Community Q & A with Dynasty Football creator Eric Kneipfer

[neef]

I just completed a demo showing the Coaches' Meeting minigame in DF. Here you run staff meetings to instruct your coaches who to train and what info you want. If you run a strong meeting, stuff gets done; if you don't then time is wasted by the very coaches your trying to work with. Check it out and tell me what you think!

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch...ature=youtu.be

[eaglesfan20]

has me more excited for this game and made me think of a few questions

how often are the coach meeting? daily, weekly, a few times a week?

if I order a coach train a player in an attribute once during a meeting is that option no longer available or could I, if i wanted to, train one player in a certain attribute multiple times with one or more coaches?

A question then regarding training players. Can you a only train a player so high in any given attribute? if so is this then parallel to their potential ratings or current overall?

I am sure I will think of more questions again later but those are what I thought of while watching the video

[neef]

How often are the coach meeting? daily, weekly, a few times a week?
Once a week during the regular season. I want to create something else for training camp.

If I order a coach train a player in an attribute once during a meeting is that option no longer available or could I, if i wanted to, train one player in a certain attribute multiple times with one or more coaches?
This will have to be play tested before a final decision is made, but i didn't want to limit what can be done, so I'd like to allow multiple coaches working with one player. The max number would be capped at 3 though (head coach, coordinator, positional coach for that player's position). No DB coaches working with quarterbacks. lol...

A question then regarding training players. Can you a only train a player so high in any given attribute? if so is this then parallel to their potential ratings or current overall?

Every player has a ceiling and some attributes are harder to increase than others (speed can't be taught, it is said...) If you are stubborn and have 3 coaches train your 2 star player every week for 16 weeks in the same attribute then you'll find outthe hard way the futility of that strategy. This all needs to be considered as you target your players: should you press the all-pro further? or is it better to train his backup who probably has a lower ceiling? That's what real coaches have to think about so that's what I'm trying to simulate.

Great questions, thanks!

[mvb34]

Can you train players in groups or is it all individually?

[neef]

There are 3 very different parts to training in D, all very different from one another:

1) The group training I represented in the Play Practice screen. Every week you only have a certain amount of time to practice the plays you plan to use, so it's an important strategy to plan ahead. If you don't have a play practiced well then it will effect the players' ratings when it is run - likewise if you get the play practiced down to perfection (by spending more time on it in practice) then you get bonuses to players' ratings. Coach's always complain they run out of time, so the idea is to pressure the player to make tough decisions. You can make a thousand plays if you want but you only have time to practice 7 Off, 7 Def, and a couple STs plays a day.

2) Individual training takes place on a separate screen. Whereas the Play Practice screen only temporarily effects ratings when a play is run, this screen allows you to gain increases in players' attributes more or less permanently. There are 90 different training exercises you can choose, each with different results (which are directly effected by the players' Training rating and his coach's Teaching ability for his position. You can have your coach's schedule training for you, or manage it yourself.

3) The last training is what is described in the video I just posted and is directly related to coach's meetings. This is your chance to tag on an additional percentage chance to increase a rating by having coach's work one-on-one with a player with a specific need. This is the edge of having a well-run work environment - your players get an extra boost because your coaches are on the same page with you and are motivated to do well.

[eaglesfan20]

so I was looking over some the screen shots that have been posted around.

while looking at one on the kick started page it was of player training and had the title of "Morning Practice Schedule". how many practices are during the day? does the number differ depending on the week of the season? are there more/different practice times in the off season/pre season?

so that made me think of another question. are there things like OTA's during the off season? will pre season practices start in the end of June, similar to real NFL prior to the start of pre season games?

back to the practice sessions questions that I had started with, sorry for going off track. in the upper right, under player selection there is a category box with a drop down menu. what options are in this menu?
the pic I am looking at is set to offense and shows, by my count, 30 training items. so offense is obvious, but i would assume defense as well and probably special teams? do these each then have 30 items available for training as well? and the same for special teams?

A question about player attributes/ratings that comes to mind. do all players have special teams ratings or attributes or are they specific to certain players or positions, such as kick and punt return ability, kicking and punting, special teams blocking and tackling?

sorry if I rambled some here as I started I thought of more things?
thanks for the time and the answers

cant wait to see more of this game

[neef]

While looking at one on the kick started page it was of player training and had the title of "Morning Practice Schedule". how many practices are during the day? does the number differ depending on the week of the season? are there more/different practice times in the off season/pre season?

Morning practice is for individual players' workouts, afternoons are for play practicing. I should have that screen title just say "Individual Practice". There will be individual practice and play practice 5 days a week before a game. Off season I haven't thought about yet. Pre season I have big plans for but I don't want to say anything yet (and pre-season plans are for THIS version of the game lol).


In the upper right, under player selection there is a category box with a drop down menu. what options are in this menu?
the pic I am looking at is set to offense and shows, by my count, 30 training items. so offense is obvious, but i would assume defense as well and probably special teams? do these each then have 30 items available for training as well? and the same for special teams?

The options are exactly what you suspected: Offense, Defense, and Special teams training. Each has 30 different specific training types - and you can mix them up so defensive players can use offensive training and vice versa. I attached a screenshot of the defensive categories below. The screen hasn't been reworked yet so try not to judge it's appearance.

Do all players have special teams ratings or attributes or are they specific to certain players or positions, such as kick and punt return ability, kicking and punting, special teams blocking and tackling?

No. The way it works is grouping various attributes together. Tackling is a combo of various attributes (Upper and Lower Body Strength, Concentration, Balance, Timing, other stuff depending on the type of tackle). Kick returning is a product of Vision, awareness, Decisions, and the player's physical running ability (Agility, Speed, Acceleration). Like real football, there is variation on players' skill based on groups of attributes. You have to decide what you think is most important. A few atts are specific like Punting, Kicking, and Pass Rush Technique, but even these include other atts like motor for pass rush, guts for a punter under stress, and concentration for a kicker in any situation.

Please keep "rambling"; I love talking about DF - it's validating after I've put so much work into it and I appreciate the depth of your interest.

[eaglesfan20]

Quote: Originally Posted by neef

Pre season I have big plans for but I don't want to say anything yet (and pre-season plans are for THIS version of the game lol).

this has me intrigued and excited to see what you have in store.

Quote: Originally Posted by neef

No. The way it works is grouping various attributes together. Tackling is a combo of various attributes (Upper and Lower Body Strength, Concentration, Balance, Timing, other stuff depending on the type of tackle). Kick returning is a product of Vision, awareness, Decisions, and the player's physical running ability (Agility, Speed, Acceleration). Like real football, there is variation on players' skill based on groups of attributes.

I am actually a fan of this way of doing it.

Quote: Originally Posted by neef

Please keep "rambling"; I love talking about DF - it's validating after I've put so much work into it and I appreciate the depth of your interest.

I am sure that I will. since I have read the first interview on this site I have been very excited about what you have started and what you are still attempting to do. I am very interested and like the depth that this game appears that it will offer