Sim League definition

[ganggang]

I have recently joined a sim league and have never been a part of one. So I'm wondering what exactly is a sim league. Do people plays the games in sim leagues or they sim the games? What exactly usually happens in these leagues?


Thanks

[T4VERTS]

Re: Sim League definition

This is one of those things that ends up being like trying to define beauty. It really is in the eye of the beholder. Definitions will be all over the place.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: Sim League definition

I have recently joined a sim league and have never been a part of one. So I'm wondering what exactly is a sim league. Do people plays the games in sim leagues or they sim the games? What exactly usually happens in these leagues?


Thanks

Sim league means the league attempts to recreate actual football as much as is possible. They do this with rules, sliders, and other things.

In a sim league, for example, you are not likely to be allowed to go for it on 4th and 10 inside your own 40 yard line. You are not likely to be allowed to call the same play over and over again. That sort of thing.

[SyncereBlackout]

Re: Sim League definition

Ask the commish of the league. To be honest that's the only way to truly know the expectations of the people within the league.

[extremeskins04]

Re: Sim League definition

I would love to join a "coach mode" sim league. You just call the plays, manage the team, etc.

[Mattanite]

Re: Sim League definition

There was a huge twitter discussion on this recently and there was a dev once quoted "as soon as you put a controller in someones hands it's not sim".


My point in the discussion was there are different levels of sim. True sim is as the gentleman above said, "coach mode only". Sim-style football is as others have said, a set of self or league policed rules about what you can and can't do in the game. It's much more challenging.


Over at SML Europe we play "sim-style", we have to get triple signed off on trades and position changes, no CB to Safety. We have a 75/25 max ratio of run/pass and vice versa in a game, a 35 point lead limit, other rules on playcalling etc. It creates a more enjoyable head to head experience knowing your opponent won't cheese you and will be thinking along the lines of a real NFL head coach.

[patsfan1993]

Re: Sim League definition

There was a huge twitter discussion on this recently and there was a dev once quoted "as soon as you put a controller in someones hands it's not sim".


My point in the discussion was there are different levels of sim. True sim is as the gentleman above said, "coach mode only". Sim-style football is as others have said, a set of self or league policed rules about what you can and can't do in the game. It's much more challenging.


Over at SML Europe we play "sim-style", we have to get triple signed off on trades and position changes, no CB to Safety. We have a 75/25 max ratio of run/pass and vice versa in a game, a 35 point lead limit, other rules on playcalling etc. It creates a more enjoyable head to head experience knowing your opponent won't cheese you and will be thinking along the lines of a real NFL head coach.

Just curious about that bolded part of the rules you listed. Why would that be banned? There have been many CB switch to safety, so was wondering what your leagues rationale and thoughts were for putting that rule in place

[N51_rob]

Re: Sim League definition

I have recently joined a sim league and have never been a part of one. So I'm wondering what exactly is a sim league. Do people plays the games in sim leagues or they sim the games? What exactly usually happens in these leagues?


Thanks

Have you read all the rules? Have you played a game with a league admin or senior member to point out area in your play style that you may want to be aware of? As someone else mentioned ask questions. 95% of sim leagues have very similar rules and expectations of members but there are small differences that you may not know or be aware of.

One such example is full no switch which means that you can't switch on defense even after a receiver catches the ball which is not something lots of league do. Just check the rules and ask questions if you have them.

[Mattanite]

Re: Sim League definition

Just curious about that bolded part of the rules you listed. Why would that be banned? There have been many CB switch to safety, so was wondering what your leagues rationale and thoughts were for putting that rule in place

Generally the generated CBs come into the draft with far better coverage and physical skills than the generated Safeties, so I believe it was implemented to add value to safeties and less to CBs and avoid confusion in who can/can't switch.


I'm in favour of an archetype benchmark, so if a CB has at least 60 tackle and hit power they are eligible to switch for instance, and is above 195lbs then there is an argument to switch but this is still on going.

[Godgers12]

Re: Sim League definition

Generally the generated CBs come into the draft with far better coverage and physical skills than the generated Safeties, so I believe it was implemented to add value to safeties and less to CBs and avoid confusion in who can/can't switch.


I'm in favour of an archetype benchmark, so if a CB has at least 60 tackle and hit power they are eligible to switch for instance, and is above 195lbs then there is an argument to switch but this is still on going.

There were fast generated safties in 17, so that really wasn't an issue, I drafted a 93 spd 92 hit SS and a 92 spd 88 hit FS in back to back drafts in the 1st. The issue arises when people move a fast CB to safety because he sucks. It seems as if mediocre safties dont have as much of a negative impact on your team, especially if they're athletic, as say a DL, or CB would. Hell in one of my online leagues, ok, I lied all 3 of my online CFM's I started 66 OVR Kentrel Bryce at safety from day 1, because of his 91 spd, 84 hit, and 97 jmp. In one of the leagues he won DPOY, DBOY and DROY as a rookie, went from a 66 to a 97 in one season lol.

[Hooe]

Re: Sim League definition

There was a huge twitter discussion on this recently and there was a dev once quoted "as soon as you put a controller in someones hands it's not sim".

Agreed wholeheartedly with this.

Once I gave up on trying to police "sim" so hard, my leagues suddenly became a lot more relaxed, a lot less effort to run, and a lot more fun. Sure, my league has some bull**** in it, such as one of our guys getting 2500 rushing yards with a rookie RB or a different guy breaking all the single-season receiving records with a tight end, but it's much more relaxed for me and everyone else in my league to just not worry about that sort of stuff in a multiplayer setting.

To answer the topic question though - "sim" refers to recreating what is seen on the NFL on Sundays as closely as possible. However, different leagues have different ideas as to what is "sim" and what is not. Some leagues police 4th down with various rules. Some leagues ban certain gameplay mechanics such as user catching. Some leagues require pulling players in blowouts and avoiding stat-chasing. The specifics of "sim" are very much a "different strokes for different folks" sort of thing.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

Re: Sim League definition

Agreed wholeheartedly with this.

Once I gave up on trying to police "sim" so hard, my leagues suddenly became a lot more relaxed, a lot less effort to run, and a lot more fun. Sure, my league has some bull**** in it, such as one of our guys getting 2500 rushing yards with a rookie RB or a different guy breaking all the single-season receiving records with a tight end, but it's much more relaxed for me and everyone else in my league to just not worry about that sort of stuff in a multiplayer setting.

To answer the topic question though - "sim" refers to recreating what is seen on the NFL on Sundays as closely as possible. However, different leagues have different ideas as to what is "sim" and what is not. Some leagues police 4th down with various rules. Some leagues ban certain gameplay mechanics such as user catching. Some leagues require pulling players in blowouts and avoiding stat-chasing. The specifics of "sim" are very much a "different strokes for different folks" sort of thing.

Personally I prefer leagues like the NEF League who take sim play extraordinarily seriously. They force broadcast every game so as many members want can watch, both for entertainment and to ensure sim play, they have their own twitter group, forums, league yearly awards, articles, and countless other things all related to making a competitive, sim league.

Of course that is the extreme, and the dedication level is high. But after playing with those guys for a couple Madden cycles, all other online play seriously lost its luster to me.


So, I'd rather not play online at all then play fake football. But again, as you pointed out, a real sim league requires a lot of dedication from both the administrators and the members.

[Mattanite]

Re: Sim League definition

Agreed wholeheartedly with this.

Once I gave up on trying to police "sim" so hard, my leagues suddenly became a lot more relaxed, a lot less effort to run, and a lot more fun. Sure, my league has some bull**** in it, such as one of our guys getting 2500 rushing yards with a rookie RB or a different guy breaking all the single-season receiving records with a tight end, but it's much more relaxed for me and everyone else in my league to just not worry about that sort of stuff in a multiplayer setting.

To answer the topic question though - "sim" refers to recreating what is seen on the NFL on Sundays as closely as possible. However, different leagues have different ideas as to what is "sim" and what is not. Some leagues police 4th down with various rules. Some leagues ban certain gameplay mechanics such as user catching. Some leagues require pulling players in blowouts and avoiding stat-chasing. The specifics of "sim" are very much a "different strokes for different folks" sort of thing.

Totally agree about trying to be relaxed and fun. Our cowboys owner got 2500yards and 30tds with Zeke the Freak last season, but that's fine, he has an all 99 oline and it was a freak season. I have 18tds with Amari Cooper and 5 games to go but it's fine as my play calling is balanced and fair, he's just rated 97ovr.

I think the more relaxed sim-style leagues just want to feel there is a fun even playing field between all the users. Losing isn't fun, but losing because they put a wr at te or dropped 10 or nano blitzed you is not. Sim style is the recreation of Sunday football without the 4verts-all-day feel of head to head

Sent from my F3111 using Operation Sports mobile app

[bigrice25]

Re: Sim League definition

What generally happens in "Sim style" leagues is that the rules become so strict that everyone is left playing the same playstyle....

The rules usually involve a certain Run/Pass ratio, Going for it on 4th, position changes, limiting how many times a play is called, playbook restrictions, ect.

[purplerat]

Re: Sim League definition

What generally happens in "Sim style" leagues is that the rules become so strict that everyone is left playing the same playstyle....

The rules usually involve a certain Run/Pass ratio, Going for it on 4th, position changes, limiting how many times a play is called, playbook restrictions, ect.

yup.

It's typically been my experience that inevitably sim league rules result in sometimes forcing people to be completely non-sim. I've literally had to pull my starting QB during a 2-minute drill in the 4th quarter down by one score because if he passed for 10 more yards he'd go over the stat cap. The more strict the rules the more that stuff happens. I'm lucky to be in a great league with a solid core of about 20+ players where we can play with more relaxed rules such that it's generally sim but without forcing people to play a certain way. Others who come in either learn quickly or get the boot.