Tweet
Guys, please don't mention this at FOFC. It will be published there soon for "Coaches' Corner, but I wanted y'all to have it now as you'll be formulating your first game plans in the next few days.
Ratings Hints From The Help Files
by SkyDog
From reading user's comments over the years, I'm convinced that one of the most underutilized information resources for FOF is the csv.txt file that is provided with the game. This file is ostensibly there to help put together a csv to create a player file. As a result, though, it gives information about what ratings mean, and sometimes with a bit more detail than is provided with the FrFoot2007.hlp file. My observation is that when the information from the two is combined, there's more information than one would think. So, here are 10 oft-misunderstood ratings, their explanations, and a few musings here and there about how they can be useful.
1. Passing Accuracy--The csv.txt file tells us that this is the "ability to connect with receivers in full stride, maximizing their ability to gain yardage after the catch." So, contrary to what some think, this mainly helps in maximizing YAC. It therefore follows that a QB with high Accuracy is best utilized with receivers who have high ratings in another misunderstood category....
2. Getting Downfield--Both RBs and WRs have this rating on their player card, and csv.txt file is once again most useful here, as it lets us know that this is the "ability to gain yardage after the catch." So, is that it? Are those two ratings the primary key to running a "West Coast" style offense? Not so fast, don't forget...
3. Pass Distance Ratings (Screen/Short/Medium/Long/Very Long)--Both the Help File and csv.txt tell us that these are the ability to complete passes at those distances. Don't get these confused with accuracy, getting downfield, or...
4. QB Style--The Help File explains this best: "Quarterbacks learn new formations during training camp. Generally, they tend to learn formations more relevant to their style of play before they learn other formations." In FOF2K4, it was definitely true that a QB who had a "Short Passing" style could be very effective throwing deep if his ratings and his receivers' ratings were appropriate for it. It just meant that he wouldn't always learn the deep-passing-oriented formations first. I've yet to see anything in FOF2K7 to indicate that this has changed. While we're talking about the passing game, let's not leave out this important rating...
5. Big-Play Receiving--A common mistake is to confuse this rating with "Getting Downfield," but once again, csv.txt leaves no room for misunderstanding. Big-Play receiving is the "ability to catch long and very-long passes."
6. Read Defense--Recently a bit of confusion regarding this rating emerged, with some thinking it has to do with recognizing the blitz, but the Help File really doesn't leave room for much confusion when it states that it is "their ability to read the opposing defense, which determines how effective they are avoiding double-coverage to throw to a secondary receiver."
7 & 8. Blocking and Pass-Rush Strength--These appear to work against one another. Both are listed in csv.txt as the "ability to handle physical defenders/linemen." The obvious assumption here is that these two ratings work directly against one another to generate the "so-and-so knocked so-and-so flat" message in the game log.
9. Adjust To Ball--This rating isn't mentioned in the .hlp file, but csv.txt tells us that it is the "ability to catch poorly thrown balls." It's difficult to know for certain, but my speculation is that it comes into play most often when a QB with a low rating in a particular pass depth throws a pass of that depth. In other words, if a QB's ability to complete medium passes is 20, and you want to throw a decent number of medium passes, you'd be wise to have receivers with good "Adjust To Ball" ratings.
10. Timing--Both the .hlp and the csv.txt files left many folks confused on these, but an explanation of this was provided by Solecismic customer support (http://fof.sportplanet.gamespy.com/f...ad.php?t=41855). The response was: "Timing is the ability to connect with a receiver who has deviated from his route, likely due to the defender leaving some opportunity available. It manifests with more varied completions to the primary receiver, so you'll see a higher percentage of longer gains, and perhaps some shorter ones as the receiver comes back to the ball. This is factored into every pass, to some extent. As always, experience will teach you more about its effects."
Ratings Hints From The Help Files
by SkyDog
From reading user's comments over the years, I'm convinced that one of the most underutilized information resources for FOF is the csv.txt file that is provided with the game. This file is ostensibly there to help put together a csv to create a player file. As a result, though, it gives information about what ratings mean, and sometimes with a bit more detail than is provided with the FrFoot2007.hlp file. My observation is that when the information from the two is combined, there's more information than one would think. So, here are 10 oft-misunderstood ratings, their explanations, and a few musings here and there about how they can be useful.
1. Passing Accuracy--The csv.txt file tells us that this is the "ability to connect with receivers in full stride, maximizing their ability to gain yardage after the catch." So, contrary to what some think, this mainly helps in maximizing YAC. It therefore follows that a QB with high Accuracy is best utilized with receivers who have high ratings in another misunderstood category....
2. Getting Downfield--Both RBs and WRs have this rating on their player card, and csv.txt file is once again most useful here, as it lets us know that this is the "ability to gain yardage after the catch." So, is that it? Are those two ratings the primary key to running a "West Coast" style offense? Not so fast, don't forget...
3. Pass Distance Ratings (Screen/Short/Medium/Long/Very Long)--Both the Help File and csv.txt tell us that these are the ability to complete passes at those distances. Don't get these confused with accuracy, getting downfield, or...
4. QB Style--The Help File explains this best: "Quarterbacks learn new formations during training camp. Generally, they tend to learn formations more relevant to their style of play before they learn other formations." In FOF2K4, it was definitely true that a QB who had a "Short Passing" style could be very effective throwing deep if his ratings and his receivers' ratings were appropriate for it. It just meant that he wouldn't always learn the deep-passing-oriented formations first. I've yet to see anything in FOF2K7 to indicate that this has changed. While we're talking about the passing game, let's not leave out this important rating...
5. Big-Play Receiving--A common mistake is to confuse this rating with "Getting Downfield," but once again, csv.txt leaves no room for misunderstanding. Big-Play receiving is the "ability to catch long and very-long passes."
6. Read Defense--Recently a bit of confusion regarding this rating emerged, with some thinking it has to do with recognizing the blitz, but the Help File really doesn't leave room for much confusion when it states that it is "their ability to read the opposing defense, which determines how effective they are avoiding double-coverage to throw to a secondary receiver."
7 & 8. Blocking and Pass-Rush Strength--These appear to work against one another. Both are listed in csv.txt as the "ability to handle physical defenders/linemen." The obvious assumption here is that these two ratings work directly against one another to generate the "so-and-so knocked so-and-so flat" message in the game log.
9. Adjust To Ball--This rating isn't mentioned in the .hlp file, but csv.txt tells us that it is the "ability to catch poorly thrown balls." It's difficult to know for certain, but my speculation is that it comes into play most often when a QB with a low rating in a particular pass depth throws a pass of that depth. In other words, if a QB's ability to complete medium passes is 20, and you want to throw a decent number of medium passes, you'd be wise to have receivers with good "Adjust To Ball" ratings.
10. Timing--Both the .hlp and the csv.txt files left many folks confused on these, but an explanation of this was provided by Solecismic customer support (http://fof.sportplanet.gamespy.com/f...ad.php?t=41855). The response was: "Timing is the ability to connect with a receiver who has deviated from his route, likely due to the defender leaving some opportunity available. It manifests with more varied completions to the primary receiver, so you'll see a higher percentage of longer gains, and perhaps some shorter ones as the receiver comes back to the ball. This is factored into every pass, to some extent. As always, experience will teach you more about its effects."
offense, you'll quickly realize that Ol' SkyDog is keeping a few tricks up his sleeve. :twisted:
Comment