Some hotfix tweaks have been made to all 0.4.1 leagues, mostly with pursuit angles and reducing the lateral punt returns (and other runs). Running with the ball (runners, returners, after the catch) should be more intelligent, and the defensive coverage should have improved pursuit angles.

Some observations from the first half of my preseason 87 game. (I don't like watching more than the first half because of starters playing only half.)

General observations: Zone coverage and tackling looked better. But since this is the allocation league, it's hard to tell what's what. That said, there were fewer head scratching plays. And some really slick moves by WRs against the zone.

1) https://beta87.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/45#8146
a. This is so much better than it has been, but 50 overruns the play here. He makes the tackle so I don't know if this is just visual glitchiness though.

2) https://beta87.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/45#8271
a. Where is the CB blitzing on this play? I'm definitely in pass key.

3) https://beta87.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/45#8195
a. I'm not even mad at this play. Look at the nifty move the WR makes to break coverage and make the catch. ****. Is this lucky?

4) https://beta87.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/45#8198
a. Not really mad at this one either. The WR settles down in no man's land in the zone. Is this on purpose? Or was this just lucky?

From L75, game 3... Something in the pursuit 'hotfix' hella broke d-line/QB interaction.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206759

Throws backwards to blocking RB, resulting in a fumble.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206761

RB probably shouldn't be running to meet the blitzer beyond the LOS, but should be chilling in the pocket waiting to engage.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206772

QB's first read is a blocking HB.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206785

D-linemen #95 and #51 just run mirror in front of the QB and don't pursue. Noticed this on a number of plays this game.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206790

Probably just a visual bug, but both OTs just kind of spin in circles doing nothing as the DEs fly by.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206803

What.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206805

Pull blocker goes through three defenders, presumably aiming for the furthest defender on the field?

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206818

WR catches the ball then turns backwards into the defender.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206820

Throws over the heads of two completely uncovered players.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206824

What is the LB doing on this play?

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206827

Watch both this play and the next one. They're identical. What is #43 doing on both of these?

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206834

Defender seems to be trying to read where the QB's going and beat him there, even when he's directly on top of him (and thus should be sacking him). Could just be a visual bug, but looks really odd.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206842

This is super frustrating. Like the 5th time it's happened this game. Something broke with the pursuit code.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206883

Three defenders all on a straight path to the QB simultaneously swerve sideways.

https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1104#206896

RDE breaks his block and then runs straight forward... This kept happening throughout the game.

If you want a good example of how blitz 2, M2M teams are actually doing much better in 0.4.1, take a look at Bryson's team in 75: https://private75.myfootballnow.com/team/view/29

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I don't think I have the patience anymore to play a game that has become Madden on offense and FBPro98 on defense. I'm sure there are a lot of people that will get enjoyment out of pinball scores and being able to shut other teams down by running a combination of the same M2M blitz plays as everyone else though.

General observations: I don't have the best zone coverage team in 75, but I have noticed that my zone defensive teams give up far more completions than my M2M teams. Here are some of the reasons why I think this happens:

* The zone coverage algorithm still misidentifies people entering the zone and players give up too quickly on players leaving their zone. Programmatically, this will probably be the toughest problem to solve.
* Most defenders are too **** slow. Because of how speed is tied to weight, you can't effectively run a lot of zone because you'll never have a Bobby Wagner, Brian Urlacher, or Derrick Brooks.
* Punish doesn't work well with zone coverage. It looks like punish only matters when the defender and receiver occupy the same space - like tackling. So you don't have a safety or linebacker that will light a player up.

Run key still does nothing. Really, you should change the the run key label to the "if you're not playing blitz 2 M2M don't bother" key.

1) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1107#207401
a. What happened to the DE here? Oh, I'm in run key...

2) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1107#207405
a. Terrible tackling angle by 34.

3) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1107#207418
a. DL running sideways again.

4) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1107#207427
a. DL running sideways again.

5) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1107#207429
a. These BS tackling plays are what is going to make me quit. It's bad enough that zone defenses give up 70-80% completion rate. My. Players. Should. Be. Able. To. Tackle. In. The. Open. Field.

6) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1107#207445
a. Neither safety follows the WR deep on this play. It's my fault for calling a cover 2 here - not sure why - but the deep safeties on this play don't get deep and don't pick up the deep man on either side of the field. In pass key here.

7) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1107#207455
a. How many DL does it take to sack a QB?

8) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/1107#207461
a. I score on this play, but I really shouldn't. At least one of those FIVE defenders probably should have played contain.

9) https://private75.myfootballnow.com/log/1107/207469
a. Here's why zone defense will never work and you should just pull all the stupid zone defensive plays. The WR gets deeper than the CB who is playing the flat zone. But neither the LB playing the middle zone nor the S playing the deep zone look at him. The WR then, of course, drops the ball because he's wide open. Both the S and the LB key on the TE even though the S should take the deepest man.

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1) https://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/6357#1148989
a. Tackling angle? Or does this guy get lucky?

2) https://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/6357#1148997
a. You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out, you put your left foot in, and you turn yourself about. You run off like a moron and never look at the quarterback. And that's how you play contain.

3) https://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/gamecenter/view/6357#1148998
a. Sideways running DL again.

Drop that talent pool before it's too late..... It has made the fast and strong to valuable and glitches scores. I still like this engine way better....except the over,powered run game and the useless small DEs. Lb blitz is too strong also i think I got 9 sacks out of the MLB position in one game in another league. QBS need more emphasis on finding underneath routes/dump offs without hot reads.

Not sure what you mean by this Ray.

By tightening values (playing more talented players) spreads ( a deep pool of players) the difference in effect of technical ratings and a different type of outcome will occur in the stats. Bleeding 87 will get different results even though it's the same code . Simpler said it harder to gamble.

Perhaps not by gdads team cause he went after a fast defense , but in mfn one where 70 is a slow DB and 40 is too slow....I don't know if I can say the same for 75 or 87....only cause there is still a smaller number fast players due to the influx rate of 30 to 60 possible fast players .

Strength is the same and this influx depreciation effect the other values importance . He continues to lower the value of speed but the pool get deeper . Only cause they had been boosted due to popular demand years ago.

We're a good ten to 15 in since then and the pools are filled in the older leagues but not in the new ones. I play different or select / hold on to different guys because of it.

In addition it only would increase the value of schemes that rely on speed and strength . Blitzes and bombs. Bombs don't work adds well in mfn one as they do in 87. In general .

It will take another ten to fifteen seasons for this influx to retire, but I would prefer it the old way where e you actually had to game plan vs. A star......now everyone in one has many fast players that allow for limited schemes to work the original way the game was set up ,

I could be wrong here but have backed up ares in the past when he pointed this out, but I don't think jdb is going to go back. He has invested to many changes to fix one of the first big controversial post I read in this game. One that changed the way I played . The heading was something like what is better athletic or technical players?

Both is the obvious answer but what after that....in play number 8 example(75 a weaker talent pool) that you posted it is clearly still the athletic . As rb maupin is an athlete and all my sub 80 speed defenders with angles on him clearly missed. Even my cb 1 Sullivan who is a technical assassin with a great angle who came up with a big wiff. In a deeper / older league Maupin would not get past my faster players.

75 has better owners than one yet still posts pretty rediculous scores. These weak pools were are not used in the bleeding code development . I had 9 sacks out of he MLB position . ...not in mfn one with a great mlb, but in 87 or 85 with a great great lb but is was vs a weaker talent pool allowing for bigger numbers.

The only reason I went to a zone defense - to be perfectly honest - was to see if I could win with the slow, technical players that fill up the middle and last rounds of a draft. Zone defenses should take away a lot of the need for pure speed - you still need closing speed - but you're not chasing a WR all over the field. What I'm finding is that zone just doesn't work.

This is unfortunate for a number of reasons, but most because it means there is only one way to effectively play defense right now. And that one way requires you to have the best defensive players or at least the fastest ones. And if you're not willing to put in the time or effort to trade for them all, you're never going to have a team that can truly compete in a league.

Now, imagine being a newer player and not knowing any of this. You take over a team that doesn't have fast defenders at any of the core positions. So being a smart, logical game planner you try putting in a zone defense. And then you get blown out game after game. (I can't keep a game close with a zone defense in 75.) So you think it must be your defense, so you switch it to M2M only to get blown out game after game because you don't have the right players to play that defense either. What happens? You get discouraged and quit.

Which, even as an experienced player, is where I'm at. Except I'm not just discouraged, I'm bored. There is no immersion value with this game right now because there are only about 20 defensive plays that work reasonably well. So defensive game planning is a bunch of micro adjustments of those 20 plays. Yawn.

I mean my choices are (1) continue to get blown out playing zone, (2) spend all my time trying to trade for the perfect M2M defense to compete with the best teams, (3) be content with probably making the playoffs most of the time but never winning championships because I refuse to do #2, or (4) just quit. Every day I get closer to 4.

That is my gaming experience here in the last few years in a nutshell . I just didn't do the trading thing as I see it as fleecing newbies like I once was and morally just couldn't do it. Also, this is why I spend most of my time lobbying for technical attributes to matter more or athletic skills to matter less . Either way I still have faith here only cause of jdb. I once had only one team and spent hours tinkering only to lose to ares. It was fun.....I wish it to be back, but I am on a some new scam I used vs. you...I think it will beat man to man also, but who knows.

I honestly think that the current state of the game has led to the various hot button topics in the main forums -- multi accounts, fleece trading, play overuse, general grumbling about certain players and play types. (And I'm definitely not innocent in this area, but anyway.) Because there is no real parity in the game right now because there is no way to counter some of the really good players who know the best way to put together the system that works. And it's definitely a "the" system and not an "a" system. Every winner ends up with virtually the same system after awhile, especially on defense. I can almost name all of the defensive plays that I expect to see the best teams running. And I'm not talking about the one or two play systems that I see, but name the 20 most common plays that a player like a Bryson or an Ares is going to use. And since there is no real parity, and most sim players like consistently losing less than they like being part of the community, there is going to be more lashing out. Mostly because even if it's a completely unconscious players know that the game is mostly rigged against them unless they are as willing to be as cutthroat as all the rest. And then they are going to get accused of stealing _their system_, which is really "the only system", from someone else like what happened to Gdad in 75. Or they get accused of being a multi because they figured out "the system" pretty quickly like what happened to Dash. But I see it all coming from a lack of parity, which I see as a lack of diverse play style (at least on defense), which I see as a lack of effective plays, which I see as problems with defensive attributes, which I see as a series of core logical problems with the game...

/rant/