Maximum-Football 1.5 Update (May 27)

[David Winter]

Hello everyone.

I just thought I'd post an update as to what has been going on over the past few months.

Version 1.5 of Maximum-Football is now alpha and has been passed to the testers. There are a significant number of new features and enhancements to existing ones.

Some of the graphic niceties introduced by the new engine are uniform bump mapping and some improved lighting.

You will need the most recent version of DirectX installed on your machine. The latest version is April 10th, 2007 and can be found on the microsoft site here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... layLang=en

We're going to try to make sure that the game installation package installs this for you, but it's always a good idea to have the latest version of DirectX on your machine anyway.

Some of the other features is the new break down of player positions in the PDS. So you now have distinct positions for Inside and Outside linebackers, Safeties and Corner backs, Tackles and Guards, etc... Any custom plays created to date would benefit from being opened in the PDS and adjusted as required.

The game also has a slot based depth chart now. So players are now assigned a position on the depth chart by the position slot name. What that means is that you assign a player to TE2 and that's the position he'll be in anytime the formation calls for a 2nd Tight End.

There are some other improvements to the arcade play and coaching modes as well. A couple of screen shots of Alpha1.5 are below.

[David Winter]

Below is a screen capture of the new depth chart system.

As you can see, there are two slots for TE/SB1 and TE/SB2. They're filled by players with the natural position of Tight End, but there is a list of players below that could fill in for that position if need be.

[David Winter]

And here is a quickie screen grab of in game. I've shrunk the image down to 800*600 from a much larger resolution.
 

[garysorrell]

Wow....fantastic stuff David. That grass and the lines look great.

And if I havent said it in a while, thanks for all your hard work.

[simmer]

Excellent news....Those graphics are great. Is that a new in game camera view? Will this update enhance defensive reads and overall game play?

[VCFL Commish]

Dave is this going to need vista to run it

[nmleague]

For a quick answer VCFL, I believe that it will run on XP and Vista, but will no longer run on windows 98.  David can verify that when he sees your question.
 
Simmer Im pretty sure there are no new camera angles, that will be added for MF2, what you see is a screen shot from a instant replay.

[simmer]

OK I forgot that there will be a new addition in the late summer.

[David Winter]

VCFL;
 
 nmleague is correct. The new version will work on both Vista and XP. But I can no longer support Win98.
 
thanks
David

[VCFL Commish]

MaximumFootball-UpdateRelease-v13176Comp Is my limit on my computer I won`t be able to update to the 1.5.
 
Players / DepthCharts /Stats_League
 
Dave I am wondering if these 3 fields are going to change.If not does this sound like a way to work around the updates.
 
VCFL will be staying at v13176Comp for example we say the Toronto Argo`s owner goes to  1.5 so now were on two different systems.So when Toronto updates his depth charts can he send me back the VCFL.mdb file thats under 1.5 verson.I then open it up and cut and paste it into  DepthCharts in my v13176Comp file then run it.Then send that file back to Toronto were his computer automaticly updates it to the  1.5 verson.
 
Now since I am also in the MLF which will be going to 1.5 verson. Can I cut and past the MLF.mdb file from the 1.5 verson the depth charts to my MLF.mdb v13176Comp file do my updates send the file back to Chris were the file automaticly goes to the 1.5 verson.He then extracts my changes using the button then uploads them into the 1.5 verson of the MLF.mdb file.

[David Winter]

That would be very unlikely to work. The depth chart table structure is 100% different from earlier versions. It stores different information in a different format.

[MjH]

ORIGINAL: David Winter
As you can see, there are two slots for TE/SB1 and TE/SB2. They're filled by players with the natural position of Tight End, but there is a list of players below that could fill in for that position if need be.

David, would you post a screen shot showing the same TE/SB set up, but with the addition of one or two backups for the positions (inquiring minds want to know [:)])? e.g. set up HUNSAKER to fill in if ROSBERG is injured, and MUDGET to fill in if both ROSBERG and HUNSAKER are unavailable?

On a separate topic, are there any plans to update/expand the default Canadian playbook (or add additional Canadian playbooks)? There are lots of resources (thanks to the community) for the 11 man game, but for those of us who want to play 12 man, and don't the first thing about how to design a good (or even decent) play, choices are a little thin.

Thanks...

[David Winter]

David, would you post a screen shot showing the same TE/SB set up, but with the addition of one or two backups for the positions (inquiring minds want to know [:)])? e.g. set up HUNSAKER to fill in if ROSBERG is injured, and MUDGET to fill in if both ROSBERG and HUNSAKER are unavailable?

 
I'll post a screen shot when I get a chance. To allow a player to fill in just anywhere as required, you'd leave him unassigned. So to make Mudget fill in if RoseBerg and Hunsaker are both unavailable, you don't assign him a slot anywhere. To have Hunsaker fill in specifically for Rosberg, you put him in the next slot.
 
It probably makes more sense with a screen shot...
 
Also note that during game play, the computer controlled teams will do this on the fly as required. Human controlled teams can do this manually as required. (during game play, a human coached team is considered human controlled).

Keep in mind too that this is all alpha at this point and has had zero testing from the testers. They're likely to find some edge cases that may require slight changes to the way the screens function.

On a separate topic, are there any plans to update/expand the default Canadian playbook (or add additional Canadian playbooks)? There are lots of resources (thanks to the community) for the 11 man game, but for those of us who want to play 12 man, and don't the first thing about how to design a good (or even decent) play, choices are a little thin.

Yes, I'm working on that.

[Marauders]

On a separate topic, are there any plans to update/expand the default Canadian playbook (or add additional Canadian playbooks)? There are lots of resources (thanks to the community) for the 11 man game, but for those of us who want to play 12 man, and don't the first thing about how to design a good (or even decent) play, choices are a little thin.

 
I am hoping to do some work on the Canadian playbooks soon after 1.5 is public - maybe sooner.  I would have liked to do more playbook work in the last few months, but the changes in the depth charts and other factors have delayed it.  As 1.5 is a lock down build (it will be patched for bugs but features will likely not be added), it will be a good opportunity to fine tune playbook projects that have been on hold.
 
As with the 11 man playbooks, I hope to have Playmaker Tools available for 12 man playbooks.  They will help most new playbooks start with the same formations.
 
The big problem with playbooks right now is that the defences do not take advantage of the new game features.  Creating functional defenses is somewhat tougher that creating offenses, so that will take some time to get it right, but getting it right is what I believe we all want.  Good playbooks will be part of the keys to success of Maximum-Football after 1.5 is public.
 
In the mean time, if anyone has pdf's or links to websites with good CFL playbooks, formations, or game theory, please drop me a PM or post it to the board.  While I was a fan of the CFL for many years, I am south of the border, and do not have access to as many CFL resources as I would like.
 

[MjH]

I'll post a screen shot when I get a chance. To allow a player to fill in just anywhere as required, you'd leave him unassigned. So to make Mudget fill in if RoseBerg and Hunsaker are both unavailable, you don't assign him a slot anywhere. To have Hunsaker fill in specifically for Rosberg, you put him in the next slot.

It probably makes more sense with a screen shot...

I think I'm following, but a screen shot would be nice. No big hurry, whenever you get a chance.

Keep in mind too that this is all alpha at this point and has had zero testing from the testers. They're likely to find some edge cases that may require slight changes to the way the screens function.

Of course.

On a separate topic, are there any plans to update/expand the default Canadian playbook (or add additional Canadian playbooks)? There are lots of resources (thanks to the community) for the 11 man game, but for those of us who want to play 12 man, and don't the first thing about how to design a good (or even decent) play, choices are a little thin.

Yes, I'm working on that.

Thanks a bunch!

[simmer]

When will this be released? I am preparing for the NCAA season, will this update be adequate to start a season?

[David Winter]

1.5 is just entering the private testing phase so at this time I can't give any schedule for public release.
 
thanks
David

[Marauders]

I thought I'd take a minute to update this thread.
 
The early build of 1.5 is in the hands of the development (beta) team.  We have been trying to hunt down bugs and evaluate features.  As this build is feature locked (will not be adding new features) it would look to be a rather simple task, but David had to recode some parts of the game to keep up with the a few Microsoft .dll that have been changed, so it isn't really simple.
 
If you have been having issues with items in 1.3, please continue to post them, so we may look at them in the 1.5 builds.  David has been cleaning issues up along the way, so many items may already be fixed, but it is better to post them than to miss them.
 
Although I do not work for Matrix Games or Wintervalley Software, I would like to thank the community members for your continued feedback and support of Maximum-Football.

[BigSmooth]

Any updates?

[David Winter]

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1497798