Slider explanation thread and statistical slider set recommendations

[Oraeon1224]

First here are some real season stats for midlevel team so people don't cry that results aren't accurate (i.e. not enough sacks)

Games played 12
Plays per game 71 (total for game 133)
Total offense per game 391
Pass plays per game 33
Pass % per game 58%
Pass yards per game 212
Drops: 4-5 per game
Rushing plays per game 38
Rushing yards per game 165
Yards per rush 4.3
Main backs yards per rush 4.8-5.3
Tackles for loss: 5 per game
Penalties per game 5-7
Penalties yards per game 52
Interceptions per game 1-2
Fumbles per game 1-2 (usually total of 3 turnovers INT + fumble)
Sacks per game 2 (for both sides 4)

Kick return average: 22.4
Kick dist avg: 61
Punt ret avg: 6.7
Punt dist avg: 38.5
Tackles for loss 5-6 per game
Tackles 50-60 per game (max 88)
Pass deflections for season 25 (average 2-3 per game)

QB statistics (for good not great quarterbacks):
73% of passes are short passes (<20 yards)
27% of passes are long passes (>20 yards)
65% completion % for short passes
43% completion % for long passes
60% overall completion %

[Oraeon1224]

Setting: All-American:
Heismann has very unrealistic values such as robo quarterback. It is much easier to adjust both up and won values with All-american. The game doesn't actually make the players any smarter with Heisman it just gives them statistical boosts. If you go varsity it seems to difficult to adjust upwards. All-american gives the best mixture of poor and good values to adjust easily.

Slider explanations:
QB accuracy (adjust only completion %, mostly long range): This slider significantly alters incomplete passes primarily though impacting long range completions (can expect about a 2% decrease in completions per 10 change for short passes vs 6% change per 10 decrease in slider for long passes) Overall impact is 3-4% decrease in completions per 10 change in slider.

Pass blocking (decreases time to pass but increases sacks): This slider adjust pass rush and limits exagerated times in the pocket (11 seconds vs 4 man front on default). You can expect a diminishing effect with this slider as there is a massive change between 50-40 in time to pass against a 4 man rush (almost 5 seconds difference), but but very little difference below 30. The great thing about this slider is it decreases D-lineman fall downs (i.e. pancakes).

WR catching (Effects completion % by increasing drop passes; mainly effects long range passes): The number of dropped passes is about right on default and for some reason the QB accuracy slider also effects dropped passes, however this could be used to decrease the completion percentage for long range passes if you are getting burned (decreases long range completion percentage by 10% per 10 change but only effects short range completions once <30 and creates unrealistic numbers of drops).

RB ability (Changes running back speed, tackle for loss, and some effect on outside running yardage): This slider effects yards per carry mainly to the outside but not inside until about 30 then has limited impact on yardage but continues to increase tackles for loss by about 2 per 10 adjustment.

Run blocking (Do NOT adjust as impacts kickoffs dramatically; adjusts outside running dramatically but not inside runs): This slider caused almost no change at all on inside runs (4.8 vs 5.1 yards per carry for 50 vs 100) but had a dramatic effect on outside runs (from 4.9 to 10 yards per carry for 50 vs 100). Also significantly increases the risk of touchback runs.

Pass coverage (Decreases long range passing but causes massive increase in sacks): Only ran preliminary test on this slider since completion percentage is better managed with QB accuracy and pass blocking. Do NOT adjust this slider for percentages unless you want unrealistic numbers of sacks.

Pass rush: This slider is almost identical to the pass block slider for decreasing passing time but less effective. For every 10 increase it decreases passing time by 1 second. I prefer pass blocking as more effective and less d-lineman falling down (looks more realistic).

Interceptions (unknown effect): Default settings only have 2-5 interceptions per side per game which is high but not enough for testing. Have decreased mine to 25 but this is not based off testing results.

Run defense (primarily effects inside running yards without much impact on outside running; do NOT set <40): This slider is the oposite of run blocking which increased outside run but not inside. This slider effected inside running (0.5 yards per 10 change) but not as much impact out outside runs. Decreasing this slider also has the unintended effect of causing a large number of TD/long distance runs if set below 40 (I do not recommend this but increasing tackling might help).

Tackling (causing very significant increase in long distance runs/TD with even minor changes): I suggest leaving this slider alone unless you want more big plays.

Combined slider information (see original data post for more information): I combined RB ability at 45 with Run defense slider sets which is a common theme. Even a 45 run caused a huge detriment to outside running. Decreasing running defense slider only increased inside running and allowed a few big outside or inside plays that were not realistic. I do not recommend this approach to improving the running game. I found very realistic results with RB ability at 50 and run defense at 40 (cutoff before unrealistic effects occur). Run blocking slider would be ideal for adjustments but given issues with kickoff cannot be used.

Slider set:

CPU offensive settings:
QB accuracy: 15 (mid 50% for mid level teams and low 60's for upper)
Pass blocking: 40 (gives mean of 5 sec vs blitz and 7 sec vs front 4)
WR catching: 45
RB ability: 50 (50 has less big plays than 55 and realistic on RBblock 100)
Run blocking: 55 (60 was excessive teams now average around 4-5 YPC)

Human defensive settings:
Pass coverage: 50 (increase raises sacks and knockdowns)
Pass rush: 50 (increases sacks and less effective than pass block)
Interceptions: 10 (1-3 interceptions per game usually 1)
Run defense: 45 (had to adjust once RB in)
Tackling: 55 (55 reduced big yardage plays)

Human offensive settings and CPU defensive settings will have to be individualized by the player based on skill level but the above set is a good starting point for tweaking. Try to have low 60% completion percentage and average run of 4.5-5.5 YPC and 3-4 sacks per game. Here is my set:

Human offensive settings:
QB accuracy: 10 (mid 50% completion % for C+/B- teams, low 60's for A's)
Pass blocking: 40 (gives mean of 5 sec vs blitz and 7 vs 4 none)
WR catching: 45 (drops needed a slight boost for human throws)
RB ability: 50 (lower makes outside runs fail)
Run blocking: 50 (50 was excessive, I now have realistic YPC with this)

CPU defensive settings:
Pass coverage: 50 (increase raises sacks and knockdowns)
Pass rush: 50 (increases sacks and less effective than pass block)
Interceptions: 10 (feel free to adjust)
Run defense: 50 (raised once run blocking was in)
Tackling: 55 (55 reduced big yardage plays)

Special teams settings: Hum/CPU
FG power: 40/40
FG accuracy: 20/35
Punt power: 25/40
Kickoff: 50/55

Penalty setup (recently decreased holding and increased Facemask; my testing definitely confirms penalties are FUBAR; Holding now better after patch so lowered to 50):
Offside: 100
Falsestart: 100
Holding: 50
Facemask: 55
Off interf: 100
Def interf: 100
KR/PR interf: 60
Clipping: 55
Intent grounding: 70
Roughing passer: 100
Roughing kicker: 60

[Oraeon1224]

I will now use these in 3 games against the same team which is also mid level team and post results. If anyone else would like to help test these please use them on All American with 10-11 minute quarters and report for CPU and player:

1) # of plays
2) # of passes
3) Completion %
4) Passing yards
5) Interceptions
6) Knockdowns
7) Dropped passes
8) Sacks

Running statistics:
1) # of running plays
2) Running yards
3) Yards per carry of main 2 rushers (RB)
4) Fumbles
5) Tackles for loss
6) Number of running plays for >20 yards

[lbowbb2]

I'd be willing to help but I need a few answers first. Do you use Ask Corso or pick your own plays? Do you run the play clock down/ make changes at the LOS? Have you changed auto-subs? And finally, about how good of a team should I test with?

[Playmakers]

I like this approach but only for if your playing Coach Mode or possibly Player Lock.

It seems like those numbers are true reflections of CPU vs CPU play.

For example if your a skilled Humam player having QBA at 30 and Wr Catch at 50 is a nightmare combination IMO. Especially if the CPU's Pass coverage is set so low and their Pass Rush is basically non existent at a 50 setting.

But I definetly give these settings a try if I was a huge coach mode player because the Human Skill set becomes a non-factor

[lbowbb2]

I played a 6 minute quarter game with Boise State (me) against Hawaii.

Kellen Moore (BSU) 27-37 418 yards 2 TD 1 INT, sacked twice
Greg Alexander (HAW) 19-35 291 yards (long 97) 2 TD 2 INT, sacked 3 times

Avery (BSU) 25 carries for 100 yards and 4 TD, long 13, 1 fumble
Wright-Jackson (HAW) only 7 carries for 13 yards

HAW had 3 drops and 6 tackles for loss.
BSU had 1 drop (Kellen Moore is deadly accurate at 93 THA) and 5 TFL.

Boise had 527 yards of total offense to Hawaii's 275.

Only one penalty in game-ten yards for holding.

[Oraeon1224]

Quote: Originally Posted by lbowbb2

I'd be willing to help but I need a few answers first. Do you use Ask Corso or pick your own plays? Do you run the play clock down/ make changes at the LOS? Have you changed auto-subs? And finally, about how good of a team should I test with?

I always pick my own plays and do make changes at the LOS.

I did not change autosubs because of all the problems with this.

It really shouldn't matter how good a team you play with if the sliders really work.

The most important thing is to play on all american not heisman level.

[Oraeon1224]

Quote: Originally Posted by Playmakers

I like this approach but only for if your playing Coach Mode or possibly Player Lock. It seems like those numbers are true reflections of CPU vs CPU play. For example if your a skilled Humam player having QBA at 30 and Wr Catch at 50 is a nightmare combination IMO. Especially if the CPU's Pass coverage is set so low and their Pass Rush is basically non existent at a 50 setting. But I definetly give these settings a try if I was a huge coach mode player because the Human Skill set becomes a non-factor

The primary purpose of this slider set is for designing the CPU offense and the players defense not the players offense or the CPU's defense. Player defense is a bit more limited by only having a single player to control and much less pivotal than the quarterback. The above sliders should allow relatively realistic quarterback passing % while maintaining a realistic number of sacks and dropped passes. They should also allow the CPU to gain a relatively logical number of yards per carry. The next step is to tweak these sliders for the human element (i.e. shifts, guesswork, and stick skills).

The second purpose of these tests and sliders was to clarify the how the sliders work to see how adjustments should be made to not break another part of the game (for instance many sets are lowering running back skill and droping run defense and this kills the outside game except for large breaks and creates high yardage up the middle plays which is not realistic for football). These sliders will never work for human offense or CPU defense because every player will have different skill sets from their offensive play (i.e. everyone will need personalized sliders). However, from my testing it is now possible to know exactly which slider to change to fix an individual issue.

Over the next week I will be testing in real human play with this slider set at least 3 full games (and hopefully 5) against the same team with well known statistics in play and evaluate the sliders results. From there I will then try to create an initial human slider set and tweak the CPU set. If anyone else can post their results with the sliders used exactly as listed without any tweaks it would be a great help.

***I would also point out that my testing shows that pass blocking has greater impact on quarterback pressure than pass rushing which does have some impact on getting though but mainly decreases the chances of the quarterback dodging a tackle.