priorities/Style: QB: 10/1, HB: 0/1, FB: 0/1, WR: 0/1, TE: 0/1, T: 0/1, G: 0/2, C: 0/2, K: 0/1 Defense: 3-4/4-3: Your choice Run/Pass: 10 Aggression: 100 Positional Priorities/Style: DE: 0/0, DT: 40/2, OLB: 0/1, MLB: 0/0, CB: 0/0, FS: 0/0, SS: 0/1, P: 0/1

The priority settings you can set for just the team you want to control. When you play games with that team, all players on the field will use the user's settings.

If you want to play multiple teams, it's a little more work since you'll need to do this for each team you want to play. You'll also need to reset to what's on this list for when you don't want to play them.

P.S. I put this info on the first post.

[DiceMan]

KB 1st off like the work you're putting in so far. I havent touched the game for months but after trying out your sliders, etc I may have been drawn back in.

Some questions about coaching schemes for other teams.... Is is absolutely essential that this is done for all 32 teams? Will I still acheive the desired results (mainly LBs getting tackles and cpu running the ball) in the games I play by just using the priorities/styles? Lastly do the schemes function more for in game or simmed games?

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by DiceMan

KB 1st off like the work you're putting in so far. I havent touched the game for months but after trying out your sliders, etc I may have been drawn back in. Some questions about coaching schemes for other teams.... Is is absolutely essential that this is done for all 32 teams? Will I still acheive the desired results (mainly LBs getting tackles and cpu running the ball) in the games I play by just using the priorities/styles? Lastly do the schemes function more for in game or simmed games?

Not absolutely. The part with the user team was developed before I had a 32-team franchise and I still saw more running game from the CPU, etc. So I wouldn't call it completely essential.

What works better, imo, is the sim stats. The leaders and such make more sense with their production and the scores of simmed games tend to be lower and more contested. The stats generate seem more interesting as well.

So to hit your questions:

-You can just do a 1-team franchise and use the User team coaching settings and priority settings and still should see the same effects of more running and whatnot.

-You do need to put the User Run/Pass defense at 10 as that's what helps the CPU call more run plays. The priority/style is more for the player models when the play is going on, not for the play call of the CPU.

-The schemes in this thread for all 32 teams is more for the sake of sim stats, though it does help with the run calls, especially for teams like Denver that are very, very heavy run. But it is not essential.

-Priority/Style only needs to be set for your team. The CPU will draw on what you have as well and all models will act the same as per the User priority/style settings.

[KingV2k3]

Really interesting finds!

Couple / few questions:

1) Does 100 AGG on O lead to the CPU going "bombs away" in played games?

2) Does 100 AGG on D lead to constant blitzes?

3) What effect does having the DT priority at 40, as opposed to his fellow defenders, who are set at 0?

My two cents:

I have very similar priority sliders, but my opinion is that the most unrealistic part of the D is the tight coverage, esp. when blitzing...

I set the corners to 1 (Coverage / Physical), so that they might bite on playaction or get beat by a step off the press, etc...

I also see them get more involved in run plays, leading to a few more tackles for that position...

Thoughts?

Thanks!

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by KingV2k3

1) Does 100 AGG on O lead to the CPU going "bombs away" in played games?

It's been said, and I agree with, that Aggression doesn't very much impact CPU play calling. I know I've seen teams even with these lower aggressions on offense still go deep with frequency if my stupid safeties get burned or I call the wrong zone and the QB gets protection.

I really think it's either the playbook of the team itself or maybe something else internally that determines this. It's not even traced to slider sets (used to be that QB Acc was what made teams go deep, but having a set with CPU QB Acc at 70, 60, and 27 - and all go deep, I can agree with that having limited/no impact as well).

Quote: Originally Posted by KingV2k3

2) Does 100 AGG on D lead to constant blitzes?

No more than they (overly) blitz as it is, imo. I've noticed the AI will blitz if I can't beat it, or it creates hurries/pressure. If I start beating it, it backs off...some. Often times, the next drive, I'll get a bit softer coverage. I usually run when I see this since they aren't attacking gaps. That usually gets them coming at me again, so then I try to beat the blitz with high percentage throws to try to get them back (or they risk letting me nickle-and-dime them up and down the field, as Collinsworth would say). Again, I think it's the playbooks as well as the flow of the game (what's working/what's not) as much as anything else.

Aggression for both offense and defense is mostly about speed of play development. How much effort/speed guys get to where they want to (or think they need to) be. And even that might not be too sharp as the offenses aren't terribly slow or whatever on these lower aggressions - maybe only on certain plays does it show up a lot (like sweeps, tosses, pulling/trap blocking, screens - maybe)

Offensive Aggression DOES have a sizable impact on sim stats, especially in yards per carry. EccentricMeat saw this and I can confirm that lower aggression did help the sim teams get better yards per carry. That's the main reason for the Offensive Aggression I have set.

Quote: Originally Posted by KingV2k3

3) What effect does having the DT priority at 40, as opposed to his fellow defenders, who are set at 0?

It tends to occupy blockers because the DT has a larger range to where he can "pull" a blocker into an engagement instead of moving to the next level or sliding (the football term not the graphical Madden meaning) to pick up a blitzer or a defender coming in to make a play.

This is my way of trying to simulate double team concepts and the DL main role of creating defensive gaps instead of always trying to get penetration themselves. The high level block shedding DL can still penetrate. Ngata, Suh, Wilfork, those guys can still breakthrough, assuming sliders allow it, but they also will do the above even if they can't penetrate. The other defenders are more to exploit gaps (LBs, Ss) or operate more in open space (LBs, DBs) so these concepts are less important for them. You don't want a free runner trying to occupy a blocker when he can avoid engagement (hence why he's a free runner).

Quote: Originally Posted by KingV2k3

My two cents: I have very similar priority sliders, but my opinion is that the most unrealistic part of the D is the tight coverage, esp. when blitzing... I set the corners to 1 (Coverage / Physical), so that they might bite on playaction or get beat by a step off the press, etc... I also see them get more involved in run plays, leading to a few more tackles for that position...

I find that my corners get in on run support pretty well. I use higher-than-most reaction sliders in my sets (based on what I see others using) so that might be why. I'm a big believer in the defense reacting with quickness and intensity and it should be player ratings/traits that make them act otherwise. Stanford Routt was almost the leading tackler in the game I played last night. They really react on outside runs for me.

I keep it on coverage since that's still the #1 responsibility of a CB. That's what he should be concerned with and I want that mindset in CB. If his AWR is bad, he'll still get beat, tricked, burned, either by route or by play action (I'm looking at you, Jimmy Smith!)

I use Balanced for the Strong Safety as that's the only DB I believe really has a split responsibility. He is to come up in run support (8th man in the box) as well as cover the TE or play a zone coverage. Many of them are also hard hitters, so I don't want that to go by the wayside either. For the FS and the CBs, if they are physical as well as can cover, I'll let their ratings determine that. Some don't do run support as well as others, whether it's a delayed reaction to the run or poor tackling. HB vs CB really is advantage: HB in a lot of cases, which is why a run support CB is praised as much as he is, or at least the run support skill is noted - because it's not terribly common on a CB.

That's my reasoning at least