Goalline Blitz

[Sky]

Bah, you have your abilities hidden.  I wanted to see how you were allocating things. 

http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=410485

Ok, fixxorzed. Going for a balanced approach, focusing on speed and vision.

We ended up with three SS on the team, the first couple games I got a lot more snaps and most of my non-tackle stats. Last game (our 4th straight loss) the third string SS actually out-tackled me 2-4.

[Nebu]

Does anyone have any idea what agility helps with?  I've been raising Agi and Str on my LB with the hope that it, speed, and vision would help me react to plays.

[Falconeer]

AGI helps you accelerating and turning faster, reducing the ice-skating aka lamppost effect.

[Sky]

Yeah, I'm trying to toss a few points into agi, I tend to forget. Safeties need quite a few skills to stay balanced.

[murdoc]

My FS is level 6 and makes 1 tackle per game. I really have no idea what I am doing :( I should have paid more attention to what team I signed on with, but at the time I just went with the one that offered me the biggest contract.

I don't think he's gimped, but it's hard to tell when I only get into the game for a couple of plays.

Here's me: http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=373551

Any advice or feedback? I'll take it at this point.

[Sauced]

You spent way too many points on Skills.  Good ratio is 4 points into stats and 1 into skills per level, according to the FAQs I've read.

You should spend all 5 per level on stats pretty much forever.  You'll start catching up around level 10.

[Falconeer]

Murdoc, many veterans (I am supposed to be one too, but I don't feel like it at all) says you shouldn't spend too much into special abilities at lower levels. They are definitely important (although not equally for all roles) but they play a greater role when you grow up a little, and usually a couple of points are more than enough up to a certain point.
You gimped yourself a little for the moment, and that's probably why your "scouting" it's all in the red (the bars in the upper right corner). Special abilities don't count toward those values and I am pretty sure CPU team playtimes are based on that.

I'll go with speed and vision for your next level, but as I said it'll take longer for you to have a working build, meaning you won't be overlooked by the CPU coach.

Finally, the Devs stated more than once that at very low levels it pays more to just specialize on one or two things max (as in: spend all your points on them, like speed, or tackling, or vision, it depends on your role). They specifically said that we are supposed to be middle schoolers when we start so being balanced means being balanced in crappiness. With that in mind, try to stand out in at least one thing until you can start evening things out with a few point here and there and with equip upgrade at level 8 or custom gear (provided that you can pay for it).

Finally, get some inspiration for your FS here:

Run Stuffing FS

Key Physical Attributes: Vision, Tackling, Strength
Other Important Physical Attributes: Speed, Agility
Special Abilitites: Important - Focus on the Hard Hitter Tree
Other Advice: FSs are hard to build because they need to be a jack of all trades. It may take a little longer to see great results at this position. Focus on the Hard Hitter Tree, especially Diving Tackle, and Closing Speed. You need to have at least enough speed to catch most ball carriers and enough agility not to get juked out of your shoes by elusive RBs. Vision of course helps you diagnose plays quickly. Strength is the key to forcing fumbles so add to this before you pour points into Big Hit. Tackling is essential. If you want to set his tackling style to aggressive or even balanced, you will need enough tackling to make sure you on't get a lot of missed and broken tackles.
Ideal Backup Position: SS
Example of a Good Build: Example Needed!!!

Coverage FS

Key Physical Attributes: Speed, Vision
Other Important Physical Attributes: Agility, Tackling, Jumping
Special Abilitites: Important - Focus on the Coverage tree
Other Advice: FSs are hard to build because they need to be a jack of all trades. It may take a little longer to see great results at this position. Try to get his speed and vision way up that way they can fly around the field and clean up after other people. Focus on the Coverage tree, especially Super Vision, Swat Ball, and Shutdown Coverage. In man coverage against 5 WR sets the FS must defend a WR by himself so a coverage FS needs many of the same abilities (e.g. First Step, Change Direction) that a CB needs and similar physical abilities as well. Do not neglect Tackling entirely, but setting your Tackling style in your tactics to Wrap Up can make up for a lower Tackling number. I think Jumping can help you Swat Balls better but I am not 100% sure of this. I do know that jumping will make it easier to snag INTs.
Ideal Backup Position: CB, SS
Example of a Good Build: http://goallineblitz.com/game/player.pl?player_id=26755

[murdoc]

Beauty, thanks guys. I knew I was doing something wrong, and dumping points into skills is definitely it. I'm thinking of buying some points and starting a new couple of guys from scratch, fixing the mistakes I've learned about with this first guy.

[Sauced]

The ability to reroll without retiring is big for exactly that. 

Keep your guy active, update the stats when you level, it'll work itself out.  I did the same thing to my RB who is almost caught up at level 9, although I think the CPU leagues start diminishing PT for players over level 7 infavor of players that need more development.  Just a hunch, but my time has gone down since.

On the other hand, my OG and OT just hit level 5 this morning and are both awesome.

I wound up locked in at 504 in the queue.  Season will be over in less than 2 weeks, we'll see what the plan is for Season 3 by then I hope.

[Sky]

Did I read CPU teams have a level cap of 7? Since our season is in playoffs and my team had a rousing 4 game losing streak, I'm in limbo already. I'll burn through my cash in a couple days of medium training. Looked at some of the human team joining forums and decided I don't really want to get into a dick waving contest with people who are way too into this game, I have one player and I don't buy flex points. Kinda wish there were more extensive cpu options, I guess.

Or an f13 team! 

[Sauced]

If you are a free agent, you can no longer sign with a CPU team after level 7.  You don't get kicked off (although as I said, I think the CPU works in younger players more).  My RB will have to sign up with a human team unless I get an Africa league team this offseason.

[WayAbvPar]

If (when!) Sauced gets his team up and running, we will likely take it on the chin for a season or two while we get leveled properly. Having people who stay involved and work toward the common good will help. And it will be fun. But more fun when we win 

[Sauced]

486!

[WayAbvPar]

I have plummeted to 1117, with USA only as my choice. I think the NFL will fold before I get a team.

[Sky]

Yay scrimmage games! Also got another SS on the team, so only got 20 snaps vs the other guys getting 25, 23 and 18 (the newest guy). Of course, as usual I beat all of them on tackling, but we used to get 30+ snaps each. There should be a limit to the depth and more weight to the first players signed, or at least the most productive player (since I'm both, heh).

Ah well, at least I'm not a QB. We've got 5 QBs, one got no snaps in the last game of the season.

[WayAbvPar]

From what I have gathered from the forums, even the Developmental teams are so clogged with QBs that new QBs are literally not getting any contract offers. I haven't tried myself (already have one), but it wouldn't surprise me.

God, I can't wait until the next season. Human controlled teams will make this game so much more fun.

[Sky]

I'm in the developmental league (I'M SPECIAL  ). And on a shitty team, and the QBs aren't getting paid shit. The SS who just signed on is making half what I got signed for 8 games ago, and there's four of us now.

As I said earlier, I'm not much for the human leagues (don't you want me, baby?) since I'm not exactly uber or whatever. But I think this will be a hell of a lot of fun when f13 finally gets a team. Lots of football fans and very casual-friendly game.

[Falconeer]

May I ask whey do you care so much about being in the US league?
90% of the players of this game are from the US anyway, and there's no naming policy so the US leagues are filled with teams like the Rio de Janeiro Clownshoes or Stratford-on-Avon Ice Creamers. Sometimes without capitalizations too ("stewart ballers").

Looks to me like you are just thinning out (read: vaporizing) your chances to ever get a team 

[murdoc]

May I ask whey do you care so much about being in the US league?
90% of the players of this game are from the US anyway, and there's no naming policy so the US leagues are filled with teams like the Rio de Janeiro Clownshoes or Stratford-on-Avon Ice Creamers. Sometimes without capitalizations too ("stewart ballers").

Looks to me like you are just thinning out (read: vaporizing) your chances to ever get a team 

Actually, you should change your choice to USA League only, if you can stand to wait that long.  We'll get to practice in Europe or Asia for a few seasons before we dominate the Pro league.

Sauced gets F13 Guatamala going, then once we've been building that team up, Way will eventually get us a F13 US team.

[Sky]

Seems like Africa is the big target for the new expansion teams.

Need to be the Nigerian Bankers imo.

[Falconeer]

Need to be the Nigerian Bankers imo.

 
Money.

[Sky]

05/14/2008   Atlanta Stunners   W 13-6
05/16/2008   at Rhode Island Tigers   L 7-17
05/18/2008   Montgomery Mountain Lions   W 29-7
05/20/2008   at Charlotte Beavers   L 7-17
05/22/2008   Cleveland Flyers   L 16-23
05/24/2008   at Columbus Express   L 17-23
05/26/2008   at Dallas Fish   L 7-20

Scrimmage Games
Date   Opponent   Score
05/28/2008   at Honolulu Hares   L 17-20
05/30/2008   Boise Mustangs   L 16-19
06/01/2008   at San Diego Goons   L 20-23
06/03/2008   Phoenix Fighters   L 3-37

[murdoc]

My record is almost that bad.

04/30/2008     at Reno Rollers     L 10-13
05/02/2008    Eugene Eagles    L 0-13
05/04/2008    at Austin Grizzlies    L 20-24
05/06/2008    San Francisco Lizards    L 13-19
05/08/2008    at Minnesota Rattlers    L 14-20
05/10/2008    Dallas Hippos    L 7-14
05/12/2008    at Tucson Blaze    L 3-14
05/14/2008    Seattle Gulls    L 7-24
05/16/2008    at Anchorage Bulls    L 3-17
05/18/2008    at Las Vegas Stags    L 7-14
05/20/2008    Phoenix Heat    W 21-10
05/22/2008    at Kansas City Aftershocks    L 7-13
05/24/2008    Spokane Beavers    W 10-7
05/26/2008    Milwaukee Extreme    W 13-10

Scrimmage Games
Date    Opponent    Score
05/28/2008    New Hampshire Vampires    W 9-7
05/30/2008    at Orlando Crocodiles    W 34-0
06/01/2008    Jacksonville Dogs    W 20-13
06/03/2008    at Memphis Bling    L 7-20

[WayAbvPar]

Yay for last day of the season!
/crosses fingers for Sauced to get a team.

[Sauced]

Assuming the new Africa leagues have at least 512 teams (they added 1024 last time), it's a matter of time.  Bort has said that they will start under CPU control, and then be added to the pool of available teams over season 3.  Who knows how many per day.  I'm back down to 453 - there have been about 5-10 existing teams changing owners every day.

edit: "added to the poor" Freudian slip.

[Sky]

I'm 'only' level 9, but I did cave in and buy some FPs. I only had enough for one boost, and felt it would be nice to maximize it for the season. Used the remainder to grab a piece of custom gear (Boots of Speed!).

It's funny watching my guy zip to the play, he's way faster than both the other SSs on my team. But his cornering blows, going to focus on agility for a while until I can make a decent cut, but at least he doesn't miss many tackles due to it (and his vision). Really wish the other guys had their stats visible.

Reeeeeally hoping we can get the Nigerian Bankers off the ground!   Running a guy on the cpu team is ok for levelling up a newbler, but I would actually give a shit about the game if I knew other players on the team. Win or lose, the way GLB is set up, watching cool plays (good or bad) will be fun. Here's the best play of my team's season, by our (non-scrambling) QB: http://goallineblitz.com/game/replay.pl?pbp_id=3512653

[HaemishM]

My fingers are crossed for the Nigerian Bankers. My CPU team is a stinker, and I'm getting under 30 snaps a game, which leaves me stuck at level 6.

[Sky]

I'm down from high 30s to low 20s for snaps per game. And my scouting report and game stats blow away the other two guys, including the starter who got over 40 snaps in the last game. Annoying. Also seems there was low or no exp being given for the scrimmage games. I would also be level six, but I did the season-limit three boosts to get level 9.

[murdoc]

I think that once the F13 team is up and running, I'll be ungimping my FS and starting from scratch.

[Sauced]

Playoff/Scrimmage games give no xp so as not to punish teams that don't make it.  Teams that don't make it then have the slight advantage, if you want to look at it that way, of having the option to crank up their training more than players who need stamina for playoff games.  There are actually some awesome Mmotard vs. Meatball threads, where people who only care about maxing their players were ecstatic when their team missed the playoffs, so they could crank their Training and make themselves better.  Non-gamers were, as you could probably guess, nonplussed by this phenomenon.

[Mazakiel]

I have a level 8 DT, Samson Kyzecki, if you ever have need if/when you get a F13 team going.  I'm currently with one of the CPU teams.  I don't think I've gimped myself, but I could be wrong. 

Also, has anyone else found that their stats are wonky?  My screen shows me as having no tackles or anything, though they still show as having occured if I look at the game by game stats. 

[Sauced]

Scrimmage stats aren't persisted.  If your CPU team were in the playoffs, you'd see some.

[Sky]

Playoff stats are showing right now. Click regular season and your stats (except scrims) will show. Link yer DT so we can look at stats!

I've read a few of the 'yay we missed playoffs' posts, but I don't have any money to ratchet up training for a measly .06 points a day or whatever.

[HaemishM]

I've got the money to ratchet up training for about a week, I'll do that to get past level 6.

[kidder]

I just heard that the human team I am on is being sold back to GLB and that all the players are going to be released.  Should I be looking for another human team to sign with, or just wait and see if one of you gets an f13 team?  The player I have is a level 9 DE...which I could boost at the start of next season if needed.