I know off topic from typical war games, but have seen people post about wanting American Football text game....as many know, the king has been Front Office Football, but there hasn't been an upgrade release in years...some thought it was dead......but.....just saw this thread that says version 7.0 is coming out in November 2013....no idea what will be new about it, but some kind of interview on July 30th. Very excited about this, especially if they were able to improve the spreadsheet feel of the game, plus remove some of the tedious setup...we'll see.
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=87361
Thanks! That goes on my radar.
Awesome!
Last I checked the developer's posts, he was off trying to publish a new tabletop football game, saying he was sick of coding at the time and had some stuff to deal with in his life. It was looking grim.
This is unexpectedly wonderful news. 8)
From that thread :
QuoteThanks, Ben, for setting this up.
We'll have a mechanism for people to ask some questions before the chat.
I'll begin by presenting a general outline of the feature set for FOF7. While I have at least 20 pages of outline material, since I'm not yet in alpha and some of the pieces of new development are 3-4 years old and not yet heavily tested, I don't want to present details that might not make the final cut.
Then I'll answer the questions asked beforehand. Afterward, I'll take new questions for a while.
As far as timeline, since that will obviously be the first question asked... I'd like to get this out in November, but testing can uncover problems and I don't know how the new game will be published. While I'd love to have it on Steam, I don't think it's necessarily a game they'd be interested in publishing.
Not yet in Alpha, no finalized list of features yet and you want to be releasing in November?! Color me skeptical about him making that date.
Still excited, though!
It will be interesting to see what he comes up with. I've enjoyed the earlier versions when I played them.
What I'd really like though is for my beloved Front Page Sports: Football to come back. :'(
Quote from: Arctic Blast on July 25, 2013, 12:29:49 AM
Not yet in Alpha, no finalized list of features yet and you want to be releasing in November?! Color me skeptical about him making that date.
Still excited, though!
I thought so too. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he just modifies FOF2k7 instead of starting from scratch. Still probably too optimistic with the time but programmers always are.
I'd definitely like to see the percentage-based AI play calling ditched, if nothing else. I'm pretty sure he mentioned that as being a weak spot that he'd like to change, in the past. Sure, there's going to be some random 'rolls' involved in AI play calling but the spreadsheet table interface, that the players see, needs to be changed.
Not really worried about the date, I am just excited he is doing another version, if even later. He seems to come through and maybe he has been hiding status from us all along:)
Quote from: vyshka on July 25, 2013, 02:02:12 AM
It will be interesting to see what he comes up with. I've enjoyed the earlier versions when I played them.
What I'd really like though is for my beloved Front Page Sports: Football to come back. :'(
+1!
I've always hoped that Sports Interactive (Football Manager fame) would make an American Football Manager game. If I ever find a Genie in a bottle that will be one of my wishes.
Quote from: KyzBP on July 25, 2013, 06:29:16 AM
Quote from: vyshka on July 25, 2013, 02:02:12 AM
It will be interesting to see what he comes up with. I've enjoyed the earlier versions when I played them.
What I'd really like though is for my beloved Front Page Sports: Football to come back. :'(
+1!
I've always hoped that Sports Interactive (Football Manager fame) would make an American Football Manager game. If I ever find a Genie in a bottle that will be one of my wishes.
I don't think they ever have, so we can probably assume they never will. They
did make some hockey one(s) years ago, though, and that sport plays similar to soccer so it may eventually happen.
As for Solecismic's upcoming one - I hope the guy can get a good distribution method or publisher who doesn't push that online activation DRM.
Just a reminder that tonight at 7:30 eastern, they will be having a chat session with the developer where hopefully he will unveil the plans.....happening through IRC chat
SERVER: irc.gamesurge.net
ROOM: #FOFC
It will be interesting learning how much of improvement it will be.....
I'm sure there will be plenty FOF'ers there to interrogate.
They gonna post the notes on that fan forum?
Link to chat log...some interesting stuff....not sure if earth shattering, but nice changes and will be instant buy regardless....
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=87401
"While I'd love to have it on Steam, I don't think it's necessarily a game they'd be interested in publishing"
i guess this guy hasnt visited steam lately. they got so much crap on there not even sure why they have greenlight anymore. already have SAT for playing football games but would love to have something that simulates the front office.
Quote from: CptHowdy on July 30, 2013, 10:35:03 PM
"While I'd love to have it on Steam, I don't think it's necessarily a game they'd be interested in publishing"
i guess this guy hasnt visited steam lately. they got so much crap on there not even sure why they have greenlight anymore. already have SAT for playing football games but would love to have something that simulates the front office.
I would be stunned if it ever made it to Steam....I would love it, but the game just feels way too old and they have zero plans to upgrade it, even if the actual game is better than most on Steam. Plus, likely a very small audience compared to everything else they push. The one thing I was hoping they would make easier and streamline was the game planning, but seems like that isn't getting much attention. Very tedious to put a full game plan in for every imaginable situation. I would prefer my schemes to be based on my coaches with some very high level input from me. I don't want to anticipate what I would do in the 3rd qtr, when the ball is on my 30 yard line and I have 10 yards to go for a first down.....way too many situations for me to think about:)
Quote from: Nefaro on July 25, 2013, 09:21:46 AM
Quote from: KyzBP on July 25, 2013, 06:29:16 AM
Quote from: vyshka on July 25, 2013, 02:02:12 AM
It will be interesting to see what he comes up with. I've enjoyed the earlier versions when I played them.
What I'd really like though is for my beloved Front Page Sports: Football to come back. :'(
+1!
I've always hoped that Sports Interactive (Football Manager fame) would make an American Football Manager game. If I ever find a Genie in a bottle that will be one of my wishes.
I don't think they ever have, so we can probably assume they never will. They did make some hockey one(s) years ago, though, and that sport plays similar to soccer so it may eventually happen.
As for Solecismic's upcoming one - I hope the guy can get a good distribution method or publisher who doesn't push that online activation DRM.
They didn't make Eastside Hockey Manager so much as bring it into the fold, like they did with OOTP Baseball for a spell.
Quote from: CptHowdy on July 30, 2013, 10:35:03 PM
"While I'd love to have it on Steam, I don't think it's necessarily a game they'd be interested in publishing"
i guess this guy hasnt visited steam lately. they got so much crap on there not even sure why they have greenlight anymore. already have SAT for playing football games but would love to have something that simulates the front office.
I, too, doubt it would ever make it to Steam.
While there is a shit-ton of craptastical platformer assery on it, there's not been many Steam-approved cerebral indie games approved in the past, and even many of the nice indie strategies many of us would enjoy ,on Greenlight, don't have enough votes. I've begun to think Greenlight is just overly infested with voters who only want to play platformers or stand in one spot and blast wave after wave in 'tower defense'.
The sports management text sim genre has never really taken off here in NA, that I know of. I just happened to actively go seeking some options awhile back, otherwise I'd still be clueless as I had been for years.
I
do think the guy could probably find an indie publisher for his game.. maybe even someone like Matrix. It'd certainly beat the activation DRM that he had on the last one. But perhaps he'd rather deal with the marketing stuff instead of having a smaller third party in the mix? I dunno.
Also.. I gleaned a couple important points from that interview, which makes me a bit happier:
1) Improving the AI will be a big focus.
2) That eLicense crap has disappointed him as much as everyone else, and he doesn't want to use it.
If the interface is the same, sadly I'm just not interested.
And I don't really get why he's sinking so much time in to rosters when he could easily bring in someone from the community to do those. Tell them what format it's in, maybe send them a bare framework example they can fill in, and let them do the heavy lifting.
Until there is any serious American football competitors, the incentive to change is small. Closest competition is pfs and football mogul and they are light years behind.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on July 31, 2013, 06:16:12 PM
If the interface is the same, sadly I'm just not interested.
And I don't really get why he's sinking so much time in to rosters when he could easily bring in someone from the community to do those. Tell them what format it's in, maybe send them a bare framework example they can fill in, and let them do the heavy lifting.
I was thinking the same thing. I've d/l'd a nice user-created roster before and thought it better done than the vanilla ones.
Perhaps he just enjoys doing the rosters?
I'll be watching... but more importantly, will the UI get an upgrade :o
PE
Quote from: PanzersEast on August 01, 2013, 07:56:26 AM
I'll be watching... but more importantly, will the UI get an upgrade :o
PE
I think he pretty much said no major upgrade to the UI.....graphics is not his strong suit.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on August 01, 2013, 06:45:00 PM
Quote from: PanzersEast on August 01, 2013, 07:56:26 AM
I'll be watching... but more importantly, will the UI get an upgrade :o
PE
I think he pretty much said no major upgrade to the UI.....graphics is not his strong suit.
I don't need it to look prettier, I just need it to be a Hell of a lot less of a clumsy mess to maneuver through.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on August 01, 2013, 11:26:09 PM
I don't need it to look prettier, I just need it to be a Hell of a lot less of a clumsy mess to maneuver through.
Yep, was thinking the same thing....
PE
Quote from: PanzersEast on August 01, 2013, 11:47:57 PM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on August 01, 2013, 11:26:09 PM
I don't need it to look prettier, I just need it to be a Hell of a lot less of a clumsy mess to maneuver through.
Yep, was thinking the same thing....
PE
Time will tell but I would be surprised if it changes in anyway drastic. Just didn't give the impression he was changing a lot in regards to the ui, but who knows.
Looks like we could be only 2 weeks away from the new release....
http://www.solecismic.com/frontierblog/
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on November 29, 2013, 11:12:47 PM
Looks like we could be only 2 weeks away from the new release....
http://www.solecismic.com/frontierblog/
Gig-gig-giggity-Squee!
You gonna host an NFL Grogheads multiplayer league? :P
I really hope the guy at least fixed up the AI for this one. I've only single-player'd the 2k7 version. While I enjoyed it quite a bit, there were some obvious flaws in the AI's decision making - the biggest being that they would completely screw up their contract bargaining so much that they'd start releasing large chunks of their players because it blew so much on one star player. The AI got mauled by the salary cap as if it didn't even consider the thing, at times. :o
I also thought the rate of Fumbles was a bit too high. The average number of "fumbles" in each of my games was sitting around 2 or 3 just for the starting running back. While they didn't all end up in turnovers, it was still shocking that they were such butterfingers. It happened with most RBs. I asked about this on the unofficial forum and a couple old-timers told me they thought it was "realistic" and shouldn't be changed. ??? Hmpf. I'd expect a starting running back to lose his job if he's fumbling the ball 3 times every game.
Unless they have changed the tedious way you setup game planning, not sure I am actually going to pull the trigger on this one yet...might be a little wait and see on the improvements.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on November 30, 2013, 06:57:59 AM
Unless they have changed the tedious way you setup game planning, not sure I am actually going to pull the trigger on this one yet...might be a little wait and see on the improvements.
I didn't get the impression that he is changing the weird pages upon pages of percentages for various situations. I doubt most people like it, but there are always some who do. I thought there was mention of refining it, however, because people playing multi-player seasons were able to set it for some ridiculous playcalling and pull it off because of the way the play results were calc'd. Such refinement would probably just be under the hood, though. :-[
I tried playing out the games, calling my own plays, but the in-game interface was pretty damn spartan and not very engaging.
Getting closer...a new screenshot of the draft history screen....some are hinting to a release in the next week or so.........who am I kidding, likely will be day one purchase for me;)
http://www.solecismic.com/frontierblog/?p=653
Thanks for keeping us informed. It's a day one purchase for me as well. ;D
I put in enough time in on FOF:TCY to confidently pick this one up on Day One. ;D
;D That's an interesting draft...
#8 - Robert Englund
#5 - Corey Feldman
#1 - Jason Voorhees
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 08, 2013, 04:59:58 PM
Getting closer...a new screenshot of the draft history screen....some are hinting to a release in the next week or so.........who am I kidding, likely will be day one purchase for me;)
http://www.solecismic.com/frontierblog/?p=653
Looks exactly like the previous version (in Denver colors... BOO! :P ).
That doesn't really tell me anything about improvements. I just hope that the AI has been improved in this new one. I
really hope it's major behavioral issues have been addressed before it's released. :D
Quote from: Arctic Blast on December 08, 2013, 05:57:38 PM
;D That's an interesting draft...
#8 - Robert Englund
#5 - Corey Feldman
#1 - Jason Voorhees
I think that is why people are speculating it will be released this Friday, the 13th....the hidden meaning of the draft list:)
Quote from: Nefaro on December 09, 2013, 10:03:09 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 08, 2013, 04:59:58 PM
Getting closer...a new screenshot of the draft history screen....some are hinting to a release in the next week or so.........who am I kidding, likely will be day one purchase for me;)
http://www.solecismic.com/frontierblog/?p=653
Looks exactly like the previous version (in Denver colors... BOO! :P ).
That doesn't really tell me anything about improvements. I just hope that the AI has been improved in this new one. I really hope it's major behavioral issues have been addressed before it's released. :D
We'll see soon enough....I knew the graphics would not change much, so it will be interesting to see if anything under the hood big has been improved.....I know the one area I really wanted to see changed is the gameplan screen, but that won't happen......I wonder how much this will end up costing.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 09, 2013, 07:09:45 PM
I wonder how much this will end up costing.
Not only that, but what kind of DRM it will have.
The last one had some shitty limited install online activation BS. One with some poor customer service, too. He even stated that he didn't want to use them again due to the issues and long stretches of unresponsiveness from them in the past. Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll just be a serial code thing.
Pretty sure he changed his mind and going back to the same thing for drm.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 09, 2013, 08:12:01 PM
Pretty sure he changed his mind and going back to the same thing for drm.
Goddammit.
Looks like I have some bitching to do on their unofficial forum.
Quote from: Nefaro on December 10, 2013, 03:58:32 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 09, 2013, 08:12:01 PM
Pretty sure he changed his mind and going back to the same thing for drm.
Goddammit.
Looks like I have some bitching to do on their unofficial forum.
This is what he posted a little time ago...doesn't sound absolutely confirmed, but seems like the path.
"The publication question remains open. I've had discussions with ViaTech, and I think it's very likely the technical issues that have caused installation difficulties with Windows 7/8 will not occur with their new libraries. If I go with ViaTech, Front Office Football Seven will be available within two weeks. I'm leaning toward this option."
He seems hell-bent on using online activation crap either way, despite all the previous issues and bitching, so I shouldn't be surprised. :-\
Hard to use the 1990s interface... was hoping for an updated ui. The activation, how I loath it.
PE
Quote from: PanzersEast on December 10, 2013, 11:41:59 AM
Hard to use the 1990s interface... was hoping for an updated ui. The activation, how I loath it.
PE
Agreed, would have been nice to get a new paint job.....but as long as it results in a more realistic management game for football, I am ok with the UI. Although not pretty, it is easy to get around and find things you need.
I'm generally okay with the interface as long as it retains the great color customization. Something sorely missing from a few other football text manager sims is the team color customization of the whole interface - it really does improve the experience.
Quote from: Nefaro on December 10, 2013, 11:05:12 AM
He seems hell-bent on using online activation crap either way, despite all the previous issues and bitching, so I shouldn't be surprised. :-\
This seems to about confirm using elicense being used again....this was in a post by him discussing screenshots/demos.
"I can work on screen shots and demos (actually, this time I'm using the Trial feature of eLicense, so it's one installation, same program) or I can work on my punch list."
You'd think with how popular football is these days there'd be a half dozen text sims.
Quote from: Bison on December 11, 2013, 08:41:55 PM
You'd think with how popular football is these days there'd be a half dozen text sims.
There are at least 3 that feature custom career modes, and a few more that only do historical seasons. I'm only interested in the ones with a career mode and pretty much all of those are unfinished and/or have issues. The last FOF version had a few big issues I hope to see alleviated in this one - it was certainly the closest to being a complete managerial game.
As for popularity, I don't think many gamers even know this kind of stuff exits. Many of those who know about them just blow them off. I blew them off for quite some time before giving them a try. Being saddled with eLicense certainly doesn't do them any favors of wrangling in new customers, either. ::)
Arlie over at GreyDogSoftware has been working on one for a while and I believe should be getting close to beta. They are the ones who developed Bowl Bound College Football. It will have a career mode and in his post he did not say college or pro, however the title of the post was for Pro.
http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1934302#post1934302
PE
Quote from: PanzersEast on December 11, 2013, 09:43:05 PM
Arlie over at GreyDogSoftware has been working on one for a while and I believe should be getting close to beta. They are the ones who developed Bowl Bound College Football. It will have a career mode and in his post he did not say college or pro, however the title of the post was for Pro.
http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1934302#post1934302
PE
I don't know if you remember but he is the one who built Total Pro Football back for .400 studios which was just about released 10 years ago around xmas. At that time, I remember being extremely excited about that game and waited every minute for it to come out. Sadly, never lived up to its expectations and disappeared. Hopefully his latest effort will be worth it, but he has been working on it forever. FOF is really the only career football game to stand the test of time. Although Football Mogul has been around a long time, just can't get into that game and each year sees very minor improvements.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 11, 2013, 09:46:53 PM
I don't know if you remember but he is the one who built Total Pro Football back for .400 studios which was just about released 10 years ago around xmas. At that time, I remember being extremely excited about that game and waited every minute for it to come out. Sadly, never lived up to its expectations and disappeared. Hopefully his latest effort will be worth it, but he has been working on it forever. FOF is really the only career football game to stand the test of time. Although Football Mogul has been around a long time, just can't get into that game and each year sees very minor improvements.
Yea I remember and bought the game.... unfortunately the company soon after it was released and then the game went into vaporware. Gary formed Wolverine Studios which has put out some good stuff, but still no football game.
PE
Quote from: PanzersEast on December 11, 2013, 09:59:52 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 11, 2013, 09:46:53 PM
I don't know if you remember but he is the one who built Total Pro Football back for .400 studios which was just about released 10 years ago around xmas. At that time, I remember being extremely excited about that game and waited every minute for it to come out. Sadly, never lived up to its expectations and disappeared. Hopefully his latest effort will be worth it, but he has been working on it forever. FOF is really the only career football game to stand the test of time. Although Football Mogul has been around a long time, just can't get into that game and each year sees very minor improvements.
Yea I remember and bought the game.... unfortunately the company soon after it was released and then the game went into vaporware. Gary formed Wolverine Studios which has put out some good stuff, but still no football game.
PE
I am not a big fan of Gary and wolverine studios....his games have great promise but always seems like they release with issues and you walk on eggshells if being able to get through many seasons before some crash happens. It also seems like after he releases a game, he disappears for long periods of time and is not very active in the forums. Its a shame since the core seems pretty good. For basketball text career sims, I am much prefer Fastbreak (sold at greydogsoftware) since they always seem to be pretty solid. His latest pro version has been very good.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 11, 2013, 10:05:10 PM
I am not a big fan of Gary and wolverine studios....his games have great promise but always seems like they release with issues and you walk on eggshells if being able to get through many seasons before some crash happens. It also seems like after he releases a game, he disappears for long periods of time and is not very active in the forums. Its a shame since the core seems pretty good. For basketball text career sims, I am much prefer Fastbreak (sold at greydogsoftware) since they always seem to be pretty solid. His latest pro version has been very good.
I need to check them out then, I have not looked at the Fastbreak series since I have DDS. Gary does a pretty good job, however it does take a while to eventually 'get there'. And you are right, he will vanish for long periods of time and then reemerge for a time. I have enjoyed his games once the bugs are worked out.... but will look at Fasbreak... have you played both? How is the stats with Fastbreak and the recruiting with the College game?
PE
Quote from: PanzersEast on December 11, 2013, 10:36:49 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 11, 2013, 10:05:10 PM
I am not a big fan of Gary and wolverine studios....his games have great promise but always seems like they release with issues and you walk on eggshells if being able to get through many seasons before some crash happens. It also seems like after he releases a game, he disappears for long periods of time and is not very active in the forums. Its a shame since the core seems pretty good. For basketball text career sims, I am much prefer Fastbreak (sold at greydogsoftware) since they always seem to be pretty solid. His latest pro version has been very good.
I need to check them out then, I have not looked at the Fastbreak series since I have DDS. Gary does a pretty good job, however it does take a while to eventually 'get there'. And you are right, he will vanish for long periods of time and then reemerge for a time. I have enjoyed his games once the bugs are worked out.... but will look at Fasbreak... have you played both? How is the stats with Fastbreak and the recruiting with the College game?
PE
I have played them both and was actually a beta tester for awhile on the pro game. I really liked them both. Stats seemed very reasonable and seems most people agree. I am not a basketball expert by any means, but nothing looked completely wrong. With the pro game you can jump in and start from any year since 1940 something or other, which is pretty cool. I haven't played either in awhile, more of a time thing then anything wrong with the games. Pretty sure they both have demos you can try.
I checked out a demo of his older College Football game. It seemed like it had a lot going for it but I didn't get far into it because I'm just not into college ball - it makes for a terrible career mode when your hottest players are gone so quickly.
One of you also mentioned that he was creating an Pro ball one but didn't have a lot of faith in it getting finished anytime soon or relatively bug-free. So I've not really been expecting it. If the thing happens to pop out and be decent, then it'll be a nice surprise.
Wondering if this will hit tomorrow, just in time for another football weekend....
The game's status was changed from release in "mid December" to "very soon"...speculation has been Friday is the day, but who knows.
http://www.solecismic.com/index.php
I'm sure I'll pick it up sometime if some of my pet issues have been addressed.
May not be until after Xmas, though.
It's here!! Figures I have a long day at work today.
The good news is that it allows for a 3 day demo period.
Excellent...here is the purchase page and info for those interested, you can also download the demo and play 3 days before buying.
Not that I want to get into pricing, thought it would be a little more cheap than $37 since didn't appear to be earth shattering improvements, but maybe more to it than I know.
Info and Demo
http://www.solecismic.com/orders/index.php
Purchase
https://www.elicense.com/solecismic/
Was really hoping to try this for a little while before work...downloaded and installed the demo, but it won't run. It comes up in my Task Manager for about five seconds before it disappears from the list, and nothing happens.
Edit: N/M...typical 'Run as Admin' BS in Vista.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on December 13, 2013, 07:21:12 AM
Was really hoping to try this for a little while before work...downloaded and installed the demo, but it won't run. It comes up in my Task Manager for about five seconds before it disappears from the list, and nothing happens.
Edit: N/M...typical 'Run as Admin' BS in Vista.
Yep, had the same thing...have to run in admin.
Its kind of funny that I think the opening user interface might have gotten worse:) The new schedule portion is very hard to read and my toolbar kind of look funny. Might be just my monitor/settings. Once you get past that area, pretty much everything else looks the same, which is ok for me.
I knew it wasn't going to be in the release, but I was really hoping for a streamlined way of game planning. There is just a ton of screens and options you could setup. I certainly let the computer do it all, but was hoping for a way to provide some input without completing all of that. They did include an option to set all the game planning options to recommended at once, which is a tiny step up of having to go to every screen.
Now the hard call comes....buy this or the new wings over flanders game:( decisions, decisions.
It's not just you...the interface menu is hard to read, especially on the left side there...the menu I think, they tried to make look like a football field, and the red on the dark green background doesn't work for me at all.
I went for a draft start, stopped and backed out, then went for a game without a draft, controlling Houston. First preseason game is against Minnesota (heh-heh). At first I didn't think this was realistic as Arian Foster was stopped on first down for -1 yards, then stopped on 2nd down for no gain...but then on third down he ran for 17 yards. Where's the Purple People Eaters now? ;D
Oooo...don't like that I can't exit out of the game. It wouldn't let me exit the game/sim the remainder...I must be missing something, that can't be right. I had to go to Task Manager and close the process to get out of it.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on December 13, 2013, 07:41:30 AM
Oooo...don't like that I can't exit out of the game. It wouldn't let me exit the game/sim the remainder...I must be missing something, that can't be right. I had to go to Task Manager and close the process to get out of it.
I really never play out the games, just sim. But looks like only way to sim the remainder is to increase the game sim speed to the fastest and let it play out.
I'm curious as to how well the sim engine is doing now, along with how well the AI manages it's roster.
Not currently in a sports manager gaming mode so I'll rely on you guys to give it a shakedown.
Early thoughts from the demo :
-I really like the calendar down the left side while running a franchise...but holy crap, the colour is threatening to burn holes in my retinas! Dark red on turf green does not equal easy readability. Good grief.
-Real coaching staffs...now there are 5 positions. The coach draft is a bit weird and is going to take some getting used to.
-Tight ends actually produce! It used to be that highly rated tight ends did next to nothing but suck up AI money. Now they spend A LOT more time on the field. I simmed through a year where the big boys (Graham, Gronk, Witten) put up the sorts of numbers you would expect them to.
-Long snapper is now a separate position.
-The starters playing time screen is streamlined and easier to use. Same with signing free agents, since there are now checkboxes for each guy you're going after that will automatically pull all other offers to players at that position if he signs.
-After simming through one offseason, the AI seems to do a better job of managing the cap and not overloading positions with 3, 4 or 5 starter-caliber players while ignoring glaring needs. A lot of veteran free agents now have to wait and get signed to 1 year deals during late free agency.
Sounds like some positive changes. :D
It's interesting that the NFL player names are all present, but the team names are not.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on December 13, 2013, 08:18:30 PM
It's interesting that the NFL player names are all present, but the team names are not.
Not sure if you knew, you can change the nicknames in the Edit Franchise Nicknames function and then when you start a game they will always be using the real names. Only have to do this once.
I figured there must be a way to do that...I haven't gotten to heavily into the game yet unfortunately. I guess there's separate licensing for NFL team names and the NFL Player's Association. Regardless, still pretty cool. I like what I've seen so far, except that red-on-green text display.
Quote from: Banzai_Cat on December 13, 2013, 08:43:13 PM
I figured there must be a way to do that...I haven't gotten to heavily into the game yet unfortunately. I guess there's separate licensing for NFL team names and the NFL Player's Association. Regardless, still pretty cool. I like what I've seen so far, except that red-on-green text display.
Just make sure to choose the edit franchise option BEFORE you start a new league so that it applies to every game going forward. If you do it while you have a league loaded, it will only apply to the currently loaded league.
Seems like there were some mods in the older versions of the game that allowed you to start drafting historical players as early as the 60's, play the season, then draft again according to position, rinse and repeat. Damned if I can find them now.
Quote from: Steelgrave on December 13, 2013, 08:55:17 PM
Seems like there were some mods in the older versions of the game that allowed you to start drafting historical players as early as the 60's, play the season, then draft again according to position, rinse and repeat. Damned if I can find them now.
This references page maybe? No idea if old mods work with new version or not.
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=63429
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 13, 2013, 08:57:09 PM
Quote from: Steelgrave on December 13, 2013, 08:55:17 PM
Seems like there were some mods in the older versions of the game that allowed you to start drafting historical players as early as the 60's, play the season, then draft again according to position, rinse and repeat. Damned if I can find them now.
This references page maybe? No idea if old mods work with new version or not.
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=63429
Yeah that looks right. Thanks. I'll play with this and see if it works. If not, I'm betting the modders will update it like they've done before.
I have had a couple of crashes so far using the demo....don't recall that ever happening in the older versions. Maybe the older program is not catching up nicely with newer systems/operating systems. Most of the crashes have come when I have be simming games or exiting the game.
Hopefully not something I'll see all the time.....SAVE OFTEN.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 13, 2013, 09:09:24 PM
I have had a couple of crashes so far using the demo....don't recall that ever happening in the older versions. Maybe the older program is not catching up nicely with newer systems/operating systems. Most of the crashes have come when I have be simming games or exiting the game.
Hopefully not something I'll see all the time.....SAVE OFTEN.
Gosh darn it! After last crash, my game is now saying my trial has expired and I can no longer use the demo! I was really hoping to try it this weekend to determine if I wanted to purchase.
Someone posted their stats from the first season at FOF Central..... looks like the stat engine needs a lot of work
QuoteNot sure with season stats after first season.
Eli manning threw for 6017 yards and 54 TD's
DeAngelo Williams had 2361 yards rushing
marshawn Lynch had 2202 yards rushing
Arian Foster had 2012 yards rushing
PE
Yikes! I was just looking at tight ends, since there was mention that they were finally getting a boost. Apparently I should have looked beyond that. :o
Quote from: PanzersEast on December 13, 2013, 09:47:50 PM
Someone posted their stats from the first season at FOF Central..... looks like the stat engine needs a lot of work
QuoteNot sure with season stats after first season.
Eli manning threw for 6017 yards and 54 TD's
DeAngelo Williams had 2361 yards rushing
marshawn Lynch had 2202 yards rushing
Arian Foster had 2012 yards rushing
PE
I think that is just one sample....before I crashed I simmed several seasons and they all seemed very reasonable. Not to say you might not have one of those odd seasons now and then.
Yeah, I'm not seeing any enormous discrepancies like that piling up every time.
The one issue I do see is a LOT of #1 running backs piling up a lot of yards. I just simmed a season ending with 11 guys with over 1,400 yards, 8 of them over 1,500. That's pretty typical from what I've been seeing. And almost every season has at least one 2,000 yard rusher.
On the flip side, sacks seem a bit low. It's rare to see the league leader with more than a dozen or so.
EDIT : One positive to add is with RFA's. It used to be that even high level young RFA's would happily sign one year minimum tender offers a couple of years in a row, letting you hide a couple of guys with big time upside on your depth chart for dirt cheap. Those days seem to be over. Any RFA who earns solid playing time asks for multi-year deals now, often with at least a small signing bonus.
When I did a playthrough earlier, I called the plays in that Houston-Minnesota game. Seemed that the game reported that Minnesota was "looking for the pass" every single time, even on obvious short plays. That let me run several draws with great success. I guess that's the point.
The few times I had Schaub throw the ball, it was to Andre Johnson, and Andre was always double-covered. I'll have to do a sim through and see if Arian gets over 2K yards. Will be interesting to see how many INTs Schaub gets.
Best NFL Logos for FOF, by far:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1315121&postcount=153
Don't play without them!
Quote from: Nefaro on December 14, 2013, 12:05:46 AM
Best NFL Logos for FOF, by far:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1315121&postcount=153
Don't play without them!
Thanks for these.
Quote from: Nefaro on December 14, 2013, 12:05:46 AM
Best NFL Logos for FOF, by far:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1315121&postcount=153
Don't play without them!
Figures. I spent most of my evening modding logos for the game and, of course, these look much nicer than mine. I just couldn't play with the vanilla logos. I'm superficial enough to
need good logos to help with my immersion into the game.
For those not aware of the main place to discuss FOF7, I highly recommend reading these threads. Although on the surface it doesn't look like the game changed much, but people are reporting a lot of under-the-hood changes that are making things much better. This is likely going to push me over the edge for a purchase.
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/forumdisplay.php?f=33
Quote from: KyzBP on December 14, 2013, 07:31:11 AM
Quote from: Nefaro on December 14, 2013, 12:05:46 AM
Best NFL Logos for FOF, by far:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1315121&postcount=153
Don't play without them!
Figures. I spent most of my evening modding logos for the game and, of course, these look much nicer than mine. I just couldn't play with the vanilla logos. I'm superficial enough to need good logos to help with my immersion into the game.
Nice proper logos is essential. We play
all video games for the immersion, so it should be top priority to better such things. ;)
I recommend everyone drop these in and try playing with them, if they haven't. Luckily modding the game into real NFL team names and adding real logos is pretty easy as far as modding goes.
The schedule color over the grass background should be an easy fix, and one I'm surprised wasn't officially done before release:
Change the Red text to White. It makes sense for a couple reasons. Not only would the contrast be better but the text and lines would actually match the yard lines on a grass field. (Duh!)
I'd be extremely surprised if nobody has suggested this yet on the forum.
I plan on picking this up before long, but I'm in the middle of aerial warfare in WOFF right now.
Mods are in progress already to correct
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 14, 2013, 12:47:06 PM
Mods are in progress already to correct
Yeah, I noticed Icy (or whathisname) had one in the works, but it removed the green grass graphic which I think is pretty cool. I imagine someone will simply change the text to white at some point - that's all it needs.
Keep me up-to-date on how the simming results and AI performs!
Quote from: Nefaro on December 14, 2013, 02:28:20 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 14, 2013, 12:47:06 PM
Mods are in progress already to correct
Yeah, I noticed Icy (or whathisname) had one in the works, but it removed the green grass graphic which I think is pretty cool. I imagine someone will simply change the text to white at some point - that's all it needs.
Keep me up-to-date on how the simming results and AI performs!
I am locked out of the demo now...turns out that it only lasts 3 days OR you start up the game 4 times. I had a number of crashes that ate up my restarts and at the time was not aware of the limitation. Therefore, not currently playing right now, but maybe a chance I purchase before the day is over:)
Well, as expected, also picked this up last night....just diving into it. I ran through a few quick seasons and from a stats perspective, nothing really stood out as bad. Just like with any text sim and real life for that matter, you'll have those unique seasons where it seems like records are broken and others where things take a step back. And in between, things seem just about average and normal.
I am not an expert on roster management and contracts so that part of the game is going to be hard for me to comment on, at least in the near future. If what people are saying is accurate over at the official forums, seems like a lot of the back-end stuff was improved so I am hopeful.
Good news.
;D
I'll pick it up at my next management craving.
And I bought it. 8) ::)
Hey guys.. question.
How easy is it to deal with having player affinities on now?
I noticed that someone had posted a possible draftees info and it had some numbers in green, which meant that he would have an affinity with one of the guy's current players on the team. I'm just wondering if all the player affinity interface stuff has been streamlined like that? Not only was the zodiac thing kinda ridiculous, you had to check each player's match-up with his teammates on a user-created chart to see if they'd hate others on your team. It was a goddamn pain in the ass so I usually turned it off. However, if he's give simple color coding indicators in all situations, it may be worth using.
Some additional big announcement due tonight.....wonder what it will be....seems speculation is one of the following:
- FOF gets on Steam
- New version of TCY
- He found a publisher
- Enhancing the graphics
-etc.
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=88064
Probably will not turn out that big after all:)
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 20, 2013, 03:28:55 PM
Some additional big announcement due tonight.....wonder what it will be....seems speculation is one of the following:
- FOF gets on Steam
- New version of TCY
- He found a publisher
- Enhancing the graphics
-etc.
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=88064
Probably will not turn out that big after all:)
Dropping eLicense like a psycho girlfriend? That would be great news.
I almost wished Matrix picked them up but then the game would cost twice as much. :P
I've briefly held off buying just because I don't have the play time for it right now but it's been itching at me. I hope it's good news.
A new TCY is the most likely of that selection...though perhaps some kind of agreement with a sports game company wouldn't be a crazy.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on December 20, 2013, 03:33:32 PM
A new TCY is the most likely of that selection...though perhaps some kind of agreement with a sports game company wouldn't be a crazy.
What's a TCY? Sounds familiar but my brain isn't working right now... just had a buffet so it has shut down and gone into sleep mode.
Quote from: Nefaro on December 20, 2013, 03:35:12 PM
Quote from: Arctic Blast on December 20, 2013, 03:33:32 PM
A new TCY is the most likely of that selection...though perhaps some kind of agreement with a sports game company wouldn't be a crazy.
What's a TCY? Sounds familiar but my brain isn't working right now... just had a buffet so it has shut down and gone into sleep mode.
LOL. TCY is The College Years. :D
Thanks.
But.. so soon after FOF is released?
Oh. I see. Maybe just an announcement that he's working on it.
Meh. I'd rather see more work go into the next version of FOF. Amiwrong?
Hoping related to fof, otherwise seems like a quick departure to something else after release.
Looks like a design contest to improve the UI/Graphics...I guess ok, but was hoping for bigger news:)
http://www.solecismic.com/contest/index.php
It's cool that he's offering money to the graphical modders for improving the look of the game in a patch.
It also shows that the game is selling well enough to improve it further, too.
Quote from: Nefaro on December 20, 2013, 09:47:55 PM
It's cool that he's offering money to the graphical modders for improving the look of the game in a patch.
It also shows that the game is selling well enough to improve it further, too.
It's nice and will be an added touch....but......to me this game has never been about the graphics and even though it got uglier with the latest version, still not something I overly worry about. I much prefer they spend their time tweaking that game, such as simplifying game planning. I know you can use the recommend options, but I do want to have some input. Such as, just give me some high level options such as how much focus to put for pass and run..something very easy.
Looks like another american football game in the works, but looks like it is a long ways off though.....
http://footballgeneralmanager.wordpress.com/
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 21, 2013, 11:02:33 AM
Looks like another american football game in the works, but looks like it is a long ways off though.....
http://footballgeneralmanager.wordpress.com/
Nice find.
Was that just announced a couple months ago? The blog doesn't go back very far.
It's great that someone is cooking up a new one.
Quote from: Nefaro on December 21, 2013, 11:42:06 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on December 21, 2013, 11:02:33 AM
Looks like another american football game in the works, but looks like it is a long ways off though.....
http://footballgeneralmanager.wordpress.com/
Nice find.
Was that just announced a couple months ago? The blog doesn't go back very far.
It's great that someone is cooking up a new one.
I heard about it back in September in this thread....
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=87622
New update release with some graphic updates, guessing some gameplay updates but couldn't find any details...not sure what I think about the new graphics...
http://www.solecismic.com/downloads/index.php
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on January 22, 2014, 08:00:53 PM
New update release with some graphic updates, guessing some gameplay updates but couldn't find any details...not sure what I think about the new graphics...
http://www.solecismic.com/downloads/index.php
I like the new background and command menu graphics, although the window borders don't display your custom team colors on those anymore (in the main menu windows anyway). :-\ So it's a mixed feeling there. Actually I just mainly like the button icon changes and most notably the season window graphics on the left. It needs the custom team coloring back for the borders.
As for the new Roster graphics, they look terrible. That change was completely unnecessary and even detrimental. It was fairly easy to differentiate everything before but now the fugly paisley color pallet just makes it a jumbled mess of a care bear rainbow. I want the old roster graphics back, except for the new jersey number icons. Those are the only improvements I see there.
The numerical position experience bar change (in the player info window) is a welcome addition since it's easier to see what their abilities are via both numbers and a better set of contrasting reds to dark reds.
I've not checked out some of the other screens that may have been changed. I've seen a good in-game 'scoreboard' window preview that looked really good - dunno if that one made it in.
Not really sure if I like the new toolbar, but I do like the new schedule screen. Still much rather he focus on gameplay versus this graphic stuff.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on January 22, 2014, 10:07:10 PM
Not really sure if I like the new toolbar, but I do like the new schedule screen. Still much rather he focus on gameplay versus this graphic stuff.
He offered a payout for modders to create the new graphic stuff, which they did. I don't think he spent much time implementing them after picking out the new art stuff they made.
The thing FOF needs most is some AI and game plan work. Right now the AI for all the different teams just picks the same style of offense/defense and makes a very slight percentage variation based on personnel. So they all run the same style of offense, for example. He needs to come up with numerous schemes and have the AI do a decent job of picking the right scheme based on personnel, then adjust the fine percentages. Some people lump this in with having some new Coach additions and just lumping a favored scheme in with those so you can just hire a coach with one you want to use. Either way would work.
Any MP leagues going yet?
Quote from: vyshka on January 24, 2014, 01:13:51 AM
Any MP leagues going yet?
I don't think we have too many people here who own it. Three or four of us?
I've had my head stuck in WOFF lately, so haven't been playing much yet.
New patch released plus looks like fof is attempting to get published on steam....
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=88522
Quote from: vyshka on January 24, 2014, 01:13:51 AM
Any MP leagues going yet?
I own it but it just never grabbed me for some reason. I may revisit it around draft time.
For those that haven't followed this game since release, coming to steam and price will reduce to $24.99 in February. See details here.
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=89853
This is a very fine game. I have been buying various versions of Front Office Football for many, many years. This is my favorite football game of all time, after Front Page Sports Football '95 and '98.
The scope is right but the way you set up play calls for Sim'd games is just plain bad.
Don't get me wrong, the percentage matrix could work as a basis but without overall offensive & defensive schemes with specific situational playcalling for various situations, it just ends up a mostly randomized dice roll. That doesn't do justice to football's greatest draw.. the strategy and deception to be had from it.
FOF needs a big overhaul in at least that one area, and preferably more. It's pretty much the only serious text sim covering the subject, so it's all we got right now. A small upgrade every seven years isn't going to do it justice though.
Looks like February 4th is the release date on Steam.....
http://store.steampowered.com/app/344340/
Do you know if they're giving out steam keys to those of us who already own the game? It would be so much nicer to have on steam.
Quote from: KyzBP on February 02, 2015, 05:46:52 PM
Do you know if they're giving out steam keys to those of us who already own the game? It would be so much nicer to have on steam.
From the announcement ...seems like you would have to chose one way or another, if they can pull it off.
We are still working on a plan for qualifying customers to trade a ViaTech Front Office Footbal Seven order ID for a Steam order ID, if they choose to do so (advantages to either system).
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 02, 2015, 05:50:49 PM
Quote from: KyzBP on February 02, 2015, 05:46:52 PM
Do you know if they're giving out steam keys to those of us who already own the game? It would be so much nicer to have on steam.
From the announcement ...seems like you would have to chose one way or another, if they can pull it off.
We are still working on a plan for qualifying customers to trade a ViaTech Front Office Footbal Seven order ID for a Steam order ID, if they choose to do so (advantages to either system).
Thanks Grim.
Yeah, I'd also prefer to have it on Steam if only to avoid that damn activation DRM.
I wonder if it's going to be Steam Workshop enabled?
I believe mods will work, but I am pretty sure the developer said steam workshop would not be included right now
I'm presuming this isn't the same BS game I bought on Steam last year? What a crock that turned out to be.
eugh...just noticed "Seattle Cyberhawks" :'(
Nope that likely was the front page sports football game...
^ no - I just checked. The one I bought on Steam that stunk was Front PAGE Sports Football
I will have to have a look at this one.
BUT - only if I can edit the teams. I have no intention of playing as the Seattle Cyberhawks or the Green Bay Smugglers or the Miami Sharks :crazy2:
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 03, 2015, 11:50:06 AM
I will have to have a look at this one.
BUT - only if I can edit the teams. I have no intention of playing as the Seattle Cyberhawks or the Green Bay Smugglers or the Miami Sharks :crazy2:
You can edit the team names and only need to do it once after installing the game.
Other than that, you'll want to get an official logo mod. There is one that stands head & shoulders above the rest. Called "Glossy Logos" but I can't recall the creator's handle right now.
Ahhh.. here's the d/l link: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1315121&postcount=153 It's by Nugget699, made for an older version but it works the same with FOF7 (little has changed in the structure of the game).
Be aware that it's got some detail that may take some terminology study for someone who's not intimately familiar with american football. Fortunately there are a good amount of "AI chooses" automation to the strategy & depth chart setups so you have a lot of leeway in how much minutiae you want to tinker with.
I would also suggest downloading a set of saved Offensive (and maybe defensive if there are any) schemes for the playcalling. This is something the game needs implemented in the vanilla version, and to a greater extent, but those can be easy setups to play to your roster strengths, with stuff like West Coast, Run & Shoot, Smash Mouth offenses for example. This thread has the d/l link and extensive explanations of each type for you: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=82437 At least you could pop one of these in there (via a simple "load offense" button in the appropriate screen) and only have to worry about modifying stuff, if you feel the need, as you sim along rather than having to punch in percentage numbers for a truckload of matrices from the beginning, which is the main complaint I have about this game.
Anway.. these are the basic mods you can grab when/if you decide to pick it up.
I really really wish
Second And Ten had a Career mode. You can kinda half-ass shoehorn some carryover between seasons but there's no proper drafting, trading, etc like these sims with a real career mode. It's also looks like a pain in the ass to do, after reading the directions on how to go about it. Nevertheless SAT is pretty fun, at least for single historical season play, and has less of a learning curve than others. It's mechanics are based on a boardgame but it doesn't come across as one and the stat results are fairly believable from what I've seen.
Front Office had an update released today...seems main thing is update 2014 rosters/schedule, although there might be other minor fixes....assuming this was done to coincide with the release on steam tomorrow.
http://www.solecismic.com/downloads/index.php
Here is a link for those interested in trading in their viatech license for a steam code, so you have to choose between the two. Process is not a guarantee as well since you must unregister your two copies of the viatech license before your request will be accepted. If you used one of the licenses and you were unable to unregister, your out of luck.
Link to more info and request form. You must complete before end of February. Personally I am going to wait a bit and see how the launch of the game goes along with people's experience with trading their licenses.
http://www.solecismic.com/conversion.php
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 04, 2015, 05:53:53 AM
Here is a link for those interested in trading in their viatech license for a steam code, so you have to choose between the two. Process is not a guarantee as well since you must unregister your two copies of the viatech license before your request will be accepted. If you used one of the licenses and you were unable to unregister, your out of luck.
Link to more info and request form. You must complete before end of February. Personally I am going to wait a bit and see how the launch of the game goes along with people's experience with trading their licenses.
http://www.solecismic.com/conversion.php
Doesn't endear me to it any more than I already am. >:(
I'm gonna wait until it's out before attempting this. I have it installed on two of my computers (the limit) so if that crappy DRM feks up and doesn't send the proper shit on uninstall, I will be rather hot. :knuppel2:
Note that it is the DRM company whose employees went missing for just shy of a month when people were trying to get their activations fixed for the previous version of this game. They even went silent on the developer when he was attempting to contact them, more than once IIRC. I'd rather not have to deal with them, or support them in any way, so if they can be ditched I'm all for it.
It's out - £19
Maybe......
I'm very, very torn between this and Rugby Union Team Manager 2015. I'm a HUGE rugby fan (yeah...even though I'm Scottish!) but I also love American Football...and this is £10 cheaper!
What to do...what to do? :(
I have been waiting on the rugby game dropping in price and I can just imagine I buy it and it drops by 50% within two weeks! :knuppel2:
And this is cheap now.... :D
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 04, 2015, 05:04:18 PM
I'm very, very torn between this and Rugby Union Team Manager 2015. I'm a HUGE rugby fan (yeah...even though I'm Scottish!) but I also love American Football...and this is £10 cheaper!
What to do...what to do? :(
I have been waiting on the rugby game dropping in price and I can just imagine I buy it and it drops by 50% within two weeks! :knuppel2:
And this is cheap now.... :D
You know you will end up with both! :P
Eventually - but which one first?
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 04, 2015, 06:18:25 PM
Eventually - but which one first?
Only you can answer that question based on which sport you prefer.....the only downside in releasing the football game right now is it is after the season. Usually I enjoy sport games while their actual seasons are going on, not sure about you. Has the Rugby game gotten positive reviews? Haven't heard much about it. It does look like the prettier and more modern game, but not sure if better or not.
Did you try the demo of Front Office Football? Maybe you should do that first, pretty sure you can install the game from this link and you get a limited trial.
http://www.solecismic.com/downloads/index.php
C'mon folks..this is a day one purchase. You KNOW this.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 04, 2015, 06:44:14 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 04, 2015, 06:18:25 PM
Eventually - but which one first?
Only you can answer that question based on which sport you prefer.....the only downside in releasing the football game right now is it is after the season. Usually I enjoy sport games while their actual seasons are going on, not sure about you. Has the Rugby game gotten positive reviews? Haven't heard much about it. It does look like the prettier and more modern game, but not sure if better or not.
Did you try the demo of Front Office Football? Maybe you should do that first, pretty sure you can install the game from this link and you get a limited trial.
http://www.solecismic.com/downloads/index.php
Thanks
As this is the startup screen for the demo at least...
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1160.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fq499%2Fwmar1967%2FMisc%2FSnap1_zpsrk77cqrs.jpg&hash=622779809ddb86099986aa60a07f57f68f1282ca)
It looks like the rugby game will be my purchase :P
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 05, 2015, 02:06:03 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 04, 2015, 06:44:14 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 04, 2015, 06:18:25 PM
Eventually - but which one first?
Only you can answer that question based on which sport you prefer.....the only downside in releasing the football game right now is it is after the season. Usually I enjoy sport games while their actual seasons are going on, not sure about you. Has the Rugby game gotten positive reviews? Haven't heard much about it. It does look like the prettier and more modern game, but not sure if better or not.
Did you try the demo of Front Office Football? Maybe you should do that first, pretty sure you can install the game from this link and you get a limited trial.
http://www.solecismic.com/downloads/index.php
Thanks
As this is the startup screen for the demo at least...
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1160.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fq499%2Fwmar1967%2FMisc%2FSnap1_zpsrk77cqrs.jpg&hash=622779809ddb86099986aa60a07f57f68f1282ca)
It looks like the rugby game will be my purchase :P
Did you try running it with the admin account? Just curious if that might help it.
yep
Guess it wasn't meant to be:)
There is a faq at their site where you may want review some troubleshooting items, not sure if they will help though.
http://www.solecismic.com/faq/index.php
Thanks Grim
I kind of took the attitude if that's the demo - a show of their game - and it's not working out the box then I'm gonna move on.
I know that's harsh - but as I've got a selection of things I'd like to buy
I did look on Steam for a demo - but there isn't one.
So I'm going to get the rugby game. It looks like there could be better Football games coming through the pipeline anyway.
Thanks for the effort though
Let us know about the rugby game...always up to play a good management sim.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 04, 2015, 05:53:53 AM
Here is a link for those interested in trading in their viatech license for a steam code, so you have to choose between the two. Process is not a guarantee as well since you must unregister your two copies of the viatech license before your request will be accepted. If you used one of the licenses and you were unable to unregister, your out of luck.
Link to more info and request form. You must complete before end of February. Personally I am going to wait a bit and see how the launch of the game goes along with people's experience with trading their licenses.
http://www.solecismic.com/conversion.php
I ended up trading my license key last night for a steam key...luckily I must have had both licenses freed up....pretty painless process, from the time I requested and received my new key was only about 4.5 hrs and that was even making the request late at night. Game installed without issue and it seemed my previous seasons were available for loading, although I did not choose to continue them.
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 05, 2015, 02:06:03 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 04, 2015, 06:44:14 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 04, 2015, 06:18:25 PM
Eventually - but which one first?
Only you can answer that question based on which sport you prefer.....the only downside in releasing the football game right now is it is after the season. Usually I enjoy sport games while their actual seasons are going on, not sure about you. Has the Rugby game gotten positive reviews? Haven't heard much about it. It does look like the prettier and more modern game, but not sure if better or not.
Did you try the demo of Front Office Football? Maybe you should do that first, pretty sure you can install the game from this link and you get a limited trial.
http://www.solecismic.com/downloads/index.php
Thanks
As this is the startup screen for the demo at least...
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1160.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fq499%2Fwmar1967%2FMisc%2FSnap1_zpsrk77cqrs.jpg&hash=622779809ddb86099986aa60a07f57f68f1282ca)
It looks like the rugby game will be my purchase :P
Hey JD,
Found this on their forum:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=88042
A guy Apathetic Lurker had the same error but no real solution posted in the thread. Seems that they're pointing to the licensing code as the issue.
Quote from: WYBaugh on February 07, 2015, 10:49:31 AM
Hey JD,
Found this on their forum:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=88042
A guy Apathetic Lurker had the same error but no real solution posted in the thread. Seems that they're pointing to the licensing code as the issue.
I seem to recall there being some leftover bugginess from the DRM that was removed(?) in the demo. That must be it.
Quote from: WYBaugh on February 07, 2015, 10:49:31 AM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 05, 2015, 02:06:03 AM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 04, 2015, 06:44:14 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on February 04, 2015, 06:18:25 PM
Eventually - but which one first?
Only you can answer that question based on which sport you prefer.....the only downside in releasing the football game right now is it is after the season. Usually I enjoy sport games while their actual seasons are going on, not sure about you. Has the Rugby game gotten positive reviews? Haven't heard much about it. It does look like the prettier and more modern game, but not sure if better or not.
Did you try the demo of Front Office Football? Maybe you should do that first, pretty sure you can install the game from this link and you get a limited trial.
http://www.solecismic.com/downloads/index.php
Thanks
As this is the startup screen for the demo at least...
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1160.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fq499%2Fwmar1967%2FMisc%2FSnap1_zpsrk77cqrs.jpg&hash=622779809ddb86099986aa60a07f57f68f1282ca)
It looks like the rugby game will be my purchase :P
Hey JD,
Found this on their forum:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=88042
A guy Apathetic Lurker had the same error but no real solution posted in the thread. Seems that they're pointing to the licensing code as the issue.
Thanks...good enough for me to steer clear of it.
My favorite aspect of FOF has always been the ability to load past historical teams and seasons, compete, and then go into a draft with actual players. I was worried that the move to Steam might make this more difficult, but it's not. It's actually easier and I am currently guiding my 1970's era Houston Oilers with an eye towards drafting a University of Texas senior named Earl Campbell.
Ok, first of all....here is a link to the best fan-based board out there for FOF:
http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/forumdisplay.php?f=33
Note there are several threads going concerning Steam. I haven't gone through them because I haven't experienced any problems, but if you have it may be worth a browse.
Next, if you want to guide your favorite franchise through the years and not make the same drafting mistakes the real team did (I'm looking at you, Cleveland...and Detroit...and, well others), it's simple. First, download the following two files from here:
http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/fof7downloads/ (http://www.younglifenorthdekalb.com/fof7downloads/)
RosterFilesupdated.zip
Draftfilesupdated.zip
These are fan based files created by folks who have done this for every incarnation of FOF. The files are safe and pretty well done, IMHO.
Once downloaded onto your computer, here is what you need to do (as copied from the forum):
To start a historical career:
Download the Files
Unzip them into any folder
In FOF 7 - Click start New Game
Select yes to the option begin game using alternate player file
A window will open - Navigate to the folders you just unzipped and select the year you want to start in (eg: 1985 is the 85-86 season)
To import draft files:
After ending the season look for a button that says import draft file
Again it will open a window to select the draft file you want to use - Navigate to the draft folder and select the appropriate year (eg: 1986 for the 86-87 season)
Easy squeezy, kinda like handing the ball to Marshawn Lynch at the one yard line with the Super Bowl title at stake ^-^
Seriously, historical players make all the difference in a game such as this. The creators of these files have done a helluva job.
Quote from: Steelgrave on February 07, 2015, 02:28:26 PM
Note there are several threads going concerning Steam. I haven't gone through them because I haven't experienced any problems, but if you have it may be worth a browse.
I actually think the release to Steam has gone very well, don't believe many technical issues. Most of the steam discussion is talking about converting your licenses and how to increase the awareness of the game. My installation went easily and seems all mods and such work without issue. Really the only difference is the DRM....and I think in the long term I more trust steam then using eLicense so I converted my license. Now we just need to hope that sales are great which encourages the developer to release more dramatic improvements and participate more in the community. He admits that is he weakness in marketing, graphics, etc.
It will be interesting to see how this game stands up compared to Beyond the Sideline (BTS) from OOTP when it is released. If FOF doesn't evolve quickly, it will remain a niche game with a small audience since no doubt OOTP will have a fairly large following to jump on it. OOTP's biggest issue is making sure it doesn't turn out like the release of their Hockey game.
Nothing wrong with competition.....
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 07, 2015, 02:55:13 PM
It will be interesting to see how this game stands up compared to Beyond the Sideline (BTS) from OOTP when it is released. If FOF doesn't evolve quickly, it will remain a niche game with a small audience since no doubt OOTP will have a fairly large following to jump on it. OOTP's biggest issue is making sure it doesn't turn out like the release of their Hockey game.
Nothing wrong with competition.....
Not at all. I'm certainly keeping my eye on BTS and it's a day one purchase for me if it's half as good as I'm hoping!
Does this have a 2D match engine or is it pure text-sim?
Quote from: fabius on February 07, 2015, 03:18:35 PM
Does this have a 2D match engine or is it pure text-sim?
FOF game playing is all text based...more emphasis is on GM/coaching duties then game playing itself....to be honest, I never call a game, just simulate.
If I'm in the playoffs, I call my games. Otherwise, nah!
Thanks guys. Back in the day I had an amiga American Football game that got me into the game itself.
Anyway, calling the plays is what attracts me. It's almost the ultimate sport for tactics and strategies as the decisions are constant with a quick reward or otherwise outcome.
Quote from: fabius on February 07, 2015, 03:43:23 PM
Thanks guys. Back in the day I had an amiga American Football game that got me into the game itself.
Anyway, calling the plays is what attracts me. It's almost the ultimate sport for tactics and strategies as the decisions are constant with a quick reward or otherwise outcome.
If you like calling the plays and don't need a career based games, two excellent games.....
www.dksports.com (personally believe game calling aspects stronger than second and ten, but more expensive)
www.secondandten.com (good game based on board game concept and you get a ton of pro and college seasons with the purchase)
Both of these are season replay games, where you basically just coach for a season....but you can have a great time trying to relive history. Dksports also releases a projection season at the start of the football season that allows you to play along with the current season, which is nice.
Of course there is also stratomatic football, but for me personally I like the game play of the other two games far better
Thanks Grim, both of those look decent. May just hold out to see how Beyond the Line turns out though for a multiple season game.
Quote from: fabius on February 08, 2015, 04:03:17 AM
Thanks Grim, both of those look decent. May just hold out to see how Beyond the Line turns out though for a multiple season game.
Always room for multiple games:) I am hoping BTS is still coming out this year, haven't heard a lot of talk recently. I imagine they are being really cautious as a result of the hockey game poor release. Would be great if released by start of next season.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 08, 2015, 07:41:49 AM
Always room for multiple games:) ....
Very good point, you tempter you :)
So do you have a preference between those two, and why?
Quote from: fabius on February 09, 2015, 03:04:29 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 08, 2015, 07:41:49 AM
Always room for multiple games:) ....
Very good point, you tempter you :)
So do you have a preference between those two, and why?
Both games are good, but if I only had to choose one, it would be Action PC Football. In the long run it is more expensive then SAT10, but I enjoy the gameplay more than SAT10. Some reasons I like ActionPC more.
- Every year a new version is released with new features and enhancements, SAT does not appear to release yearly updates. This is important to me since I like to see the game get better and better each year. Of course you do have to pay for the new version of ActionPC.
- The play calling options are much more in depth then SAT...now if you don't like more options, then SAT might be better for you.
- I believe SAT was based on a board game and sometimes feels that way, which if you like board games might be a good thing. APC just feels more like a game to me and I like that better.
- APC has the video chalkboard where the plays are actually displayed on the field with x's and o's performing the play....SAT has nothing like that, just PBP text to see what happens on the field.
- I like the fact APC releases a projection season at the start of every NFL season that allows you to play the CURRENT season, versus just historical seasons. I like to play along with the current season. SAT does not have this ability.
- I like some of the statistic/record reports better in APC
- APC has integration with Windows Narrator in the game which allows you to hear the play by play text via sound, versus just having to read it
- For the college side of the game, the developer also releases bowl games after the college season so you can play along with them during the actual bowl season....kind of nice to do that sometimes
SAT10 does include a ton of historical seasons with the base game which makes it overall the cheapest solution since each season for APC football you have to buy. SAT10 is also a little prettier and has a more modern user interface. I own both games so of course I think they are both worth it:)
If your unsure what to try, SAT10 has a 3-day demo you can try, while APC football doesn't have a demo, it does have a 30-day money back guarantee...you can play the complete version and if not to your liking, you can return it no questions asked within 30 days.
I own the hockey game..and I don't have very many hours in it, despite a strong interest in the subject.
OOTP is different, I have been playing that game since ... 2002, and am one of the original posters on their forum board.
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 09, 2015, 06:50:25 PM
Quote from: fabius on February 09, 2015, 03:04:29 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 08, 2015, 07:41:49 AM
Always room for multiple games:) ....
Very good point, you tempter you :)
So do you have a preference between those two, and why?
Both games are good, but if I only had to choose one, it would be Action PC Football. In the long run it is more expensive then SAT10, but I enjoy the gameplay more than SAT10. Some reasons I like ActionPC more.
- Every year a new version is released with new features and enhancements, SAT does not appear to release yearly updates. This is important to me since I like to see the game get better and better each year. Of course you do have to pay for the new version of ActionPC.
- The play calling options are much more in depth then SAT...now if you don't like more options, then SAT might be better for you.
- I believe SAT was based on a board game and sometimes feels that way, which if you like board games might be a good thing. APC just feels more like a game to me and I like that better.
- APC has the video chalkboard where the plays are actually displayed on the field with x's and o's performing the play....SAT has nothing like that, just PBP text to see what happens on the field.
- I like the fact APC releases a projection season at the start of every NFL season that allows you to play the CURRENT season, versus just historical seasons. I like to play along with the current season. SAT does not have this ability.
- I like some of the statistic/record reports better in APC
- APC has integration with Windows Narrator in the game which allows you to hear the play by play text via sound, versus just having to read it
- For the college side of the game, the developer also releases bowl games after the college season so you can play along with them during the actual bowl season....kind of nice to do that sometimes
SAT10 does include a ton of historical seasons with the base game which makes it overall the cheapest solution since each season for APC football you have to buy. SAT10 is also a little prettier and has a more modern user interface. I own both games so of course I think they are both worth it:)
If your unsure what to try, SAT10 has a 3-day demo you can try, while APC football doesn't have a demo, it does have a 30-day money back guarantee...you can play the complete version and if not to your liking, you can return it no questions asked within 30 days.
Looks like Action PC Football has the edge, especially with current season and vid chalk board.
Does action pc football have a career mode, or just single season? This is a gamebreaker for many different sports sims, including diamond mind, strat, and others.
Quote from: DennisS on February 10, 2015, 10:55:08 PM
Does action pc football have a career mode, or just single season? This is a gamebreaker for many different sports sims, including diamond mind, strat, and others.
Both Action PC and Second & Ten are single season replays. No drafting, trades, free agent signing, multi-season carryover, etc. :(
They may have some kind of editing available to trade players straight across, more like a cheat, but they don't have career. I know SAT has this and there is an overly painful & confusing series of things you can do to save a finished season and start the exact same team up in a new season. But you also have to do some special junk to separate all the new players on all the rosters into a draft pool, making the assumption that they were all draftees and not FAs. Then you can do some basic kind of arbitrary draft but without any of the financial or contractual stuff - just picking & choosing. I wrote down the directions but never tried it because it sounded rather confusing the way it was explained. At that point, I'd rather just play FOF since it has all the GM'ing stuff anyway, despite the playcalling/schemes and stat/game outcomes being better in SAT and ActionPC, IMO.
Quote from: DennisS on February 10, 2015, 10:55:08 PM
Does action pc football have a career mode, or just single season? This is a gamebreaker for many different sports sims, including diamond mind, strat, and others.
You can play multiple seasons and record results in an enclypodeia that allows you to build statistical history but it is not a career game like ootp and fof where you have gm duties like nefaro indicated. The main goal of these games are historical (or in actionpc case you can play current season) replay seasons and their focus is playing/coaching the games versus managing the career of a team.
I love career games as well but there is room for both types of games for me since I am a sports game junkie and both types offer something different. But if your purely looking for the traditional career game, then these games won't be for you.
Front Office Football 7.2 update released. This IS NOT the brand new version of the game (that's next year), but this is a minor update to the existing version, primarily for new 2015 rosters/schedule.
Change Description
The 7.2 update replaces the default rosters with 2015 rosters. It also replaces the coach file and the schedule. There are two small changes in the game itself. Extra points are now 33-yard kicks. And the game's routine for running the scouting combine was changed to make it more difficult for experienced players to easily identify good players. This change is activated only if the person simulating the draft has the global setting for combine accuracy below 50. If this value is at the default of 50 or higher, no change was made. In addition, if the accuracy is below 40, a second change was made that removes all traces of the problem.
If you own on Steam, you should have received update already...if you own the stand-alone game, go to their website for the update.
http://www.solecismic.com/fof/index.php
I never did quite figure out the Combine score 'tells' about which draft players were excellent sleeper picks.
Judging by some of the forum posts, however, some of the multi-player vets knew the various signs & score combos. Probably a change the MPers have wanted for awhile.