"Time keeps on slippin' slippin' ... into the future ..." -- "Fly Like An Eagle" by Steve Miller Band
One of the toughest things to replicate in a tabletop football game is the timing of plays. If you keep it simple (which is what many gamers want), you end up with game-end and quarter-end situations that seem forced; there's usually just one play left, period, when we've all seen games where there's two plays' worth of plays in that short amount of time.
For the outdoor game, I'm hoping to come up with a simplified, but realistic, timing system that isn't tied to plays that are "worth" some multiple of five, ten, or fifteen seconds. So, I ran a query on my play-by-play database and came up with some interesting numbers ...
KICKOFF RETURNS
With the kickoff and return, here's the "breakdown" of how long it takes to run a kickoff and the ensuing return:
Returns of 31 yards or less: 6 seconds
Returns of 32-48 yards: 7 seconds
Returns of 49-65 yards: 8 seconds
Returns of 66-82 yards: 9 seconds
Returns of 83-99 yards: 10 seconds
Returns of 100 yards or more: 11 seconds
PASSING
Completed passes in no-huddle offense .... normal huddle offense
Deep left/right: 12 seconds ... 15 seconds
Deep middle: 16 seconds ... 18 seconds
Short left/right: 18 seconds ... 22 seconds
Short middle: 19 seconds ... 23 seconds
PUNT RETURNS
Fair catch ... 8 seconds
Returns of 9 yards or less: 11 seconds
Returns of 10-17 yards: 12 seconds
Returns of 18-25 yards: 13 seconds
Returns of 26-34 yards: 14 seconds
Returns of 35-45 yards: 15 seconds
Returns of 46-56 yards: 16 seconds
Returns of 57-67 yards: 17 seconds
Returns of 68-78 yards: 18 seconds
Returns of 79-89 yards: 19 seconds
Returns of 90 yards or more: 20 seconds
Field goal attempts: 4 seconds
On-side kickoff: 3 seconds
Running play, normal huddle: 34 seconds
Running play, no-huddle: 30 seconds
All of these can be further split. For example:
PASSING, NORMAL HUDDLE
Incomplete: 9 seconds
Complete: 31 seconds
PASSING, NO HUDDLE
Incomplete: 8 seconds
Complete: 25 seconds
We can also determine the timing of intercepted pass plays and their returns, fumbles and those returns, field goals by distance, etc. We can look at the timing of plays in the two-minute windows, as well as the timing of plays right after a timeout or right before a timeout.
Lots of things to look at as I try to incorporate as much about the real game as I can into the tabletop version without slowing things down without purpose. What do you think? Use the comments below to share your thoughts and ideas ...
Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts
Friday, October 10, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
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 ...
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 ...
Monday, October 6, 2014
Play Cards
From the previous post, it should be noted that there are really only four play types in W2W: Run, Short Pass, Medium Pass, and Long Pass. Because the indoor game is so pass-heavy, and the field rather narrow (with only three down linemen), four plays is about all you need to represent the sport.
Outdoor football, with a much wider field, and where defenders are allowed to blitz (something outlawed in the indoor game), you need more play types. Couple reasons for this, the most obvious of which is that there are lots more options outdoors than indoors. The other comes down to the immersion factor for you, the game player.
If you love indoor football, you know that there's very little variation in the plays that are run. There's almost always a receiver in motion toward the line of scrimmage on every play; the only "options" are where he lines up and whether he circles around the back of the formation or straight up the slot.
However, if you love outdoor football, you know that there are sweeps, and draws, and off-tackle runs, plunges, dives, etc. There are screen passes, dump-offs, bubble screens, slants, quick-hitters, posts, go routes, etc. And if you're playing a game on the tabletop, you want to have, at the very least, a set of plays that allow you more flexibility to run your offense.
In this new game, the plan is to have, at a minimum, the following plays: inside run, outside run, screen pass, short pass, medium pass, long pass, gadget plays, kneeldowns, and spike plays. We'll also allow you to put your QB under center or in the shotgun as you choose.
Defensively, we'll be looking at: base 3-4/4-3, run key, pass key, nickel, dime, prevent, and goal line/short yardage. On special teams, teams will have punt block and placekick block options, as well.
The key here is ... where do I get the data for all of this? I have some sources, not all of which I am willing to share. One source is the NFL GameBooks ... every game's play-by-play logged and noted for you. Not easy data to put together, but if you had the time, you could copy and paste and code every single play from every season there are GameBooks for.
Other sources cost me to access, which, for many of you, partially explains the cost of a simple PDF being "more" that it appears on the surface. Yes, a PDF is virtually cost-free to create and send. But, the data that the PDF represents generally cost me something to obtain, and thus you, the customer, help me recoup that cost.
So, now that we know what plays there are going to be, we can start devising the play cards for the outdoor version of the game ...
And that's coming soon ...
Outdoor football, with a much wider field, and where defenders are allowed to blitz (something outlawed in the indoor game), you need more play types. Couple reasons for this, the most obvious of which is that there are lots more options outdoors than indoors. The other comes down to the immersion factor for you, the game player.
If you love indoor football, you know that there's very little variation in the plays that are run. There's almost always a receiver in motion toward the line of scrimmage on every play; the only "options" are where he lines up and whether he circles around the back of the formation or straight up the slot.
However, if you love outdoor football, you know that there are sweeps, and draws, and off-tackle runs, plunges, dives, etc. There are screen passes, dump-offs, bubble screens, slants, quick-hitters, posts, go routes, etc. And if you're playing a game on the tabletop, you want to have, at the very least, a set of plays that allow you more flexibility to run your offense.
In this new game, the plan is to have, at a minimum, the following plays: inside run, outside run, screen pass, short pass, medium pass, long pass, gadget plays, kneeldowns, and spike plays. We'll also allow you to put your QB under center or in the shotgun as you choose.
Defensively, we'll be looking at: base 3-4/4-3, run key, pass key, nickel, dime, prevent, and goal line/short yardage. On special teams, teams will have punt block and placekick block options, as well.
The key here is ... where do I get the data for all of this? I have some sources, not all of which I am willing to share. One source is the NFL GameBooks ... every game's play-by-play logged and noted for you. Not easy data to put together, but if you had the time, you could copy and paste and code every single play from every season there are GameBooks for.
Other sources cost me to access, which, for many of you, partially explains the cost of a simple PDF being "more" that it appears on the surface. Yes, a PDF is virtually cost-free to create and send. But, the data that the PDF represents generally cost me something to obtain, and thus you, the customer, help me recoup that cost.
So, now that we know what plays there are going to be, we can start devising the play cards for the outdoor version of the game ...
And that's coming soon ...
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