Warrior General Games

On my blog, I've created a small matrix that I think highlights some of the Defensive problems in stopping the Offense. The data below is for Man Defense, since that's what 99% of us play. I'll let GE fight his own battles.

http://xarsglb2.wordpress.com/glb2-play-types-defense/

Issues:

1. There are 39 Blitzes from Pass Short, but only 5 from Pass Medium across all formations.

2. Nickel 3-3-5 has no Inside Run play.

3. Quarter has no Long Pass D play.

4. Nickel, Dime 3-2-6 and 5-2 have only 1 Short Pass Blitz to choose from. The average of the other formations is 4+.

I've mentioned before that I'd like to see some Dime 3-2-6 formations with a RO-MLB combo and/or RO-LO combo, since RO LBs are typically the Blitzers.

Feel free to add any thoughts, etc.

Overall, I'd like to see some of the Defensive Formations that are light on plays get flushed out, or have some of the existing plays be changed from Short to Med, for example to increase play calling options.

Correct me if I am wrong (Playing Devils Advocate) the short/medium/long definition doesn't mean you cant call in other situations, just a general guideline of what that play was 'designed' for.

Example I can call a 3-4 short blitz against a 3rd and long as long as I have tactics set for that right?

Too many plays have a designation of pass/run. This makes it difficult to call the inside or outside run plays.

Let's pretend only these two plays are in my playbook:

4-4 Zero Edge Blitz (Short Pass/Run Blitz)
4-3 Middle Overload (Short Inside Run Blitz)

If I put 100 in the "short pass" boxes in my tactics, ZEB will get called every single time.
If I put 100 in the "inside run" boxes, both plays will get called equally.

This gets even more complicated if I add more plays to the playbook. I'd like the run tag removed from a lot of plays in order to get actual run defenses called.

Other that that, I'd like to see a wider variety of blitzes, more plays for doubling the TE, and more plays for defending the strong side rushes.

Originally posted by Stobie
Correct me if I am wrong (Playing Devils Advocate) the short/medium/long definition doesn't mean you cant call in other situations, just a general guideline of what that play was 'designed' for.

Example I can call a 3-4 short blitz against a 3rd and long as long as I have tactics set for that right?

Yes, but you are still limited to plays in that "set". And that's why more Medium plays are needed.

Originally posted by Rob.
Too many plays have a designation of pass/run. This makes it difficult to call the inside or outside run plays.

Let's pretend only these two plays are in my playbook:

4-4 Zero Edge Blitz (Short Pass/Run Blitz)
4-3 Middle Overload (Short Inside Run Blitz)

If I put 100 in the "short pass" boxes in my tactics, ZEB will get called every single time.
If I put 100 in the "inside run" boxes, both plays will get called equally.

This gets even more complicated if I add more plays to the playbook. I'd like the run tag removed from a lot of plays in order to get actual run defenses called.

Other that that, I'd like to see a wider variety of blitzes, more plays for doubling the TE, and more plays for defending the strong side rushes.



Yup.

Inside Runs should be a *subset* of Pass/Run Short.

Outside Runs could be in either *subset* Pass/Run Short or Medium. (But they need to pick one.)

This would all for logical tactics such as:

Pass Short 100 - Inside Run 30 - Blitz 50

Meaning that I'm only choosing plays from Pass Short. 30% of the time, I'm calling an Inside Run play (all of which are blitzes). 70% of the time (when I'm not calling Inside Run), I'm either calling a Man Base play (50% of the remaining 70%) or Short Blitz (50% of the remaining 70%).

As Rob shows above (and my testing), this type of setting would never currently work and if you went:

Pass Short 70 - Inside Run 30

you wouldn't get 70% ZEB and 30% MO mix, like the intention.

Originally posted by Rob.
Too many plays have a designation of pass/run. This makes it difficult to call the inside or outside run plays.

Let's pretend only these two plays are in my playbook:

4-4 Zero Edge Blitz (Short Pass/Run Blitz)
4-3 Middle Overload (Short Inside Run Blitz)

If I put 100 in the "short pass" boxes in my tactics, ZEB will get called every single time.
If I put 100 in the "inside run" boxes, both plays will get called equally.

This gets even more complicated if I add more plays to the playbook. I'd like the run tag removed from a lot of plays in order to get actual run defenses called.

Other that that, I'd like to see a wider variety of blitzes, more plays for doubling the TE, and more plays for defending the strong side rushes.


This issue has been my bugbear since I started. How the tactics page works is not clear and getting the sim to call what you intend is damn near impossible because most plays are pass/run meaning that you can't be specific with any certainty, unless you limit yourself to a handful of plays or (like some DCs play the game) just one or two plays. I'm not contesting the legitimacy of only running a couple of plays btw, it's a way to get the game to do what you want it to do, but it begins to raise the specter of repeat play penalties, which I think ought to be the forfeit for exploiting the sim in this way. Thus far, there seems to be no stomach for this as either necessary or desirable.

I'm drifting off point. I back this suggestion 100%.

Another Bug that has been around since S1.


http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/game/133968

I set Middle Overload for any 2 WR play that was less than 3 yards to 100% Short, 100% Inside, 100% Blitz. This was the only Blitz and Inside Defensive play in the playbook, yet in 4 situations where it should have been called it only got called once.

http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/133968/1728543
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/133968/1728577
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/133968/1728923
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/133968/1729031 - Only time it got called and shocker the play held them to 2 yards instead of the 5 ypc the other play that was getting called did.

And this is exactly the problem, Parab00n.

If you have anything else in your playbook (and, as you know, you have to have at least 2) for 2WR that is a short pass/run play (blitz or not), those plays are in the mix to get called depending on priority and the sim will ignore the distance element of the tactic line, if you get what I mean, ie. I've even known it to pick a Long Pass Man Defense when set at Short 25%, Inside Run 75% and Blitz 75%. I don't understand how that can happen, but it does, and it's not a bug. Me and Xavori used to go on about it in Season 2 but we were assured that there is no bug, rather that we didn't understand the playcalling mechanism. 5 seasons later, I still don't but I've eliminated the problem by not calling Inside Run in the tactic line unless I'm ABSOLUTELY sure that's what I want. Even so, setting a Tactic Line to 100% Inside Run and 100% Blitz doesn't guarantee an Inside Run will get called, it seems the sim will get any Run/Pass/Blitz in the playbook for that formation. So if I have 4-3 Cover 1 (Pass/Run), 4-3 Shallow Sam (Pass/Run/Blitz) and 4-3 Middle Overload (Inside Run/Blitz) in my 2WR Playbook, any one of those three can be called with the above setting (100 Inside Run 100 Blitz)

I've tried going just 100% Inside Run and 0% Blitz but this just pulls random shit from the playbook (hence getting a Long Pass defense on 3rd and inches when I know my oppo always run )

Originally posted by Parab00n
Another Bug that has been around since S1.


http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/game/133968

I set Middle Overload for any 2 WR play that was less than 3 yards to 100% Short, 100% Inside, 100% Blitz. This was the only Blitz and Inside Defensive play in the playbook, yet in 4 situations where it should have been called it only got called once.

http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/133968/1728543
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/133968/1728577
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/133968/1728923
http://glb2.warriorgeneral.com/game/replay/133968/1729031 - Only time it got called and shocker the play held them to 2 yards instead of the 5 ypc the other play that was getting called did.




Not surprising at all if you know the tactics

Originally posted by peeti
Not surprising at all if you know the tactics

I know I forgot how buggy it was and hardly ever run MO anymore because teams rarely run 100% up the middle on 3rd down now. If you leave the Short distance to 0% you can call MO IF it's the only blitz play you have.

Originally posted by Makntak
And this is exactly the problem, Parab00n.

If you have anything else in your playbook (and, as you know, you have to have at least 2) for 2WR that is a short pass/run play (blitz or not), those plays are in the mix to get called depending on priority and the sim will ignore the distance element of the tactic line, if you get what I mean, ie. I've even known it to pick a Long Pass Man Defense when set at Short 25%, Inside Run 75% and Blitz 75%. I don't understand how that can happen, but it does, and it's not a bug. Me and Xavori used to go on about it in Season 2 but we were assured that there is no bug, rather that we didn't understand the playcalling mechanism. 5 seasons later, I still don't but I've eliminated the problem by not calling Inside Run in the tactic line unless I'm ABSOLUTELY sure that's what I want. Even so, setting a Tactic Line to 100% Inside Run and 100% Blitz doesn't guarantee an Inside Run will get called, it seems the sim will get any Run/Pass/Blitz in the playbook for that formation. So if I have 4-3 Cover 1 (Pass/Run), 4-3 Shallow Sam (Pass/Run/Blitz) and 4-3 Middle Overload (Inside Run/Blitz) in my 2WR Playbook, any one of those three can be called with the above setting (100 Inside Run 100 Blitz)

I've tried going just 100% Inside Run and 0% Blitz but this just pulls random shit from the playbook (hence getting a Long Pass defense on 3rd and inches when I know my oppo always run )

I agree with much of what you said. However I have never seen a play called that isn't in my play book. That is crazy if that happens.

Originally posted by Parab00n

I set Middle Overload for any 2 WR play that was less than 3 yards to 100% Short, 100% Inside, 100% Blitz.


Short/medium/long/inside/outside should equal 100%.

Originally posted by Galactic Empire
I agree with much of what you said. However I have never seen a play called that isn't in my play book. That is crazy if that happens.

I've not explained it properly. The play was in my playbook (Strong Cloud) but why it got called on a 100% Inside Run 0% Blitz tactic is the mystery.

Originally posted by Galactic Empire
Short/medium/long/inside/outside should equal 100%.

Uhm, no. Lol

Originally posted by Galactic Empire
Short/medium/long/inside/outside should equal 100%.

Originally posted by peeti
Uhm, no. Lol

It's better as a subset. First you want to have the right personnel/positioning on the field, then you want to shade Inside, Outside or Blitz from your base setup. So Inside and Outside should be a subset of Distance, jut like Blitz is.

Basically, the funnel should be:

1. Distance (Short, Medium, Long)
2. Direction (Standard, Inside, Outside)
3. Blitz

***expanding on my OP***

If you look at the Pass Distance on Zone plays, it makes far more sense than the Pass Distance on Man plays.

Dime plays for Man: 5 Blitzes in Pass Short, but ZERO for Pass Medium. Yet, 3 of the Man Base plays are Short and 3 are Medium.

Dime plays for Zone: 6 Zone Base plays at Medium with 1 Long play. 5 Blitzes in Pass Medium, 1 in Short.

With the way that Tactics Matrix works, it's easier to call a mix of Zone plays than Man plays.

If you want to Blitz on Third and Long, playing a Man D, you need to allocate 100% to Pass Short and have Blitz set to 100%. But this means you only run one play type. Whereas in the same situation play Zone D, you can go 100% Pass Medium and 50% Blitz. This allows means you blitz half of the time, but the other half play an appropriate D. With Man, if you go 50% Blitz (instead of 100%), then you'll be playing a Pass Short Base D in a Third and Long situation.

There are many reasons Offense is overpowered vs Defense. The limited ability to run a varied play-calling Defense using Man (which is 99.9% of the player base) contributes to the overall problem. It's a HUGE issue.