Game doesnt have as much DEPTH as I initially thought...

[Heelfan71]

Quote: Originally Posted by jdros13

I feel very similar to this. I'm in the week between my second and third preseason game, and I'm just not sure if I really like the game enough to see it through even one full season. I definitely am finding the practice tasks to be extremely repetitive (not to mention extremely time consuming), and when it comes down to it, if you just let your coordinators pick your plays you really do very little to influence the action. Yeah, I can "coach 'em up" on how I would like the play run, and choose one of the 2 motivation phrases, but this just isn't floating my boat like I had hoped it might. I'm hoping that once I get into the regular season my feelings change.

I just sim through all the practices now. Too time consuming. I don't see myself playing this game at all after NCAA/Madden comes out though.

[BROman]

it is waaaay too time consuming. i messed around w/ the game for over 2 hours the other night and didn't make it out of the month of febuary. it's a bit intriguing, but not exactly my cup of tea.

[michigan21]

Quote: Originally Posted by Lisa_Bonami

This game seems to create alot of illusion of depth when in actuality it is comprised of just alot of pointless micromanagement of very limited depth. Sure there are a 'few' innovative ideas in Head Coach that I would love them to add to the owner mode of Madden such as the Pre Scouting ranges that you can view on a player. Actual practices have 'some' degree of progression that simulate learning to execute plays more effectively the more you practice them. But overall, all in all. The game's workflow and interface structure is so cumbersome and so limiting along with a preschool level of artificial intelligence decision making options that it kills a generally great concept and insults a player's intelligence at the same time. For example, For one of the (many, many) office meetings, the Owner of the team asks me a very basic question which is phrased as more of a suggestion that gives me 2 response choices: 1 -Sure 2 -I know what to do, Why dont you let me stick to running the team? I mean...c'mon! What do you think is the right answer that is going to give me a PLUS with my Owner without insulting him!?? In another meeting, one of my direct reports ( the Offensive Coordinator ) makes a suggestion about starting a certain player because he has been playing well. I mean this is a no brainer! I either say yes, because its quite obvious that's the correct decision and I also increase my trust relationship with him or I say NO because I'm an idiot and dont mind losing trust points for no apparent reason or I simply don't want to go thru a 5 screen click fest to find the stats on the player in question to do a comparision anlysis on him. And for God's sakes, if the game is going to put you in a decision situation between to players for a starting position or a trade request, wouldnt it just make obvious sense to also provide you with their stats on the same screen so you can make an informative call without having to perform open heart surgery to piece together the information?? This game is peppered with alot of these basic preschool level 2 choice decisions to be made throughout the game that make you stop and think that it would just be better to sim ahead to the games rather than wasting any more of your time going thru these mindless conversations which are only broken up with the even moreso annoying inspirational coach quoted load screens between each of these tasks. You soon realize that you've spent a whole lot of time accomplishing a whole lot of nothing that you couldnt have done in Madden in about a fraction of the time with more information readily available to you to make these same decisions with alot less clicking and scrolling and clicking some more! This is not a gripe, but moreso, a critical observation. The game has you doing alot of this clicking, navigating and cumbersome searching for such simple simplistic decision making choices. I spent about 5 hours of time to basically, hire a staff, resign players, scout, draft, establish a playbook, practice the plays and finally start the preseason into the season. This may seem like alot of deep sim options, but the truth is, most of this stuff can already be done with easier, with alot more user friendly interface as well as a more streamlined gameplay flow in games such as Madden and 2K5. I still like the concept, but wish they could have done a few things a bit differently to make this a much more enjoyable game: -I would have preffered a more animated daily coach enviroment similar to the Tycoon sim games with a zoomed out 3 quarter view that gave you access to more organized information viewable from drop down menus all on a main screen at any time. -I would have also preffered to have more choices and options when making certain decisions to motivate as well as negotiating. Too many 1 answer only or 2 option decision choices throughout the game. -Give us stat screens for players and team stats that let you view much more than simply 3 stats on a screen at once. Utilize the entire screen so a player can view much more information on the screen with less scrolling and clicking to find what we are looking for -Since the gameplay doesnt give the player control of the actual action on the field, I would have preffered to see alot more random and exciting animations to make each game feel unique and enjoyable to spectate. -Finally, I would have loved to see a fully customizable 3D camera, similar to the one in Madden instant replays, that the player can control freely as the action is being played out. Again, these are just suggestions that I think would make the game immensely more entertaining and engaging. Some of the interface and extra navigation requirements this game demands, makes actually doing certain things as the Head Coach painfully fustrating to the point you just wind up skipping them and letting it automate just to avoid going thru the multi click drill down process.....and that's not good.

After playing the **** out this game, I agree 100%.

[blackceasar]

Quote: Originally Posted by BROman

it is waaaay too time consuming. i messed around w/ the game for over 2 hours the other night and didn't make it out of the month of febuary. it's a bit intriguing, but not exactly my cup of tea.

Did you think it was going to be Madden 07 Lite? lol

[FooFight2000]

I too am totally dissapointed with this game. It shows a few glimpses of being fun, but i agree with the earlier poster that a "good first effort" isnt good enough for me. I dropped $40 on this game. im not paying for a first effort, im paying for a game.

I'd like to use the "first effort" excuse at work or back when i was in college. "It was a good "first effort" to pass that class." Yeah right!

The access to your information is horrible. a simply listing of your roster is more complicated than ever. Looking at my QB's. I get three little icons representing them in colors based on how i am sorting them, and their numbers. Their is no way to get the guys name , position, and overall on the screen at the same time unless you want to decend into the menu system.

The time management is a joke, There are locked in hours for sitting at a desk only sorting the depth chart or messing with the playbook. No signing players, no cutting players, no trades.

There are bugs in the PS2 version, no matter how many times i change it some low life backup is always my starting CB, i change it, next mandatory "office hours". He is still sitting there. starting.

Load times are horrible, i move from office hours to talking to a scouting director in the same office, and i need a 45 second loading screem with a madden quote saying winning is good deoderant.

You spend so much time doing mundane tasks, that is initially perceived as depth, that it drives you crazy, I complete my 8 goals in training camp within the first week. i have 4 more weeks or doing the same practices, and same monster loading times between each. I can sim through it, but then the player ratings drop and injuries occur. The injury thing is fine by me since its realistic, but it would be nice if injuries also occured during the practices that i play too. You know after all, this is a hardcore sim.

Speaking of sim, no cpu subs in preseason, (yes i know i can manually sub my players, but madden had this "sim" aspect down years ago.), 55 man roster limit, no preseason cuts, no battles for starting position.

The coaching in game is sorta fun (once you get to it). but where's off quickly once you find the AI isnt quite as revolutionary as promised. Im whipping up everyone one with the J-E-T-S JETS!JETS!JETS!.

Motivating your players is a crap shoot. pick aggressive or passive. I'd rather takes my odds betting on even or odd at the craps table. its more fun i can win money, rather than see some negative sign over pennington's head, which doesnt affect his play.

the thing is i like sims, I enjoy (and still play) Front office football. and that was basically a spreadsheet program! (though the coaches in head coach scare me. It looks like they are dolls from the bride of chucky)

Thanks for letting me vent.

[Juggernaut XX]

Quote: Originally Posted by FooFight2000

I too am totally dissapointed with this game. It shows a few glimpses of being fun, but i agree with the earlier poster that a "good first effort" isnt good enough for me. I dropped $40 on this game. im not paying for a first effort, im paying for a game. I'd like to use the "first effort" excuse at work or back when i was in college. "It was a good "first effort" to pass that class." Yeah right! The access to your information is horrible. a simply listing of your roster is more complicated than ever. Looking at my QB's. I get three little icons representing them in colors based on how i am sorting them, and their numbers. Their is no way to get the guys name , position, and overall on the screen at the same time unless you want to decend into the menu system. The time management is a joke, There are locked in hours for sitting at a desk only sorting the depth chart or messing with the playbook. No signing players, no cutting players, no trades. There are bugs in the PS2 version, no matter how many times i change it some low life backup is always my starting CB, i change it, next mandatory "office hours". He is still sitting there. starting. Load times are horrible, i move from office hours to talking to a scouting director in the same office, and i need a 45 second loading screem with a madden quote saying winning is good deoderant. You spend so much time doing mundane tasks, that is initially perceived as depth, that it drives you crazy, I complete my 8 goals in training camp within the first week. i have 4 more weeks or doing the same practices, and same monster loading times between each. I can sim through it, but then the player ratings drop and injuries occur. The injury thing is fine by me since its realistic, but it would be nice if injuries also occured during the practices that i play too. You know after all, this is a hardcore sim. Speaking of sim, no cpu subs in preseason, (yes i know i can manually sub my players, but madden had this "sim" aspect down years ago.), 55 man roster limit, no preseason cuts, no battles for starting position. The coaching in game is sorta fun (once you get to it). but where's off quickly once you find the AI isnt quite as revolutionary as promised. Im whipping up everyone one with the J-E-T-S JETS!JETS!JETS!. Motivating your players is a crap shoot. pick aggressive or passive. I'd rather takes my odds betting on even or odd at the craps table. its more fun i can win money, rather than see some negative sign over pennington's head, which doesnt affect his play. the thing is i like sims, I enjoy (and still play) Front office football. and that was basically a spreadsheet program! (though the coaches in head coach scare me. It looks like they are dolls from the bride of chucky) Thanks for letting me vent.

Great Post. The truth is the truth; although some have trouble accepting it.

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Juggernaut XX

Great Post. The truth is the truth; although some have trouble accepting it.

Opinions are opinions, some people have even more trouble accepting that.

[Juggernaut XX]

Quote: Originally Posted by bkrich83

Opinions are opinions, some people have even more trouble accepting that.

Are you talking about yourself?