For as long as I’ve been playing sports games, I’ve been fascinated with the tracking of progress within career modes. From the early days of a black and white composition book to the more recent use of capture cards and video blogs, dynasty tracking has come a long way.

In this piece, I'll take a look at what makes for a good read, as well highlighting some of the more successful and popular dynasties on OS. Even though each dynasty is unique in its own way, there are some common characteristics that all successful dynasties share. Let’s take a look at a few of them

Dedication

"Stick-to-itiveness" isn’t a made-up word solely reserved for cliché basketball broadcasters. It’s an essential trait for all dynasty creators. The patience and perseverance to stick to a dynasty, even when things don’t go well, goes a long way. As an avid dynasty reader, there’s nothing more frustrating than getting into a good thread only to see the creator apologize for ending it while starting a new thread minutes later. We understand that firings happen, but when you have three or four recent dynasty threads, readers can become apprehensive to follow if they know you won’t stick with it.

Tip – Pick a team that you’re invested in emotionally as you will be more inclined to see it out. Another alternative is to follow your career as the coach/manager. This way, if you do get fired, you can always take up a new job without having to reboot the game. This works especially well in games like FIFA and College Hoops where getting a pink slip is more likely to occur.


Videos And Pictures

With the ability to export media directly from your Xbox One and/or PS4, the inclusion of videos, specifically highlights, will go a long way towards generating interest. While no one really wants to watch your entire 20-minute game, a nice five-minute mashup with or without audio voice-overs adds an additional dimension to your thread. If you’re not video savvy, a simple picture helps create an immersive dynasty.

Tip – The use of videos can be as difficult as you want it to be. Capture cards, PVRs and the accompanying software will require more time to master, but if done right, they can lead to high quality videos. Leveraging the free software found on the PS4 and XB1 is a good alternative for folks who want to get their feet wet before adventuring into more expensive and time-consuming devices.

Realism

A quality dynasty will have a mixture of realism and fantasy. Dynasty creators should put their own little spin on their career modes to differentiate them from real life. However, try to avoid taking advantage of poor CPU roster/team management AI because people will quickly lose interest as you turn the Philadelphia 76ers of now into the 72-10 Chicago Bulls of yesteryear.

Tip – A good way to preserve realism is to choose the right team. "Rags to riches" stories can garner a ton of interest if the ascendancy to greatness isn’t too rapid. A good way to do avoid this is to choose a middling team that has either fallen on hard times, or one that is an "up and comer." Seeing Newcastle United win the Premier League in year one is far-fetched, but in a couple of years with the right person in charge it could be achieved in a believable fashion (see Leicester City this year).

Frequency Of Updates

This one is a little tricky as there’s a fine line between bombarding your readers with constant updates and leaving your admirers starving for the next one. If you’re like me, someone who doesn’t have a ton of free-time on their hands, the thought of reading multiple posts or watching several videos is a bit daunting.

Tip – Depending upon your style (videos or text-sims), giving readers a few days in-between updates is generally a good idea. Apart from the aforementioned overloading, spreading your updates out helps to generate reader interaction. Readers of your dynasty thread will be more inclined to post if they can stay current with the goings-on of your season.


Operating In A Vacuum

As a person who loves to create dynasty threads himself, I am often guilty of focusing too much time/energy on my team and not enough on what’s going on around the rest of the league(s). When you create this vacuum, readers lose touch of what the other teams are doing. Are key players injured? Have some major trades/transfers gone down? Who are the hot teams? These kinds of things are lost on readers if you do not provide them with some general insights into the world around them.

Tip– A good habit is to periodically take a post/video update solely focusing on the comings and goings of the world around your league. Standings, stats, league leaders and injury news are valuable nuggets of information that can help to create a larger picture.

Gone are the days of having to know HTML in order to use fancy graphics or tables. Apps such as Twitch, Google Docs, and FRAPS can provide less tech-savvy players with means to creating a successful long-lasting dynasty thread. If you still find yourself struggling with ideas, head over to the OS Dynasty Forum and take a look at these dynasties:

SuperJames1992’s Coaching Legacy of James Frizell (CH 2K8)

Bhurst99’s Toronto Blue Jay’s Video Dynasty (MLB The Show)

Matt10’s Something in the Making: Lam Matteo (PES 2009+)



Bdawg35’s Western Michigan Broncos: Unfinished bidnezz (NCAA 14)


What do you look for when you read a dynasty thread?