General Questions re customizations, stats-based play

[Kandinsky]

[font="Verdana"]Hello,

I read about Maximum-Football for the first time the other day and my interest was piqued. Almost all of my experience with football games has been with text-based sims designed to replay past-seasons accurately. I wonder if I might ask some questions about Maximum-Football.

It looks like this game has an active forum where customizations are made available for download. Are some of these customizations based on real-life teams; that is, can you download some of this stuff so that your game would be customized to have, say, the 2006 NFL season or, say, the 2005 Division I NCAA football season (using all the teams' rosters, stats, playbooks, uniforms, etc.)? Can the game be used as a blank slate, where the user inputs the info that would make it play like a stats-based replay sim? Can you use the game in a season mode only, where you have your teams based on and using real-life stats (or using projected stats). Finally, if you can do all this reality-based customization, would the game then actually play, stats-wise, like a text-based football sim? (That is, is the game more like a text/stats-based sim with really good graphics, or an EA game with improved realism?)

Thanks very much for any answers. [/font]

[David Winter]

Hi.

Thanks for your questions.

I'll leave your first few questions regarding uniform downloads to other community members that are better able to answer them. There is an active community creating a wide variety of various addons for the game.

I'll try to answer your last question though.

Finally, if you can do all this reality-based customization, would the game then actually play, stats-wise, like a text-based football sim? (That is, is the game more like a text/stats-based sim with really good graphics, or an EA game with improved realism?)

Many (if not most) text based games generate the outcome of a play via dice rolls and look up tables. The play results are often determined before the play is actually run. Maximum-Football does not do this. The play is real time. The game has no pre determined results for catches, pass or run yardage or any other aspect of the play result until the play is executed by the 3D players on the field. No play has the same outcome twice.

Play result is determined by the skills of the players on the field (or you the human if you play in arcade mode), as well as your ability to call the right play at the right time. Maximum-Football emphasises on field game play.

The game comes with a Play Development System that allows for the creation of a huge variety of plays in all areas of the game. It has a few restrictions that stem from from this being a video game and so subject to video game limitations, but generally most plays can be designed.

Where technically possible, most of the major stat items are recorded and displayed.

Can the game be used as a blank slate, where the user inputs the info that would make it play like a stats-based replay sim?

I'm not 100% sure what that means, but I assume you're asking if you can build your league from scratch? If so, then the answer is yes. Many, many leagues of various sizes have been built from the ground up.

I'm not sure if that answers your questions, but maybe others can fill in the blanks. If you haven't already, you might want to look at the FAQ on the games website here: www.maximum-football.com

thanks
David

[Tbird]

There was people who we're volunteering to help build NFL rosters but I'm not sure if the job got done.  Another guy was working on a College league but he hasn't been around for a while now.  He's probably busy finishing it up

I'm sure with the roster editor that JDhalfrack made someone else will step up incase I'm wrong.

[Kandinsky]

Thank you for your answers, David.

I guess one of the things I am interested in trying is creating a league where I would play out a season (against an AI coach and playing in non-arcade mode) using rosters based on NFL rosters with the players being rated according to their various skills and projected statistics for a particular season. Something like a standard replay in a text-based sim, but where I have rated all the players (or am using ratings suggested or created by other gamers).

I was wondering if a player's performance could be expected to run more or less according to a mix of his skill ratings and projected statistics, or if his skill ratings alone would be what determines his performance (subject to the way he is used and the ratings of his opponents, etc.). I'm a little fuzzy on what determines play outcome in Maximum-Football (but that's probably because I'm used to the systems used in text-based sims).

I am definitely going to check out the FAQ section for the game and also read through some posts on this forum.

Thanks very much for taking the time to answer my questions.

[David Winter]

I'm a little fuzzy on what determines play outcome in Maximum-Football (but that's probably because I'm used to the systems used in text-based sims).

Play outcome is based on the various players performing the tasks for the play. Physics and player skills determine things like how well a block is held, how well the player moves on the field, and the flight of the ball on a pass. A Receiver must run their route and be in close proximity of the ball to make the catch and the catch likelyhood is determined by player skill. The Defensive back must be in a position to properly cover the receiver. Simplified physics (acceleration, momentum, etc...) is used to facilitate player movement. 

Defenders use pursuit angles to chase down the ball carier. Defenders positions on the field and what they're being told to do (cover, read, pursue) impact how quickly the react to the ball.

I was wondering if a player's performance could be expected to run more or less according to a mix of his skill ratings and projected statistics.

Maximum-Football does not base any result on statistics. Statistical outcomes are the result of the play only, the stats do not impact how well a player will (or won't) perform. A player has a collection of 16 skills that determine how he will perform on the field, but stats are just the results of his actions.

Hope that helps
thanks
David

[Marauders]

I was wondering if a player's performance could be expected to run more or less according to a mix of his skill ratings and projected statistics, or if his skill ratings alone would be what determines his performance (subject to the way he is used and the ratings of his opponents, etc.). I'm a little fuzzy on what determines play outcome in Maximum-Football (but that's probably because I'm used to the systems used in text-based sims).

 
Maximum Football uses a physics based system, and the skill attributes affect how well a player performs in the physical environment.
 
Playbooks and gameplans are major variables that impact how well a player performs as well.

[Kandinsky]

Ah, I think I understand now. I was looking at things through text-based sim glasses. I'm certainly going to read more about the game on this forum. Thanks very much for helping me with your answers.

[bassman58]

www.fbmax.com has uniforms, playbooks, templates and more created by the community. Check out the unsorted section also.

[Kandinsky]

ORIGINAL: bassman58

www.fbmax.com has uniforms, playbooks, templates and more created by the community. Check out the unsorted section also.

Wow, that stuff is pretty nifty. Thanks for the heads up.

[DONMVP]

Also i`m attempting to make all teams that play in the next college division down . Teams like appelation state , harvard , yale and such . Hopefully by christmas i`ll have those all done . When i do i`ll post them all .