What is Sim? - splff3000's Blog

splff3000's Blog

What is Sim?

Posted on September 4, 2009 at 10:51 AM.

Lately, I've been seeing the word "sim" used for just about everything in football videogames. From the type of game speed you use to the type of plays you call. Now, I've been playing football video games since I was a kid and I don't remember the word sim being so rampant back then. I'm pretty sure most consider those old games, such as Tecmo Bowl, as arcade or not sim. To be sim is the new thing that started with the PS2, but are you really sim?
The first thing we need to do is understand what a simulation(sim) is.....literally. The definition of simulation, according to Merriam Webster's dictionary: "the act or process of simulating." To be more specific, according to wikipedia, "Simulation games, as opposed to other genres of video and computer games, represent or simulate an environment accurately. Moreover, they represent the interactions between the playable characters and the environment realistically. These kinds of games are usually more complex in terms of game play." According to these 2 definitions, especially the "represent the interactions between the playable characters and the environment realistically" part, neither Madden nor NCAA football are simulations. So now the question comes, how can you play sim in a game that's not a simulation?
For example, some may say that going for it on 4th down makes you an unsim player or cheeser. Well, what happens if more coaches start thinking like this coach here: http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=892888 Those people punting on 4th down will become the cheeser or unsim player. Also, who's really to blame here? Is it the player on offense's fault for going for it on 4th down or is it the player on defense's fault for not stopping it? It's neither players fault because even if the defensive player picks the right play, he still may not stop the offensive players play and vice versa. This is not a simulation. You can't play sim. Just because you kick field goals and punt on 4th down doesn't make you a sim player. Speaking of going for it on 4th down, have you ever seen a USC game? Those guys are the biggest cheesers on the planet, especially when they're playing an inferior opponent.
Sometimes, I'll see someone complaining about his opponent rolling his QB out of the pocket too much or there opponent called the same insert number here plays over and over. Why does that make him a cheeser or unsim? Could that happen in real life? Yes it could. Just because those things haven't happened yet doesn't mean it couldn't happen. There's never been a 99yd TD pass on the last play of the game to win it, but it could happen. Would that be cheese as well? Remember this is not a simulation. Just because something works against/for an offense/defense in real life doesn't mean it will work the same way on the game. I'm willing to bet less than 50% of the people that buy these games go into practice mode and practice offensive and defensive plays. I do it every year because I usually play with the Raiders so I have to and they're close enough that my practice in one affects my skills in the other as well. I can honestly say that, most of the time, I don't have a problem when people do the above mentioned things. It makes it easier for me to key in on what they are doing. That tells me that people don't know there playbook. So since they can't stop a guys insert number here offensive plays or move the ball against a guys insert number here defensive plays, he wants to say his opponent is unsim. I got news for you, we're all unsim.
If you've ever threw a pass in Madden or NCAA, you're unsim. The wind doesn't affect the ball and the trajectory isn't 100% accurate. If you've ever run the ball in Madden or NCAA, you're unsim. The blockers don't block according to their assignments. Hell, I don't think they even have assignments. Soon as your video game player steps on the field in madden or NCAA, you're unsim. The field's length and width is not accurately proportioned to the player models. In fact, soon as you hold the ball you're unsim. The ball is not accurately proportioned to the players hand. I could go on and on, but I'm not. So tell me this, why is the guy that calls the same play over and over considered an unsim player, when that could actually happen in real life, but the guy that throws the ball without the wind affecting his pass, which would never happen in real life, is not considered an unsim player. There's a double standard there.
You see, you can't be sim, if you're not in a simulation. Now you could say you're less unsim or more sim like, but no one that plays both of these games is sim. By the way, contrary to what you may think after reading this blog, I am one of the most sim like players you'll ever play. Just so you know.