Features

For those not familiar with W2W, here are some features of the game that I think folks will enjoy seeing in the new game ...

1) On passing plays, even if the dice roll indicates that the QB has thrown "complete", the game only treats that as "on target", meaning the pass will not be intercepted ... but the play result may still read "incomplete" due to a receiver drop, pass break-up, etc.

This increases the "suspense" factor ... say you need a long pass completion to set-up the winning field goal.  After adjusting for all the pass factors (don't panic, there's not as much math as it might sound), you roll and the pass is "on target" ... so you're probably 90% sure the pass will be caught ... it's that 10% chance or so that the receiver won't catch the ball that worries you.  So, rather than "knowing" the play is good ... you have to roll again and see if the dice find the incompletion.

2) On passing plays, the play call can be "changed" by results of Hot Read (R), or Checkdown (C).  If a Hot Read results, the play is re-rolled on the next longest pass play card.  If a Checkdown results, the play is re-rolled on the next shortest pass play.

So, you can get a Hot Read on a screen, short, and medium pass, and a Checkdown on a short, medium, and long pass.  You can also get multiple Hot Reads or Checkdowns on a single play if the dice are "right" ... you could look long for the bomb and checkdown to a short pass or, you could look to swing a screen and then the QB sees something that takes him to a medium pass.  Again, it's all about taking complete knowledge and control of a play out of your hands and put it into the hands of the players on the field.

3) We won't be using decimal yardage in the outdoor game, but there will be a rule (and chart) in play where, when a first down is made exactly, that the play either came up short or made it (with a potential video review).  Same for touchdowns.

For example, it's third and goal from the four-yard line.  The play result is a gain of four yards.  The chart is consulted and will either result in the play coming up short (and recorded as a three-yard gain under NFL scoring rules), or breaking the plane.

4) Speaking of video review, every play that qualifies for video review will be given a Review Modifier ... an addition/subtraction from the Video Review dice roll that gives the play a better chance of being upheld or overturned, as the case may be.

Extending the previous example, the call is that the runner is short of the goal line, but the Review Modifier is +3, meaning that there's a better chance that the call will be overturned.  This gives you, the player, a gauge as to whether or not to challenge the call on the field ... yep, you heard that right ... only *you* will determine if the play will be challenged, although the game system will define when a play is close enough to challenge (white result on red background) ... and other rules allow for challenges (for example, any pass play where the receiver goes out of bounds ... did he get the toes down??)

5) Defensive plays will "change" as the offense nears the end zone ... yards are harder to come by on the ground ... completion percentage drops with less territory to work with ... and so on.

And defenses come with the usual risk-reward factor ... you wanna go run-stop?  OK, but completion percentage goes up.  You wanna blitz?  Sure, but those screens just became a huge liability for you, both percentage- AND yardage-wise!

6) Unlike W2W, the plan (for now) is not to have team-specific play-calling cards.  There will be a generic play-calling system, based on the tendencies of all 32 NFL clubs over a ten-year period.  But, don't fret ... the timing system will allow you to replicate the no-huddle offense, or the Chip Kelly offense by allowing you to control the game tempo based on the offensive "system" you're in ... which then controls the timing rules.

And there will be much more to discuss as I start re-vamping actual game charts for the outdoor game ...