Questions on Philosophy, playbooks

[SloeyEZ]

You're not imagining things. Obv the devs have been busy but we don't seem to be getting a full description of philosophies. I understand most are pretty self-explanatory, but still, if we were back in the 80s early 90s there would have been a manual with all the details yup i'm that old

[StiffArm]

Josh has said that it would take too long to go through and explain how each of the different position philosophies are weighted, and that he won't do it. That's understandable, but I really don't think that would be necessary anyway.

All I really want is a brief description of what each (non-obvious) one places an emphasis on, and perhaps a real-life example.

For example, I assume that "Field General" emphasizes awareness and learning over the other major QB attributes; that is, a QB that doesn't necessarily have the strongest arm, the fastest legs, or the highest release, he just makes good decisions and finds a way to move the ball down the field. Examples: Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Chad Pennington, Bernie Kosar.

Now, I could be completely off in my guess of what a Field General is; my friend thought a Field General would be someone like Peyton Manning because of all the audibles he calls, whereas I thought Peyton Manning would be a "Pure Passer." Obviously, there is some overlap here, as Manning rates high under both philosophies, but that just shows why we need some explanation of what these things mean.

I mean, what is the difference between a Pure Passer and Stong Arm/Tools? I assume a Pure Passer is a pocket QB who is really good at passing.... but then what do you call a QB with a strong arm and tools? Does Pure Passer weigh size or career statistics more heavily while Strong Arm/tools weighs physical traits more heavily? How about the difference between Balanced DE and Prototype DE? Is a balanced DE one who is equally good at stopping the run and rushing the passer, while a Prototype DE is one who is awesome at both and has the ideal size to boot (i.e. Julius Peppers)? If so, then what is the point here; regardless of philosophy (excepting 3-4 teams), who DOESN'T want a Julius Peppers or a Reggie White?

Developers, Please PLEASE briefly explain these things.

[SloeyEZ]

Quote: Originally Posted by StiffArm

Josh has said that it would take too long to go through and explain how each of the different position philosophies are weighted, and that he won't do it. That's understandable, but I really don't think that would be necessary anyway. All I really want is a brief description of what each (non-obvious) one places an emphasis on, and perhaps a real-life example. For example, I assume that "Field General" emphasizes awareness and learning over the other major QB attributes; that is, a QB that doesn't necessarily have the strongest arm, the fastest legs, or the highest release, he just makes good decisions and finds a way to move the ball down the field. Examples: Joe Montana, Tom Brady, Chad Pennington, Bernie Kosar. Now, I could be completely off in my guess of what a Field General is; my friend thought a Field General would be someone like Peyton Manning because of all the audibles he calls, whereas I thought Peyton Manning would be a "Pure Passer." Obviously, there is some overlap here, as Manning rates high under both philosophies, but that just shows why we need some explanation of what these things mean. I mean, what is the difference between a Pure Passer and Stong Arm/Tools? I assume a Pure Passer is a pocket QB who is really good at passing.... but then what do you call a QB with a strong arm and tools? Does Pure Passer weigh size or career statistics more heavily while Strong Arm/tools weighs physical traits more heavily? How about the difference between Balanced DE and Prototype DE? Is a balanced DE one who is equally good at stopping the run and rushing the passer, while a Prototype DE is one who is awesome at both and has the ideal size to boot (i.e. Julius Peppers)? If so, then what is the point here; regardless of philosophy (excepting 3-4 teams), who DOESN'T want a Julius Peppers or a Reggie White? Developers, Please PLEASE briefly explain these things.

exactly

[Caveman Mafia]

the most confusing philosophies are the ones you just mentioned.... pure passer v. field general....and all those balanced v. prototype philosophies have me scratching my head

[mwjr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Caveman Mafia

the most confusing philosophies are the ones you just mentioned.... pure passer v. field general....and all those balanced v. prototype philosophies have me scratching my head

And my question has been for a while, if you choose, for example, Pure Passer vs. Field General, what does that affect?

Does it affect the scouting info you get?
Does it affect who your staff suggests for drafting?
Does it affect the offense's performances? That is, if I run a West Coast offense, but I select a strong arm passer, does my QB's ratings change based on that?

[Caveman Mafia]

on that line of thought.... will a philosophy dictate how the player executes plays? i understand the ratings will change but will the philosophy of field general hamstring a spread option QB?

[chuckm1961]

I hope someone at EA reads this thread.

I think it is INSANE that we would be expected to make these choices about philosophy IN THE DARK.

What's the point of playing the game, spending hours tweaking your team, if you don't even know the rules under which you are playing?

We are not ten-year-olds here. We are trying to take a serious game seriously .... please help us!

[mwjr]

Quote: Originally Posted by Caveman Mafia

on that line of thought.... will a philosophy dictate how the player executes plays? i understand the ratings will change but will the philosophy of field general hamstring a spread option QB?

I like what was attempted, but there needs to be something a little more straightforward when it comes to philosophies.

Coaches and staff members should have philosophies attached to them. If I'm a head coach, and I prefer a run-oriented/deep passing offense, then I should be able to see similar preferences when bidding on coaches, coordinators and staff

From a scouting perspective, players (both college players and NFL free agents) should have "Best Fit" category. Or if we're going to keep the current philosophy system, they should be identified as "Pure Passer" or "Field General" so we can pick the players that best fit the philosophy we outline.