How do you commit to a dynasty?

[Toastandtoaster]

Some bias here, but I would go for Minnesota gophers. my fav school but regardless, they had great runs in the early 2000s but never rebounded and lost in the flow of rising of a lot of strong big 10 schools, they are just a weak power 5 team. And with the roster you are looking for, which was last year's, there is a great rb duo, and the qb is a senior with a few decent young qbs. so with some recruiting luck, you may get a great freshman an, or just stick with the current young ones.

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[itsbigmike]

I will echo the post above, I go in and change my opponents equipment, names, numbers before I play them. I hate seeing running backs with No. 47 and all WR's are No. 80-something and punters with low numbers. I enjoy giving out single digit numbers and changing helmets and whatnot for my players and my opponents. It helps a lot more than I thought.

[whughes]

To echo the other posts, for me the biggest way to stay interested is to keep records of game results, recruiting results, etc. I've been using Jello's excel spreadsheet that he posted on another thread and it's great. I'm currently in season 8 and it makes things so much more interesting when I can go back and look at how I did against certain teams in the past. Also changing player names, equipment, etc is huge too. I couldn't stand how almost every punter has long dreads, so every time I encounter one I go and change the way he looks. Also changing names and giving some players back stories. For example I recruited a strong safety, named him Serge Suggs, and pretend that he is Terrell Sugg's little cousin. Backstories for your players and other players around the league make you much more invested in the dynasty imo

[Mauer4MVP]

Honestly always thought it was easiest on NCAA to commit to a dynasty just due to the nature of recruiting.

New players kept it fresh all the time.

Either way, I'm with you. I generally have a hard time keeping franchise modes going with any sport. I just have so many ideas that I think would be fun and not enough time.

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[SilverBullet19]

Quote: Originally Posted by itsbigmike

I will echo the post above, I go in and change my opponents equipment, names, numbers before I play them. I hate seeing running backs with No. 47 and all WR's are No. 80-something and punters with low numbers. I enjoy giving out single digit numbers and changing helmets and whatnot for my players and my opponents. It helps a lot more than I thought.

I'm going to echo this. Every game when I'm setting up my matchup preview, I comb their roster to figure out standouts to write on. I go in and change up their stuff. Wayyyy too many players with those old school sleeves instead of tight, kind of mismatched facemasks, generic position numbers, far too many with visors and leg bands on their calves, etc. I equip them realistically, and it makes it feel more real "in game"

Quote: Originally Posted by whughes

To echo the other posts, for me the biggest way to stay interested is to keep records of game results, recruiting results, etc. I've been using Jello's excel spreadsheet that he posted on another thread and it's great. I'm currently in season 8 and it makes things so much more interesting when I can go back and look at how I did against certain teams in the past. Also changing player names, equipment, etc is huge too. I couldn't stand how almost every punter has long dreads, so every time I encounter one I go and change the way he looks. Also changing names and giving some players back stories. For example I recruited a strong safety, named him Serge Suggs, and pretend that he is Terrell Sugg's little cousin. Backstories for your players and other players around the league make you much more invested in the dynasty imo

Lol you've got Terrell Sugg's cousin...I've got Randall Godfrey's nephew Maurice Godfrey

[Locke888]

Every year I change the starting QB for Michigan. Give him a name like Melissa, Becky or Pamela. Then pretend he's trail blazing a path in college football as the 1st transgender in the game. Really heart felt, tear jerking, courageous moment when I announce that to my imaginary audience.

[JoshC1977]

I am HORRIBLE at keeping dynasties going in any game. Basically it needs to look and play as realistic as possible since I play a very sim style. I follow my blocking, I actually step up into the pocket when usering my QB (none of that '30 yard dropback' or 'run to the right' nonsense that lots of people do), and I play realistic schemes. But if I am going to play realistically, I need to see realism from the game....

I need the following things:

• An appropriate level of challenge; which means that ratings have to matter. Seriously, what is the point of playing a game where playing against a 70 overall team is just as hard as a 90 overall? I want to play against my opponent, not against the sliders. This also means, that if I build up a team, they should be able to also dominate inferior competition more often than not. I also want a degree of challenge where I am punished for mistakes.
• I need to see variety in how teams play and a variety in outcomes (not just final outcomes, but little things like having a variety of tackle outcomes).
• I need to see players reacting and animating properly to reflect what you see in real life. I don't want lineplay to be static, but I want to see proper engage/dis-engage, I want to see plays where the lineman just gets a little bump in to knock a defender off-stride, and thus opening the play. I want to see LBs filling the gaps realistically. I want DBs reacting properly. I want the CPU-controlled RBs making moves and showing off their abilities.

If I see things that don't look right...I get frustrated. I get frustrated, I make changes. I make changes, I start over. After four years of this...I FINALLY got everything I ever wanted with my updated sliders (linked in my signature). Couple that with what can be some somewhat restrictive, yet realistic recruiting rules (especially for 1/2 star teams), and I am set.

I've gotten past the first year of a dynasty only 2 or 3 times on NCAA 14. I'm now in the 4th game of my second season using Idaho (I started this dynasty last week....). I was 3-9 in year 1 with a 61 overall team and had the 81st ranked recruitng class. Year 2, we're a 67 overall and have actually won 2 of our first three games (albeit, against pretty crummy teams - my loss a disastrous 42-3 loss to the Gators).

When you can truly feel a difference in how your guys play based on ratings, your dynasty can take on a life of its own. Example, I signed a 3 star athlete for my crappy Idaho team. Great speed, acceleration, strength. Good trucking and break tackle (so maybe a RB) but he has crappy agility and elusiveness. He has great tackling, pursuit, and coverage skills (for a MLB), but poor block shedding. So....limited as a RB and limited as a MLB. What do you do? He's exactly the kind of flawed player a low level team might be able to get. I decided to use him at MLB and when he is not engaged on a block and can flow to the ball, his speed is virtually unmatched. Now using him as a freshman, it is SO much fun to watch him fly to the ball (yet frustrating when he gets caught-up by a blocker). I'm scheming with him in mind and have a narrative, a story, and THAT is what gives me the immersion. In many slider sets I've used (including many I have created), the sliders would just override those traits and would make him feel like 'just another guy'.

My short answer.....gameplay trumps everything.

[OBinKC]

Some great suggestions here! My advice might not be as good, but here's what I do. Unfortunately, it doesn't include sticking with one school. I start at one of the worst rated teams in the game as a coordinator to get the most realistic coaching experience possible. Once my team has basically done all it can do (conference titles, broken records, national rankings), I take a HC job with one of the lowest rated mid-majors at that certain time. Then I build them up to powerhouse level. Once that gets boring, I'll take a job to rebuild a crappy power 5 team. Once I can win championships with them and/or get bored with that, I'll wait to get offered a job with a "return to the glory days" school like Notre Dame or my favorite team or something.

With difficult sliders, this might keep you interested for at least 10-12 seasons. After that maybe just keep rebuilding different programs.