I recently had a chance to do a pretty thorough Q & A with Eric Kneipfer, the mind behind and creator of Dynasty Football, which hopes to follow in the footsteps of such great PC simulation games as Out of the Park Baseball, Front Office Football, and Football Manager. It's with this vision, and a passion for sports and indie gaming, that Eric comes to Operation Sports to tell us about the game. Read on to find out the details!

Operation Sports: Eric, tell us a little bit about yourself and what your favorite games are.

Eric Kneipfer: My background is in education; specifically I am a 3rd grade public school teacher. I live in a suburb south of Boston with my wife and two daughters. I have been a teacher for 17 years, which has been incredibly rewarding. As a way to balance the very social aspects of my real world job I took up programming. I enjoy the complete isolation of writing code as much as the opposite complete immersion in a very social career like teaching.

I am attracted to thinking persons' sports games. I played Out of the Park Baseball online with a great group of guys for almost 10 years! Front Office Football is another great managerial title with a fantastic following of loyal fans. My favorite sports games out currently are Football Manager, the NBA 2K series and EA Sports NCAA Football. My all time favorite is without a doubt is the classic NHL 94.

OS: Give us a broad overview of your game, Dynasty Football.

EK: Dynasty Football is a general manager/coaching sim where the player controls all aspects of his or her team. First customize your league with a myriad of setup options. Then draft, trade, develop, sign, cut, and discipline players and coaches; use players and design plays to create your gameplans - your own system highlighting your team's talents; analyze your opponents strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies with game film options, give orders to your coaching staff; scout college players across the country to prepare for the draft; set practice schedules; meet with your owner and more. Build your team over time the way you envision it, then take your team into the playoffs and on to the championship. When the next season begins see if you can take on the challenge of doing it again and become a true dynasty.

OS: Do you have a trailer or video for your game, Dynasty Football?

EK: Yes, it is on my website: www.worldsendsoftware.com or you can go directly to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K8RKj_f54s

I am a musician, [and I] wrote the music myself. That was as much fun as anything else I've done for this game! I also have made two tutorials on how to make an offensive and defensive play.

OS: How long have you been working on Dynasty Football?

EK: I have been developing Dynasty Football for over 7 years! That is a long time, but this is mostly because of the steep learning curve of learning .NET programming from scratch, the fact that the game was just a pipe dream for the first 3 or 4 years, and that I simply have not had the time to invest in it because of teaching.

I have chipped away at it steadily almost every day for all this time, with extra time available on summer vacations. The growth rate of the game has expanded along with my developing programming skills as well; I get so much more done out of shear experience now than even a year or two ago.

OS: Do you draw inspiration from any other games on the market, either in PC, mobile, or console space?

EK: I was a huge Front Page Sports: Football fan back in the mid to late 90s. I felt that series really captured what it was like to coach football. Dynasty Football's genesis was from my own personal frustration of not having any game on the market where you could analyze your opponent, design plays to exploit weaknesses, and then head into battle and see if your plan worked. Other games got the personnel side of the football right, but not one made me think tactically.

 

 

OS: Do you have any plans to allow users to easily share customized content? What about mod support?

EK: I very much want people to share their strategies and tactics when playing Dynasty Football. That means sharing play designs. As of right now the game allows plays and entire playbooks to be saved and exported. I would love to visit forums where effective plays are discussed and analyzed. Ideally, the next generation of plays would be designed to counter the first. The back-and-forth tactic and counter-tactic conversations would allow for evolution in game planning – just like pro football.

Also, there is an option to alter players’ and coaches’ attributes and names. This would allow [the mod community] to recreate teams or even entire leagues from the past, or fantasize about leagues of the future. I would enjoy debates about what Lynn Swan’s Agility attribute score or Ray Lewis’s Vision attribute score.

OS: Your game is unlicensed correct?

EK: Right now Dynasty Football is unlicensed. Team names are fictional in league setup. These are fully adjustable though and, tying into your question about mods, could easily be created and shared by fans of the game.

I would love to use real names, which may or may not be part of the public domain, I'm not sure. If I am unable to do this, I will have a base league with different names but similar makeups in terms of attributes and once again energetic modders could be free to create their version of the NFL.

 

 

OS: Do you have a financial model in the game? If so, is it set up to mimic real life contracts for professional football players?

EK: The financial model is set up like the NFL with adjustable team salary caps, salary floors, and signing bonuses. Contracts will usually increase from year to year, with the signing bonus prorated over the course of those years against the salary cap. A creative budget could yield big-time results short term, but a real challenge long-term. There is a bit of a learning curve, but that’s the point of the game: to add complexity and reward creative thinking.

I want to be clear that Dynasty Football does not incorporate aspects like beer revenue and seating chart prices. You have a budget to work with every year and you decide how to spend it. I apologize for fans of this type of detailed business model, but it simply never interested me so I didn't include it.

OS: Describe a little bit, how users can play the games. Are we operating as the Owner, GM, Head Coach, or some combination of those?

EK: The player operates as a combination GM/coach. You run the team from top to bottom and make all the decisions. You are most definitely not the owner as you meet with him or her every month and discuss your performance. If you fail to live up to expectations you will be fired! (Although there is an option at game setup to never lose your job).

OS: Your game is physics based correct? Explain that a little bit. How does this directly effect gameplay?

EK: Instead of using statistics to generate play results I have used physics formulas integrated with player's attributes. I worked with my retired electrical engineer father on these equations, using things like player vectors, collisions, and intercept paths. I'm not exaggerating when I state that this is all from Isaac Newton laws; Dynasty Football could not exist without that guy's genius (and my old man's as well!)

OS: How are the simulation results? For example, league leaders with realistic totals and averages?

EK: I took a chance early in development, hoping that if I simulated the real physics of football that the statistics produced would be as accurate as a real game. Every time my father added a new element to the game's engine the results were a success. That's the beauty of physics: it never lies or deceives you. When the final layer was added it was a major breakthrough moment in Dynasty Football's development. [Both] simulated and user [played] games produce results that are true to life.

Also important is the fact that every play is run like every other. If you are simulating a game between two AI opponents there are no coding shortcuts - every play is run under the hood, and it is run fast. Proof of this level of detail is the fact that you can view any play from any game; it is all saved and available to be seen in real time or slow motion for gameplanning - just like real coaches watch film!

 

 

OS: What kind of stat tracking is included? Game, Team, Season, Year over Year, etc.?

EK: I would have no business calling the game Dynasty Football if it didn't flow from year to year. All players and coaches, including you; [will] age and eventually retire. Your goal is to win as many games and championships as possible during your professional career time span.

OS: Tell us a little bit about how college scouting works in Dynasty Football.

EK: The country is divided into four sections with a scout (that you hire) assigned to each. Every week during the college football season you instruct your scouts to watch practices and games at different colleges by creating their travel itinerary. You never have as much time as you'd like, so you need to plan carefully.

Should you send your scout to Indiana to gather info on a top 10 prospect or send him to Ohio State for a slew of mid level players? Maybe you could send another scout to cover both colleges but he will be from a different section of the country so his ratings won't be as accurate. Do you want to go back and get more accurate info for a player or keep seeing new players with less accuracy? Each player creates stats every week as well, so make sure to keep track of those.

Create a draft list by moving players up and down, on or off the list. Eventually you'll get to pro days, and the combine; your best scouts might be able to find a hidden gem. You also may draft a bust. Over the years you'll know which scout is to be trusted.

 

 

OS: I understand the game features a dynamic play creator. Tell us a little about that.

EK: I consider the play creator one of the highlights of the game and what makes it stand apart from other titles in this genre. You are free to design as many plays as you wish and the complexity of your plays is left up to you.

For example, for a running play you could create a simple play where all your offensive linemen block straight, or you can take the time to create complex blocking schemes where each offensive linemen has a different set of directions based on the defensive front aligned against him. For example, he may block angle block if there is open space in front of him or drive block if there is a man nose to nose with him. This is how the pros do it, so I felt compelled to include it. The choice of making plays simple or complex is up to the player.

One, three, five, or seven step QB drops, pulling guards, one gap, two gap, stunts, blitzes, fake field goals, onside kicks, pitches, RB option plays, draws, play action passes, custom made receiving routes, wishbone formations, 5 wide sets, pre-snap motions, snap to the RB, end arounds, four types of zone coverage, man to man options like shading, double covering, formation matches, nickel and dime formations...

Dynasty Football's play creator allows for maximum creativity all working within a easy to use interface. Match the plays you create (or borrow from other people) to the skill set of your players; that's how to win games.

OS: What are you looking at in terms of user customization? Will users have full customization of things like team names, player names, coach names, etc.?

EK: Everything you mentioned is customizable, along with league settings to create the type of league the player wishes. For example, you could set up a league with 16 teams in 2 divisions with only the top teams making the playoffs, or maybe a 24 league team with just 2 divisions but allow a couple wildcard teams in along with divisional winners.

 

 

OS: Tell us about what kind of roster control we can expect. Are draft picks trade-able? Are practice squads in the game?

EK:   I have always coveted a game where you can trade draft picks so I had to include it in Dynasty Football. Not only can you trade any pick in the upcoming draft, but you can trade up to 3 years ahead. There is an option for practice squads as well.
  
OS: Elaborate on the coach personalities and individual skill sets. This seems like something that's really never been addressed in sports simulation games. Can you also tell us a little about the weekly coach meetings feature?

EK: I'll start with the coaching skill sets. Every coach, including the character that you create at the beginning of the game, has this own attributes. Like teaching tight ends, analyzing defensive backs, and working with veterans. These attributes relate directly to how effective the coaches are at evaluating and training your players.

In addition to this traditional set of coach skill sets each coach also has a coaching style. These coaching styles relate specifically to how the coach helps your team's attributes. For example, the Motivator coach type gives an automatic Guts attribute boast to all the players under him; a Tactician coach will give his players a bonus in Intelligence. The head coach (you) will give a bonus to every player on the team, the offensive and defensive coordinators will give their bonuses to just the side of the ball, and all the positional [coaches] give their bonuses to their units. That means each player gets three bonuses based on the coaches you hire to make them better. If your offensive linemen are dumb as stumps then hire a tactician and take advantage of that intelligence bonus. If that coach also has good attributes in addition to helping your OL's intelligence, all the better.

For the coach personalities I decided to add entertainment to Dynasty Football. I have always felt that most games in this genre are dry and sterile. Spreadsheets, low impact graphics, repetitive weekly routines... it all adds up to making general manager sims a niche market for hardcore stat geeks. I'd like to appeal to a broader audience so I have included a mini-game using thousands of lines of text in the form of communication between the player and his coaching staff during weekly staff meetings.

It works like this: each staff meeting is 60 minutes; each order you give or information you ask for takes several minutes. Like any boss there is way more you want to do than you ever have time for. That means to run a successful meeting you have to keep your staff focused. You want to have no distractions and give as many orders as possible within the hour.

Each of your coaches is a little like an NPC in a role playing game. Some are divas, some are snobs, others extremely antisocial. All of them need to be controlled to a degree by you, the head coach. You have three factors for each coach to track: fear, respect, and loyalty. These are represented by colored bars on the side of the coaches' pictures. If you attempt to give a loyalty speech and it falls flat some of your coaches might have their loyalty rating decrease. If that happens enough and more than one rating drops below half then they have a chance to pipe up during your precious staff meeting and start wasting time. The more time they use up pontificating or complaining, the less time you can use to give them orders to train players, give info on your next opponents, update you on injuries, etc...

Your staff meeting that is so useful degenerates into a monkey brawl of whiners, ego strokers, and antisocial malcontents. When this happens, I want the player to feel frustrated but also enjoy the text that pops up, because it is funny. Here is one quip from the wise-ass personality type: "Can we move this thing along? I have a lot of work I need to pretend I'm doing..." This guy will make your meetings a living hell if you don't discipline him. That has it's own humor to it as well, and may succeed or not, depending on your own attributes. It's all interlinked and hard to control, kind of like threading a needle. If you run a successful staff meeting you will know it; if you don't you'll know it as well, but hopefully the humor will soften the frustration.

OS: What kind of things are you focusing on, in terms of immersing the player in the world of Dynasty Football?

EK: Everything that happens to you as a human player happens to the AI players as well. They hold meetings, they have injuries, they hire and fire coaches and cut players. The only thing the AI can't do is design new plays, but you can give AI teams permission to use yours to add to your challenge. The point of the game is very much like the point of most role-playing games: put the game player in a world where he feels like he is a part of it - not the entirety of it. I want the player to feel small at first and then slowly feel like he has gotten control of it. Then, perhaps quit your job and start at a new franchise. play the game for 20 or 25 seasons until you retire and see how well you did. Or maybe you fail miserably at your first coaching gig, get fired, and start fresh with the knowledge you gained and then start winning games. Whatever ends up happening, it was your path you created.

 

 

OS: You have a Kickstarter campaign launching in the near future is that correct? Can you tell us about that? What kind of goals are you looking at to get this game off the ground?

EK: A Kickstarter campaign is all set to go. My goal is to raise money to validate working all summer as a real professional programmer, not a guy with a basement hobby. If I can raise enough money to cover what is considered to be a decent summer job I will be able to say to my supportive but very nervous wife "See? I told you this wasn't just for fun anymore!"

I would also like to use the money to update my software and cover the costs of recording video and music that I have already incurred (refer to the nervous wife quote from above).

If I am incredibly fortunate and interest in the game really spikes I could take a full year off from teaching without any risk and finish the game as it is meant to be finished. That means eight hour work days into the fall and winter, time to work with play testers, and hire a graphic artist which I sorely need. If the game is released and sells well, I could leave teaching for good and focus on the next version of Dynasty Football, which I would like to include internet leagues.

OS: Do you have a website/web-page/Facebook/YouTube account, etc that we can follow to keep track of Dynasty Football?

EK: My website is www.wordsendsoftware.com. My videos are online as well as a couple dozen screenshots. I am working on a forum page as well, so look for that.

My youtube channel is my name: Eric Kneipfer. A Facebook business page is on my list of things to do.

OS: Anything else you'd like to add to this first Q & A?

EK: Right now Dynasty Football is 80% finished. I play the game on my own and I have a blast trying to beat the AI. I want to share this creation with other fans of this genre, and I truly want to make a living off of it if I can. Kickstarter is the way to make that happen. I'm asking for the support of Operation Sports members to make Dynasty Football the best football sim it can be!

Thanks!