I'm pretty sure the CPU isn't using all of its recruiting points.

[Strategizer]

I just simmed an entire dynasty and let the CPU handle recruiting. I picked Mizzou and used the default coach (Pinkel is a level 32, with 15 points into recruiting). I looked at the recruit board after I started the season and, other than a handful of one and two stars who really had no business being recruited by them, the board looked solid. There were a good number of 4 and 3 stars across most of the positions, and they had targeted guys who had Mizzou as a top school. I began simming week to week and took note of how the CPU recruited. As the weeks went on, I noticed that the CPU never had a full carry over of points from one week to the next.

At first I thought it was because of points used to offer scholarships and to scout, but after the first few weeks it was clear the CPU weren't using points for these any more. For those first few weeks, there were about 4,500 of the 6,000 points allocated (Pinkel has the skills for the extra points in the first and second half of the weeks at level 2). As time went on and Mizzou would get a recruit or two, the amount of points from the week before slowly decreased. After a while, the points allocated from the week before was no more than 3,000-3,500 out of 6,000. I investigated the reason for this and this is what I discovered.

The CPU never had points in more than 10 recruits at a time. Ten was the absolute max. And as the season went on, they were recruiting fewer than that. There were times only 8 or fewer guys actually had points allocated despite no one committing to Mizzou or someone else during the sim to the week, meaning those were the only guys Mizzou had put points toward for that week. And not even all of them had the full 500. Sometimes they would have only 50 or 100 points. So even if the CPU only had 5,000 points to spend, they still wouldn't be using all of their points.

I think this might explain so many guys going unrecruited. Clearly there is some kind of arbitrary limit per week the CPU places on itself when it recruits. If anyone else would like to test with other schools, please do. I'd like to see if this is how the game is just designed or if every team is somehow different.

[Wenkinator]

This may have nothing to do with it, but what difficulty are you recruiting on? Is there a chance the higher the difficulty the lower the cap for points that can be spent by the pc is?

[The JareBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by Wenkinator

This may have nothing to do with it, but what difficulty are you recruiting on? Is there a chance the higher the difficulty the lower the cap for points that can be spent by the pc is?

There is no recruiting difficulty

[Wenkinator]

Oh so they changed that. Cool...

Anyone else noticing this? This would drive me nuts.

[brakedownzz]

Check and see if you had any needs unfilled. If they were all filled the CPU might stop spending points. Plus the CPU is designed to assist, probably assuming that the user is allocating his/her own points.

[thelasthurtknee]

Quote: Originally Posted by jaredlib

There is no recruiting difficulty

really?? damn. i though i change my recruiting to heisman last night. must of been something else.

[Strategizer]

Quote: Originally Posted by brakedownzz

Check and see if you had any needs unfilled. If they were all filled the CPU might stop spending points. Plus the CPU is designed to assist, probably assuming that the user is allocating his/her own points.

The CPU needs to be recruiting more than just its immediate needs. And like I said, they never spent 5,000 even near the beginning, much less the full 6,000. They also took commitments from a small handful of guys in the 40's and 50's that took up scholarships that should have gone elsewhere. It's possible it was only this way because they were "assisting", but I feel that it is consistent with the lack of attention given a number of good recruits.

[brakedownzz]

Take a look at your recruiting strategy. Set up your priorities and see if anything is different. Also are you on retail or season ticket?