BTS: Frequently Asked Questions - Page 14

Francis Cole · 02-04-2014, 05:02 PM

At the moment in BTS the schedules are based on what happened in the past season fwiw.

Le Grande Orange · 02-04-2014, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molson

Francis Cole, meet Le Grande Orange....

He has a schedule fetish. That's why we love him.

It's not as strong as it used to be. I've got too many irons in the fire these days... but I do tend to get, ah, rather insistent, on matters that seem to me to be important to get right. Or at least close to right.

(We haven't even gotten to the financial model part of BTS yet!)

Le Grande Orange · 02-04-2014, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

At the moment in BTS the schedules are based on what happened in the past season fwiw.

I've already pulled the raw data for the AFL schedules for 1960-69 and the NFL schedules for 1950-2012 from a web site. It will be a bit of work to get them converted into whatever format BTS ends up using (which presumably will be similar to OOTP's). I've got lots of CFL schedule data stored away, but I don't think those would adapt well to BTS at the moment as the CFL tends not to have the sort of clearly defined 'weeks' to the season the way the NFL does.

I've largely sorted out what aspects of OOTP's schedule files BTS should adopt in my view, and those things it could have in addition. It's just a matter of sitting down and writing up the ideas. I'm playing around too with creating additional "common opponent" schedule formats to cover those alignment/season lengths/years for which the NFL wasn't using that scheduling method. Some will be easier than others...

BradC · 02-04-2014, 07:10 PM

Well, I stand corrected, then.

Thanks for all that schedule info.

Looking at the list below, though, I wonder if all those games happened on Fridays for specific reasons, such as avoiding Xmas Day or moving a game due to severe weather or another issue. Not sure about 2009, though - did the NFL decide they wanted to see if an Xmas Day game would work out?

And RE Thursday games: I admit I didn't realize they had expanded it to a weekly thing. With kids and work and such, it's hard for me to catch football games during the week, unless my Eagles are playing, in which case I set the DVR. My best time for watching football is usually Sundays.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Not quite decades ago. The five most recent Friday game in the NFL in reverse chronological order:

Dec. 25, 2009, Week 16, San Diego at Tennessee
Oct. 21, 2005, Week 7, Kansas City at Miami
Dec. 24, 2004, Week 16, Green Bay at Minnesota
Dec. 24, 1999, Week 16, Dallas at New Orleans
Dec. 31, 1993, Week 18, Minnesota at Washington

Raidergoo · 02-04-2014, 07:17 PM

Oct. 21, 2005, Week 7, Kansas City at Miami

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins - Recap - October 21, 2005 - ESPN

Moved due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Wilma.

TGH-Adfabre · 02-04-2014, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

We don't know exactly when it will be in 2015, so I can't say for certain, but I guess it will be the 2015/16 season rosters.
Again not sure for certain yet, but a few weeks before the HOF game.

I am hoping for optional start dayes.
1) Start date allowing the user to do the draft for that season.

2) Pre-Season/MiniCamp.

Not a deal breaker but i would love to get the game around Preseason RL and be able to turn back time and repick for my team in that years Draft.

Steve Kuffrey · 02-04-2014, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

Heck, I have no clue.

It has been awhile!!! LOL

r0nster · 02-04-2014, 08:26 PM

am curious if Arena football might have a role in this game ??? I don't nessasarly mean for version one but perhaps down the road ?? Kurt warner came from arena football and a few other recievers.

Francis Cole · 02-05-2014, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

(We haven't even gotten to the financial model part of BTS yet!)

Better to share your ideas sooner rather than when it's too late

Fyrestorm3 · 02-05-2014, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

(We haven't even gotten to the financial model part of BTS yet!)

Speaking of, I have been wondering just how detailed the contract negotiations will be in the first version. I mean, I would love to see a realistic calculation of cap space, franchise tags, and the ability to restructure deals. But I would also understand if those weren't included for simplicity's sake.

KurtBevacqua · 02-05-2014, 02:02 PM

Since LGO got the financials thing rolling, is the intent to follow established CBA rules as much as possible (ie salary caps, rookie salaries, veteran salaries, profit sharing from TV and merchandising, etc)? OOTP for the most part does a good job of this.

Francis Cole · 02-05-2014, 02:24 PM

All of the CBA things which a GM is interested in will be in. All the cap/salary rules are already in.

Le Grande Orange · 02-05-2014, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

All of the CBA things which a GM is interested in will be in. All the cap/salary rules are already in.

I would just suggest that the underlying structure of the financial system not be set in stone such that some customization is possible, even if it won't make it in until later versions. The NFL's old Plan B free agency system, for example, is an interesting twist. And prior to that the NFL largely operated on the reserve clause system very similar to what baseball used. Lots of interesting historical realities that might make for fun fictional league options.

While the stuff you mentioned is directly important, I would say the underlying financial system is important. Some of the CBA's elements are tied directly to dollar values, and that means BTS will need to have clubs generate realistic levels of revenue (and have realistic levels of expenses, even if some of these are abstracted in the game). It's important I think to understand the way in which revenue is generated and shared, as that certainly impacts the real NFL's finances. And to have some degree of customization in the financial system, so that users can experiment in fictional leagues with different financial environments. (Again, this need not be in v1 of BTS, but just that the core model be adaptable and expandable so it can grow more easily in the future.)

Le Grande Orange · 02-05-2014, 04:48 PM

Getting back to the subject of schedules for a moment, while doing a Google search for links on NFL by-laws, I stumbled across the following book:

Pro Football Schedules — A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present by Ivan Urena. It was apparently just recently published (its copyright date is 2014). The Google Books link to it—which contains previews of some of its pages—can be found here. Just scroll and you can see the pages from the book that are free to see. It looks to be a very detailed work.

One lucky break is that the playoff matching system in use in the NFL from 1970-74 (which used a rotation of home field advantage amongst division winners rather than seeding) is shown in one of the preview pages. I always wondered exactly how that worked.

(Side note: I did find a PDF copy of the 2006 NFL By-Laws available online.)

goalieump413 · 02-05-2014, 07:48 PM

speaking of financials...

Are contract re-negotiations included? Like when the organization and player attempt to restructure the player's contract to avoid cap penalties? Just yesterday, it was reported that Larry Fitzgerald had is contract restructured. Today, Golden Tate tweeted that he's open to taking a pay cut to stay with the World Champion Seahawks.

menglish · 02-05-2014, 11:35 PM

A few questions:

Will player personalities/preferences be represented? For example, would a player become disgruntled if he isn't getting playing time or doesn't have the contract he wants? Will a player refuse to sign to a certain team? Will there be hold-outs, etc.?

Will restricted and exclusive-rights free agents be represented?

Will offensive pace (hurry-up offense) be represented?

Will position changes be included? For example, a college QB switching to a WR.

Will there be a Hall of Fame? If so, will historical players, etc. be represented? For example, could Tim Brown eventually be inducted?

Sorry for all the questions. Thank you in advance, and I'm very excited for this game!

doors11 · 02-06-2014, 01:58 AM

i'm just happy that OOTP is going to have a Football Game, you know its going to be first class. I'm just sad that it won't have historical game play in it at first.
but maybe you can make your own league with players from let's say the 60's. i love playing OOTP with the players that i collected their cards when i was a kid.

Can you tell us how many versions before we can import real players into it like OOTP. got to get my 60's up and running and passing.

will we be able to edit the game to change players names and edit their performance.

I hope some one is already getting a photo file ready like baseball. those old Philadelphia Gum Company cards were the best

Francis Cole · 02-06-2014, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goalieump413

speaking of financials...

Are contract re-negotiations included? Like when the organization and player attempt to restructure the player's contract to avoid cap penalties? Just yesterday, it was reported that Larry Fitzgerald had is contract restructured. Today, Golden Tate tweeted that he's open to taking a pay cut to stay with the World Champion Seahawks.

Absolutely!

goalieump413 · 02-06-2014, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

Absolutely!

Sweet! That was one missing feature from HC09 that drove me nuts. Thank you Francis.

Austsaint · 02-07-2014, 12:31 AM

I have a couple of questions

1/ Can you change your team's scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3 and vice versa. If you do so, will your team take time to adjust, will players have ratings regarding scheme fit?

2/ Will your team have the full set of coaches? if so will they have a scheme that they prefer?(I play FM a lot and when you hire coaches they have a preferred tactic) Will you be able to hire and sign coaches from other teams, and will there be free agent pool of coaches (fake and real)? I just like the idea of going into a team as a new coach with my own coaching staff, it helps with the immersion factor.

Thanks again for developing such an amazing game.

02-05-2014, 02:02 PM	#271
KurtBevacqua Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,968 Blog Entries: 2	Since LGO got the financials thing rolling, is the intent to follow established CBA rules as much as possible (ie salary caps, rookie salaries, veteran salaries, profit sharing from TV and merchandising, etc)? OOTP for the most part does a good job of this. __________________ "The type and formula of most schemes of philanthropy or humanitarianism is this: A and B put their heads together to decide what C shall be made to do for D. The radical vice of all these schemes, from a sociological point of view, is that C is not allowed a voice in the matter, and his position, character, and interests, as well as the ultimate effects on society through C's interests, are entirely overlooked. I call C the Forgotten Man" - William Graham Sumner

02-05-2014, 02:24 PM	#272
Francis Cole Lead Developer for BTS Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 854	All of the CBA things which a GM is interested in will be in. All the cap/salary rules are already in. Last edited by Francis Cole; 02-05-2014 at 02:38 PM.

02-05-2014, 04:48 PM	#274
Le Grande Orange Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Up There Posts: 15,412	Getting back to the subject of schedules for a moment, while doing a Google search for links on NFL by-laws, I stumbled across the following book: Pro Football Schedules — A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present by Ivan Urena. It was apparently just recently published (its copyright date is 2014). The Google Books link to it—which contains previews of some of its pages—can be found here. Just scroll and you can see the pages from the book that are free to see. It looks to be a very detailed work. One lucky break is that the playoff matching system in use in the NFL from 1970-74 (which used a rotation of home field advantage amongst division winners rather than seeding) is shown in one of the preview pages. I always wondered exactly how that worked. (Side note: I did find a PDF copy of the 2006 NFL By-Laws available online.) Last edited by Le Grande Orange; 02-05-2014 at 04:51 PM.

02-04-2014, 05:02 PM	#261
Francis Cole Lead Developer for BTS Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 854	At the moment in BTS the schedules are based on what happened in the past season fwiw.

02-04-2014, 07:17 PM	#265
Raidergoo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 9,004	Oct. 21, 2005, Week 7, Kansas City at Miami Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins - Recap - October 21, 2005 - ESPN Moved due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Wilma.

02-04-2014, 08:26 PM	#268
r0nster Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,002	am curious if Arena football might have a role in this game ??? I don't nessasarly mean for version one but perhaps down the road ?? Kurt warner came from arena football and a few other recievers.

02-05-2014, 07:48 PM	#275
goalieump413 All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 765	speaking of financials... Are contract re-negotiations included? Like when the organization and player attempt to restructure the player's contract to avoid cap penalties? Just yesterday, it was reported that Larry Fitzgerald had is contract restructured. Today, Golden Tate tweeted that he's open to taking a pay cut to stay with the World Champion Seahawks.

02-05-2014, 11:35 PM	#276
menglish Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1	A few questions: Will player personalities/preferences be represented? For example, would a player become disgruntled if he isn't getting playing time or doesn't have the contract he wants? Will a player refuse to sign to a certain team? Will there be hold-outs, etc.? Will restricted and exclusive-rights free agents be represented? Will offensive pace (hurry-up offense) be represented? Will position changes be included? For example, a college QB switching to a WR. Will there be a Hall of Fame? If so, will historical players, etc. be represented? For example, could Tim Brown eventually be inducted? Sorry for all the questions. Thank you in advance, and I'm very excited for this game!

02-06-2014, 01:58 AM	#277
doors11 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Creswell Posts: 631	i'm just happy that OOTP is going to have a Football Game, you know its going to be first class. I'm just sad that it won't have historical game play in it at first. but maybe you can make your own league with players from let's say the 60's. i love playing OOTP with the players that i collected their cards when i was a kid. Can you tell us how many versions before we can import real players into it like OOTP. got to get my 60's up and running and passing. will we be able to edit the game to change players names and edit their performance. I hope some one is already getting a photo file ready like baseball. those old Philadelphia Gum Company cards were the best

02-07-2014, 12:31 AM	#280
Austsaint Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Jeju Do, South Korea Posts: 192	I have a couple of questions 1/ Can you change your team's scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3 and vice versa. If you do so, will your team take time to adjust, will players have ratings regarding scheme fit? 2/ Will your team have the full set of coaches? if so will they have a scheme that they prefer?(I play FM a lot and when you hire coaches they have a preferred tactic) Will you be able to hire and sign coaches from other teams, and will there be free agent pool of coaches (fake and real)? I just like the idea of going into a team as a new coach with my own coaching staff, it helps with the immersion factor. Thanks again for developing such an amazing game.