Since every one is so unhappy with the current state of the sim and I honestly do want GLB to be around for more than a year or two, I want to compile a list of things you feel need addressing and I'll submit it to Bort. Please don't turn this into a whine fest or bitching about this or that - make logical suggestions for the improvement of the game. In a couple days, I'll compile them and put them together in a post for Bort on the test server.
If you'd rather pm them to me, that's fine too.
Edit to add:
Please make your suggestions detailed not just a bullet point list of #1 - Fix this, #2 - Delete this, #3 - Screw that.
Suggestions compiled and noted from this thread:
1. Redo some of the special abilities. Things like One Handed Catch and Big Sack happen so rarely and their cost (double the SP's of the other SA's) means few players ever invest in them. Make that last SA on the tree something really special that will be used by that player more than occasionally.
2. Fix the financial system. Currently teams, even elite teams at the Pro level are unable to afford equipment for their players. Either reduce the cost of equipment or make it to where there are more ways for teams to earn money. Make money more meaningful for players as well. AEQ is nice but because it is limited to the number of times you can boost it with bonus tokens, even that is limited. Let them be able to purchase items with their hard earned cash that they can use for their players, either temporarily or permanently. It will make contracts much more important to the player -- currently players just accept the minimum and get their EQ money through the EQ fund. If there was something for them to spend on, then contract negotiations would be much more intense as would the free agent battles.
3. If you're not going to get rid of VA's, revamp the system completely. Have it to where each position has an equal amount of VA's that help them rather than it being weighted so heavily towards certain positions. Reduce the effect of certain VA's (i.e. Big Heart) that can be overpowered and abused. There are also ideas about having VA's be like SA"s in that they have trees where you need one VA in order to use another VA. Usefulness ramps up as they get more expensive. Another interesting suggestion comes from TSE:
How about a VA path that you can move in lots of directions, kind of like the grid of licenses in one of the Final Fantasy games....
http://faqs.ign.com/articles/746/746429p1.html
But for real, this is an example of a FUN idea. You can't just pluck away and spend on something like this, because there are sooo many routes to go, and you have to think many, many moves ahead and really understand where everything is on the board to figure out a path to get all the stuff you want. And across countless players of the game, there are slightly different ideas and thoughts and combos of where people take it. Then when you have different categories, it could get interesting, cause some stuff affects attributes, or game events, or specialized situations, or equipment situations, you could get extremely creative with something like this.
Those squares don't have to be all VAs, maybe some are equipment enhancements, or other ideas. You could design this in so many different ways against so many different ideas.
(there's much more from TSE on this but I wanted to keep it as short as possible)
4. Make weight have more of an impact. Currently, DE's can run almost as fast as WR's and that should never be the case. The same could be said for things like blocking and tackling. It should be more difficult for someone 200 pounds to block someone who weighs 250. Conversely, a 180 pound player with 70 agility should be able to cut quicker than a 250 pound player with 70 agility.
5. Roster size limits to a maximum of 55 - this will reduce the overpowered special teams that we are currently seeing and will put more players into the GLB economy. Currently many of the top Pro teams are employing 60+ man rosters and fielding entire special teams units which gives them a distinct, and arguably, unfair advantage over teams that don't do the same.
6. Correct the CB overjumping - it is currently too much and it's not just happening to players on aggressive coverage (though it's effect is more pronounced there). It is making pass coverage much more difficult
7. Implement press coverage for CB's. The institution of press coverage based on strength and coverage distance would help everything. In a good press a CB would hold the WR from running the route, helping the pass rush, and it should be near impossible to catch a ball during the act of being pressed. In the air a CB and WR should have equal reaction toward the ball. The WR should get a slight advantage because they know where the ball should be, but it shouldnt be a drastic thing.
8. Elusive HB pathing still needs some adjustments. It's not as bad as it used to be but elusive backs will still avoid gaping holes and choose a route that makes no sense, despite the back having very high vision and agility.
9. When any change is going to be made on the live server, that change should go through 48 hours of testing by at least three individuals on the test server. The more sets of eyes looking for something, the more likely a problem will be found.
10. Undo the season 6 OT protector buff slightly. This would help the OT-DE interaction greatly.
11. Change loose coverage to be more of a go for the tackle and not the ball type of setting. Right now, it allows the catch to be made too often when a go for the tackle setting would allow for the catches to be made often but also occasionally getting broken up or jarred loose by a good hit.
12. Incorporate penalties to both pass quality and WR vision if the QB gets rid of the ball too early because of pressure. As it is now, a QB can get rid of the ball when he senses pressure and throw a perfect pass and the WR will react as if he knows this is happening. Realistically, a WR won't have that kind of reaction and the QB won't get off that good of a throw every time.
13. Reduce the drastic energy usage on special teams. One of the reasons so many teams have gone to specialized units is because special teams drains so much energy from their players. Yes, special teams take something out of a player, but you often see a return guy return a punt and then be back on the field just one play later. It shouldn't be as dramatic an energy sap as it currently is.
14. More individual tactics for players based on in game scenarios. For example, if a team is up by 14, it would be nice for the OL to be able to switch from balanced blocking focus to +run focus, or a CB to switch from +run focus to +pass focus. There should be tactics available for things like 2nd and short, 2nd and long, 3rd and short, etc;.
15. A running style slider for kickoff/punt returners. Currently, RB's and WR's that are returning punts are stuck with super elusive running style which isn't the best for regular offensive plays. Allow them to return kicks one way and run with the ball on offense a different way.
16. Fix up AI functionality. See the epic suggestion from Mat McBriar on this: http://goallineblitz.com/game/forum_thread.pl?thread_id=2223247
17. Short of #16, allow OC's to choose individual offensive plays for their AI like you can do on defense for preset and custom plays.
18. Fix/improve current issues with the sim and game before implementing anything new. Yes, everyone likes their new toys but spend 2-3 seasons getting the game working correctly and then start adding the toys.
19. Allow for game based substitutions. If QB#1 reaches a certain threshold (i.e. 3 interceptions), let a team put in their backup.
20. Add 2 point conversions and onside kicks, but make them realistic (meaning a team should recover an onside kick say 5-10% of the time not 50% of the time). Currently if a team is down by more than 1 score with less than 3 minutes left, they know they are pretty much doomed to losing, even if they score.
21. Adjust fan support losses based on competitiveness. A team should not lose the same fan support for a 1 point loss that it does for a 50 point loss.
If you'd rather pm them to me, that's fine too.
Edit to add:
Please make your suggestions detailed not just a bullet point list of #1 - Fix this, #2 - Delete this, #3 - Screw that.
Suggestions compiled and noted from this thread:
1. Redo some of the special abilities. Things like One Handed Catch and Big Sack happen so rarely and their cost (double the SP's of the other SA's) means few players ever invest in them. Make that last SA on the tree something really special that will be used by that player more than occasionally.
2. Fix the financial system. Currently teams, even elite teams at the Pro level are unable to afford equipment for their players. Either reduce the cost of equipment or make it to where there are more ways for teams to earn money. Make money more meaningful for players as well. AEQ is nice but because it is limited to the number of times you can boost it with bonus tokens, even that is limited. Let them be able to purchase items with their hard earned cash that they can use for their players, either temporarily or permanently. It will make contracts much more important to the player -- currently players just accept the minimum and get their EQ money through the EQ fund. If there was something for them to spend on, then contract negotiations would be much more intense as would the free agent battles.
3. If you're not going to get rid of VA's, revamp the system completely. Have it to where each position has an equal amount of VA's that help them rather than it being weighted so heavily towards certain positions. Reduce the effect of certain VA's (i.e. Big Heart) that can be overpowered and abused. There are also ideas about having VA's be like SA"s in that they have trees where you need one VA in order to use another VA. Usefulness ramps up as they get more expensive. Another interesting suggestion comes from TSE:
How about a VA path that you can move in lots of directions, kind of like the grid of licenses in one of the Final Fantasy games....
http://faqs.ign.com/articles/746/746429p1.html
But for real, this is an example of a FUN idea. You can't just pluck away and spend on something like this, because there are sooo many routes to go, and you have to think many, many moves ahead and really understand where everything is on the board to figure out a path to get all the stuff you want. And across countless players of the game, there are slightly different ideas and thoughts and combos of where people take it. Then when you have different categories, it could get interesting, cause some stuff affects attributes, or game events, or specialized situations, or equipment situations, you could get extremely creative with something like this.
Those squares don't have to be all VAs, maybe some are equipment enhancements, or other ideas. You could design this in so many different ways against so many different ideas.
(there's much more from TSE on this but I wanted to keep it as short as possible)
4. Make weight have more of an impact. Currently, DE's can run almost as fast as WR's and that should never be the case. The same could be said for things like blocking and tackling. It should be more difficult for someone 200 pounds to block someone who weighs 250. Conversely, a 180 pound player with 70 agility should be able to cut quicker than a 250 pound player with 70 agility.
5. Roster size limits to a maximum of 55 - this will reduce the overpowered special teams that we are currently seeing and will put more players into the GLB economy. Currently many of the top Pro teams are employing 60+ man rosters and fielding entire special teams units which gives them a distinct, and arguably, unfair advantage over teams that don't do the same.
6. Correct the CB overjumping - it is currently too much and it's not just happening to players on aggressive coverage (though it's effect is more pronounced there). It is making pass coverage much more difficult
7. Implement press coverage for CB's. The institution of press coverage based on strength and coverage distance would help everything. In a good press a CB would hold the WR from running the route, helping the pass rush, and it should be near impossible to catch a ball during the act of being pressed. In the air a CB and WR should have equal reaction toward the ball. The WR should get a slight advantage because they know where the ball should be, but it shouldnt be a drastic thing.
8. Elusive HB pathing still needs some adjustments. It's not as bad as it used to be but elusive backs will still avoid gaping holes and choose a route that makes no sense, despite the back having very high vision and agility.
9. When any change is going to be made on the live server, that change should go through 48 hours of testing by at least three individuals on the test server. The more sets of eyes looking for something, the more likely a problem will be found.
10. Undo the season 6 OT protector buff slightly. This would help the OT-DE interaction greatly.
11. Change loose coverage to be more of a go for the tackle and not the ball type of setting. Right now, it allows the catch to be made too often when a go for the tackle setting would allow for the catches to be made often but also occasionally getting broken up or jarred loose by a good hit.
12. Incorporate penalties to both pass quality and WR vision if the QB gets rid of the ball too early because of pressure. As it is now, a QB can get rid of the ball when he senses pressure and throw a perfect pass and the WR will react as if he knows this is happening. Realistically, a WR won't have that kind of reaction and the QB won't get off that good of a throw every time.
13. Reduce the drastic energy usage on special teams. One of the reasons so many teams have gone to specialized units is because special teams drains so much energy from their players. Yes, special teams take something out of a player, but you often see a return guy return a punt and then be back on the field just one play later. It shouldn't be as dramatic an energy sap as it currently is.
14. More individual tactics for players based on in game scenarios. For example, if a team is up by 14, it would be nice for the OL to be able to switch from balanced blocking focus to +run focus, or a CB to switch from +run focus to +pass focus. There should be tactics available for things like 2nd and short, 2nd and long, 3rd and short, etc;.
15. A running style slider for kickoff/punt returners. Currently, RB's and WR's that are returning punts are stuck with super elusive running style which isn't the best for regular offensive plays. Allow them to return kicks one way and run with the ball on offense a different way.
16. Fix up AI functionality. See the epic suggestion from Mat McBriar on this: http://goallineblitz.com/game/forum_thread.pl?thread_id=2223247
17. Short of #16, allow OC's to choose individual offensive plays for their AI like you can do on defense for preset and custom plays.
18. Fix/improve current issues with the sim and game before implementing anything new. Yes, everyone likes their new toys but spend 2-3 seasons getting the game working correctly and then start adding the toys.
19. Allow for game based substitutions. If QB#1 reaches a certain threshold (i.e. 3 interceptions), let a team put in their backup.
20. Add 2 point conversions and onside kicks, but make them realistic (meaning a team should recover an onside kick say 5-10% of the time not 50% of the time). Currently if a team is down by more than 1 score with less than 3 minutes left, they know they are pretty much doomed to losing, even if they score.
21. Adjust fan support losses based on competitiveness. A team should not lose the same fan support for a 1 point loss that it does for a 50 point loss.
Last edited May 2, 2009 11:16:50
