Question about Player Potential/Line up

[Luxiwow]

Hello, I just started playing this not too long ago, but I've hundreds of hours in similar games like Football Manager.

And I have a Question.
What does Potential actually do? going by my logic. Potential means the player can reach a higher overall rating by the end of his 4 years.
High overall rating = win now
High Potential = sub player = win in the future
Did I get that right?

And another Question.
The offensive Line is LT-LG-C-RG-RT so how does that work in the depth charts... because it's not well explained. Where in the top 5 do I put the guy I want as my center? Same for Defensive Line obviously.

[jdsnively1989]

For the 2nd question about the Offensive Line. i dont think it matters- i dont think there is specified position inside the line (LG, C, LT etc). Your top 5 OL are your starters and then 6-? are your backup players

[Luxiwow]

Actually sad if that is true. That kills the vibe extremly to play.
I thought ok maybe if I knew the position of my guys I can actually put the run blocking O-Line to the left side for my left zone run etc. But I can see the game being "simple" in that case.
Bummer, thanks for the answer tho.

[Strategic Sage]

Potential is not a cap on a player's max - it is a higher chance to improve more between years. It is not the only factor, playing time plays a small role in improvements, facilities and training attribute of your coaches are important also.

[Luxiwow]

Very strange. Since I only have them for 4 years and I don't really get any "long term development" out of my talents. I don't see a reason to start any of them. Other than for roleplaying story elements.

[Strategic Sage]

If they redshirt they are there for 5 years, and that's time enough to get a *lot* of improvement out of your players.

[Luxiwow]

I don't know what Redshirt means.
I think I was misled by thinking the game was more detailed than I thought. Coming from Football Manager(Soccer) Young players have a dynamic Talent rating that can be influenced by injuries or playing with Veteran players. So you have a reason to sometimes play a young guy with a Veteran Squad. And have him become a Star for your Team.(more jerseys sold=more money) or Sell him for money to a differnet team.
Here I don't see the reason to play young players cause I don't get anything out of it.(from my POV) they are worse than other players with higher overall and I don't get money or anything from them. At least in Basketball I could trade them LOL but I think what was explained earlier kills the game for me. That it doesn't matter how I position my guys, lack of control so why even bother to plan my squad if I can't set them up correctly. Oh well game was on sale for $9

[Bohemian Rap City]

Originally posted by Luxiwow:

I don't know what Redshirt means.
I think I was misled by thinking the game was more detailed than I thought. Coming from Football Manager(Soccer) Young players have a dynamic Talent rating that can be influenced by injuries or playing with Veteran players. So you have a reason to sometimes play a young guy with a Veteran Squad. And have him become a Star for your Team.(more jerseys sold=more money) or Sell him for money to a differnet team.

Redshirt players get an extra year of development. They can only be redshirted once as a Freshman or Sophomore. It is a bit like placing an eligible player on a practice squad. While being redshirted he can not play in regular games.

Players do develop while playing and practicing during a season. A Freshman who is forced to play will get more progress, but what you need to understand is that you will NEVER get a finite development score for a player so that you can do A and B and get a guarantee of C. Sometimes A and B get you Z. While potential is an indicator of POSSIBLE development, not a guarantee.

As an example, an amazing talent can be stifled by injury, or just mental failings unrelated to the sport. Because of this, some players who have LOW potential might become a Superstar, while others with HIGH potential become a waste of oxygen.

Unlike other similar games, no system will be foolproof. I can play other games and hit a point where it is too easy to win. In this game, I manage to be a perennial top 10 team, but a National Championship is massively difficult....as it should be.

[Strategic Sage]

Originally posted by Luxiwow:

I think I was misled by thinking the game was more detailed than I thought. Coming from Football Manager(Soccer) Young players have a dynamic Talent rating that can be influenced by injuries or playing with Veteran players. So you have a reason to sometimes play a young guy with a Veteran Squad. And have him become a Star for your Team.(more jerseys sold=more money) or Sell him for money to a differnet team.

It's completely understandable if you don't want what the game is. Having said that, it's simply unfair to compare it to FM (which I personally don't like, but to each their own). FM has been made for decades, and for a large part of that time has a huge team. This game is not even officially done yet with it's first version: it's still in Early Access. It is also made by a solo developer.

You definitely do get things out of playing younger players - injuries happen, players graduate and the younger ones are next-up to replace them, etc. Resting your older players from time to time will reduce their chance of injury. But college football is simply a completely different sport and setup than international futbol, it doesn't work the same way. Having things like trades/sales would make no sense, that's not how it works; you get players by recruiting/transfers insteasd.

I would also caution against putting too much weight on OVR - that's just a general guideline and having the right skillset for what you want the player to do in your system is important. You do have *some* control over where a player plays via the Pref selection (i.e. tackles or interior linemen I think it is for your OL example).

In terms of why plan your squad; the game logic will play your players in reasonable positions according to how you have your depth chart set up. There is still quite a bit you can do to plan your team, if you choose to.

[Luxiwow]

Reasonable answers. I didn't mean to bash the Game or Developer. But I looked at this and thought it be just what I like playing Manager Games like FM or even Pro Basketball Manager or Cycling Manager. But the lack of control or detail just turns me off on this one I guess. I'll probably play the Game again someday but I expected more and that's about it.

[Bohemian Rap City]

Originally posted by Luxiwow:

Reasonable answers. I didn't mean to bash the Game or Developer. But I looked at this and thought it be just what I like playing Manager Games like FM or even Pro Basketball Manager or Cycling Manager. But the lack of control or detail just turns me off on this one I guess. I'll probably play the Game again someday but I expected more and that's about it.

I get what you say, but this is not a system game. You can't just tell others to "Get Gud" like a lot of people do. Just like reality (I started gaming back pre-computer with board games that began the earliest peeks into the mathematics of game theory) random circumstances impact your team. The game does a very credible job of showing why even the finest coaches and recruiters still fail to maintain a program. My goal each season is to maintain a top 10 ranking as a program, not to win it all.

[jdsnively1989]

Originally posted by Luxiwow:

Reasonable answers. I didn't mean to bash the Game or Developer. But I looked at this and thought it be just what I like playing Manager Games like FM or even Pro Basketball Manager or Cycling Manager. But the lack of control or detail just turns me off on this one I guess. I'll probably play the Game again someday but I expected more and that's about it.

I love FM as well and while FM is more detailed... it is 40 dollars more expensive. FM does have a lot of luck involved- where some games just go completely weird- where you may have 10 shots on goal and never score- where your weak opponent gets a lucky goal on 1 shot. Tactics dont always make sense or change the game. (atleast for me- i may just not understand tactics quite)

[Bohemian Rap City]

Originally posted by jdsnively1989:

Originally posted by Luxiwow:

Reasonable answers. I didn't mean to bash the Game or Developer. But I looked at this and thought it be just what I like playing Manager Games like FM or even Pro Basketball Manager or Cycling Manager. But the lack of control or detail just turns me off on this one I guess. I'll probably play the Game again someday but I expected more and that's about it.

I love FM as well and while FM is more detailed... it is 40 dollars more expensive. FM does have a lot of luck involved- where some games just go completely weird- where you may have 10 shots on goal and never score- where your weak opponent gets a lucky goal on 1 shot. Tactics dont always make sense or change the game. (atleast for me- i may just not understand tactics quite)

I like that this game seems to have more realism, which is the main goal of game theory. You want something that is artificially constructed, yet still 'feels' realistic. There are football programs that have dominated for a few seasons and faded into obscurity. Others have been flashes of glory before reverting to mediocrity. There are very few that are perennial challengers. The whole goal of this game is to build a program, and deal with the obstacles that try to drag it down over a lengthy career.

At least that is how I see it.

[Strategic Sage]

I would say this game has considerably less realism at the present time.

[Bohemian Rap City]

Originally posted by Strategic Sage:

I would say this game has considerably less realism at the present time.

How so? Unless you use GOD MODE or play on the easy level, the game plays very realistically. Some of the 'can't miss' prospects fail to perform. Some unheralded nobodies achieve amazing results. Your program has to survive the vagaries of schedule strength, booster expectations, coaches that move on to other programs, players that do the same, injuries, heartbreak and exultation.

Is it a perfect simulation? Only running a real college program could do that. However it models in microcosm all the vagaries of trying to turn North Texas State Teachers College into an NCAA powerhouse.

[jdsnively1989]

@Luxiwow I stand corrected. in the "depth chart" you can actually choose where the players play. You can make your receiver a slot receiver or make your OL man a tackle or interior.