My initial reaction is this code is going to blow the running game wide open. I'm tempted to try to run 50 times in a game, but don't really have the personnel for it.

It’s almost if game planning matters a bit more. Keys, when to blitz and when not to, what play the opponent scouted, and maybe general attributes, but we controlled the run game in Victory league in our last game.

They were tops in the league during the regular season at rushing. Their oline is very strong with a lot of skill as well. Except their 55 run block C, but their skill players have 80 or more speed.

I am not praising or knocking loadbloods or my applications (or this current code)in this game but we cut his running effectiveness in almost half. Still he had 70 yards and slightly above a 3 ypc, but his season numbers were a lot bigger. (130 ypg close to 5 ypc)

It seemed he had all the right pieces in place to run but we blitzed 75% of the time, and we blew a 20 point lead due to fast receivers beating more technical CBs on deep passes as we did call one blitz 7 times.

Long runs are much harder to get on this code...and our team which is not set up for running had our best game and longest run of the season. I bet cause he scouted the pass and called more pass defenses.

If someone isn’t ready to be run on 50 times a game yes it will work. But 4.5 isn’t much different. Smirt was calling a vanilla run defense in in champions and I ran it every time for over 200 yards....he wasn’t ready with the right plays, and we almost won. Come playoffs we passed again and beat him but I bet it was on due to the lack of film the prior game vs us.

Going back to the beta code our Victory league team is not good at run blocking or very strong. They moved the ball but not that consistently or effectively all season and I chalked it up to bad run blocking skills. We have a lot of 50 strength 20-30 run blocking linemen there.

. Loanbloods defense is not the fastest either but is the power of a skillful linemen and backs going to make up for an effectively set of defensive calls designed to stop the run? We went for 150 yards that play off game but our garbage QBs threw the game away late.

With random fumbles I think running is good but an all run offense will need a great defense to win a lot. Sacks are way down and drops are still high. Those two thing change passing as well but play abuse might be one of the most powerful things in the game right now. Ball carry too!

If a team has a bunch of wrs running the ball and the other team has slow LBs I bet they get chunk yards pretty easily but not if they abuse plays. There just that fine line of how many blitzes to call to not get beat by long passes.

There probably base plays that keep gap integrity better than others. That would help a fast defense to stop the run....like in 4.5....but our victory league team has very fast LBers...probably the best way to hold the run down....like always.

Blockers are getting to position quicker...I think that’s what leveled running like this as I had the same first impression but slower defenders get to the ball carrier quicker as well. DBs still jump routes bad so that’s still a mode of putting points on the board quick if they don’t drop it first.

Victory had two top defenses , I think Giko and raidergregs, finish a playoff game 7-0 , while the admirals game riddled with blitz overuse went for a total of like a 100. A large spectrum and set of outcomes are at play and in this code and more testing could be used. The 7-0 game had blitz rates around 30% and a ypc average around 3.

But punt blocks and 46 nonsense seems way down.... as I think those are the key components to this potential release

https://victory.myfootballnow.com/watch/296#52026

22 potential punt blocks. 0 actual punt blocks.

No DB's/WR's allowed on punt blocks in Victory. There has been very few (if any) Punt blocks all season.

@jdb - AI logic is still working on a 6 team playoff scenario in Beta (and Victory). Several teams listed as eliminated that still have a shot at the #7 seed.

My general observation is that the game plays differently in Beta (as it should). It's tougher to run up the score (which is good). The run game is more important and balance on Offense seems to outweigh heavy pass or heavy run.

Technique skills seem to have much more impact and the game is less about speed (still important but whereas you could target players with fundamentals (speed, strength and acceleration) and no technique you can now take players with good speed and excellent technique and they will outperform elite speed and poor technique.

I think the game is much more competitive with more 'ways to win' than the previous code - I've always ran expansive Offense and Defense with the full 40 and 30 play options and I'll chop and change plays if they're not working.

I do get frustrated when I have a coach who gets 'stuck' on specific plays even when he has several other options to choose from and it's also massively frustrating to see another team run a handful of plays on both Offense and Defense, with no overuse penalty and seemingly no penalty when those plays are keyed on.

I get that play familiarity helps but if a team only uses one play from a particular set or in a certain situation then any defense is going to quickly adjust to that and stop it from happening - especially if they have keyed on that specific play.

I've argued for making Coaches/Coaching/Scouting and Gameplanning to be more relevant and feel that this is the next area of the game mechanics that should be focused on.

In general, I think the game has made big strides and can't wait to see it replace 0.4.5

My opponent and I completed 40 of 60 passes this week, but for just 5.38 and 6.07 yards per attempt, with four INTs and 10 knockdowns.

If your biggest complaint with 4.5 is that it's too easy for QBs to complete a pass downfield, you'll really love this code.

Only one sack, though.

This was the link I meant to post.

https://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/box/11943

I had been wondering about the PB results in Victory, though. PBs are easier in newer leagues, even without code differences. Good to know.

My opponent and I combined to go 40/91 with 4 INTs. I averaged 4 yards per pass play; he averaged 5.34. A fifth interception was overturned by penalty. The game log shows 30 passes knocked down.

But hey — no sacks! Or punt blocks, despite my best efforts.

Not completing downfield passes and not getting any sacks? It sounds like coverage is just completely broken -- which doesn't really surprise me since I pointed this out five months ago: https://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/community/1/6356?page=1#39069