Return to Glory, Art Shell and the Raiders

[Mike3207]

Quote: Originally Posted by jlech1805

I was wondering why you keep starting franchises before the 08 draft. It gives you a major advantage getting a nice set of rookies and moving some cap clogs around. Don't you end up dominating by year 4 every time? Not criticizing just curious how you keep interested. Anyway looking forward to Art Shell's return.

The 2008 rookie class isn't that strong. Very few of the rookies have a good learning score, or a Injury rating above 90. Even good rookies like Doucet and Finley can miss a lot of time that first year. You do a lot better with the custom draft classes, unless you get Sweetney.

[Aurabolt127]

Quote: Originally Posted by jlech1805

I was wondering why you keep starting franchises before the 08 draft. It gives you a major advantage getting a nice set of rookies and moving some cap clogs around. Don't you end up dominating by year 4 every time? Not criticizing just curious how you keep interested. Anyway looking forward to Art Shell's return.

I think there's a lot of reasons I start with pre-draft. One reason I do is just so I have more time to work the rosters with regards to franchise tags, RFAs, etc as well as controlling my practice sessions.

Second, and most importantly, we already know who each team took in real life, doing it before gets things more varied, like having Matt Ryan on the Dolphins sometimes, seeing Cincinnati trade up and take McFadden, etc. I don't go through and take all the sleepers - and if I do take someone who ends up really highly rated, I'll take them early - I've taken Atyha Rubin in the 3rd round, for example. If I wanted Campbell, I'd take him in the top 10. I could make a whole draft out of 85+ rated players, but A: it's not realistic, and B: it's not fun. I do take busts if it "makes sense" and the GM wants it - like in this draft I'll post, I took Jason Jones (DE) and he's got like a 54 inj - but I needed a DE, he was the highest rated along with Quentin Groves (but I passed on Groves because he's too small for what I wanted story-wise), and a GM suggestion. It's easy to be fair if you try. Cap-wise, I could dump the same people after the draft - makes no difference. Some people might be different on the rosters between the two - but as far as $$$, it really doesn't matter. And if people are going to "cheat" the game, why play?

Lastly, I tend to get attached to guys and hang on to them, if I have a 80 rated corner who leads my team in interceptions 2 years in a row, I'm not suddenly cut him because there's a 90 rated guy in FA some team stupidly released and no one signed yet. Watch me when I get a future franchise started so I can go to win the Super Bowl with David Carr... (I'm a Fresno Fan. Heck, maybe I'll do it with Dilfer!)

Anyhow, hopefully it'll make more sense as I get rolling and I appreciate the questions... keep 'em coming! I'll try to get posted tonight.

You know maybe I'll try one post-draft to see - I haven't done one like that since the first months the game came out... not one that I even finished the first year of anyway before I got a new idea. We'll see how it goes.

[Aurabolt127]

Quote: Originally Posted by mrs844224

Are you using the Raiders default playbooks, or custom ones of your own?Also, are you sticking with the Raiders default philosophies? Finally, what's your impression of AG's sliders?

For this go around, as I intend it to be my last for some time (did you know you can only have 10 saved franchises?!!!) I am using the Pistol, because I think it'll meld nicely with Russell's size and mobility, plus I haven't used it in forever and I remember liking it. I'll use the standard Oakland defensive playbook; but they'll both get modified in time as some plays fail and are replaced and some stolen ones come up that fit... we'll see. I don't like having a stagnant playbook where everything's mastered - not realistic enough for me - and it adds a challenge.

[Mike3207]

As far as the roster update, the contracts killed it for me. I like how Josh updated a lot of the potentials and gave players more accurate stats, like Matthew Forte a lot better. I just can't get over Hester with 10 million a year though. If you were to do the preseason, it might be better to go with the default roster.

[Aurabolt127]

So, the push is on for me to get this one rolling again... Going to get through preseason and see if I can get it typed up tonight. I edited a couple of the earlier posts to reflect my current coach...so...we'll see what happens.