Coach Mode Sliders w/Qtr Adjustments

[fldash]

I love all the threads here and I've tried just about everyone's sliders a time or two. I've actually had to settle on Coach mode simply because I HATE when something I do on the sticks that the CPU playing for me would not have made costs me a game or in the odd case, wins me a game.

I tried miamikris and SportsGamers for quite a while before decided to try something else... and here it is.

All-American Difficult
Slow Speed
Threshold 40
10m Quarters (correct number of plays)

QBA: 30/30 - Using this I was seeing some misfires, but with Catch at 50, completion % was still around 60% in the games I played. CPU has a better % than user, so CPU may need to be 25% or user 35%.

INT: 20/20 - Any higher and there are simply too many INTs.

I used the Special Teams sliders from the SportGamer's Coach Mode thread, but upped the user Kickoff power by 5 simply because coaching teams with good kickoff specialists were never kicking to the endzone.

FG Pow 45 45
FG Acc 30 50
Punt Pow 30 40
Punt Acc 50 70
KO Pow 45 45

Everything else is left at default 50.

Now... because every game has a different feel and struggle, I start playing... At the end of the first quarter I adjust any sliders (always starting with defensive ones first) I feel need to be adjusted, only by 5. For example, if I'm throwing all over the CPU and can't run, I may raise CPU Coverage to 55 and lower CPU Run D to 45. I will also adjust the User defense settings by 5 based on what the CPU offense is doing. I will rarely touch the offensive ones (but have occasionally).

I adjust at halftime again, and at the start of the 3rd.

I'm not looking to make every game close. I'm only looking to make them realistic. So if the results don't see out of realm of reality, then I may not make any adjustment at all...

The few rules I keep constantly is never adjust RBA above/below 50. Though, I do sometimes feel the CPU RBA in All-American is above the user RBA, but I'm not entirely sure yet... it just seems CPU breaks more tackles and has more powerful runs.

The other is to never adjust a slider below 40 or above 60 and to only move them 5 at a time (and again, only at the end of a quarter).

Let me know if you try this and what you think. It may be too easy for you, perhaps I'm not a good play caller and don't make enough pre-snap adjustments, but it does seem to be working for me...

[kchuskey]

Quote: Originally Posted by fldash

I love all the threads here and I've tried just about everyone's sliders a time or two. I've actually had to settle on Coach mode simply because I HATE when something I do on the sticks that the CPU playing for me would not have made costs me a game or in the odd case, wins me a game. I tried miamikris and SportsGamers for quite a while before decided to try something else... and here it is. All-American Difficult Slow Speed Threshold 40 10m Quarters (correct number of plays) QBA: 30/30 - Using this I was seeing some misfires, but with Catch at 50, completion % was still around 60% in the games I played. CPU has a better % than user, so CPU may need to be 25% or user 35%. INT: 20/20 - Any higher and there are simply too many INTs. I used the Special Teams sliders from the SportGamer's Coach Mode thread, but upped the user Kickoff power by 5 simply because coaching teams with good kickoff specialists were never kicking to the endzone. FG Pow 45 45 FG Acc 30 50 Punt Pow 30 40 Punt Acc 50 70 KO Pow 45 45 Everything else is left at default 50. Now... because every game has a different feel and struggle, I start playing... At the end of the first quarter I adjust any sliders (always starting with defensive ones first) I feel need to be adjusted, only by 5. For example, if I'm throwing all over the CPU and can't run, I may raise CPU Coverage to 55 and lower CPU Run D to 45. I will also adjust the User defense settings by 5 based on what the CPU offense is doing. I will rarely touch the offensive ones (but have occasionally). I adjust at halftime again, and at the start of the 3rd. I'm not looking to make every game close. I'm only looking to make them realistic. So if the results don't see out of realm of reality, then I may not make any adjustment at all... The few rules I keep constantly is never adjust RBA above/below 50. Though, I do sometimes feel the CPU RBA in All-American is above the user RBA, but I'm not entirely sure yet... it just seems CPU breaks more tackles and has more powerful runs. The other is to never adjust a slider below 40 or above 60 and to only move them 5 at a time (and again, only at the end of a quarter). Let me know if you try this and what you think. It may be too easy for you, perhaps I'm not a good play caller and don't make enough pre-snap adjustments, but it does seem to be working for me...

No offense.... But changing sliders every quarter sounds ridiculous to me. Not only does it completely take out any variety to your games, but it makes college football a complete Parity. Not to mention that it usually takes 4 or 5 games anyway for the engine to completely recognize the changes made to the sliders in the first place.

This is just my opinion though. If you enjoy the games that way...then that's your opinion. After all, You paid for it!

[fldash]

Quote:

Not to mention that it usually takes 4 or 5 games anyway for the engine to completely recognize the changes made to the sliders in the first place.

You can't be serious... The engine isn't a living, breathing thing. The changes are applied immediately.

As for the word on parity, the sliders are only adjusted when the results are outside the realm of normality (sometimes that isn't possible to tell after one quarter, so you may not adjust them), It doesn't take any variety out of your game at all unless you allow it to do so by not being objective with your slider adjustments.

Let me give you a life tip... if you are starting your sentence with 'no offense', it's usually best just to keep your words to yourself.

[kchuskey]

Quote: Originally Posted by fldash

You can't be serious... The engine isn't a living, breathing thing. The changes are applied immediately. As for the word on parity, the sliders are only adjusted when the results are outside the realm of normality (sometimes that isn't possible to tell after one quarter, so you may not adjust them), It doesn't take any variety out of your game at all unless you allow it to do so by not being objective with your slider adjustments. Let me give you a life tip... if you are starting your sentence with 'no offense', it's usually best just to keep your words to yourself.

lol... Thanks. But I'm a little old for "life tips" at my age. As I said it was just my opinion, and surely you have heard that the sliders take time to fully take effect. I think just about everyone on this board will agree with me, that it isn't wise to change your sliders every quarter.

You shouldn't start a thread, and ask what people think, if you can't handle what they may say to you. I said it was just my opinion, and if it works for you, then so be it.... Just sayin. No offense. (I ended with 'No offense' this time).

[fldash]

I've actually never heard that, nor have I ever experienced it. I change sliders and I see the play change immediately... Anyway, if you want to believe that NCAA 12 is Skynet is doesn't actively respond to the slider changes until it wants to, then that's on you.

The only thing my system does is ensure you aren't getting ridiculous out of whack stats in games... The half-time adjustment is the most important one... It can be the difference between throwing for 600 yards or just 400, or having a RB have 200 yards or 300 yards. But I digress...

[fldash]

I don't know why I'm having such great games with this, but I recommend this slider adjustment technique to anyone regardless of what slider set you use. Perhaps just make the change at halftime if you want.

As I said in the first post, each NCAA game has a different feel and level of success applied to each team (or at least it seems that way). Sometimes this variable causes your sliders to seem whacked out, leading you down the path of 'constantly changing sliders'.

What happens when you adjust the sliders during a game isn't an overall change in the random 'success' and feel of the game for each team, but allows you to adjust the game silghtly to perhaps help or deter a team that's having too much or not enough success in the game.

Anyway, last post I'll make in this thread since it seems no one cares enough to try this or comment.

[ZekeRoberts]

hey man, thought i'd jump in with my $.02

first off, i really really respect what you're doing in coach mode with keeping the base sliders equal for HUM and CPU and trying to keep most of them at default... i'm looking to come up with some good coach mode sliders right now and i don't see any reason why they should be different values for HUM and CPU... maybe I'll change my tune on that down the road, but isn't the CPU controlling both sets of virtual athletes in coach mode??? so why should HUM and CPU differ at all?

now, let me offer this: i don't think you're going to get much praise for adjusting the sliders over the course of the game... i think most people view sliders as permanent adjustments that are needed to reflect realism in the game, and once they've settled on a value that "feels right," they're not going to change it for a long time, and they may only do that when they feel that their skill level has significantly improved

my guess is you're getting really great games because you're adjusting the game to play differently based on what was successful and not successful earlier in that game... the logical expectation would be for the game to then stay close, right? now i'm not trying to say that you shouldn't be doing this, just trying to explain an alternate perspective

out of any sliders, i personally feel strongest about RBA... i've seen the CPU RBs do too many "weird things" (run east/west for no reason, pay no attention to blockers, etc.) at 50, and at 60-70 they seem to play much more like real RBs who actually want to gain as many yards as possible LOL... i think there is definitely a "sweet spot" for this slider, because if you push it up to the 90s i think you will feel like every RB is Barry Sanders, but I think this slider belongs somewhere around 65 +/- 5 or 10

finally, to the other poster claiming that it takes several games for sliders to take affect... uhhhhhhhh what? don't get confused with the fact that players can get "hot" within one game (i think EA calls it their "level," you can use the RS pre-snap to see if they've turned orange or red) and even have a "hotstreak" across multiple games in dynasties. i'm going to need some pretty solid proof to get me to believe that slider changes aren't immediate

[fldash]

Zeke: Thanks for the reply. The idea that making a slider adjustment in game keeps every game close is incorrect. It's really a misconception as that's not how it works at all.

NCAA's randomness factor does a pretty decent job of managing close games vs blow out games, the only thing the slider adjustment during the game does is slightly balance the game to 'normalcy'. You can still have statistical outliers, but they are minimized.

Again, the goal of the adjustments isn't to change the outcome of the game, if the game is close and the results are believable then no adjustments are necessary. It's pretty easy to determine when an adjustment is necessary when you are in a game with a team such a Georgia Tech and their average per carry is 1.2 and the team they are playing is not that good. You'd be surprising how much jumping their run blocking up 5 or the opposing run defense down 5 does.

One thing I never mentioned is I never use 'Team Stats' to determine if an adjustment is necessary. I go into player stats and look at the players and their individual rushing statistics.

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I'm intrigued by your RBA at 60/65 idea. I agree the CPU running game could be more realistic, but one of my main issues is the speed increase given when you adjust this upward. Do you think you have to raise Tackling? I think I'll try it tonight, setting both HUM/CPU at 60 and see what happens.

Also, I agree with you. The CPU is controlling both sets of players so the sliders should be the same or close to the same.