I've posted this elsewhere, thought I'd share here. These represent my opinion, not based on a lot of data, so no offense if you fire away. I wrote this before I got Octowned's update, so maybe I was proven wrong on strength, adjust accordingly on Workout Warrior.
Special Abilities:
Firstly, I don't see much value in SAs until you reach level 30. In fact, I've held off until level 40+ for my latest punters. They just don't seem to do too much without good attributes, and you lose so many natural leveling points by putting your SPs here. When you get there, here's what I see...
Calm Nerves: underestimated by many, I think. This might be the most valuable SA of the three. Seems to improve consistency of punts and probability of coffin corner. Match with high confidence (70+ minimum) for great effect.
Hang Time: useless - unless you want your team to win. This SA will not help your stats, distance, percentage of coffin corner's, etc. Since there is no measure of net punting yards, this will not seem to help your punter at all. However, if you run the greasemonkey script, you will see that your net yards will increase as the KOS has time to get to the PR before he sets up a big return.
Big Boot: chicks dig the long ball... unless its a punter. This may be the only actual "strength" component for punts that actually means something. You will punt it farther, no doubt. However, the PR will have more room to set up a good return, so not necessarily all that distance is gained in the end.
I have found that having these 3 balanced seems to lead to improvement across the board. No idea why, just an observation that I have had, and subsequently suggested by others.
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Veteran Abilities:
Now Veteran Abilities are things I think you want to combine with good attributes. So, if your punting and confidence are high, add Soccer Star and Swagger. If your SAs are high, add Clutch, etc. So here goes...
Soccer Star: Math question. When you have your punting up close to 100 and other attributes around 50, where should you put a +1% skill? When I put a point into soccer star on my one punter, his punting skill goes up 1.05. At 26 skill points for 1 punting point, well, its a no brainer. My #1 priority.
Swagger: OK, if confidence is up where it should be in the 70s or 80s, then makes sense to add 1% to this one, as well. This actually helps balance out a really high punting score (equipment and all), so I am becoming a fan of this.
Leg of Steel: If your goal is to force the opposing team to run the ball an extra 10 yards for their next touchdown, than this is the skill for you. Basically, this is only useful if your team stinks, and you occasionally want to punt a long one, with no real value. Frankly, I have this on one of my really good punters, and its had about a 4 yard value when he punts inside his 20. Pretty much useless in my books.
Nail in the Coffin: I like this one, but only after you have maxed things like soccer star and swagger as I think those increases will be more valuable to improving your coffin corners than anything.
Clutch: One of my secret weapons (revealed!). If your SAs are high (like 8-10 high), I believe that Clutch will help trigger them more often. Of course, I like to build my punters with core attributes first and SAs much later, so this naturally only gets used after things like SS and Swagger, but I'm probably a bigger fan of this one than most.
Big Heart: I only include this one for those playing on crappy teams that want to increase stats. With a +2% to all attributes when you are behind 14, this can really help the average. Of course, no good team owner will take you on later with such a crappy VA.
Football Genius: well, eventually if your vision gets high enough, this will help with coffin corners. I'm just not sure my punters will last long enough to get down to this attribute. Perhaps its better than Nail in the Coffin... tough to say for sure.
Workout Warrior: as many know, I'm still doubting the strength attribute for a punter. I could be wrong, and WW might be worth something, but I'm not investing anything until I'm proven wrong.
Quick: okay, I'm a fan of agility, but not that much.
Special Teamer: doesn't work for punters. Read the description.
Distance Runner: like Big Heart, only useful if you punt a lot to keep your energy up. Will help your punting average, but not the score, nor your future recruiting chances.
Streaky: as good at punter as any other position...
Slow Starter: ditto
Red Zone Freak: see Leg of Steel
Motivational Speaker: like Hang Time, this is only useful if you want your team to win. Ignore otherwise. The punter on my own team has 15 in MS...
Hometown Hero: not thought about this much, but probably more impactful for a punter than most other positions. Anyone with an opinion?
Heart of Champion similarly, might be more valuable than I've given it credit for... have to think about it more. 1 confidence point when at a 7 or 8:1 ratio, in the playoffs when you need it. Perhaps I need to work on this...
OK, guys and gals, have at it... tear these to shreds.
Special Abilities:
Firstly, I don't see much value in SAs until you reach level 30. In fact, I've held off until level 40+ for my latest punters. They just don't seem to do too much without good attributes, and you lose so many natural leveling points by putting your SPs here. When you get there, here's what I see...
Calm Nerves: underestimated by many, I think. This might be the most valuable SA of the three. Seems to improve consistency of punts and probability of coffin corner. Match with high confidence (70+ minimum) for great effect.
Hang Time: useless - unless you want your team to win. This SA will not help your stats, distance, percentage of coffin corner's, etc. Since there is no measure of net punting yards, this will not seem to help your punter at all. However, if you run the greasemonkey script, you will see that your net yards will increase as the KOS has time to get to the PR before he sets up a big return.
Big Boot: chicks dig the long ball... unless its a punter. This may be the only actual "strength" component for punts that actually means something. You will punt it farther, no doubt. However, the PR will have more room to set up a good return, so not necessarily all that distance is gained in the end.
I have found that having these 3 balanced seems to lead to improvement across the board. No idea why, just an observation that I have had, and subsequently suggested by others.
_______________________________
Veteran Abilities:
Now Veteran Abilities are things I think you want to combine with good attributes. So, if your punting and confidence are high, add Soccer Star and Swagger. If your SAs are high, add Clutch, etc. So here goes...
Soccer Star: Math question. When you have your punting up close to 100 and other attributes around 50, where should you put a +1% skill? When I put a point into soccer star on my one punter, his punting skill goes up 1.05. At 26 skill points for 1 punting point, well, its a no brainer. My #1 priority.
Swagger: OK, if confidence is up where it should be in the 70s or 80s, then makes sense to add 1% to this one, as well. This actually helps balance out a really high punting score (equipment and all), so I am becoming a fan of this.
Leg of Steel: If your goal is to force the opposing team to run the ball an extra 10 yards for their next touchdown, than this is the skill for you. Basically, this is only useful if your team stinks, and you occasionally want to punt a long one, with no real value. Frankly, I have this on one of my really good punters, and its had about a 4 yard value when he punts inside his 20. Pretty much useless in my books.
Nail in the Coffin: I like this one, but only after you have maxed things like soccer star and swagger as I think those increases will be more valuable to improving your coffin corners than anything.
Clutch: One of my secret weapons (revealed!). If your SAs are high (like 8-10 high), I believe that Clutch will help trigger them more often. Of course, I like to build my punters with core attributes first and SAs much later, so this naturally only gets used after things like SS and Swagger, but I'm probably a bigger fan of this one than most.
Big Heart: I only include this one for those playing on crappy teams that want to increase stats. With a +2% to all attributes when you are behind 14, this can really help the average. Of course, no good team owner will take you on later with such a crappy VA.
Football Genius: well, eventually if your vision gets high enough, this will help with coffin corners. I'm just not sure my punters will last long enough to get down to this attribute. Perhaps its better than Nail in the Coffin... tough to say for sure.
Workout Warrior: as many know, I'm still doubting the strength attribute for a punter. I could be wrong, and WW might be worth something, but I'm not investing anything until I'm proven wrong.
Quick: okay, I'm a fan of agility, but not that much.
Special Teamer: doesn't work for punters. Read the description.
Distance Runner: like Big Heart, only useful if you punt a lot to keep your energy up. Will help your punting average, but not the score, nor your future recruiting chances.
Streaky: as good at punter as any other position...
Slow Starter: ditto
Red Zone Freak: see Leg of Steel
Motivational Speaker: like Hang Time, this is only useful if you want your team to win. Ignore otherwise. The punter on my own team has 15 in MS...
Hometown Hero: not thought about this much, but probably more impactful for a punter than most other positions. Anyone with an opinion?
Heart of Champion similarly, might be more valuable than I've given it credit for... have to think about it more. 1 confidence point when at a 7 or 8:1 ratio, in the playoffs when you need it. Perhaps I need to work on this...
OK, guys and gals, have at it... tear these to shreds.
