Two things needed for PDS, next patch please

[nmleague]

THe PDS has great potential for designing plays and playbooks, and because of it I think the game will continue to improve. But presently there are some things that are very frustrating in the PDS/play design that can turn people off and lead to frustration. Im posting the two things that I think would help greatly to improve the PDS/game, anyone else post your biggest desired improvements here.

1. Defensive alingment. Somehow the DL alingment has to be locked to the OL. When I set a new defense and say have the DT lineup on the OG and the DE lineup on the outside shoulder of the OT, I expect them to lineup that way in the game. For some reason they end up shading way to the left and it ruins the defense. The way I have worked around this is to design the defense with all the DL shifted to the right, and yes then if the defense is flipped things are way way off. Please make this a top priority.

2. Its been mentioned before but not yet fixed. Have the DB come out of the huddle and line up on the man they are suppose to, instead of waiting for the QB to start the snap count and then try to get to the other side of the formation, this really ruins the defense. I have tried putting the DB in the middle of the defensive formation so that they would not have far to go once the QB starts, but they can still get tangled up and cant get out to a WR. This needs to be fixed for the game to work.

3. A wish but not a game breaker. It would be nice if LB or DE could be given a command to lineup on the TE, or away from the TE.

[nmleague]

Here is another one that needs immediate work.

If a DB has a lineup on R command with man to man pass coverage, they need to be able to read and react better. Example: a DB lineups on the FL and has man to man coverage on him. The DB is about 6 yards off the LOS. On the snap of the ball the FL blocks in on the OLB, the play is a sweep or option to that side. The DB watchs the FL block down and stands in place doesnt move. Meanwhile the HB is running outside and turns up field. Finally the DB reacts to the HB when he is almost equal to the DB. This is not very realistic and is one area that really hurts the defense of the game.

[Old Coach]

It seems that the way the zone coverage logic works is that the defender, LB or DB, doesn't react to anybody until they come into his zone.

Old Coach

[Deft]

I agree with the suggestions mentioned. Some other suggestions:

1. I would like add a stop command for the motion commands, and have the QB not snap the ball until the motion men get to their destination.

2. Be able to change back to no primary receiver after selecting one. Currently if you select a primary receiver you can't unselect it. You can only choose a different primary receiver.

3. Be able expand the splits of the offensive linemen for obvious passing formations.

[Magnum357]

Deft, I'm sorry but I have to disagree with your number 1. I'm designing an Arena Football Mode and the Custom Plays I design for it have one of the Receivers (I guess you could say Flanker in Arena Rules) is going forward before the snap. I have it designed now that the user can send the Receiver to go forward but before he reaches the Line of scrimage, you can snap the ball and the Motion Receiver will be going full speed. This is a standard tactic in Arena and Indoor Football and if David changed it too what you suggested, it would eliminate this option from the game.

nmLeague, I'm having trouble with your number 1 problem too. In my Arena Football mode, if the DL is not exactly lined up with the Offensvie linemen or play, it seems the QB has great chances of scrambling and its quite hard to design good pass plays with the Indoor Rules. You can shift the DL linemen a little to the right to fix this, but as nmleague pointed out, if you flip the play, you run into the problem again. I don't know if this happens with the US rules, but I know it does with the Indoor Rules.

Also, I would like to add to this that I'm having trouble with Man In Motion with the Indoor Rules. I only assign one man to go in motion before the snap in my custom plays, but for some reason, my HB/FB will try to adjust there movement during the Motion Phase of the play and I know I never gave any MIM logic to my HB/FB's. This is not correct in Arena Football as only 1 man can move at a time after the line is set. Now in Indoor Football you can have 2 or 3 players move, but this is by design.

[Deltadog]

Am I the only one who has seen the man in motion zip accross the field as he should, but way too fast and then zip back but this time between the offensive and defensive line with no offside or illegal motion penalty?

[Magnum357]

I've never had that happen, but I try to design my Arena Football plays MIM to move until it reaches the LOS. So far, I have yet to have the receiver actually pass the LOS.

[Deft]

ORIGINAL: Magnum357

Deft, I'm sorry but I have to disagree with your number 1. I'm designing an Arena Football Mode and the Custom Plays I design for it have one of the Receivers (I guess you could say Flanker in Arena Rules) is going forward before the snap. I have it designed now that the user can send the Receiver to go forward but before he reaches the Line of scrimage, you can snap the ball and the Motion Receiver will be going full speed. This is a standard tactic in Arena and Indoor Football and if David changed it too what you suggested, it would eliminate this option from the game.

Also, I would like to add to this that I'm having trouble with Man In Motion with the Indoor Rules. I only assign one man to go in motion before the snap in my custom plays, but for some reason, my HB/FB will try to adjust there movement during the Motion Phase of the play and I know I never gave any MIM logic to my HB/FB's. This is not correct in Arena Football as only 1 man can move at a time after the line is set. Now in Indoor Football you can have 2 or 3 players move, but this is by design.

Magnum, I suggested the stop motion button as an option, if it's not selected the QB will snap the ball when the MIM reaches his destination in motion rather than reset.

[Magnum357]

Ok, I think I get what you mean.

I don't know Deft, I'm not sure I like the idea. I just have a feeling it might mess up my MIM logic Plays that I have set up now for my Arena mode. [8|]

[nmleague]

I have a feeling all plays and playbooks are going to have to be redone sometime in the future. With the last patch Im already seeing DL alinging differently than they did before with the same defense. Which is fine, a major plus will be having the ability to set the defensive alingments and then having them set up that way in the game, that incudes creating formations.

[dreamtheatervt]

A few more things I would like to see added...(and yes, it's going to sound like FBPro functions)

Right click functionality to activate subsequent command boxes, and left click to draw a new box. As it is, when I try to click on a command box to add logic, I end up adding a new box. Maybe it is just my "newness" to the game, but I'm finding the PDS somewhat frustrating as of now.

Show the path as it is being drawn. I hate having to redo routes because instead of being straight they are slightly crooked. I'm a perfectionist, and I want crisp, clean routes.

A way to put logic boxes over another position's starting position. When I try to have my QB drop back when I am in an I formation, and I want to have him set up just past the FB's starting position, it clicks the FB instead of placing a command box. I haven't tried it yet, but making trap plays might be a pain if I can't do that.

Adjustable line splits/moveable O-Linemen. For some playbooks I want to develop, I want to spread the O-lineman more. I would also like to create unbalanced formations.

This one might be a lack of understanding, but if I read it right, when you create a playbook, it has offence and defense. I think separating them would be a good idea that way computer controlled teams can be given appropriate playbooks with a lot less work.

[David Winter]

ORIGINAL: dreamtheatervt

Right click functionality to activate subsequent command boxes, and left click to draw a new box. As it is, when I try to click on a command box to add logic, I end up adding a new box. Maybe it is just my "newness" to the game, but I'm finding the PDS somewhat frustrating as of now.

To draw a route you need to put the PDS into draw route mode. This is done by clicking the toolbar add command point button. Then left-clicking adds the points. When you're finished adding points, right-clicking will take you out of this mode. From there you can click on any command point and access the logic.

[Scott_WAR]

I also had the problem of trying to put a command point for the QB, where the FB was, and selecting the FB instead of placing the point. The workaround I came up with is to place the command point CLOSE to the FB, then right click on it drag it where you want it.

[Marauders]

In reply to nmleague:

I have a feeling all plays and playbooks are going to have to be redone sometime in the future.

That is already in the works. The default playbooks will be cleaned up after PDS 2.0 is completed.

With the last patch Im already seeing DL alinging differently than they did before with the same defense.

The players are a bit smaller than before. They were scaled down to better fit the field.

Which is fine, a major plus will be having the ability to set the defensive alingments and then having them set up that way in the game, that incudes creating formations.

Defensive alingment. Somehow the DL alingment has to be locked to the OL. When I set a new defense and say have the DT lineup on the OG and the DE lineup on the outside shoulder of the OT, I expect them to lineup that way in the game. For some reason they end up shading way to the left and it ruins the defense. The way I have worked around this is to design the defense with all the DL shifted to the right, and yes then if the defense is flipped things are way way off.

With PDS 2.0 , the plays are designed on the same 3D field that is in the live games. That should resolve most of those issues. At least I am hoping so.

Its been mentioned before but not yet fixed. Have the DB come out of the huddle and line up on the man they are suppose to, instead of waiting for the QB to start the snap count and then try to get to the other side of the formation, this really ruins the defense. I have tried putting the DB in the middle of the defensive formation so that they would not have far to go once the QB starts, but they can still get tangled up and cant get out to a WR. This needs to be fixed for the game to work.

I agree. Now that the line-up command works well, the players have to come out playing smart football. David has stated that this will be worked on.

A wish but not a game breaker. It would be nice if LB or DE could be given a command to lineup on the TE, or away from the TE.

Before this game was released, I had hoped that players would be assigned as Will, Mike, and Sam linebackers as well as free and strong safeties, but alas, it isn't so.

The problem with having a linebacker line up away from a tight end is that there will be the ability to have two tight ends in a future upgrade (woot!).

If the defense had the ability to view the offensive alignment prior to selecting the play, it would help.

If a DB has a lineup on R command with man to man pass coverage, they need to be able to read and react better. Example: a DB lineups on the FL and has man to man coverage on him. The DB is about 6 yards off the LOS. On the snap of the ball the FL blocks in on the OLB, the play is a sweep or option to that side. The DB watchs the FL block down and stands in place doesnt move. Meanwhile the HB is running outside and turns up field. Finally the DB reacts to the HB when he is almost equal to the DB.

This is a known problem with plays that go outside the numbers. I am not sure if the improved PDS will resolve this or not. I'll be checking it when the playbook is tweaked up after PDS 2.0 is completed.

In reply to dreamtheatervt:

Right click functionality to activate subsequent command boxes, and left click to draw a new box. As it is, when I try to click on a command box to add logic, I end up adding a new box. Maybe it is just my "newness" to the game, but I'm finding the PDS somewhat frustrating as of now.

Show the path as it is being drawn. I hate having to redo routes because instead of being straight they are slightly crooked. I'm a perfectionist, and I want crisp, clean routes.

Once a path is down and the command boxes are roughly in place, use the right mouse button to move them around. Then there is no problem with adding command boxes.

Adjustable line splits/moveable O-Linemen. For some playbooks I want to develop, I want to spread the O-lineman more. I would also like to create unbalanced formations.

Just create those formations as a base, and make plays from them. To create a new formation, you must click on the little arrow pointing down next to the yellow folder in the menu. In PDS 2.0, this will have its own button that is more visible.

This one might be a lack of understanding, but if I read it right, when you create a playbook, it has offence and defense. I think separating them would be a good idea that way computer controlled teams can be given appropriate playbooks with a lot less work.

I agree that it would be better to be able to load an offensive and defensive playbook for each team, but that is not the way it is set up right now. I suggest you set up dummy playbooks based on formations and play types and then use the import feature to pull then into other playbooks as needed.

[dreamtheatervt]

Adjustable line splits/moveable O-Linemen. For some playbooks I want to develop, I want to spread the O-lineman more. I would also like to create unbalanced formations.

Just create those formations as a base, and make plays from them. To create a new formation, you must click on the little arrow pointing down next to the yellow folder in the menu. In PDS 2.0, this will have its own button that is more visible.

I don't think you understand what I was saying. I have made new formations, but I can't move the guards and tackles starting position. I have moved the position players around, but I can not move the tackle away from the guard in make a wider split. Someone else asked about this in another thread. Right now the lineman are unmoveable presnap.

[Marauders]

All right, I see.

The offensive linemen may be preset in order to make sure the gaps don't change for the defensive linemen when set and to keep the line clean for the AI.

Being able to change the line width would also help in creating a goal line play with the linemen more bunched.