Stats from solitaire league

[Mitch-Oilers]

During the offseason, I decided to re-embark on a project I started years ago. I've replaced the STOCK gameplans with a variety of VPNFL designed gameplans. I then, setup the team profiles page so that the teams would randomly select new gameplans each game to keep things fresh, Unfortunately, even though the game will allow teams to randomly pick gameplans based on the percentage on the team profile page, it will not select a random profile. I created several different defensive and offensive profiles based on VPNFL guidelines.

I converted the 1993 NFL league inside FBPRO98 to VPNFL ratings guidelines using the SWIFT ratings editor. As many of you know, the VPNFL ratings guidelines are very similar to our current VPNFL ratings guidelines.

I used the full range of ratings for each position and each ratings category. This created some wide variance between players and a distention between starters and reserves on many teams. It also created differentiation between "star" players and average players.

The results:

1 season of testing in the books...

San Franciso beat Buffalo in the Super Bowl 55 - 20 (Way to go, Charlie! ha!)

QB ratings ranged from 113 to 65 (Top 5 QBs over 100, Top 16 over 90 in a 28 team league)
43 receivers with over 1,000 yards receiving
23 HBs with 1,000 yards rushing (#24 finished with 997)
Team sacks ranged from 60 to 30
Individual sack leader had 21 sacks
Team points range from 600s to 200s (San Fran was an offensive machine)

While watching games, I saw something penalties being called other than defensive holding and ineligible receiver down field.

I saw players running after the catch and having break away runs. It was fun football to watch.

I'm going to continue my experiment. I have to convert the upcoming draft class to VPNFL/PNFL ratings guidelines. It should be fairly easy using the SWIFT editor. I'll continue to work on the gameplans and tweak some ratings. However, I share this initial information because I believe it reinforces the need for continued work on differentiating the player ratings. When we leverage the full MAX/MIN ratings, it seems to make a big impact on the game play on the field (not a surprise).

[Rich-League Officer]

No question that if we expanded the ratings spread it would absolutely alter the way our game looks.
Just look at our WRs, actual speed is 80-84
The vpnfl spread is 70-84
But is there a real appetite to slowly spread even more over the next decade?

[Mitch-Oilers]

I had 1,000 yard receivers and rushers with speed in the mid-70s.

[Justin-Chicago]

Good work Mitch!

I did some research like this many years ago and recall that AC is the most over-inflated attribute in the PNFL. Setting it lower and adding some more variation meant breakaway plays could happen again.

Curious what your special teams stats were like?

[Steve-LA Chargers]

I think the XFBS is a clear warning of the danger of too much rating spread. We had ridiculous routs close to 100 points near the end. Be careful with rating spreads. If rosters hoard talent and others decline in talent, the gap gets too wide and creates routs.

[Charlie-49ers]

Gentlemen, we can actually modify our League to meet the original VPNFL formula, but everyone would have to live with the results!

Let's take the Speed above (70-84) or fifteen increments for WRs. And, for simplicity's sake, let's say that we have 150 WRs in the League. I would take all the WRs and rank them highest to lowest (current speed). The top 5 receivers (overall POT, not just SP) and those WRs would retain their current SP. The next five WRs would have their SP reduced by one, the next five by two, the next five by three, and so forth. Again, the overall current POT would dictate highest to lowest SP where there are multiple WRs with the same SP. For example, if we had 15 players with an SP of 84 the top five overall POTs would retain their 84 SP, the next five would be reduced by one, and the last five reduced by two. Thus, in the next set of players (83 SP), the highest five POT 83 SP would be reduced by 4, the next five by 5, and the next five by 6. By the end of this sequence, the last five WRs of the 150 would have an SP of 70.

Staying with the WRs, then we would do, let's say AC (VPNFL 70-86). Same process, rank by highest current AC and by current overall POT. The top five keep their 86 AC and then you reduce in five-player increments until you reach the bottom five at 70. Now, go to the next six attributes and do the same.

All ACTs would be the same increment as now (e.g. ACT of 82 with POT of 84 with a two-point reduction in POT results in an ACT of 80 and POT of 82.

Currently, with Rookies, we have over 300 WR, which means that the five WRs I used in the example above would be approximately ten players (i.e. the top ten players would retain an SP of 84 and I would reduce from there.

A boat-load of work, but it could be done. I would need the after TC files, and it would take me the entire season to get the stats correct, but we could be ready for the following season, and I would reconfigure the Draft accordingly. If this sounds like something that we would like to do, I can modify one position, all attributes so everyone could see the results. Any position more attractive than all the rest?

I assume that if we do this, Rich can upload my data into the game.

[Mitch-Oilers]

@Charlie - I can load the PNFL into the SWIFT editor and convert the existing players in about 5 mins if you would like for to do it. I'm not advocating that we immediately convert the league. However, I do believe that a lot of rule changes people have be proposing the last several years are to overcome narrow player ratings.

[Rich-League Officer]

This is a nice conversation but applying this overnight would be disaster.
As Steve pointed out, a good GM could create a super team that would never be beat no matter what you did.
The only way much wider gaps could work is, all of these rules for retirements & anti aging would have to go away.
You would need to accept the game retirements (even young players) and their aging to offset all the crazy ratings gaps.

I do think the PNFL can easily handle wider gaps than we have but there is a tipping point. And I do not think we are anywhere near it yet.

[Jerry-Redskins]

This is speeding. I hear the sirens.

Charlie is already working on slowing expanding the ratings spread incrementally. Turtle rabbit. who wins.......

[Rich-League Officer]

Cmon Jerry, lets blow this whole league up and start widening today
HB with 65 speed being chased by a LB with 55 speed!
We would see some crazy action