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GD Knowledge Base & Dev Chats Topic

scottso14

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Snake made a valid point of bringing the old Knowledge base back as it was alot easier to find information that you were looking for. As Moranis said, its all still there, but its like 9 pages long.So here it is in its complete form. I'm sure some newbies don't even know it exists, and others probably don't know how to find it.I will also include all the Dev Chats from the past.This will be a one stop source for all information about GD

7/6/2008 8:53 AM

scottso14

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General Q&AQ. I don't have a credit card, can I still play?

Yes, you can still play by adding funds to your account by either using PayPal or by mailing a money order. To add money to your account via PayPal, simply send the payment to [email protected]. Make sure to include your username. Also note that there is a $1 handling fee for PayPal payments.To pay via mail, send a check or money order to:

WhatIfSports.com
PO Box 43494
Cincinnati, OH 45243

Click here for a deposit form >>

Q. I'm having problems seeing the pages correctly. What do I need to have on my computer?

You must have a recent version of your web browser with Flash installed and Javascript enabled.
To be able to play Gridiron Dynasty, you should be running Internet Explorer (5.0 or higher) or Netscape Navigator (4.7 or higher). In addition, you'll need Flash installed on your computer ( you can get it FREE here) and you'll also need to make sure that you have Javascript enabled (click here for directions).

Q. Is there a maximum number of coaches who can compete at one time?

Yes, the jobs are limited based on the number of schools. In Division III, there are 228 jobs - once those are full, no new coaches would be able to signup in that world. As coaches are successful and accept jobs in Division II, their old jobs would then be available to be filled by new coaches. The same would be true of a coach which decides not to play in a subsequent season (see "What happens if I don't renew my team?" below) - his job would then be open for a new coach. If all of the jobs are taken in a World, you will see a note that your name has been automatically added to the wait list. As jobs open up as other coaches accept positions at other schools, the coaches on the wait list will be emailed regarding the job opening. Jobs are filled on a first come, first served basis.

Q. What time are the games played?

The first half of games begin simulation around 2:30 am EST and the second half around 2:30 pm EST. All game plan and depth chart changes must be made prior to these times to take effect for that portion of the game. Game results are posted as soon as possible and are typically available within a couple hours of the start time. Exhibition games are not played a half at a time and are completely simulated around 2:30 am EST.

Q. Do I have to login every day? What happens if I go on vacation?

No, you do not have to login every day. By logging in each day, you can make changes (if needed) to prepare for your next opponent, but it's not required.

Q. How many "coaches" does it take to get started?

Actually zero - in each "world", all of the schools will be run by the Sim AI (computer) unless a real person has accepted the job at that school.

Q. How long is a season? What is the schedule?

A season will last for approximately 5 weeks.

Description	Days
Recruiting:	7
Off Day:	2
Regular Season:	13
Conference Championship:	1
Bowl Games (D-IA):	5
Playoffs (D-IAA, D-II, DIII) (only 32 teams are invited):	5
Renewal Period:	1
Job Application Period:	3

Q. Are there any prizes for successful coaches?

Yes

Maximum Prize
Description	Reward Points
Playoff Invitation	400
Advance to Second Round	800
Advance to Third Round	1400
Advance to Semifinals	2200
Advance to Championship	3200
National Champion	4400
D-III
Playoff Appearances	Percent of Maximum Awarded
1-2	100%
3	75%
4-5	50%
6 or more	25%
D-II
Playoff Appearances	Percent of Maximum Awarded
1-3	100%
4	75%
5-7	50%
8 or more	25%
D-IAA
Playoff Appearances	Percent of Maximum Awarded
1-4	100%
5	75%
6-9	50%
10 or more	25%
D-IA
Description	Reward Points
Level 1 Invitation - Hawaii Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Fort Worth Bowl Tangerine Bowl GMAC Bowl New Orleans Bowl	200
Level 1 Victory	400
Level 2 Invitation - Holiday Bowl Houston Bowl Alamo Bowl Continental Tire Bowl Insight.com Bowl Motor City Bowl	500
Level 2 Victory	800
Level 3 Invitation - Emerald Bowl Liberty Bowl Sun Bowl Music City Bowl Silicon Valley Bowl Independence Bowl	900
Level 3 Victory	1400
Level 4 Invitation - Humanitarian Bowl Peach Bowl Cotton Bowl Capital One Bowl Gator Bowl Outback Bowl	1500
Level 4 Victory	2100
Level 5 Invitation - Rose Bowl Fiesta Bowl Orange Bowl Sugar Bowl	2500
Level 5 Victory	3200
National Champion	4400

Coaching Career:Q. What happens if I don't renew my team?

At the end of the regular season, each coach who has not signed up for another season will receive an email reminder. After the conference championship, coaches who still have not signed up for another season will receive a final reminder. At the end of the season, any schools whose coaches have not signed up for the subsequent season will have their teams made available to the general public. Once you lose your school, you can not reclaim that school.

Q. Does everyone start at Division III? Can you pay more to start at Division II or higher?

Yes, every coach starts in Division III and can only reach Division II, Division I-AA, or Division I-A by receiving a job offer from a DII, DI-AA, or D-IA school.

7/6/2008 8:54 AM

scottso14

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			Recruiting Continued:Q. How many players will I have to recruit? How many total scholarships do I have available?
		The number of open scholarships will vary by school. When you initially accept the job, you will see the number of scholarships available. As you progress through subsequent seasons at that school, you'll have various numbers of scholarships to fill as kids graduate, transfer, quit, leave early for the NFL, etc. Your total roster size is 50 players and all players are on scholarship.
			Q. What happens if I don't use all of my recruiting budget?
		Any cash not used during the recruiting period will carry over to your team's recruiting budget for the following season as long as you have filled all of your scholarships.
			Q. What if I offer my 2 remaining scholarships to 10 players and the 2 players I wanted least end up accepting my offer first?
		Tough luck - it's a signed agreement between the school and the player. If you don't want to enter into that situation, just offer your first two choices their scholarships first and wait for a response. If they say no, work your way down your list.
			Q. Does the success of my program impact the quality and quantity of our recruits?
		Yes, the more success your program enjoys, the easier it will become to land recruits in the future. Conversely, if your program tanks for a couple of seasons or falls under WCAA investigation (just as examples), you may find getting kids to come to your school very challenging.
			Q. What if I guarantee a recruit a starting spot, then I dont give it to him? Are there any repercussions?
		Yes, there could be - players who are promised a starting spot (and then are not started) could do any number of things ranging from nothing all the way up to quitting.
			Q. I'm coaching in Division III, what are the odds of landing a DI-A type of player - maybe even someone that's ranked?
		Slim and none - and slim just the building. DI-A players are like supermodels - most won't even acknowledge your existence. Save your money for the players that you actually have a shot with.
			Q. Is there any signficance to the order of the schools that the recruit is considering?
		No, the order of the schools doesn't matter.
			Q. I went to a recruit's house but he wasn't there - why didn't I get my money back?
		Some kids will stiff you if they don't think enough of you and/or your program to remember the meeting. You've still had to make the trip so you don't get your money back. The moral of the story is to not spend your high cost recruiting items on recruits unless you're confident they have a high level of interest.
			Q. Do recruits have any school preferences before recruiting begins?
		Yes and no - they could already be interested in a Sim AI school but they will not already be interested in a user coached school.
			Q. Do recruits become "easier" to recruit as the recruiting window begins to close?
		Yes, recruits will not need as much persuasion as the signing period gets shorter. Of course, by waiting though, you run the risk of the recruit signing with someone else.

7/6/2008 8:54 AM

scottso14

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			Roster Management Continued:Q. Are there restrictions for redshirting players?
		Yes, you can redshirt a maximum of three (3) players per season. In order to redshirt, a player cannot have played in any games this season and cannot have had a previous redshirt season. Players can have a redshirt season at any point during their college career. Redshirts can be applied up until the seventh (7) game of the season ends and can be removed at any point during the season. Only coaches who have remaining seasons with their team are allowed to hand out redshirts.
			Q. Do redshirt players practice? Do they dress for games?
		Yes, redshirt players practice with the team. No, they do not dress for games and are unavailable to play in a game regardless of the situation.
			Q. Will all players who have had a redshirt season return for a 5th year?
		No, not all players who have a 5th year of eligibility will return. Every player that has a chance to return will make this decision based upon many factors, not the least of which is playing time the past season and perceived playing time for the upcoming season.
		.	Q. If I redshirt a player, does that mean I have another roster spot for another player?
		No. A redshirt player still uses a roster spot and your team will have to play games with less players.
			Q. Do I have to remove a player's redshirt at the end of the season?
		No. When the next season begins, all the redshirt players from the previous season will be automatically restored to eligible status. If you click the 'remove redshirt' link, you will use a year of that player's eligibility.
			Q. What is a medical hardship waiver?
		A medical hardship waiver can be given to a player by the WCAA who has missed a significant portion of the season because of an injury. It provides for an extra year of eligibility for the player similar to a redshirt.
			Q. Who is eligible for a medical hardship waiver?
		Players are eligible if they have participated in less than 20% of the scheduled season and the illness or injury occurs in the first half of the season. The illness or injury must result in an incapacity to compete for the remainder of the season. Players who have already had a redshirt season or a prior waiver are not eligible.
			Q. How does a player apply for the medical hardship waiver?
		An application on the player's behalf will automatically be submitted to the WCAA by his school's member conference. No action is required by the coach, nor is it his decision. The waivers are handed out by the WCAA at the conclusion of the season.
			Q. Between seasons, I'd like to rescind a scholarship to one of my returning players - can I do that?Yes. Once the season is over and before the next season begins, you will have a chance to evaluate your team and decide whether or not a player deserves to keep his scholarship. Rescinding scholarships can have an effect on your reputation as a coach and make it harder for you to recruit. You must have seasons remaining on your account in order to rescind a scholarship. When the option is available to you, there will be a 'Rescind Scholarship' link next to players' names in your office roster listing. All rescinded scholarships are then available to be filled during the next recruiting period (the appropriate amount of money is added to your recruiting budget).

			Q. Is there a limit to the number of scholarships that can be rescinded each season?
		Yes. Your athletic director will not let you rescind more than 3 scholarships per season.

7/6/2008 8:54 AM

scottso14

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		Roster Management Continued:Q. Can I change a player's position?
	Yes. To change a player's position, open his profile by clicking on his name in your office and then clicking the "Change Position" tab. Then you can select a new position for the player. Once you change a player's position, his ratings are permanently changed to reflect this switch. If you wish to return the player to his original position, you must go through this same process and his ratings will not match his original ratings. You will not be allowed to completely eliminate all the players at a given position. Additionally, you are limited to 5 position changes per season.
		Q. Why is my player not getting credit for starting games?
	He does not meet the criteria for being considered a starter on your team. Your starters are determined by your basic depth chart and the base offense/defense of the main active game plan for the game. In order for a player to get statistical credit for a start, the player must be listed as a starter according to these settings and also enter the game in the first half of play.
		Q. If I make a starting spot promise to a recruit during recruiting and then redshirt him, does this delay the promise? Will he get upset?
	The redshirt season does not delay the promise and the player may get upset. A freshman start promise is a commitment to start the player in his first season with the team. Likewise, a sop****re start promise is a commitment to start the player in his second season with the team. The promises correspond to the player's year in school and not his eligibility.Depth Charts:
		Q. Should I set all the positions and depth settings on the basic depth chart?
	It is recommended that the depth chart be completely filled in, though not required. All position slots that would be used in a game based upon the formations you use should have a player listed. Depending upon the position, the number one player may be the only one to get into the game, but his backups should be set in case of injury. Additionally, the basic depth chart determines who your starters are for the game.
		Q. How does the basic depth chart effect who gets into the game?
	It depends upon the position. For QB, K, and P, the number one player will most likely be the only player to get any playing time. For the other positions, it depends upon the formation being used. For example, if your team is in a 4-4 formation on defense for a play, then the top four defensive linemen, top four linebackers, and top three defensive backs will be in the game for that play. The player listed first will be placed in the most critical position. This means that the first running back will get most of the carries and the first defensive back will cover the other team's number one receiver, etc. Of course, injuries and game fatique will cause some adjustments. You can have more control over this aspect of the game by using the advanced depth charts.
		Q. How do the advanced offensive depth charts work?
	These settings offer a way in which to control the offensive players that are in the game for each offensive formation. Each formation has its own depth chart and they can all be different. Additionally, each depth slot has an effective and a distribution setting.The effective setting is used to set when the player should be taken out of the game and a backup inserted into the lineup because of fatigue. The setting tries to quantify the player's effectiveness in the game relative to when he is completely rested and healthy. For example, setting a player's effectiveness to 60% (the default setting) means that he will be subbed out of the game when he is playing at 60% of his overall effectiveness.The distribution setting is used to set how often a running back or quarterback should get carries in the running game and wide receivers and tight ends should be the first option on p*ing plays. The distribution must be set to a number within the range 0 - 100 for the player. The distribution is relative to the other players currently in the game. For example, on the I-Formation depth chart setting QB1's distribution to 10, RB1's to 60, RB2's to 30, and RB3's to 10 means that when a running play is called and QB1, RB1, and RB2 are in the game for the play, QB1 will carry the ball 10% of the time, RB1 60% of the time, and RB2 30% of the time. Using the same settings, if QB1, RB1, and RB3 are in the game for the play, QB1 will carry the ball 12.5% of the time, RB1 75% of the time, and RB3 12.5% of the time. The distribution is slightly different for p*ing plays -- it does not necessarily determine who the ball is thrown to by the quartberack. It sets who the quarterback will look to first (first progression in his reads), but he may have to move on to another receiver if he is covered or he has pressure from the defense.
		Q. How do the advanced defensive depth charts work?
	These settings offer a way in which to control the defensive players that are in the game for each defensive formation. Each formation has its own depth chart and they can all be different. Additionally, each depth slot has an effective setting that is used to set when the player should be taken out of the game and a backup inserted into the lineup. The setting tries to quantify the player's effectiveness in the game relative to when he is completely rested and healthy. For example, setting a player's effectiveness to 60% (the default setting) means that he will be subbed out of the game when he is playing at 60% of his overall effectiveness.
		Q. Which RB in my depth chart is the fullbback?
.	The fullback is always the last RB in the game for the given formation. For example, if you are running a 2 RB set, the 2nd listed RB is the fullback.
		Q. How do I know which position my DBs are playing?
	The #1 and #2 listed DBs are the corners. The #3 and #4 listed DBs are the safeties. The #5 listed DB is the nickel back and the #6 listed DB is the dime back.
		Q. Do the OL and DL players play specific positions?
	No, your OL and DL work as a unit within the sim.

7/6/2008 8:54 AM

scottso14

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Depth Charts Continued:Q. Why are my players subbing out of the game so soon and why do I have players playing out of position?

This is likely a result of using the advanced depth charts with effective settings that are much too high. The fatigue system is designed such that a player with 50 (average) stamina can play an entire game under normal, balanced use with an effective setting of 60%. If your players have lower stamina ratings or you run an unbalanced offense, you should lower your settings based upon this guideline. If you have higher stamina players and run a balanced offense, then you can likely raise your settings. When a player subs out, the game will look to the next person down on the depth chart and continue down the depth chart until an available player is found. If no players are found at the particular position that are available to play, then the game will look to other positions to fill in.

Q. Should I remove injured and redshirt players from my depth charts?

If you only have one unavailable player at a given position and the rest of the depth chart for that position is filled in, then you do not have to remove him. If multiple players are unavailable, then you should remove them. In all cases, it is best to remove unavailable players from the depth charts and adjust them accordingly so that the desired players get the most playing time.Post Season:

Q. How do teams qualify for the conference championship?

The winners of each division within the conference will play for the conference championship. If two teams finish with the same conference record, then the tie is broken by going to the overall record, followed by head-to-head result, and finally WIS rank.

Q. How do teams qualify for bowl games?

Only D-IA teams are eligible for bowls games and are chosen based upon their final conference standing and their ranking in the WIS poll. This poll takes into accound many factors, including winning percentage and strength of schedule.

Q. Do teams earn additional recruiting money by making bowl appearances?

Yes. The amount of money earned is split amongst all conference teams and is based upon the bowl.

Bowl Level	Additional Money
BCS	$15,000
Level 4	$10,000
Level 3	$8,000
Level 2	$6,000
Level 1	$4,000

Q. How do teams qualify for the playoffs?

The winners of each conference within D-IAA, D-II, and D-III are invited to the divisional playoffs. The remaining 32-team field is filled by selecting at-large teams based upon many factors, including winning percentage and strength of schedule.

Q. Do teams earn additional recruiting money by making playoff appearances?

Yes. The amount of money earned is split amongst all conference teams and is based upon how far the team progresses in the playoffs as well as the division.

Division	Advanced To	Additional Money
IAA	First Round	$3,000
IAA	Second Round	$4,500
IAA	Quarterfinals	$6,000
IAA	Semi-finals	$7,500
IAA	Championship	$9,000
II	First Round	$2,000
II	Second Round	$3,000
II	Quarterfinals	$4,000
II	Semi-finals	$5,000
II	Championship	$6,000
III	First Round	$1,000
III	Second Round	$1,500
III	Quarterfinals	$2,000
III	Semi-finals	$2,500
III	Championship	$3,000

Practice:

Q. How important is work ethic - in other words, how much will guys improve with practice? Do they stay the same or can a guy who is rated low in some categories become good with a strong work ethic and well used practice time/game experience?

While in general, a player with a high work ethic will tend to improve at a slightly faster pace than an equivalent player with a low work ethic, there are always exceptions. A player may not like the playing time he's receiving and not work as hard in practice - players may not work as hard if the team is struggling, etc. Also, some players have already reached their full potential while in high school and will not improve much during their college playind days.

Q. How do attributes change - for instance, I presume that blocking drills in the practice session improves blocking, but do athleticism and work ethic change and if so, how?

Practicing certain areas of a player's game will help him improve his skills. See the following table for a general (not position specific) list of how each area may impact a player's game:

Practicing...	Improves...
Conditioning	Athleticism, Speed, Durability, Stamina
Blocking	Blocking, Technique
Tackling	Tackling, Technique
P*** Routes	Elusiveness, Technique
Hands	Hands, Technqiue
Strength	Strength, Athleticism, Durability
Agility	Elusivness, Athleticism, Speed
Kicking	Technique
Punting	Technique
Study Film	Game Instinct, Technique
P***ing	Technique

Generally, happy players (getting starts/playing time) will work harder during practice (work ethic improvements). With regards to the offenses and defenses, the more practice and playing time a player receives under each set, the better the offense will function in terms of efficiency.

Q. What's the minimum time I need to practice an area so a player's rating won't go down?

It really varies based on the player's work ethic, potential, and how much playing time he's getting. Normally somewhere between 7 and 10 minutes would be a good minimum.

7/6/2008 8:54 AM

scottso14

Posts: 373 (0)

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		Practice Continued:Q. If my player is not healthy enough to play in a game, does he still practice?
	No. Players who are not healthy enough to participate in a game are held out of practice.Scheduling:
		Q. How many exhibition games can I schedule?
	You may schedule a maximum of 3 exhibition games to be played prior to the start of the regular season. No more than 1 game can be played per day. You may extend as many challenges as you wish, but only the first 3 accepted challenges will be scheduled.
		Q. Who can I challenge to an exhibition game?
	You may challenge any team you wish regardless of their division, excluding teams that are already on your regular season schedule. When a challenge is extended to a sim AI controlled team, that team will accept your challenge as long as they are not already scheduled for 3 exhibition games. When a user coached team is challenged, that coach will receive an invitation and then have the option of either accepting or rejecting your challenge.
		Q. Can players get hurt in an exhibition game? Will my players improve by playing in these games?
	Yes, players can get hurt playing in the exhibition games - but they also get the benefit of game experience and additional practice time.
		Q. Do I have any control over non-conference scheduling?
	Yes! You can schedule your non-conference games for the NEXT season. From the schedule menu, choose challenges and then non-conference. You may schedule up to 5 non-conference games. All games for next season must be scheduled prior to the conclusion of the postseason and any unfilled slots will be automatically filled in for you prior to the start of next season. NOTE: You must have a minimum of 1 season on your account for that world to be able to participate in non-conference scheduling.
		Q. What happens if I don't fill in all of my non-conference spots for next season?
	Any spots not scheduled by you will be filled in for you prior to the start of the next season, if possible. It is not always possible to find teams that have open dates that match and available to play one another and therefore you could end up with an open date if you do not schedule your games yourself. Non-conference scheduling can be done anytime from the start of the season to the end of the post-season. Players:
		Q. How will a redshirt effect a player?
	Some players will not have a problem with being given a redshirt for the season, but others will not like it. A player's work ethic could drop or he may even decide that he wants to transfer out of the program. Typically, the younger the player is (Fr. as compared to a Sr.), the less he will be effected by the redshirt status.
		Q. If I remove a player's redshirt, how will he respond?
.	It depends upon the situation. If a player was negatively effected by his redshirt status, then some of these effects could be reversed, but not all. When the reshirt is removed (number of games into the season) plays a large role in how the player will respond. As a general rule, players don't like to use a year of eligibility to play in 1 or 2 games.
		Q. Do player ratings change as the season progresses?
	Yes, they will change based on your practice plan settings and the player's work ethic, potential, and playing time.
	.	Q. How much will players improve each year?
	Nobody knows - it all depends on the kid, what you are practicing, how much playing time he receives, etc.

7/6/2008 8:54 AM

scottso14

Posts: 373 (0)

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Prospect

Players Continued:Q. What do the ratings mean?

Players are rated in 12 different categories, each are based from 1 - 100 with 1 being the worst and 100 being the best. The table below gives a hint of what to look for in your players, but it is not a complete cheat sheet.

Position	What to look for...
QB	Game Instinct to make the right decisions; Technique and Strength to make an accurate throw
RB	Speed to break the big play; Athleticism and Elusiveness to make defenders miss
WR	Hands to make the catch; Speed, Elusiveness, and Technique to get open
TE	Blocking and Strength for p*** protection and run blocking; Hands to make receptions
OL	Blocking, Strength, and Technique for protecting your quarterback
DL	Tackling to make the tackle; Strength and Technique for p*** rushes
LB	Game Instinct for reading the play; Speed and Athleticism to get in on the play
DB	Technique and Game Instinct for coverage; Speed to stay with the receiver
K	Technique and Strength for accuracy and distance
P	Technique and Strength for accuracy and distance

Q. Do players get tired - if not, what are the stamina and durability ratings for?

There is no game to game fatigue – meaning everyone starts every game at 100% (***uming they are 100% healthy). The stamina rating refers to their in-game conditioning. Durability refers to their likelihood of injury and if they do get injured, how long they would be out.

Q. How do I improve a player's work ethic?

You can't - it's up to the player. Some kids will respond to playing time, some kids won't. Some kids will respond to starting, some won't.

Q. Will work ethic affect improvement rate or is it more a reflection of attitude, increasing or decreasing likelihood of off the field problems?

Yes, players that have a better work ethic have a better likelihood of improving based on your practice plans and even during the off-season.

Q. Can a player's ratings go down?

Yes, when you practice a certain area, a player's ratings improve - if you don't practice an area enough, a player's ratings can go down. For example, if you spend 0 time practicing tackling, players on your team would tackle much worse by the end of the season than they did at the beginning of the season.

Q. If my player is injured during the game, how will the sim decide whether or not to keep him in the game?

If the injury causes the player's health to drop below 75%, he will be taken out of the game. If the injury is less severe, he will continue to play. In all cases, he will miss some playing time while the training staff looks at him.

Q. How quickly will players heal?

Each player will heal at a different pace depending upon his durability and work ethic.

Q. Are there any lasting effects from moderate or major injuries?

All players will eventually heal completely, but when they return from injuries that forced them to miss some games they will be less than 100% healthy. The amount of time it takes each player to heal completely depends upon the player and the injury.

7/6/2008 8:54 AM

scottso14

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Develper Chat #1 (JConte)Tuesday, April 12, 2005 at 3:00 PM EST.

Here's your chance to ask questions and/or provide comments/suggestions about the coaching options in Gridiron Dynasty -- depth chart setup, practice setup, and game plan options.

If I play a 4-3 Defense and I only have 2 DB's on my team, who fills the remaining two spots? (djgomez33 - Hall of Famer - 2:54 PM)The sim will look to other positions to set your lineup. In this case, WRs will be looked at first followed by LBs.

How does game instinct come into play performance wise for an offensive lineman. (ncheels85 - Rookie - 2:56 PM)Game instinct is used mostly for picking up blitzes. Offensive linemen need to know how to adjust their blocking ***ignments in these situations for p*** protection.

What is the "1" major factor or ranking of multiple factors that determines why a player gets injured and how can it be prevented? Thanks (beattle34 - All*Star - 2:58 PM)The most important factor in determining injuries is durability, but stamina and the amount of action a player sees in the game are also factors. If a player is getting over-used and is very tired, his chances of an injury are increased. The best way to prevent injuries is to adjust your practice plan to increase your players' ratings in these areas and your game plan to not abuse players by using them too much.

What good is the 5-2 Defense? Is it better against the Wishbone than the I-formation? (cowboygriz - All*Star - 3:01 PM)All the various sets have their strong points and their weak points -- the 5-2 is very good against tough inside running attacks, but is weaker against an aggressive p***ing attack. The effectiveness has a great deal to do with your players as well. If you have 5 good/great linemen but have weaker linebackers, then the 5-2 might be a good way to go against both the formations mentioned. It is not necessarily better against either one in a general sense.

Are there any plans to ever develop any pro dynasty games or a college baseball dynasty game? Those would be great. raiderzman33 (raiderzman33 - All*Star - 3:02 PM)Baseball (MLB) dynasty is in the works!

Does work ethic effect a players ability to recover fumbles? What about strength or athelticism? (zamiam - All*Star - 3:03 PM)A player's work ethic does not really come into play much as far as the game play goes. Strength and athleticism do play a part, but where the player is on the field when the fumble occurs is also a major factor.

As it stands now, when you're setting your defensive gameplan, the same defense you set for 1st and 10 ends up being what you run on 3rd and 19, since you set it against distance only, not down and distance. Is this going to change soon? (briandnlo4 - All*Star - 3:05 PM)No, there are currently no plans to change the way the defensive game planning is setup. Defenses generally match the offensive players on the field and the game plan is currently setup to follow this practice.

I am wondering just how much TEAM PRACTICE affects game play? I mean, individual practice shows improvements for players, but how does TEAM PRACTICE help? Or how do you know it helps? (randawg - Prospect - 3:07 PM)Team practice effects your team's knowledge of the various sets and their ability to execute them. As your team improves in these areas, you will see less penalties and a greater ratio of successful plays out of those sets.

How do I red shirt a player? (ryansrats - Veteran - 3:08 PM)Click the link next to your players' names in your office -- Apply Redshirt. It must be before the 7th game of the season and you must have seasons remaining on your account.

Does a QB put in for the 2nd half have any disadvantages like being 'cold' or not in the flow of the game? (cowboygriz - All*Star - 3:09 PM)No, the QB is not at a disadvantage if he did not play in the first half of the game.

Can you tell us if there are different levels of teams at DIA. There are a few of us in Bryant that are going to be looking to move up soon. Would it be safe to ***ume teams in BCS conferences are going to be harder to move to than a team in say the MAC or C-USA? (shattujw - Veteran - 3:09 PM)Yes, that is a safe ***umption. There is a distinction between the BCS conference teams and the others as well as some distinctions made among the BCS level teams.

When defending the p*** is it better to run a nickel, with a bad to average 5th DB, or a 3-4 with a better rated 4th LB? (jeffkahleb - Hall of Famer - 3:11 PM)That really depends upon the formation you are facing, the overall quality of your players, your team's ratings at the two sets, the offensive team's rating at its set, etc. The best way to find out is to try them both out in a game and then go with the one you feel worked best.

Which DB (by means of the depth chart) is the most likely to blitz out of the 4-4,4-3-seems rather random. (geedub - Veteran - 3:12 PM)It is rather random -- sometimes it is a corner blitz (either right or side) and sometimes it is a safety blitz. It gets spread around.

If you set your running to conservative, will it help cut down on fumbling? (jeffkahleb - Hall of Famer - 3:15 PM)It will help because you will run less risky plays, but fumbles are more a result of your player's technique, strength, and elusiveness. Technique for carrying the football, strength for holding onto it, and elusiveness to avoid the type of hit that would cause a fumble. Fatigue also plays a role because tired players tend to get sloppy.

I heard that that WIS takes the overall rating of your O/D line. Is there any way to create advantages by listing them in the starting depth chart? Trying to create matchups? Or does WIS just put the best rated against the best rated, regardles s of depth? (jeffkahleb - Hall of Famer - 3:17 PM)Since you cannot specify the exact positions across the OL/DL, the overall rating is used. You cannot create mismatches by listing your players in various orders on the depth chart.

Will games between two SimAI coached teams ever have boxscores created? Thanks. (hypnotoad - All*Star - 3:18 PM)These games do have a boxscore, just no play-by-play.

Is there any chance we are going to get anything to help us decide if our practice plans are working for our Offensive and Defensive game plans? I have no way of knowing if my team is just bad or i am not practicing the sets enough (guerrilla - All*Star - 3:20 PM)If you are getting a lot of penalties, then your team does not understand the set you are running very well and you need to increase your practice time. Likewise, if you are not seeing much success out of a particular set, try increasing your practice time in that area to improve performance. We are currently looking into some ways to give you more feedback as the coach in this area.

Are the defensive and offensive sets all or nothing? That is, if my team has not practiced the Shotgun, should I never try running it? Or, since they are well-practiced in Trips, they should be able to run it with some degree of success? Same with defense, if I practice the 4-3 should I be able to run the 5-2 with relative success? Thanks! (paranoid0 - Hall of Famer - 3:21 PM)They are not all or nothing, but your team will be much better running the sets that you do practice. You will see less success and more penalties running the sets that you do not practice.

what is the best formation to run out of if you have a poor offensive line (nugp33 - Veteran - 3:22 PM)There is no "best" formation as they are all dependent upon your players. If you want to run behind a poor offensive line, then I would suggest running out of sets that are designed more for the running game -- wishbone or ND box -- as a starting point.

The most difficult thing I have found to gauge, is the effect of the aggressiveness settings (more so on defense). Is there any way to shed some light or provide a translation into how that plays on the field. (% blitzing, corners bump & run, or way off?) (SvennyI - All*Star - 3:25 PM)The aggressiveness of a defense is directly related to how often you blitz and go for turnovers -- players try to strip the ball instead of simply making the tackle or jump p***ing routes to get the interception. These types of actions may create a "big" play, but it makes it much easier for the offense to break a "big" play of their own.

I have been changing my depth chart not on overall ratings but adding the ratings of the categories that the help page says are areas of concentration for a position. Ex. OL--Str, Bl and tech. I have been starting guys that are higher in these three combined areas as opposed to overall rating--is this a good thing or bad thing??? (ckparsons - All*Star - 3:27 PM)It is a good thing -- the overall rating of a player does not factor into the game play, the sim always looks at the individual categories. Starting players that are higher in the categories you feel are important for their position is the way to go.

Is it possible to change the plan at half time? (wrmiller13 - All*Star - 3:29 PM)Yes, that is why the game is split into halves. As long as you make your changes prior to 2:30 PM EST they will take effect for the second half of your game.

What happens if, for deceptive purposes, a coach selects a primary offense that he doens't intend to run, I.e. he doesn't practice it or include it in any of his 1-4 down settings? Any consequences? Same questions re: primary defense. Thanks. (rhuff1119 - Prospect - 3:30 PM)No, their are no consequences for doing this at the present time.

What factor is important for DBs and their ability to have interceptions? (dbelford - Pro - 3:32 PM)A lot of things play into an interception, but I'd say the most important factor is game instinct to recognize the route and be in the right place to make the play. Obviously, he has to have the speed to get there and the hands to catch the ball as well.

If my QB has a weak arm but is high in GI would he automatically know not to throw deep too much? (trojanman2k3 - Veteran - 3:33 PM)No, he will try to make the play called by the coach. If you have a weak QB, then you probably want to go with a more conservative p***ing attack that will have shorter throws than an aggressive one.

During recruiting, I offered a recruit a starting position as a freshman. He refused the offer but lost the money from my recruting budget. I eventually signed him...do I need to start him now? (ezea - All*Star - 3:34 PM)No. As long as he did not accept the offer, you do not need to start him.

If I run the Shotgun and put my best WR as the 4th starting WR, do I have an advantage because he's going against my opponent's #4 DB? (pottle - Hall of Famer - 3:36 PM)If your QB has the time to get to his 4th read, then you would have an advantage at the individual mathcup between WR and DB, but you have to have a very good line to give your QB that much time in the pocket.

Does playing aggressively on defense mean you'll blitz more as opposed to playing conservatively? (trojanman2k3 - Veteran - 3:36 PM)Yes.

Does a team have an IQ for an offense that affects the effectivenss of the offense? If so, is it cumulative over the course of a college career, or does it reset at the beginning of each season? (breum - Hall of Famer - 3:38 PM)I would call it more of a rating than an IQ, but yes. It is cumulative over the course of the season and then gets recalculated at the beginning of the next season to take into account players who have and new players that have arrived.

If you start using a new offensive or defensive formation, how long does it take for your team to run it effectively? ***uming a reasonable amount of practice time is devoted to it, that is. (3putt21 - All*Star - 3:39 PM)This really depends upon your players and the amount of practice time devoted -- personally, I wouldn't want to run a set that I haven't practiced for at least several days.

What are the yardage ranges for long, medium, and short when setting defensive sets (short is 1 to ?, etc)? (methomps - Prospect - 3:40 PM)These are used to matchup against your opponent's offense. When your opponent is in a "long" situation, then your "long" defense for that set is used.

Are the re-vamped depth charts going to be coming out any time soon? Care to mention any features they will have? Thanks! (3putt21 - All*Star - 3:42 PM)They are on the way and will include a method to control substitutions rather than allowing the sim to decide when a player needs to come out of the game. The release date is TBD.

Does it matter where I put my best player at any position on the depth chart ? For example, would it be better to put my good, but slowest linebacker in the second spot on the depth chart considering I am running a 4-3 defense ? Or does it not mattter at all ? (mileininger - All*Star - 3:43 PM)Yes, it does make a difference. The higher up on the depth chart the player is, the more integral he will be in the game -- more carries, thrown to more, cover the best WR, etc.

Is it safe to ***ume that your 2nd two DB's listed on the depth chart are the safeties and the first two are the corners? So for safeties, tackling and GI are more important than technique and speed? (3putt21 - All*Star - 3:46 PM)Yes, that is correct. Tackling and GI are very important, but I wouldn't downplay the importance of technique and speed. The safety might know where to go and be able to make the tackle if he gets there, but he may not have the speed to get there or the technique to take the proper line.

Hands plays no part in the equation for players fumbling? (breum - Hall of Famer - 3:48 PM)Yes, it does play a role. A player with poor hands will be more likely to fumble.

How come when I go to set my 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th downs after I save it it refreshes with it something different then what I saved it as? (trojanman2k3 - Veteran - 3:49 PM)This sounds like a problem -- please submit a support ticket regarding this issue.

If I want my team to "go for it" on 4th and 1, what should my settings be? (PSU83 - All*Star - 3:50 PM)The best way to maximize your team's tendency to go for the first is to set your primary offense to very aggressive as this is used to set the overall style of your team's offensive play for these types of decisions.

Is there any talk about expanding the depth chart to include more positions (CB and S instead of just DB)? And is there any talk of being able to set your depth chart for each formation? (sweetsalve - Hall of Famer - 3:52 PM)We are not looking into adding more positions -- CB, S, etc. We are, however, considering a way to get more control over who plays in the various formations, but don't want things to become too complicated or burdensome to setup.

Lets say you have a QB rated over 500 but his strength, technique and GI aren't as good as a player rated at 450. Does the player with the highest overall rating produce better then one with high numbers specific to his position? (trojanman2k3 - Veteran - 3:53 PM)I would be starting the 450 rated QB.

Other things equal, is your team more likely to commit a penalty against a formation it hasn't seen before in the season? (cowboygriz - All*Star - 3:54 PM)No, the other team's formation does not effect your team's penalties.

I have solid DBs and good LBs. Against Trips and Shotgun, I like to run the Nickel instead of the Dime, but tried them both at various times, but I simply can not stop the p***! Any suggestions? (gern44 - Pro - 3:56 PM)I would play around with your settings -- aggressive/conservative.....heavy p***/always p***...etc. and see what works best. You might also want to increase your practice time on whichever set you choose to run so that your players become better at the execution.

Is it better to have multiple formations on offense, or just concentrate on one? If I run one really well, isn't that better than just being OK at 2 sets? (shanepentz - Pro - 3:57 PM)I'd rather be good at 2! I'd suggest practicing 2 formations -- one for running situations and one for p***ing situations.

Does a 2nd back's blocking ability have an effect on how well the #1 back runs in a pro set? (PSU83 - All*Star - 3:58 PM)Yes. The 2nd back is used as a lead blocker and can be the difference in breaking a big run.

what about medical redshirt what are the requirments going to be to be eligible for that.? And how soon is this going to happen? (Cubs_4_Life - Hall of Famer - 3:59 PM)Medical hardship waivers are a part of GD currently. Please refer to the FAQ for more info in this area.

Is there any future plans to adjust the offseason funneling to a 90 ranking? (Ariansa - Hall of Famer - 4:00 PM)This has already been changed -- players will go down (get rusty) in the offseason but it is based upon their work ethic. Also, you will no longer find incoming freshman that have ratings over 90.

What's your take on coaches who intentionally sabotage their team for whatever reason? Are there plans to take technical and policy steps to ***ure these situations do not arise? (vandyman96 - Veteran - 4:01 PM)I obviously wish it didn't happen and would like to think that everyone playing our games are mature enough to not do so. Right now, it is dealt with on a case by case basis.

How many minutes of practice do you think should be spent in the O/D/special teams sector. Any advice on how many sets to run as well? (curtains - Hall of Famer - 4:03 PM)I would never go below 10 minutes on a set that I plan to use in the game or on special teams. I also don't think anything over around 25-30 on a set is very effectively used. I'd suggest a minimum of 2 sets on both offense and defense.

Does a quarterback or punter with good hands help them hold onto the ball at all? (fritzmw - Pro - 4:04 PM)Yes, hands are important for holding onto the football.

Which defensive players are responsible for p*** coverage of tight ends and running backs? (boclaird - Hall of Famer - 4:07 PM)Tight ends and running backs can get covered by many difference players depending upon the defensive formation, but most often a LB or a safety (DB) will be on the coverage.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us -- I'm sorry if I didn't get to your question, but that is all the time I have for today. Thanks for supporting WhatIfSports!

7/6/2008 8:55 AM

scottso14

Posts: 373 (0)

Hall of Famer

62 407 12

Prospect

Developer Chat #2 (JConte)Thursday, January 12, 2006 at 3:00 PM EST.
The purpose of this chat is to answer any questions that you may have regarding Gridiron Dynasty -- recruiting, game planning, upcoming features, etc.
When can we expect firings to be activated and what kind of standards will be set for Elite, BCS, and non-BCS schools? (stalagna - Hall of Famer - 2:55 PM)We are currently working on the firing aspect of GD (and HD) and want to have this in the game very soon. We have not defined the exact standards for the various schools, but your job status within your office will provide you with feedback to let you know if you are considered to be doing a good job or not.
Did you get my Christmas card? (r0b0t - All*Star - 2:56 PM)It's still hanging in the office.
Will we see any new formations added? (az4lifenotr - Hall of Famer - 2:57 PM)Not in the near future, but this is definitely a possibility down the line.
Are there plans to restrict owners from having multiple teams (via multiple aliases) in the same world? (pudley4 - Hall of Famer - 2:58 PM)No, there are not any plans to restrict this.
Are there plans to restrict recruiting, so higher division teams cannot wreck recruiting for lower division teams? (pudley4 - Hall of Famer - 2:59 PM)I'm not exactly sure what you mean here...If you mean preventing a DIA team from recruiting a player who is projected to go at the DII or DIII level, no there not any plans to prevent this.
Now that Wilkinson is full at the DIII level, can you tell us when you plan to open World Robinson (or Gagliardi, or whatever)? (zlionsfan - Hall of Famer - 3:00 PM)If both Leahy and Stagg sellout this time through new coach signups, then we will be opening another world to help get people who are waiting into the game.
How difficult would it be to have one ( or more) worlds where D1A has a playoff insted of the bowl system? (pudley4 - Hall of Famer - 3:02 PM)We don't want to have 2 different versions of the sim, which this would require -- it is not a matter of difficulty. However, DIA college football is unique in that it does not have a playoff system (some people hate this, some people love it) and we don't want to lose that distinctive feature. It provides for the most exciting regular season of any sport.
Will there be a time when we have the chance to set the depth at OL,DL,and even LB past 6 players? (louiescards - Veteran - 3:03 PM)This is something that we may add in the future.
Are there any plans to add an additional check box to adjust playcalling (more runs) for end of the game when you are winning (run out the clock)? (randallball - Hall of Famer - 3:06 PM)No, but the sim will call the most run oriented plays within the bounds of your game plan when you are winning late and trying to run out the clock. If you have a "heavy run" play and a "heavy p***" play in your game plan, the sim would call the "heavy run" play. Teams that choose to setup their game plans to only (or very heavily) p***, will have a hard time running out the clock with this setup...but that is a pitfall of a p*** first offense.
Do you have any plans to let us set our defense by down and distance? (foleyr - All*Star - 3:08 PM)We have plans to change/enhance the defensive side of game planning --- setting by down is a likely addition...I doubt setting by distance will be.
Are dilemnas ever going to matter? (az4lifenotr - Hall of Famer - 3:09 PM)Yes.
I have a question about O linemen. Is there a difference between an effective run blocker vs. an effective p*** blocker? Should I focus more on strength if I want to run the ball? (mumcoach - Hall of Famer - 3:09 PM)The same rating categories are important for both run blocking and p*** blocking -- strength is important for each.
Are we going to see an increase in the amount of statistics that are kept? Special teams, recovered fumbles, OL stats. (az4lifenotr - Hall of Famer - 3:10 PM)Adding in more stats is something that we want to do in the future.
When are you going to rename the notre dame box? (kyleboon - Rookie - 3:12 PM)NEVER
How are OL selected for All American Teams? (blackmink18 - Hall of Famer - 3:13 PM)A combination of sacks allowed, the success of the offense/team, and ratings.
There has been mention of additional elites at the D1A level. Will this be based on real-life success of certain programs or success in the specific Worlds of this game? If UNC has consistent long-term success in Rockne, for example, would they ever become an Elite in that world? (hwaters397 - Hall of Famer - 3:15 PM)There aren't any plans to add more elites.
As D-IA fills up more with human coaches, are there any plans to make more D-IA recruits available? (randallball - Hall of Famer - 3:16 PM)No, the number of DIA level recruits available is pretty good. A slight realignment of how they are distributed across the positions may be coming though.
You've said in the past that recruit visibility is dependent upon the entire history of the school. Is the record, in turn, weighted in any way toward the past few seasons or the season immeidately past? (cbriese - Hall of Famer - 3:17 PM)Yes, the most recent seasons get more weight than seasons further back....eventually, a season can be far enough removed as to have no impact.
Will we see Juco or possibly Transfer players added at some point? (taloncarde - Veteran - 3:18 PM)I don't think Juco players will be added anytime soon, but transfers are a distinct possibility.
What are the chances of the SIM teams becoming "significantly" more competitive so that it is not an automatic blowout win for the humans? Currently, there is very little challenge. (gmckel - Hall of Famer - 3:19 PM)We want the sim teams to have talented players so that they are attractive for coaches to take over....we don't want them winning championships. We want you to!
Any chance of expanding the roster sizes 5-10 slots? (djgomez33 - Hall of Famer - 3:19 PM)I won't rule it out, but it is not something we are working on.
Does one style of play, aggressive or conservative, have generally better succes against another style of play? That is, is it better over the course of many plays to use conservative defensive settings against a conservative offense? (bkpeters - Hall of Famer - 3:20 PM)Every style of play can have success against every other style of play -- it really comes down to the players you have on your team and what fits them best.
Is the game performance of a player based solely upon his ratings in the 12 categories (discounting, of course, game plans), or are there hidden factors? Is it possible to have two replica RBs, for example, put them in the same formations against the same competition, but one will perform better than the other over the long haul? (cbriese - Hall of Famer - 3:22 PM)I'm not sure what you mean by hidden factors, but a players performance is effected by team execution as a whole in addition to his individual ratings.
What do you have in development that you are most excited about releasing? and when do you anticipate it going 'live'? (dlayers - Hall of Famer - 3:23 PM)Coach firings....hopefully it will go live within the next month or two.
Is there any chance we can get a non-flash version of the header (or at least one where the links are straight HTML?) Sometimes it's a little slow loading and it's problematic for those of us who open multiple windows or use tab browsing. (dlayers - Hall of Famer - 3:25 PM)...blame the graphics people...I hate flash myself.
I'm sure many would like a final answer on the blocking back question: is it always the 2nd back, even in wishbone, or is it always the last back in the set? (randallball - Hall of Famer - 3:26 PM)It is always the last back in the set.
Are there any plans to increase the defensive control in this game? Let's face it, third and long is NOT the same as first and long. I realize that many of the users love the offense, but there are a large number of users that like defense and want more control. (pb9617 - Veteran - 3:27 PM)Yes....and control by down is a likely addition.
Is there any chance that you will address the collusion and unfair practices going on in GD? I mean explicitly address them with referencable punishment? (pb9617 - Veteran - 3:28 PM)What do you mean by "collusion and unfair practices"?
Any plans on making recruiting shorter? (michfan2123 - Hall of Famer - 3:29 PM)No, recruiting is working well with the timeline currently in place.
A lot of D1AA recruits keep getting taken by D1A schools because of the lack of D1A recruits, will more recruits be added to D1A? This is really hurting D1AA. (michfan2123 - Hall of Famer - 3:32 PM)Recruits that showup in the DIA and DIAA searches are meant to overlap. Two things -- 1. There are plenty players available that have DIA level talent and there should not be a 1-1 open scholarship to DIA level player relationship...recruiting would become more like a draft. 2. Just because a player appears in the DIAA search does not mean that he will be signed by a DIAA school....these are simply players that they *could* sign if the conditions are right.
Are you looking at implementing a longer non-conference schedule? If so, are you looking at a conference schedule where you'd play the five teams in your division and three of the teams in the other division (on a rotational basis)? (ddingo - Hall of Famer - 3:34 PM)Since we just changed how the schedules work, we are going to go with them for a while and see how it goes.
will anything be implemented to let us know how our team practice time is paying off? for instance an IQ rating like HD has? (e_mandat - All*Star - 3:35 PM)A report on how your team is doing from your ***istant coach is something that we are looking into.
Having a very good program, your potential recruits list includes players that fall in your divisional level, and the one above yours. Is that your programs limit, or can you still get recruits from the upper level that are not on your recruiting list? That are not being pursued by any upper divisional schools. (jeffkahleb - Hall of Famer - 3:37 PM)If a recruit does not appear in your search results, you won't be able to sign him.
How exactly does Athleticsm effect running backs and linebackers (and all postitions really)? For example: if RB A has 40 more points combined in SPD and ELU but 40 less in ATH than RB B would RB A perform the same, worse or better than RB B all other things being equal? (cyphilissb - Hall of Famer - 3:40 PM)Athleticism is kind of catch all rating...it adds to the others. A very athletic player with same elusiveness rating as a very unathletic player would in fact be more elusive within the game.
Do you have the statistics for the divorce rate for GD users? Is it above the national average? (jonas1102 - All*Star - 3:41 PM)Most likely....especially for those that get up in the middle of the night to recruit.
How much weight does a BCS win (non championship) carry when applying for new jobs? (jjbeverly - All*Star - 3:43 PM)Actually, how a coach's success is measured within the game is something that we are currently working as part of the firings....it will carry a good amount of weight, but exactly how much is still being worked out.
What will you be naming the next World? May I suggest Osborne? (djgomez33 - Hall of Famer - 3:44 PM)Warner
Will teams ever have control over there out of conference schedule? If so when? (stevehoggett - Hall of Famer - 3:45 PM)This isn't something that we plan on doing at this time.
Defensively, Can I ***ume that there is no zone Defense and that the agressiveness is more aimed at the blitizing probability? (blackmink18 - Hall of Famer - 3:46 PM)It is the blitzing probability, but it also effects the aggressiveness of your defense in general....trying to trip the ball instead of simply making a sound tackle or jumping the p*** route to try and get the INT.
Will play-by-play results between two sim coached teams ever be made available? (hypnotoad - All*Star - 3:47 PM)I think this is currently available.....
Who is more valuable: an OLman with a 700 overall and 85-85-85 blocking/strength/tech; or an OLman with a 680 overall and a 90-90-90 blocking/strength/tech? Also, can we ***ume the same answer if you change "OLman" to "DLman" and "blocking" to "tackling"? (dave23 - Hall of Famer - 3:48 PM)I would take the 680 guy just based on THOSE numbers....yes.
Are you planning on playing in all the worlds again? It was more fun when you played because it was like going up against Goliath! (greener10 - Hall of Famer - 3:50 PM)Thanks, but no.
Crap you're right where the hell have I been .thx. (hypnotoad - All*Star - 3:51 PM)Out enjoying the weather?
Will recruiting ever be changed so that recruits will consider a school's style of play? i.e. a WR giving stronger consideration to a school with historically strong p***ing stats. (vichuck - Hall of Famer - 3:52 PM)That is an interesting possibility....
Are wins in each division weighted equally? Or does winning 30 regular season games in DIA help a coach more than winning 30 regular season games in another division. (cyphilissb - Hall of Famer - 3:53 PM)No, they are not weighted equally. A win at DIA>DIAA>DII>DIII.
Any plans for Admin to enter "The World's Strongest Man" competition in the near future? (cyphilissb - Hall of Famer - 3:53 PM)Have you seen Admin?!
Will Rockne be sped up... a day less or so of recruiting to give it space from Camp. Or will Camp be delayed. The two worlds are too close together. (thad_moren - All*Star - 3:54 PM)I think the spacing is OK for now, so neither one will be moved.
In reference to ddingo and michfan's question about coaches making schedules and adding more non-conference games, don't you think it's hard for a coach to make a BCS Game with two non-BCS SIM AI opponents for non-conference? I've seen this situation too many times. (djgomez33 - Hall of Famer - 3:55 PM)Honestly, yes, the non-conference schedule could hinder some teams at present....as DIA fills, I don't think this will go away though.
In that 700 rated 85-85-85 vs 680 rated 90-90-90 question, how, if at all, would a big GI advantage for the 700 guy equal out the key stat advantage? If the 700 guy had GI of 80 and the 680 had GI of 55, would picking the 680 still be a "no brainer"? Thanks. (therunner24 - All*Star - 3:58 PM)No, it wouldn't. Poor GI for a OL can cause penalties and missed ***ignments....just looking at those 4 ratings, the 700 guy becomes more attractive.
When will we do another Developer Chat? (cyphilissb - Hall of Famer - 4:00 PM)I'm going to try to get on a schedule of doing 1 a month --- there have been a lot good questions asked and I haven't been able to get to all of them. If your question wasn't answered (sorry), look for the next chat sometime next month. Thanks everyone and have a great day.
Thanks for taking the time to post your questions, comments and suggestions.
This chat session has ended.Please check for our next scheduled session in the Upcoming Chat List.
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7/6/2008 11:03 AM

scottso14

Posts: 373 (0)

Hall of Famer

62 407 12

Prospect

Developer Chat #3 (JConte)Thursday, February 09, 2006 at 3:00 PM EST.
The purpose of this chat is to answer any questions that you may have regarding Gridiron Dynasty -- recruiting, game planning, upcoming features, etc.
do the a/c scouting reports provide insight into a recruits growth potential? if so, is this a reflection of his attributes, i.e. athleticism/work ethic or is there some hidden factor at work that we have no idea about? thanks! (A Dawg - Hall of Famer - 3:00 PM)Yes, the scouting reports do provide insight into a recruit's growth potential. Every player in the game has a potential rating that governs how much their attributes can increase -- if he says the recruit is "tapped out" then he has a low potential rating and if he says the recruit is "unlimited" then he has a very high potential rating.
How will the new coach rating system effect promotions? (thegrza - Veteran - 3:02 PM)The new coach rating system will hopefully be more accurate and take success (especially recent success) relative to other coaches more into account. For example, you won't simply be able to coach for a long time at DII and eventually build up enough success to move to DIAA -- you'll have to be one of the more successful coaches in the division to move up.
Does the aggressiveness settings affect which kind of play is called (i.e., aggressive = long p***) or is it more focused on progressions (i.e., very aggressive = lock onto #1 WR) or are both affected by the aggressiveness setting? (natas46 - All*Star - 3:04 PM)The more aggressive your setting, the longer the initial read will be for the play, i.e. the #1 target will be running a deeper pattern. Also, your QB will force more throws as he will have an aggressive mentality.
Any chance that you may be adding additional high schools or rebalancing recruit distribution? There are a few threads in the forums about how some states / areas are under-represented in the game. Thanks. (dlayers - Hall of Famer - 3:06 PM)We'll likely take a look at this aspect of recruiting down the line, but right now we are focusing on other aspects of the game.
How much longer can I expect to let my defense get ran over by the ND box before I'll be able to have more control over the defensive play calling? :) (dlayers - Hall of Famer - 3:07 PM)First, you can stop any formation in the game --- it is all about the players involved (talent) and proper game planning. We are going to be adjusting the defensive game planning in the near future, it is next in line after the coach firings are released.
Will we see the option to sort recruits by undecided added soon? This would ease the GD recruiting practice SO much! (az4lifenotr - Hall of Famer - 3:09 PM)I don't think this will be added in the near future.
Can we please add some more non-conference games??? GD has too much downtime compared to other games (az4lifenotr - Hall of Famer - 3:10 PM)The schedule is already 13 games long. If we added more non-conference games, then we would likely move to a conference schedule where you didn't play everybody.
I'm going to Notre Dame for a coaching clinic in April. Are you jealous? If you let me win a few more NC's I might pick you up on the way (az4lifenotr - Hall of Famer - 3:11 PM)I have a weekly conference call with Charlie already. Thanks for the offer though.
When will player IQs for formations (similar to HD) be added to GD? (pds65 - Hall of Famer - 3:12 PM)Teams are currently rated in each formation. Explicitly listing your team's rating in each will not be added. We have thrown around the idea of your ***istant coach giving you a report of how well you executed following each game --- average run distance out of each formation used, p*** distances, sacks allowed, penalties, etc.
When will firings start? (jerico18 - Hall of Famer - 3:13 PM)Very soon --- we hope to have all the workings in place by the end of season 16 in Rockne. This doesn't necessarily mean that anyone will be fired though.
Are schedules going to be done so that each team alternates between 7 home and 6 away one year, and then 6 home and 7 away the next year? (i.e. no 8 home or road games any more) (thedeegan - Hall of Famer - 3:16 PM)No -- your non-conference games can be home/home, home/away, or away/away and are random by season. Your conference schedule will always be 5 home, 6 away or 6 home, 5 away.
Regarding the ***istant coach reports - are they likely to give generalized "you really should work more on formation X" or "you know that player Y is getting very tired late in games" advice too? (ns220 - Hall of Famer - 3:17 PM)Possibly -- the exact information contained in the reports has not been defined. My guess is that they would lean more towards statistical information.
Any chance of seeing more than 6 depth spots, especially for OL and DL? (ebbetts55 - Hall of Famer - 3:18 PM)Yes.
I know that others have asked in the past about the NFL league. I know the NFL league would be tough to incooperate with GD but is it possible that you will develop a totally new league seperate from GD that only the most qualified coaches will be able to join? raiderzman33 (raiderzman33 - All*Star - 3:19 PM)We have tossed this idea around internally, but that is as far as it has gotten.
If more than six players at a particular position (such as OL) are used during a game, how is the seventh player at a position chosen by the SIM? (wrmiller13 - All*Star - 3:21 PM)I don't remember for sure, but I think it is a combination of cl*** (Sr., Jr. etc.) and overall rating total.
What items are being worked on for the next release? (rollotomasi - Hall of Famer - 3:22 PM)Updated coach evaluations (job status/promotions) and then coach firings....defensive game planning is next.
Under what conditions would a LB be a receiver? In my most recent game, a p*** (Trips) was incomplete to a LB. I have 6WRs, 4RBs, 3TEs & 7DBs that would seem to come before a LB. (buckeyedick - Hall of Famer - 3:25 PM)Your LB likely entered the game at TE --- if your effective percents are set too high for your TEs to be able to play, then the sim looks beyond the depth chart for a replacement. An LB has a very similar "body type" to a TE in most cases and therefore it is not uncommon for the sim to put an LB at TE in this situation.
Are there any plans to fine tune the redzone and 2-min. offenses, so with 1:59 to go at the 1 yard line and down by 4, a team won't throw 4 p***es? (ns220 - Hall of Famer - 3:29 PM)Currently, the sim follows your 2min. offense settings at the end of the game (***uming you are in it). If you are not in your 2min. offense, then it follows the normal/redzone settings. Within these settings, the sim does try to call the most beneficial play for the offense if there are multiple ones available --- run in a run situation or a p*** in a p***ing situation. At the end of the half, the sim looks at your primary offense aggressiveness and then determines if your team is going to try and score or run out the clock. The sim then operates within your game plan plays, but calls what it thinks are the most beneficial ones for the offense in the given situation. We are always fine tuning this aspect of the sim to hopefully make it better....so I guess the short answer to your question is, yes.
What affects your teams penalties? Is it mostly player tech, formation practice, something else, all of the above? (cyphilissb - Hall of Famer - 3:30 PM)Formation practice --- how well your team executes directly impacts penalties.
Thanks for taking the time to post your questions, comments and suggestions.

7/6/2008 11:04 AM

scottso14

Posts: 373 (0)

Hall of Famer

62 407 12

Prospect

Developer Chat #4 (JConte)Tuesday, March 07, 2006 at 3:00 PM EST.
The purpose of this chat is to answer any questions that you may have regarding Gridiron Dynasty -- recruiting, game planning, upcoming features, etc.
Is there still a minimum win total requirement before a school will consider your job application? I know that a school will strongly consider recent success in deciding who to give the job to, but it seems like I don't have enough total wins to get anything other than an "application denied." (natas46 - All*Star - 2:59 PM)There is not a minimum win total requirement to get a job at any level -- all schools look at your success over the past 4 seasons with more weight given to the more recent ones.
Lately we have seen a proliferation of alias abuse on the GD forums, someone using an alias similar to mine or moranis, for no purpose related to the game. Do you have any plans to clean up your site in this regard, and perhaps even to take preventative measures? Thank you. (snake_p - All*Star - 3:00 PM)If you find that you are having a problem with another user/alias, please submit a ticket and we'll try to handle the situation as best we can.
With the new promotion logic, will it be harder in general to jump from D1AA to a BCS or even an elite team? (smithjd - Hall of Famer - 3:03 PM)Yes. DIA is divided into 3 basic groups: non-BCS, BCS, and BCS "elite". As you progress up these tiers, the schools in them will require a higher level of success. Since success is relative to the division you are playing in (i.e. a win in DIA means more than a win in DIAA), I would be very surprised if someone could gain a high enough success rating to jump straight from DIAA to an elite level or even a BCS level team.
does player effectiveness reset to 100% at halftime? (geedub - Veteran - 3:04 PM)No, it does not. Since the players have played an entire half, they will not start the second half at 100% --- where they start depends upon where they finished the 1st half and their stamina rating.
On what date are you planning to introduce more advanced defensive settings? (jakurus - Hall of Famer - 3:05 PM)We are hoping to release more advanced defensive settings within the next several months, but no release date has been set.
On one of my DIII teams my effectiveness settings for all of my RBs are 80%, but sometimes on the first few plays or sometimes even drives my back-up plays rather than my starter. Sometimes this really hurts my first half...why does this happen? (mbriese - Veteran - 3:07 PM)On one of my DIII teams my effectiveness settings for all of my RBs are 80%, but sometimes on the first Players fatigue according to how they are involved with plays and their stamina ratings. If the player is involved in every play and/or has a low stamina rating, he could have to take a break relatively early in the game. Also, if a player is injured he will start out at a lower effectiveness and not recover as quickly.
I understand the upcoming promotional logic will require a CC or playoff experience. Will there be accompnaying logic to more severly penalize lateral moves to ensure that coaches don't simply jump from program to program, looking for an easy CC? (cbriese - Hall of Famer - 3:08 PM)No, the penalty for lateral moves is unchanged. BUT, promtion to D-II does NOT require a CC or playoff appearance (they absolutely help a great deal) as has been the rumor.
With the changes in the promotion process, will more weight be given in the decision process to a coach that has taken a perenial loser and made them respectable but not a playoff team or to a coach that inherited a perenial playoff team and maintained that level? In short is it determined by "relative" success to team history or just success? (rc1990 - Hall of Famer - 3:10 PM)Relative success or success relative to expectations is something that is very difficult to define objectively. When schools are looking for their new coaches, they look at success in terms of national championships, conference championships, post-season wins, and winning percentage.
Can you give us an idea of the new requirements for the 'elite' DI teams? (wadsworth - All*Star - 3:13 PM)In terms of reputation, loyalty, and experience, the requirements are unchanged. In terms of success, you will need a high winning percentage over the past 4 seasons with post-season success over that same time period. You can no longer coach for several seasons and simply accumulate enough wins by having good seasons. Only the truly great coaches will be able to coach at an elite level school.
Practicing p*** routes for OL/DL, an effective way to improve their technique, or mostly a waste of time? (jeffkahleb - Hall of Famer - 3:14 PM)I wouldn't bother.
Would practicing "p*** routes" with my QB's help them run p*** routes or know what routes their recievers are running? Waste of time to practice it? (zovakozi1 - All*Star - 3:14 PM)I would continue to practice p*** routes with QBs....it helps them understand what their receivers are doing out there.
Which defensive position profits the most from high elusivness, DL, LB, or DB? (smithjd - Hall of Famer - 3:16 PM)Defensive players mostly use elusiveness to avoid and get off of blocks --- I would want a high elusiveness rating for any of those positions.
Would practicing p*** routes with DB's be a waste of time? (zovakozi1 - All*Star - 3:16 PM)No --- it helps them recognize the routes being run by receivers and therefore cover better.
When will coach firings be added to the game? I think that this is a very important feature. More and more coaches are getting to D1A and some of them are doing badly with no punishment. (michfan2123 - Hall of Famer - 3:18 PM)You'll notice that all coaches had their job status reset to very secure with the 2/28 update. This was done so that everyone was starting off at the same point for the status adjustments and subsequent firings that will be an active part of the game in the next couple of weeks.
When and What will be the next major update to Gd? Besides the Coaching change. (saint66 - All*Star - 3:18 PM)Defensive game plan options --- the timeframe is within the next several months.
any improvements to the polling system in tha weeks to come? not really a big deal for d3-d1aa but d1 it is a major factor (saint66 - All*Star - 3:19 PM)Yes -- we are continually monitoring the polls and have a change to SOS integration in testing right now.
I see you have made the new update not to allow coaches to skip divisions if they let the're credits expire and use the "back door method". What about not allowing them to not move up a division at all. Shouldn't they be forced to rejoin the division they just to avoid this all together. (scottso14 - Hall of Famer - 3:21 PM)Sometimes coaches leave that are in fact qualified to move up a division --- only these coaches will be able to come back in at the next highest division.
When will we see more depth spots for our advanced settings. Mainly with the OL and DL positions. Six just isn't enough for them. (scottso14 - Hall of Famer - 3:22 PM)We are planning on adding more slots to the depth chart across the board (8) --- I do not have a release date to give you.
A quick search in Bryant of D-IA recruits shows 19 with a work ethic rating above 75. Shouldn't it be expected that the better D-IA players--ones with a shot at the next level--would want to work harder (havev a higher WE) to achieve that goal? (randallball - Hall of Famer - 3:24 PM)I don't think that ***umption necessarily correlates to real-life.
Any plans on making the Sim a tougher opponent--maybe with multiple formations on O and D? (randallball - Hall of Famer - 3:26 PM)We may improve the game planning of sim teams, but the bottom line remains that we want sim teams to have good players so that they are attractive for coaches to take over while at the same time we do not want them winning conference championships.
This question arises out of a forum discussion with a number of participants ... Could a coach reach the point where no amount of wins, winning seasons, winning percentage, defeating top-10 or top-25 teams, nothing, can improve a coach's success rating by so much as a single point except only a CC or a playoff appearance? Thanks! (snake_p - All*Star - 3:27 PM)No. The success rating does not have a ceiling.
When are you going to let us be able to see the players letter rating in offense and defense sets as in basketball...its a total mystery to me why we cant now! (kevthekidd - Hall of Famer - 3:29 PM)There are no plans to add this in.
When the firing actually starts to be in effect will different wins-losses (top 25, conference, home, road, rivalry games) hold different weight? (randallball - Hall of Famer - 3:31 PM)A coach's job status will be dependent upon his success rating vs. the school's min. success expectation as well as his reputation vs. the school's min. reputation expectation.
Thanks for taking the time to post your questions, comments and suggestions.

7/6/2008 11:04 AM

scottso14

Posts: 373 (0)

Hall of Famer

62 407 12

Prospect

Developer Chat #5 (JConte)Tuesday, April 11, 2006 at 3:00 PM EST.
The purpose of this chat is to answer any questions that you may have regarding Gridiron Dynasty -- recruiting, game planning, upcoming features, etc.
Multiple practices affect technique according to the FAQ. For my question I am going to use DB as an example with Technique. Since tackling, hands, study film, and p*** routes can affect technique (and a DB can possibly practice all 4), does a player have a max tech. attribute they can reach? Or do they have a max per practice? Meaning they can max out on tackling technique but still gain on GI technique? Thanks. (joemalaka - Hall of Famer - 2:56 PM)Technique is rolled into 1 rating and is a general technique for that position --- for example, when the DB is making a tackle, tackling rating is more important and technique is secondary. There is a max technique rating that a player can reach (as with all ratings) as determined by that player's potential rating. There is also a max increase a player can have per practice based upon his potential, work ethic, and practice minutes...the max per practice is not a hard ceiling like potential is for overall, but rather a limit that gets approached because of the decreasing effect of practice minutes (diminishing returns).
Who plays on special teams? If I punt are my WRs gunners? I'm asking so I can practice tackling with anyone who might play on special teams. (zovakozi1 - All*Star - 2:57 PM)Generally, the sim will use the best available players starting with defensive players ---- DBs and LBs are mostly used.
Would attributes needed change based on the Offensive or defensive set I use? Ex. A ND Box RB would need more STR than a Bone RB due to more inside runs. (zovakozi1 - All*Star - 2:59 PM)I would look for the same attributes in my RB in all the formations generally speaking. The more conservative your game plan, the more I would consider strength....but I would always look for speed, elusiveness, athleticism, etc. For the blocking back, I would look more heavily at strength...but look first at blocking.
how soon will we be able to schedule our nonconference games,like hd? (tmac_04 - All*Star - 3:00 PM)It depends upon how well it goes in HD. If it works out really well, we'll likely look at moving it over to GD at some point.
When will firings be implemented in the upper levels?I believe that would fill the leagues quicker,fired coaches taking lesser jobs to stay in D-1 and new coaches would have a shot at dream schools! (tmac_04 - All*Star - 3:01 PM)We are testing this out right now --- it has taken longer to test than we anticipated and we want to make sure we get it right when it is released. I'm sure we'll still miss some things as is usually the case in software development, but we want it to be as good as possible. Hopefully this will launch very soon.
While both GI and Tq are both imporant secondary skills for the RB position. Which one would you rate as being MORE significant? (smithjd - Hall of Famer - 3:03 PM)It's a close call....I guess technique because it will help with holding on to the ball, breaking tackles, and picking up blitzes among other things.
Has there been any consideration to keeping long term records for schools? For example, most running yards in a season. I'd love to have records to break when taking over a university. (jrmoore - Pro - 3:03 PM)Yes --- this is something we want to do, but we are working on things that are more central to the game right now.
After just leading my very good Washington team in D-IA Bryant to a 4-9 season, I wonder how important momentum is? How much does it affect play? Can it swing a season by 4-5 games? (randallball - Hall of Famer - 3:04 PM)There is no momentum factor in the game --- winning/losing streaks don't help/hurt your team.
This has been discussed (OK, argued) many times in the forums, but have you given any thought to the length of play (seems no less than :10 or :11). Many owners (myself included) would like to see better clock management at the end of each half. (randallball - Hall of Famer - 3:07 PM)The length of plays is something that we plan on studying (and changing if necessary) very soon. Clock managements is something that we are continually adjusting.
If you look at the top teams in every world at least 90% of those teams run the ND Box. In addition, it’s clear that well over 60% of the teams in GD are now running it. The reason for this is obvious and undeniable. When are you going acknowledge that this is a real issue and how do you plan on resolving it such that the game is balanced? (kdforester - Hall of Famer - 3:09 PM)Improving defensive control is something that is currently being explored --- this should aid in the overall imbalance of offense. As for the specific nature of the ND Box, that will be investigated at that time and adjustments made if necessary. I can't say off hand if it is or is not a problem without more information.
Can anything be done to correct the widening divide between IA Sims and humans. All of these teams are disentegrating and are now complete rebuilding projects. (clemsontrav - Veteran - 3:12 PM)The sim teams should still have viable players --- we don't really want the sim teams to win, but we want them to have good core talent so that a coach can take them over and compete. This does not mean that we want a coach to take them over and win a championship the next season....he'll have to do some building. This is a hard balance to maintain, but I don't think we are far off right now.
When a Punter or Kicker is not on a team and another position is doing the kicking...when I view the stats of that team the bottom where punting and kicking will show up doesn't show up...looks like an error because the table breaks at that point. Will this be fixed? Thanks. (joemalaka - Hall of Famer - 3:12 PM)I've never noticed this --- we'll have to look into it. Thanks.
Will the out of position issue be re-addressed soon? A few threads show that this is not fixed and even the opposite is happening. A kicker with sub 5 for both str and tech is over 90% in both FG % and Extra point %...and some high kickers with much better attributes are lower %. Thanks. (joemalaka - Hall of Famer - 3:14 PM)The out of position penalty has been substantially raised --- this sounds like there could be a problem with how easy it is to kick a FG. I'd have to look into it more. As for the penalty, we'll watch it for a while and see how everything goes and then make more changes if necessary.
Do OL hands play a part in recovering offensive fumbles, or is that strictly based on the player who commits the fumble? (treyomo1 - Pro - 3:14 PM)Yes --- hands play a large role.
I know that the recruits are spread out all over the country to be fair etc, but there are several places where there is a great deal of teams competing for average number of recruits, good example of this is the new england football confernce and the new england small football conference. Is there any way to concentrate recruits to equal the concentration of schools? Thank you, (ajm641126 - Hall of Famer - 3:16 PM)Recruit distribution is fairly good right now --- the talent distribution is lean in some areas....what I mean by this is that there are plenty of recruits, but the talent levels of the recruits may be lower in some areas than in others. I don't know if we'll be making any changes here in the near future....but it will likely be modified some down the line.
I have noticed the SIM's in DIA going for DII recruits, is this common and would a BCS school really go for a DII player? (ajm641126 - Hall of Famer - 3:17 PM)These are usually players that are recruited for depth/fill final scholarships....you can out recruit the sim for these players since the sim doesn't have much to offer these players.
When a player is taken subbed due to fatigue, does the player coming in move to that players spot? Or do all players move up one and the player coming in move to the bottom? This concerns me more with DB's. (billyg74 - Hall of Famer - 3:18 PM)Everyone shifts "up" the depth chart while the player is out. When the player is rested enough to return, he takes his original spot and the other players are shifted back down.
Any chance the box scores will be expanded to include who is making the tackle, which QB throws each p***, etc? (badgercf - Pro - 3:18 PM)This is something that we could add I think.
In your opinion are the polls working as you like? (smithjd - Hall of Famer - 3:22 PM)Yes. What many people don't understand is that the polls are computer polls --- this means that rely strictly on objective data and therefore will not operate like the real life AP poll for example. Human bias is removed, ranking inertia is gone, etc. This brings big changes in the rankings, especially in the first half of the season. Think about winning percentage as one component --- team A wins and their percentage is 1.000.....they lose next week and drop to .500....this will drop the team significantly in the rankings. All the components adjust like this. After half the season is gone (think about why the BCS is not released right away), the numbers become more stagnant and are not subject to such wild swings ---- the causes the polls to balance out and not have as big of movements. I think that by the end of the season, the polls are pretty accurate.
Any thought to color coding players in the depth charts like they do in the baseball sim.Injuries,redshirts,etc.Would make managing multiple teams much easier. (FlDragonS - Hall of Famer - 3:23 PM)I've never thought about doing that --- I'll add it to the list of suggestions for review.
Why are LBs limited to a speed rating of 82? In reality there are plenty of college LBs that are just as fast as RBs yet RBs in GD can have a speed as high as 92... (kdforester - Hall of Famer - 3:24 PM)They are not.
Any chance to add in the future the ability to pick what RB you want in short yardage or goal line plays? I would love to bring in a very strong RB (FB) for these situations. (billyg74 - Hall of Famer - 3:24 PM)You can do this by changing formations now. I don't know if we will get more in depth than that in the near future.
How much does GI or ELU play in DL getting sacks? And would you consider SPD very important for DL? (ajm641126 - Hall of Famer - 3:25 PM)It's hard to say since I don't have the formulas in front of me...they are both important to see the play development and get off of blocks. The speed will come into play when he tries to chase down the QB.
Any possibility of showing players' fatigue levels at halftime (coaches could only see their own team)? (pds65 - Hall of Famer - 3:26 PM)Yes --- never thought of that, good suggestion. I'll add it to the list.
Do all attributes decrease the same when fatigued? So if a guy is at 90%, all his attributes go down 10%? Or do some decrease faster/slower? Thanks. (joemalaka - Hall of Famer - 3:26 PM)They all fatigue at the same rate.
Thanks for taking the time to post your questions, comments and suggestions.

7/6/2008 11:04 AM

scottso14

Posts: 373 (0)

Hall of Famer

62 407 12

Prospect

Developer Chat #6 (JConte)Monday, May 08, 2006 at 2:00 PM EST.
The purpose of this chat is to answer any questions that you may have regarding coaches getting fired within Gridiron Dynasty. Here is a brief overview: All coaches currently have a job status of 'Very Secure'. At the end of the season following the national championship games, this status will get adjusted by your athletic director based upon your season (success and reputation) and the expectations of the school (for success and reputation of the coach). If he changes your status, you'll receive a note from him in your inbox. There are 4 levels for your job status: Very secure, Secure, Little or no jeopardy, and In jeopardy. Your status can move multiple levels in a season, but only coaches who are "In jeopardy" to start the season have the potential to be fired at the end of the season. If you are fired, you'll receive an e-mail to the address on file with your account and you'll be removed from your team and marked as unemployed. Your old team will then begin accepting applications for your repl
Will these begin happening after the current season? (mumcoach - Hall of Famer - 1:58 PM)Yes, the first coaches that will see their job status adjust will be the Rockne coaches following the conclusion of this season's championship games.
Will different schools have different expectations? Will coaches be made aware of what the expectations are at their school? (mumcoach - Hall of Famer - 2:01 PM)The expectations at an DIA elite team will be higher than those at other BCS schools whose expectations will be higher than non-BCS DIA schools. The expectations are roughly the same as was required to be hired on in the first place --- if you have a sub-par season for your school, your AD will let you know. If you are have a good season, he'll also let you know. Additionally, you'll be able to see your job status adjust.
Will recruiting violations play into the firing process? (nwurth - Hall of Famer - 2:02 PM)Yes in that recruiting violations will effect your reputation, which plays a role in how your AD view your job status. A coach with a poor reputation will have to be more successful than a coach with a great reputation.
hiring process-are you going to be able to factor in success relative to expectations? or do i have a better chance of being fired taking over a team of walk ons compared to a national champion. (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:04 PM)Expectations are based upon the level of the school and not the talent currently on the roster, but yes your success is viewed relative to the expectations of the school.
What, exactly, will happen to fired coaches? Will they be able to apply for open positions right away, or will they have to sit out a season? And will they have to drop down a level (elite to BCS, BCS to non-BCS etc.) and build their resume back up? (antonsirius - Hall of Famer - 2:09 PM)Fired coaches will be marked as unemployed and will be able to apply for another job right away. They will also have the option of remaining unemployed for the next season (it will not use a season) and apply for a job during the next season. Fired coaches will have to drop down a level, possibly more depending upon their resume.
when i take over a team how many seasons do i get with that team before it's possible i can be fired? (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:10 PM)The quickest you could possibly be fired is after 2 seasons.
What sorts of warnings will coaches receive that their jobs might be in jeopardy, and how much warning time will they get to give them a chance to save their jobs? (antonsirius - Hall of Famer - 2:11 PM)Your job status will be updated after each season. If you drop to "In jeopardy", your AD will tell you what you need to do to save your job the following season.
If a coach is at an elite school and goes 9-5 three years in a row, would he be fired? (breum - Hall of Famer - 2:13 PM)A coach is rated relative to everyone else in the world, so I can't really answer this. However, an elite school will more than likely not be happy with a 9-5 record ***uming no conference championships or bowl wins.
Is this going to Allow Lower division coaches a chance to move a little faster? (jconner - Rookie - 2:15 PM)The qualifications for moving up divisions remain the same, but this should allow for the best coaches to advance up the coaching ranks. Also, coaches that advance but can't compete at the next level will have to go back down and refine their strategies.
How will the system address rebuilding projects at DIAA and non-elite DIA schools - i.e., take over a team that's won 2 games in 3 years, and win 1,3, and 5 games in your first 3 seasons? (treyomo - Hall of Famer - 2:17 PM)Rebuilding projects are still viable, but you will have to win after 3 or 4 seasons as this is when the team consists of mostly your recruits and you should be able to have a good season. You can't rebuild forever.
Will there be any modifications to the promotions process as well? (barbam - Pro - 2:17 PM)No. We refined the rating of coaches at the DIA level slightly with this release, but the process itself remains unchanged.
Will this be based only on wins and losses, or will recruiting success have something to do with it? (mumcoach - Hall of Famer - 2:18 PM)Recruiting will not play a role --- you could recruit the best players in the country, but if you can't win you won't have a job for long.
#1 Will there be more weight on the performance of a coach in bowl games vs. regular season success in determining if a coach will be fired? #2 Will performance that has occured so far factor into firings or will schools make their decisions based on the performance since the firing option began? (shattujw - Veteran - 2:20 PM)Bowl wins carry a lot of weight in determining the success rating of a coach. The coach's performance over the past 4 seasons is considered.
When fired from a 1A school, what options does the newly fired coach have? Can he coach another 1A school? (pvc4twenty - Hall of Famer - 2:22 PM)If the coach is fired from a IA school, then he likely is not rated high enough to coach another IA school on the same level. The newly fired coach will be able to apply for other jobs for which he qualifies or he could choose to spend the season unemployed.
I ***ume job status will be a good indicator of a possible firing. What are the different levels for job status in order from most safe to least safe? (BrianCampos - Hall of Famer - 2:22 PM)There are 4 levels for your job status: Very secure, Secure, Little or no jeopardy, and In jeopardy.
I like the idea that someone posted on the forums about setting a coaches standards and goals before hand so he knows what his achievements need to be before he will be fired. This way he can't be too upset or surprised if he should be fired. Any chance of implementing something like this? (scottso14 - Hall of Famer - 2:25 PM)Success is relative and there aren't any "set in stone" standards for wins, conference championships, etc. Also, a coach's reputation plays a role and can effect how his success is viewed by the school. You should have an idea of the expectations based upon what it took to get the job in the first place and then you'll be able to see how your job status adjusts each season to refine your understanding of what the AD expects out of you each season. If you are every "In jeopardy", your AD will tell you pretty straightforwardly what you need to accomplish in order to save your job.
What impact will the firing have on a coaches reputation and loyalty? (BrianCampos - Hall of Famer - 2:26 PM)The act of getting fired will not change your reputation and loyalty ratings.
when you say "fired coaches will have to drop down a level," does that mean BCS Elite to 1) BCS non-elite, 2) non-BCS, or 3) D1AA? (muddapucka - All*Star - 2:28 PM)How bad the coach was will determine how far he has to drop down --- you could go from BCS elite to a BCS non-elite....or if you go winless of a couple years and have a poor reputation to get fired, you may have to drop all the way down to DIAA or even DII.
So I get the chance to move up to my "dream job" of an elite school, but they have been historically bad, winning 7 games over the past two years and I only win 13 games over the first two years, what are my chances of getting fired? (blackmink18 - Hall of Famer - 2:29 PM)You'd likely be OK, but your AD will expect big things that 3rd season.
What Divisions will the firings effect? (jconner - Rookie - 2:29 PM)DIA and DIAA only.
this is really not a question, but a statement: it sounds like it is not such a good idea to take on a lousy roster, especially at a good school with high expectation. You only have two seasons to start winning. (DKC - Hall of Famer - 2:31 PM)Actually....you'll likely have to put together a very good 3rd season. Of course, this depends upon the level of the school -- more time at DIAA to turn the team around and less time at an elite.
Define Big Things that 3rd Season? (breum - Hall of Famer - 2:32 PM)Conference championship since we are talking about an elite.
will a fired coach be allowed to apply to the school he was fired? or will he have to wait X amount of seasons before applying to the same school? (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:33 PM)No. Fired coaches will only be able to apply to schools for which they qualify. Since the coach was just fired, he would no longer qualify for that job.
Are current expectations based on world specific school history or that of the school's actual real history? (pvc4twenty - Hall of Famer - 2:35 PM)The school's expectations are based upon their level within the game -- (order of expectations) BCS elites, BCS non-elites, non-BCS, DIAA. The expectations are the same within each level.
If the current talent level at a school plays no role, isn't this a dis-incentive to take over rebuilding projects? (Nailone - Hall of Famer - 2:36 PM)No --- I think many coaches enjoy the challenge of building a team on their own and they will be given the chance to turn things around.
how will success relative to expectations work? will taking over a 1 win team and winning 10 games be more valuable than taking over a 8 win team and winning 10 games. (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:36 PM)It is expectations of the school --- winning 10 at DIAA will put you in a better position with the school than winning 10 at an elite level school.
Should a coach be fired, will it affect his reputation for future jobs? And if so, how significant will the effect be? (disaacs - All*Star - 2:37 PM)No, the coach's reputation is not affected by getting fired.
As was suggested on the forums, is the're any way each coach could get a checklist of sorts to let him know what his goals and achievements should be when he is hired? (scottso14 - Hall of Famer - 2:38 PM)Every school has the same checklist --- national championship, conference championship, bowl wins, playoff victories, regular season wins, etc.
If you've been fired and have to go down a level, would you typically be considered a top candidate for the lower level? (evegoe - All*Star - 2:39 PM)It depends upon how poorly you performed at your last job --- you could be one of the top coaches at that level or you could be in the middle or at the bottom.
Will there be an improved opportunity for “WCAA officials” to step in and “fire” coaches at ALL levels who have either abandoned or deliberately trashed their teams? If not, is some intervention available to you for such circumstances? (snake_p - All*Star - 2:41 PM)Our hands are really tied in this type of situation --- the coach has paid for his team and can run it how he sees fit -- and we cannot simply remove the coach. We'll contact the coach and ask him to try to field a competitive team and try to work with him in that regard in these situations.
Obviously there are levels in DI-A, but since you said a fired coach would have to drop down a level (maybe more) would a coach fired from a DI-AA school have to drop down to DII or are there tiers in DI-AA as well? (crazyjoe02 - All*Star - 2:43 PM)He'd have to drop down to DII.
does the past history of a school factor into your expectations and factor into you eventualy being firred? as a example, would a 5 win season for california golden bears be good if the team had 10 straight 1 win seasons but be bad if it had 10 straight 12 win season. (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:44 PM)No -- a 5 win season at a BCS school will always be below expectations. Expectations are based upon the level of the school and not the history of the school.
If a coach takes over a non-competitive elite program how will the system differentiate between them and the elite perennial powerhouse? It would seem like a deathtrap to enter an elite program without the talent to win immediately. (ddingo - Hall of Famer - 2:45 PM)You won't have to win immediately, but you will have to win within 3-4 seasons or you'll more than likely get fired. I think this is consistent with the big name schools in real life.
Currently, reputations and perhaps loyalty can go so high that even an adverse event (eg., cut two players, apply for two jobs) don’t appear to adversely affect your rating. Will hirings have a similar feature, where a long enough string of successful enough seasons buys you a little more leeway? (snake_p - All*Star - 2:47 PM)A long string of successful seasons will by you leeway in the sense that your job status will be "very secure" and therefore you'll need several poor seasons before you get fired. By the way, reputation is capped and loyalty currently is not (we will be addressing this soon to help prevent job jumping).
While a coach is "unemployed" for a season or more, does his reputation rehabilitate in any way? (snake_p - All*Star - 2:48 PM)Yes, his reputation will gradually get better.
when you get fired from a team what is the job status of your next team? is it going to be very secure? (plague - Hall of Famer - 2:48 PM)Yes --- all new coaches (at a school) start out at "very secure".
When exactly will the coaches be fired? (blackmink18 - Hall of Famer - 2:49 PM)At the end of the season following the national championship games and just prior to the job change period.
If performance from the past 4 seasons is considered, does that include previous schools? Would a NC at a previous school make a coach less likely to be fired from the current school? (javabuzz_24 - Hall of Famer - 2:50 PM)Yes, because you have a track record of success and were likely well above the minimum requirements for the job. If you barely squeak into a position, you'll have to prove yourself a little more.
Let's say that a coach had to go all the way to DII and there were no openings. Does the coach have to stay "unemployed" for that season? (pioneerfan3 - Veteran - 2:52 PM)...if there were no DII schools available (very unlikely since DII coaches will be moving to DIAA and also some simply retiring), he could drop to DIII.
Will tougher conferences have more lenient AD's say your coaching in a conference that has 4 ranked teams and you take over a bottom feeder program will your AD be more lenient or are you held to the same standards as those ranked teams? (jktcat - Hall of Famer - 2:52 PM)The AD won't be more lenient, but your rating as a coach will take this into account.
Is there any plans to allow coaches at the DIAA level to view (and thus sign) all possible recruits? The reason I ask this now, is earlier you mentioned that 3 or 4 years is when schools expect results, but if a coach takes over a DIAA program and can't even view the top recruits, it makes it much more difficult to build a winner quickly. (moranis - Hall of Famer - 2:54 PM)There are currently no plans to adjust which recruits schools can view during recruiting.
The Big 10 and the SEC have 4 elite teams. Every elite can't win a CC every 3rd season. What would meet the "big things" requirement if the CC doesn't happen? (ddingo - Hall of Famer - 2:56 PM)No...but they could be winning high level bowl games and never find themselves in jeopardy despite not winning conference championships. Success is a "moving target" and there are numerous ways in which you can meet goals and avoid losing your job.
Are the schools considered BCS elites and BCS non-elites dynamic or will a BCS elite team always be considered elite despite its world specific history? (evegoe - All*Star - 2:58 PM)Elite schools will always be elite....non-elite will always remain non-elite. (I don't like to say never, but we don't have plans to change this and I don't see any real need to change it right now.)
Will a coach be fired before the job application process begins, or during the hiring period? (asher413 - All*Star - 2:59 PM)Just prior to the start of the job change period.
what do you mean when you said that loyalty rating is not capped? Isn't A+ the top rating already? (DKC - Hall of Famer - 3:00 PM)A+ is the top....but there isn't a ceiling (100 = A+.....125=A+......150=A+) and you can build points by staying at a single school for a long time.
So if I acheive a job at Indiana, a BCS but traditionally poor school, I could get fired for 5 or 6 wins? (asher413 - All*Star - 3:01 PM)Maybe if you only have 5 or less wins for 4-5 straight seasons....eventually every school is going to want to win something.
i keep rewording the same question because i am not getting the question i want answered. ignore the level of the school..in general will my success relative to expectations be less on a school with a poor past history. (plague - Hall of Famer - 3:01 PM)No.
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7/6/2008 11:04 AM

scottso14

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Developer Chat #7 (JConte)Wednesday, June 07, 2006 at 3:00 PM EST.
The purpose of this chat is to answer any questions that you may have regarding Gridiron Dynasty -- recruiting, game planning, upcoming features, etc.
Can you explain the General part in the gameplanning. I don't really see the purpose of it. (utlonghorns - Pro - 2:59 PM)I'm ***uming that you mean the primary offense/defense settings. The formations selected here determine your starting lineup along with your basic depth chart (***uming those players enter the game in the first half since they can be held out using the advanced depth charts). Additionally, if you never set the rest of your game plan (offense/defense sections) your team will always run the primary offense/defense set here.
How is a fatigue player calculated? if I have a player who has all 50 ratings at 80% is that equivalent to a player who has all 40 ratings? (WiredTiger - All*Star - 3:01 PM)I'm not exactly sure what you mean here, but if you have player set at 80% effectiveness in your advanced depth chart you can roughly approximate his rating equivalent at that point by taking 80% of his ratings. So, in your example the 40 would be a good approximation.
If my job status goes down does that mean that my job status would of went down no matter where my job status was on the job status ladder or do different levels require different levels of success for you job status to move up or down? (jerico18 - Hall of Famer - 3:03 PM)Your current job status is taken into account when the adjustment is made --- if you are 'very secure' and at the end of the season your job status drops to 'secure' this does not mean that if you were 'secure' you would have dropped to 'little or no jeopardy'. You likely would have remained at 'secure'.
Is there any benefit to playing higher- or lower-division teams in exhibition games? Is there any harm? Some people believe the risk of injury is higher in cross-division games, while others have told me their players improve more than normal. (gary32 - Pro - 3:05 PM)No, there is no benefit/harm in playing either higher or lower division teams. There is not "built-in" injury risk increase or improvement modifications.
Have you guys thought about creating & enforcing roster minimums for the regular season? Specifically, a minimum of 1 player rostered at every postion in your starting lineup? (stevegamer - Pro - 3:07 PM)Roster minimums are enforced in a couple ways --- you cannot use the position change feature to eliminate a position on your roster (you have to be able to field a valid team) and if a position is not represented on your roster at the end of recruiting and you have opens scholarships, your ***istant coach will fill those positions as best he can. Of course, if you do not have a position (punter or kicker for example) accounted for and fill all of your scholarships, then your ***istant cannot fill those spots.
With the proposed additions of further detail to defensive settings (among other things) is there any concern that by increasing the complexity of the game, you may be erroding the overrall playability ? In worlds in which I am involved, there is already talk of shedding other WIS products in order to invest the increasing time it may take to compete consistantly. (letsgo01 - Hall of Famer - 3:10 PM)This is always a concern and is why we take the time to design and test all changes as best we can -- sometimes things don't work out and we end up not making the addition...sometimes things work out very well. Currently, we are going through this process with the defensive settings and I think that we are very close to a setup that will add control and not take too much more time for coaches to setup.
How does a QB's strength contribute to his running ability? Is it "watered down" as opposed to a RB since it is a primary attribute for p***ing? (stick95 - Pro - 3:12 PM)Yes, it is. When a QB is running with the football though, his strength really only comes into play when he is trying to break a tackle. His athleticism, speed, and elusiveness are much more important in determining his success in the running game.
Recruit distribution is based roughly on the density of colleges across the states. If recruit distribution does not take into account the Divisional levels of the schools, areas with schools of mainly one division become under-represented as to recruits in that division and over-represented as to recruits in other divisions. Is geographic concentration of colleges considered on a division-by-division basis when recruits are distributed, or just overall without distinction by division? Thank you. (snake_p - All*Star - 3:14 PM)The division of colleges in the area is not considered when determining recruit talent levels --- how talent is spread across the country is completely and totally random. Just to clarify, this is for talent only and not the number of recruits.
The scouting reports contain a few lines about a player's character (e.g. He gets angry pretty easily, Doesn't have an ego to get in the way.) Do these notes have any effect on game performance, or do they relate to decisions? (javabuzz_24 - Hall of Famer - 3:16 PM)They relate to decisions for the most part, but also come into play when determining if a player complains about not starting, leaves school early, and takes kindly to a position change.
Who is the blocking back for the wishbone? (utlonghorns - Pro - 3:16 PM)The last RB spot is always the FB for each formation -- #3 for wishbone.
Has any more thought been given to allowing us to schedule our own out-of-conference games? It seems to be working great in HD. (rollotomasi - Hall of Famer - 3:17 PM)Not at this time -- right now the primary focus is on the defensive control update.
Players playing out of position playing less effectively thatnplayers playing their position is a change that I believe will improve the game. Any update on when this will be implemented? (snake_p - All*Star - 3:19 PM)This change was put in some time ago --- players playing out of position do not perform as well.
What level of effect does stamina have on effectiveness settings? Does a player with a 50 stamina take longer to hit the 75% effective setting in the depth charts than a lower rated stamina player or does stamina have a different aspect? (dukelegend - Hall of Famer - 3:21 PM)Stamina plays a big role --- the player with 50 stamina will be able to play longer before reaching 75% than a player with a 25 stamina. Will it be twice as long? No, not necessarily because how quickly a player fatigues is also strongly tied to how he is being used in the game.
Is the rumor about carryover money limits true? (swamphawk22 - Hall of Famer - 3:22 PM)There are no planned changes to how excess recruiting money is handled.
c'MON, HE ASKED A FAIR QUESTION. Have you guys thought about creating & enforcing roster minimums CONSISTING SPECIFICALLY of a minimum of 1 player rostered at every postion in your starting lineup? (snake_p - All*Star - 3:24 PM)I thought I answered the question. Strict enforcement? No. Enforcement in a more subtle and less controlling way? Yes.
What upcoming feature are you the most excited about? (cydrych - All*Star - 3:26 PM)I think everyone will really like the new defensive controls --- the defense will be broken down by down, distance, and formation. This should allow teams to have very good control over how they matchup with their opponent and bring more balance (offense vs. defense) to the game.
Following up a prior question, I understand the distribution of recruits by QUANTITY is related to density of all colleges in the area, but the QUALITY of recruits is random. EG., Wisconsin, with a high density of DIII schools, gets a high density of recruits of all qualities. Correct? (snake_p - All*Star - 3:27 PM)They get a high density of recruits (number), but the quality (talent) is random --- some years it will be good and other years it will be bad.
Does stamina also impact the recovery time? Does a player with 50 stamina recover the 5% threshold quicker on the sidelines than one with a 25 stamina? (wunsche - Hall of Famer - 3:28 PM)Yes --- stamina directly impacts recovery and is the basic benefit from a higher rating.
Are you considering changing the game to allow us to know who is in for each play? Thanks. (wunsche - Hall of Famer - 3:29 PM)Yes, but finding a way to do so without destroying the readability of the play-by-play is problematic.
Thanks for taking the time to post your questions, comments and suggestions.

7/6/2008 11:04 AM

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