Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

[ChicagoSparty]

I assume so. That is, I assume the EA team is tuning the game to make it, in their eyes, the most realistic when all sliders are at 50 on a particular level (probably All-American though I don't know).

Is this correct? I had some really good sliders before the latest update and now the game is radically different for me.

Thanks.

[bpete07]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

I assume so. That is, I assume the EA team is tuning the game to make it, in their eyes, the most realistic when all sliders are at 50 on a particular level (probably All-American though I don't know).

Is this correct? I had some really good sliders before the latest update and now the game is radically different for me.

Thanks.

I think I would agree with your thoughts that their patches and tuner updates are all with 50 default settings in mind....thats why it is a non stop slider battle.

[gigemaggs99]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

I'm also confused....can someone explain to me what the reasoning is behind sliders?

It seems strange that some people will say, "NO way, no way I play on Varsity...." yet they play ONLY on Heisman but it has sliders set in the 10s and 20s.

Wouldn't it make more sense if you were 'only' going to play on Heisman to put everything at or above 50?

I guess what I'm not understanding is, what is the difference between playing on Varsity with sliders above 50, closer to 100 in all areas and playing on Heisman with all sliders at or below 50?

Is there a difference between Varisty with all 100 sliders and Heisman with all 0 sliders?

I'm not that good and I'm always looking for a "good set" of sliders, I just don't really undestand what they do or what they are intended to do.

If EA comes out with a patch I assume it's to fix something or to make something more realistic no? I understand fixing glitches, is that all the patches are good for? I read that people's sliders are all messed up after a patch comes out, so what do they change that aren't just glitches?

I'm looking for a fun/realistic set of sliders. I don't want to nano, or do anything that will get me easy wins. I like to play offline against the CPU and I like realistic style play and game outcomes. I do play a few buddies online but we aren't so concerned about winning and losing. Yes it's fun to beat them but not at the cost of cheesing. I've played in a few leagues and if it's not a good group of people that truely enjoy the game, then it's all about winning and winning comes at the cost of cheesing. I'd rather have fun that win at all costs. This is a game after all.

So I guess the morale of my story is, what's is a good set of sliders and why? Or should I just go w/ the defualt difficulty settings and play from there? Seems like if I play online I'll be subjected to these 'default' sliders anyways, right?

Thanks for your time, tips and advice.

Happy Gaming.

[thelasthurtknee]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

i dont think they are looking at realistic gameplay but more so realistic stats from online head to head games based off of 5 min quarters that are played in ranked games.

[oldman]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

This tuner has really changed SN's slider set in my opinion. Before the patch and tuner I really enjoyed his set, but now that everything has been released it doesn't even feel like the same game anymore. I'm considering going back to default for a few games to get my bearings before deciding where to go from there.

[adembroski]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

I assume so. That is, I assume the EA team is tuning the game to make it, in their eyes, the most realistic when all sliders are at 50 on a particular level (probably All-American though I don't know).

Is this correct? I had some really good sliders before the latest update and now the game is radically different for me.

Thanks.

All American default sliders is where the game is tuned. This is because All-American does not give either the human or CPU a boost in any way.

Varsity doesn't give a bonus either, IIRC, but there's kind of a 'clutch' factor that comes into play. This is what I've noticed especially with PM's sliders... the computer just doesn't have a killer instinct. A good example, and similar things have been happening to me a lot, was last night. I played as Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh, I'm #2, Pittsburgh's #16. I found myself down 27-7 at halftime.

2nd to last game of the season, I took a few minutes (as I normally do) to step away from the game at halftime. I wasn't worried. I was expecting a big comeback, as that's what has always seemed to happen at Varsity.

True to form, I won the game 35-27. I'm currently working on a new set, post patch, for All American.

I'm also confused....can someone explain to me what the reasoning is behind sliders?

To have a more satisfying gaming experience. I might be looking for something slightly different from my game than you are from yours.

It seems strange that some people will say, "NO way, no way I play on Varsity...." yet they play ONLY on Heisman but it has sliders set in the 10s and 20s.

Wouldn't it make more sense if you were 'only' going to play on Heisman to put everything at or above 50?

I guess what I'm not understanding is, what is the difference between playing on Varsity with sliders above 50, closer to 100 in all areas and playing on Heisman with all sliders at or below 50?

"Difficulty" isn't the only thing we're after with sliders, it's realism. The difficulty level affects different aspects of the game than the sliders. In years past, at Heisman, the CPU teams would actually get ratings boosts and a stronger 'rubber band' system. Heisman is less forgiving, regardless of the slider adjustments. The sliders fine tune the difficulty. You can't "recreate" Heisman at All-American simply by setting the sliders high, nor can you recreate All-American by setting Heisman sliders low.

It isn't necessarily a matter of how hard the game is. Yes, there are heisman slider sets I can play with, and All American sliders I can't, but most slider makers are using the difficulty level to set a feel of the game, more or less. Varsity has the advantage of never feeling cheated... ever. If I fail at a play, it makes perfect sense why. However, the drawback is, if I succeed at a play, often I'll think I was, in some way, cheating the computer. Again, this is why I'm trying to find a set I like at All-American.

Is there a difference between Varisty with all 100 sliders and Heisman with all 0 sliders?

I'm not that good and I'm always looking for a "good set" of sliders, I just don't really undestand what they do or what they are intended to do.

They're intended to be a tool in addition to sliders to fine tune the experience. Perhaps it would make more sense to dispense with the difficulty levels and simply have a more powerful slider system (this is essentially what 2k did. The "difficulty levels" they had were really nothing more than preset sliders), but the difficulty level predates the sliders. We've had difficulty dating back as far as I can remember, and the sliders were added on top of them. Again, the ability to further fine tune your experience. Make it more realistic, more arcady, more run orientated, more pass oriented, more offensive, more defensive, etc. based on your preference and how the game feels to you.

There are those who'd say that realism is subjective. I disagree with that, I think reality is objective and thus realism in a video game is subjective, but it is a video game, with limitations on how realistic it can be. Thus sacrifices have to be made in some areas to ensure that, overall, the game plays as close to real as possible.

Let me give you an example; the CPU doesn't have great "vision" when carrying the football, especially compared to the average or above average user. The CPU must almost always be given some sort of advantage in order to ensure its running game is up to snuff compared to yours.

Some slider makers increase run blocking, in order to give the CPU more room to work. Others increase RB Ability, making the CPU's mistakes less damaging by allowing it to break more tackles. My approach is to lower the defense tackling ability, there by making the holes the CPU choose "effectively" as large as the holes I choose. Three different approaches to the same problem, equally effective, but they work in different ways.

If EA comes out with a patch I assume it's to fix something or to make something more realistic no? I understand fixing glitches, is that all the patches are good for? I read that people's sliders are all messed up after a patch comes out, so what do they change that aren't just glitches?

Balance is also a concern... a far greater concern than realism... to the dev team. Balance means ensuring that a run oriented guy has as much a chance to compete as a pass oriented guy, or that a defense oriented guy can compete with an offense oriented guy. Often there will be issues with one type of coverage vs. another, leading to users employing primarily one type of coverage, which of course is good vs. some passing concepts but not others, leading to certain offensive plays dominating as well. These all add up to every online game being pretty much the same thing. By making Zone Defense and Man Defense equal in general terms but good vs. different offensive approaches (as they are in real life), you appeal to a wider audience because more people can use their preferred approach online.

Online tends to be the backbone of tuning because sliders aren't usable and people are in direct competition.

I'm looking for a fun/realistic set of sliders. I don't want to nano, or do anything that will get me easy wins. I like to play offline against the CPU and I like realistic style play and game outcomes.I do play a few buddies online but we aren't so concerned about winning and losing. Yes it's fun to beat them but not at the cost of cheesing. I've played in a few leagues and if it's not a good group of people that truely enjoy the game, then it's all about winning and winning comes at the cost of cheesing. I'd rather have fun that win at all costs. This is a game after all.

So I guess the morale of my story is, what's is a good set of sliders and why? Or should I just go w/ the defualt difficulty settings and play from there? Seems like if I play online I'll be subjected to these 'default' sliders anyways, right?

Thanks for your time, tips and advice.

Happy Gaming.

I would say try out a lot of sliders. I have a hard time experimenting because I hate spending my time with the game doing anything but progressing through my dynasty, and i don't like using untested sliders in dynasty. Unfortunately, it's something you've sorta gotta take the time to do. It's even harder now as the game has become more realistic and thus less predictable... in previous years, two or three games would give you a very solid idea how a set of sliders work, now it takes almost a full season to really get a handle on them. This is a good thing for the dynasty player, not so much for the slider tester.

Don't be afraid to make adjustments to whatever slider set feels good to you. Almost every slider set is a starting point for most people, and you make adjustments from there.

[coachchris]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

Great response Adembroski

[gigemaggs99]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

Adembroski,
Thank you. <!-- / message -->

[acornman]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

Great post guys. And Adembroski it's responses like yours that make me proud to be part of the human race. My first game post patch #3, lost to Stanford 31-28 in the rain at the rose bowl. I fumbled at the three yard line with 30 seconds left. The game was amazing and felt really good eventhough I lost. I play on Heisman with SEC's sliders.

[Von Dozier]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

I've really been thinking about just playing default AA. I like it when I feel like players are playing to their actual ratings, and not just playing to a slider the way it's set.

And that's a great post adembroski. You seem to cover exactly all the concerns I have about sliders and such. I look forward to trying your post-patch set.

[mjstevens]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

Great job, Adambroski. My friends and I started a dynasty on Heisman with lowered sliders before this most recent patch, and it was ugly. Like you said, on Heisman, the computer has a killer instinct to the point of an "eff you" type game where there's almost no chance you can win. One of the guys was up 35-7 at half and lost 38-35. Surely there were ways to prevent that, but he couldn't do anything right on offense and the computer couldn't do anything wrong on defense -- that is what Heisman can bring. On Varsity, the human player can always regain control even if the CPU scores once or twice; hopefully AA provides the balance that we all seem to be looking for.

[Steeler99]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

They're intended to be a tool in addition to sliders to fine tune the experience. Perhaps it would make more sense to dispense with the difficulty levels and simply have a more powerful slider system (this is essentially what 2k did. The "difficulty levels" they had were really nothing more than preset sliders), but the difficulty level predates the sliders.

Adem ... GREAT post!!! I agree 100% with pretty much everything you said. To your point above, isn't that essentially what they did with Madden sliders. Yes, they still have the various difficulty levels, but you can also select "custom" and simply tune it to your individual liking ... I think I prefer that slider option versus what NCAA has?

I haven't gotten in enough gaming this year to have a finished slider set yet, and I've really only played around with PM's sliders to this point, but I tend to agree with you that if one can create/find a good fitting slider set at the All-American level, that is the ideal level to play at for:

realistic ... challenging ... and balanced gameplay.

[pdiehm]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

HOw does this game play on AA default after this patch?

I can't test it out today or tonight or tomorrow (golfing ).

[Steeler99]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

HOw does this game play on AA default after this patch?

I can't test it out today or tonight or tomorrow (golfing ).

I will get a game in later today and I will start at exactly AA Default just to see where everything is at post-patch ... I'll post something later on if I get a chance.

One thing I would like to see more feedback on is "player threshold" ... seems like most are playing with it set around 25-35, but I think I will return that to default "50" as well. One thing I noticed in my last game (threshold at 25) was that LB's could easily out-accelerate my RB's which felt very unrealistic?

Any thoughts on threshold Adem?

[pdiehm]

Re: Is the tuning goal that all sliders = 50?

I always play on 10 or lower thresh...others like thresh at 65-70