so what are your solutions to this...

[Dean-Atlanta]

However, the way we are able to use 2 categories now, you can set it up where 96% of the time a particular defensive category is called in any given situation (ex PM 10, PM 10, RL 1). Theoretically, that's really on using 1 defensive category.

Is this allowed? Or would it have to be PM 10, PS 1, RL 1 to be in compliance with the rules?

[James-Eagles]

I still hold as I have from the start this isn't something we need to fix.
The reason I see that PNFL VS NFL stats are so different is because what works in the NFL doesn't work in PNFL.

NFL it is mainly about reducing risk vs reward. More short pass, High completion percent and hope for YAC. PNFL high risk plays tend to do better. SO this lowers the completion percent which in turn brings down the Rating. Dean if you want a higher rating QB call higher percentage passing routes.

I am so tried of oh we want states more like the NFL. The reality is if you fix this state you screw up another stat. We have competitive balance as for a plans and Profiles we don't need to mess with tease anymore unless something is clearly broke. By clearly broke that it is a clear AI bug in the game not that it works.

I think people need to spend less time in the rules and looking at stat pages and spend more time on working on their PPP. I think I have changed my PPP 2 or 3 times in the last season and Haven't ran a single sim. I am 5-4 and made the playoffs last year. The problem isn't the rules it's your Profiles and Plans. Less whining more getting good.

I hold to this because generally the ones that are worrying about the rules are the teams not making the playoffs.

Also constant rule change is 100% bad for the league as a whole. It is more likely to get old owners to leave and discourage new owners from coaching. If you want to win do it on the field and not try to worry about the rule book.

[Rich-League Officer]

James makes some good points.
When we talk about the stats, yes I can definitely see we have some issues. I showed up after week 5 in the inaugural season and things were a lot different. The rules were created to work with the players of the day. I urge people to take the time and look up those rosters from the early days of the league. Look at rosters from even 20 seasons ago. That is 99% of your "problem" if we have one.

It's not about the rules, not about 2 categories or 3, not about 2 DL or any of that.
It's about the attributes of the players.
And to be honest, I am to blame, Charlie and all of us who have been here for a decade are to blame.
There is always this pressure to have a great draft class and provide meat for the owners.
It makes the experience better for all.
How many seasons did we have drafts that were literally 5-6 rounds deep, chock full of talent for all.
This is now, IMO, biting us in the ass.
We need less wonderful drafts with much wider spreads in actual and potential. I repeat, go look at those rosters.
They are all on the site.
We also need older players to retire a bit more. I know there is no movement for that though.

But if we truly want to return to some better looking stats, less star filled teams, more kids entering with somewhat inferior skills, teams that do not have amazing depth at each position and you will get more interesting results. The way it is now, all the teams are identical and that's not good. Yes it keeps things competitive but its also boring. The GM has less value these days and that's not a good thing.

[Dean-Atlanta]

1. We need less wonderful drafts with much wider spreads in actual and potential. I repeat, go look at those rosters.
They are all on the site.

2. We also need older players to retire a bit more. I know there is no movement for that though.

3. But if we truly want to return to some better looking stats, less star filled teams, more kids entering with somewhat inferior skills, teams that do not have amazing depth at each position and you will get more interesting results. The way it is now, all the teams are identical and that's not good. Yes it keeps things competitive but its also boring. The GM has less value these days and that's not a good thing.

I added the numbers for reference to parts of what Rich posted.

1. This is spot -on correct and I have viewed those rosters, including that of the New England team I coached in my first season here before moving the team to Washington. Our drafts have made the rosters overall, and players at each position, too similar and those trends have de-emphasized the importance of the GM role.

2. Eliminate un-retirement by any players that require dice rolls!!! We should only un-retire the players the game retires too early, the one that right now can be un-retired by just posting them on the forum. Actually have some more realistic retirement levels will clear ou t the glut of veteran players we have.

3. Keep the draft pools going more in the direction they've been going to make our players much less identical within positions. Do the potential ratings exactly as they are being done now, but substantially lower the actual ratings of the rounds 2-7 type talent by lowering their actual more progressively for the players drafted in lower rounds in the NFL draft.

Do the above for 99 percent of the rookies, and to better simulate the occasional extremely excellent rookie at a position (Like QB Joe Burrow in the NFL draft for instance), created a few super players that would have actuals and potentials 10 point higher (2 point each in 5 ratings) to create those far superior rookies, just a few per season.

Doing this, Joe Burrow would have been:

SP AC AG ST HA EN IN DI Total
actual 75 75 81 95 70 89 92 84 659
potential 81 81 83 98 71 91 94 86 683

A WR could have maxx ratings and 2 added in SP, AC, AG, HA, and EN for example.

All of these measures done in the draft pools would create more differentiation between players and make our drafts and rosters more interesting, and make the GM role more important.

[James-Eagles]

I know personally the only rule change I support is removing the cap. I see no need for others.

I do agree with point 1 but with a wider attribute spreads it would end up fixing the the need do anything about unretirement.

I guess I could support more randomness in the draft. Give a list a few players known in advance a high risk pick. They have average to good stats and say 30% boost to great 40% stat the same 30% complete bust.

[Steve-LA Chargers]

DL executing a zone is LEGAL & REALISTIC. It's a common means to executing a zone blitz. i.e. when the team blitzes a linebacker or defensive back, then drops a defensive lineman into pass coverage.

Be careful with wide player ratings. I think it inevitably resulted in the extreme blowouts in the XFBS.

[Dean-Atlanta]

DL executing a zone is LEGAL & REALISTIC. It's a common means to executing a zone blitz. i.e. when the team blitzes a linebacker or defensive back, then drops a defensive lineman into pass coverage.

Be careful with wide player ratings. I think it inevitably resulted in the extreme blowouts in the XFBS.

Yes it did, but keep in mind the most winning teams got most of the "blue chip" which compounded the problem. And the blue chips were more than 10 ratings points better...

[Justin-Chicago]

Yes it did, but keep in mind the most winning teams got most of the "blue chip" which compounded the problem. And the blue chips were more than 10 ratings points better...

Keep in mind the most successful teams recruited well, while the less successful teams often had painful recruitment. Can’t blame the system for that.

[Dean-Atlanta]

Yes it did, but keep in mind the most winning teams got most of the "blue chip" which compounded the problem. And the blue chips were more than 10 ratings points better...

Keep in mind the most successful teams recruited well, while the less successful teams often had painful recruitment. Can’t blame the system for that.

Recruiting well is quite easy when you have the first or second pick in the "draft" and there are 5-6 instant all-pro quality players to pick from!

[Dean-Atlanta]

Player ratings did matter in those blowouts that Steve mentioned.

What happens when these WRs:

A WR1 86 Rocket Ismail Jr OK 3 6-1 210 84 86 84 58 94 84 88 88
84 86 85 61 96 85 91 90
A WR2 82 Alex Brown OK 1 5-10 206 84 85 84 60 95 84 87 88
84 86 85 61 96 86 91 91
A WR3 83 Gunner Gentry OK 2 6-2 202 82 78 89 63 91 87 92 93
82 79 91 65 94 90 95 96

Are covered by these CBs:

A CB1 96 TaRiq Bracy OK 1 6-1 210 82 81 83 55 92 85 89 89
82 82 86 61 95 87 91 94
A CB2 27 Cam Hart OK 2 6-3 214 75 77 81 50 84 77 84 87
79 82 86 59 91 84 91 96
A CB3 44 Shaun Crawford OK 4 6-3 206 75 78 79 48 91 81 86 89
78 78 81 58 95 85 90 94

Those CBs are slower than our safeties in PNFL, covering WRs that are just as fast. The ratings imbalance turned what would be 48-24 type scores due to coaching into 78-24 type scores.