Yeah what you're saying about limited playing calling had become wide spread and I was doing it as well (haven't looked at my play calling lately and I might still be doing it). I do not think it is one single thing, I just think a deliberate approach changing one factor at a time may be the only way to fix some of the issues with the sim.

- Zone coverage is basically unusable( this issue actually encourages trimmed playbooks)
- 3rd and long seems easier to pick up than 3rd and short/medium
- The only attribute that truly matters for many positions is speed
- The effect of play knowledge actually encourages owners to trim their playbooks
- There is limited to no counter for the heavy blitz plays
- QBs are back to not running at all
- I'm not convinced that the overuse "penalty" has much of an effect in game right now.

I'm only playing around with 3 teams now, talent and small playbooks still win out in this sim for the most part. I probably could have put time into game planning, the sim has simply never really required it (you can't tell me people owning 30-50 teams puts a lot of time in game planning for each one).

To be fair to JBD though, trying to balance all of these different concepts and make an online game play remotely close to real football is pretty difficult, especially for one guy. Even games like madden with a large budget and many developers has issues each year with how the game plays.

I'm guessing now with all the recent updates, overuse, hot reads, etc., if you run only 4-5 defensive plays a game and the other team scouts those plays, you'll get crushed. Just a noobies opinion. I could be wrong.

Intelligence carries too strong of an effect under the current code. For position experience
and play familiarity. As well as hot reads and other offensive and defensive decisions made after blitz calls are made. These are generic player reactions that makemcrucail plays. You see it in the return game as well.

As for other exploits . ...to add to lellow list.....are line play and the general blocking algorithm all together . The non the non improvable skills carry too much value.

I wish the new code being tested in one was pushed through right now, but tests have show that is not quite ready. Still, at least you cannot use a OT at DT and do well.

Much like the old code where 4 plays worked on defense . ......I wished for this new code to be pushed through . ....right away . Two seasons or more and most experienced owners are on to the exploits and I am ready for another.

I would care about all this if we had a play editor . To me that is the solution . As my time would be spent there. Not gaming the code.

I thought I would give a serious response to this thread as opposed to my normal snarky a-hole persona that I'm so good at.

I perfectly understand being frustrated by this game. But one thing to keep in mind is that ~80% of the time, you are playing against JDB's code and not your opponent. I'm very serious here. Only ~20% of the game is within either your or your opponent's control.

Also, being frustrated is what started me on creating primer threads like these:

Weights - https://paydirt.myfootballnow.com/community/3/2443?page=5
Draft - https://mfn1.myfootballnow.com/community/thread/3/2915
Short Passing - https://paydirt.myfootballnow.com/community/3/3579?page=1
Defense - https://paydirt.myfootballnow.com/community/3/3581?page=1
Special Teams - https://paydirt.myfootballnow.com/community/3/3560?page=1

There is a lot to this game. And not all of it is easily understood even by players that have played it for years. (I continuously tweak my weights, plays, and rules because what works in v.0.4.0 won't work in 0.4.1, etc.)

If there are more areas of the game that I can write these types of posts for new players let me know.

/soapbox/
People will accuse me of wanting every player to play the same way, and nothing is further from the truth. The simple matter is there are only a few things that actually work or work well on the game right now. The play book is too limited on offense and defense to get a lot of variation, so the game is really personnel management and key rules right now. But new players need to know what works out of the gate so that they can even enjoy the game.
/soapbox/