In 4.4, DBs catch allowed % stats have gone up 15-20% or more. Elite level DBs that have had sub 40% catch allowed seasons are now giving up 60% and up. However, a vast majority of completed passes are short passes and passes to the RBs in the flats. So, again, for the umpteenth time, its very hard to evaluate DB performance having only the catch allowed % and not having a Yard Per Catch allowed stat. Its akin to looking at a RB without the yard per carry stat, or WR without yards per catch average. Would also like to see a Hurries Allowed stat added to OL.

To be fair, the catch % stat was worthless before too. It counted overthrows in the denominator, so the percentage was much lower than expected. Now that accuracy is improved - which is a product of QBs being over-generated because of all of the versions where Passing Accuracy was a non-factor and skewed Accuracy generation, not DB coverage - DB catch percentage looks higher.

So I wouldn't use it to judge anything.

catch yards allowed would open up a lot of info about db's effectiveness. Catch% isn't that big in comparison

and just like the previous 2 game versions, a correction for one imbalance or exploit has created another imbalance, where the simulation gets farther away instead of getting closer to RL pro football. Here's a comment from another owner about a recent game in 4.4 ....



QB completion % is way over what it should be, and if you fall behind by 14 or more in a game, I wish you a whole lotta luck on trying to comeback.

There is no code change needed around the accuracy formula. The problem is more nuanced than that, but most people aren't bothering to dig in. They just see something and say "well, it's X thing that is causing it."

Here's what's going on:

1) For many, many releases, people complained about how QBs weren't accurate enough (this had it's own problems). This led to JDB adjusting the Accuracy generation to get more players with higher accuracy in leagues.

In 0.4.4, Accuracy is now parabolic. That means that all those 90+ Accuracy QBs that people fought so hard to get are bull's-eye accurate.

SOLUTION: Change the bell curve for QBs so that 50-70 Accuracy is the norm, 80 is rare, and 90 is Elite.

2) QBs complete a lot of passes because they check down a lot. The reason for this is because there is no calculation penalty on short passes and short routes finish before medium and longer routes do. That means QBs see the open short route first and take it. Because of #1, they are going to complete these almost all of the time.

NON-CODE SOLUTION: Game plan around it.

IMMEDIATE CODE SOLUTION: QBs need to throw the ball earlier in the WR's pattern on a medium-to-long route and let the WR go get the ball. Right now, QBs throw many long passes "short arm" because they wait FAR TOO LONG in the pattern to throw. The ball needs to be almost to the spot when a WR cuts on a post. Right now, the WR completes the Post before the ball is in the air. This would shorten the time to throw, and prevent sacks as well.

LONG TERM CODE SOLUTION: There are far too many routes where the RB runs an underneath route. RBs should be staying in to block first on the majority of these medium-to-long routes, and then leaking out for their routes. This would help with the sack issue as well.

So, along with most of the other complaints about 0.4.4, people are complaining about the wrong thing. Or they aren't watching the entire play unfold and thinking about it in football terms.

One thing to note is that average completion rates across a league are higher than 0.4.3, but they aren't that high when compared to today's NFL. In fact, in the NFL right now, QBs could probably average north of 80% if they checked down each time like what is happening in MFN. Again, there is an immediate, non-code solution of changing a game plan to prevent that. You'll complete fewer passes, but gain more yards.

This video is mostly garbage, but 5:13 is a perfect example of what I'm talking about with post patterns. Look how early the QB throws the ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHku77W4SCg

Totally agree with you seth about the correction that is needed to the code to bring the QB completion % closer to the norm for pro football.

And I also agree with your point about if NFL QBs checked down or primary targeted RBs on the swings and flat passes, but again, that is not simulating the NFL game. Last season in the NFL, Brees had the highest % comp rate at 72.1%. He was the only starter over 70%, and had a avg yard per comp of 4.8, the rest of the top ten qbr QBs were all in the 60% comp rate range, with avg per catch ranging from 5.2 to 7.6, with the mean being around 6.3 per complete.

I dont agree with your suggested gameplan change to offset the problem with 4.4 passing code. It should be more of a balance with 4.3 while avoiding "exploit" plays & patterns, which is not an easy thing to get right in the programming and code, apparently. We have basically been forced to an outside run game consisting mainly of goaline formation (2rb3te) pitch plays and short passes with a very occasional med pass completion if you dont get sacked. Long pass plays are now very high risk and you better have an OL with an average rating of 88+.

You are probably right about many not understanding what is causing the problem, watching the entire play in detail, etc. But.... that accounts for 90%+ of the users in MFN. It is now a problem, and should be a high priority for correction before this game has more users like greyghost quitting until the game improves. Even if most, if not all, knew what the cause of the problem is, they dont want to have to correct it by play selection and style change. I would suggest that the significant majority wants this game to simulate the NFL as much as is possible, and when a key part of the game is less of a simulation than before, that is what creates the frustration and disappointment.

I disagree. The loudest voices that have been complaining have been complaining because of the lack of stats, big plays, explosive plays, whatever.

The fact is that stats are much more inline with the NFL now when it comes to passing, but it does take some time to adjust a game plan (and you have to deal with the RB check downs, which we mentioned above either in that game plan or just live with it).

Anyway, here you go: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/passing-yards-per-game

The median passing yards in the NFL right now is ~240. The average is probably closer to 225-230 (I'm approximating, I don't want to do the math.)

The median completion percentage is 65% with a high of 75%: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/completion-pct

Now, if QBs weren't over-generated in MFN, you'd see basically the same completion percentage.

In short, this is pretty close to a simulation statistically as you will find, and how you have to generate yards in MFN are pretty close to how you have to generate yards in the NFL. You have to set match ups, adjust game plans, and so on.**

(The one area where MFN is statistically broken is of course sacks: https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/qb-sacked-per-game)

The problems are also well known:

1) The OL blocking bug causing sacks
2) QBs need to throw earlier in the route
3) RBs need to stay in and block more

Even when all three of those things are fixed, it's not going to please the people that are complaining because it's not going to mean more big, explosive, exploit plays. You're still going to have to game plan to win.

And game planning has become more than just running all go routes and letting a crappy WR run right past an elite DB.

** I understand there are people out there that don't want to sink the hours into doing this, and I don't necessarily blame them since the sim is so in depth.

The problem is that the default game plans are just awful, so roster leagues are going to suffer the worst.

I'd be more than willing to spend my time creating new default game plans or plays rather testing. I'm pretty sure that I could solve most people's complains about the lack of passing yards if I could just tweak some of the plays so that they actually made football sense.

FINAL POINT: Medium curl routes need to be extended 5 yards to better simulate back shoulder throws.

Good Lord !

You could also allow yourselves to enjoy the game without slating EVERY release !

Yes, be critical, but also be mindful...just a thought !

I am enjoying 0.4.4. Unlike 0.4.3, this release actually provides for and shows a future direction for the game. It is everything that 0.4.3 was supposed to be plus hook and curl routes work now. :)

Forgive me if I don't share your enthusiasm.. whatever 044 is, it's not very high on my "fun factor" scale. And that's the only thing that matters to me when it comes to playing a game.
I bought 200 credits in anticipation of the release of 044 with the understanding that 44 would fix all of the things wrong with 043... I don't see that as the case.

The present edition of this game is incredibly boring and aggravating to watch in my opinion.
And if the option to roll back to 042 would happen to pop up again, I would jump on it in a heartbeat.

You computer nerds need to start putting the fun back into this game instead of worrying about how cool your spreadsheets look. This is NOT real football and never will be...it's a game.So how about making it fun again?