- Posts: 523
- Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:35 pm
Thu Aug 06, 2015 4:04 pm
Hey guys,
I know most here are baseball-only players but I did want to mention that our latest football products were all released today!
In addition to the 2014 season that saw the Patriots beat out Seattle with a goal-line interception, the two other seasons now available are 1961 and 1975.
New rules and card changes have been made to current season football to improve realism. The main changes are shown below:
SPLIT DEFENSIVE RATINGS
The first major rule change involves the addition of Split Defensive Ratings. One of the most common requests the Company has received over the years has been to offer separate pass and run defensive ratings for linebackers and safeties. With the more detailed ratings metrics that are now available, Strat-O-Matic is finally able to add this feature. For a more detailed explanation of the new Split Defensive Ratings, click here. The new Split Defensive Ratings will be available for all new current Pro Football seasons moving forward, starting with the 2014 Pro Football season. In addition, the 2013 Pro Football Windows Season Roster will also include Split Defensive Ratings.
FLATS AS RUNS
The second major rule change is the consideration of flat passes as runs. In recent years, the flat pass (also designated as a screen pass), has often been utilized in real-life similar to a running play. The completion is frequently made behind the line of scrimmage in order to have as high a completion percentage as possible, and the idea is to gain the same type of yardage that a typical running play might net (or hopefully more with good yards after catch). In essence, teams use these quick passes in lieu of runs. In Strat-O-Matic, this real-life change in strategy, along with a general shift in emphasis towards the passing game, has resulted in gamers guessing “Pass” most of the time, often trying to stop the run by positioning linebackers appropriately. In order to restore a balance to the defensive Run/Pass decision, Strat-O-Matic is introducing this rule that considers flat passes to be runs when determining whether a defense has guessed right or wrong. When using this optional rule, the defense will often have a much more difficult decision to make when guessing Pass or Run, which is the intent of the rule. This rule also includes Strong Safety Flat Pass Containment (which works similarly to linebacker containment but is used to contain Flat Passes). With the use of this rule, All-Pro Strong Safeties such as Troy Polamalu in his prime will become truly important weapons in your Strat-O-Matic games! To read more about the new Flats as Runs rule, click here. Please note that Strat-O-Matic recommends using the Flats as Runs rule for all seasons from 1994 through the current one.
YARDS AFTER CATCH
The third and final major rule change is the addition of Yards After Catch to the game. The ability for some receivers to gain extra yards after catching the ball receives a lot of attention in today’s game. As such, Strat-O-Matic has added this optional rule along with YAC ratings and a chart that will allow great receivers to stand out in this aspect of the game. To read more about our new Yards After Catch rules and ratings, click here. The new Yards After Catch ratings will be available for all new current Pro Football seasons moving forward, starting with the 2014 Pro Football season. In addition, the 2013 Pro Football Windows Season Roster will also include Yards After Catch ratings.
“We have wanted to make these improvements for years,” said Richman. “But now we have the detailed statistical breakdowns that allow us to do this very reliably.”
In addition to the three major rule changes mentioned above, Strat-O-Matic will also be implementing two significant changes to player cards.
The first card change relates to KICKOFFS. Strat-O-Matic has modified the default starting position to better reflect modern day kickoffs. These changes will be most evident for touchbacks. Every kicker will now have four touchback combinations. The remaining touchback options will be listed as either -8 or -9 yards. In doing so, the team returning the kick will now have the option of returning a kick deep in its own end zone. Click here to view a sample card.
The second card change involves QUARTERBACK RUNNING CARDS. All QB running ratings will now exclude yards lost on kneel-downs. In most cases, this change will improve the QB’s running card and will ultimately be a much more accurate representation of his true running capability. While the QB stats listed on the cards will match what they were in real life (which includes yards lost on kneel-downs), the actual QB ratings will not account for the yards lost on kneel-downs.
For any football fans out there, if you have never done it now is the time to try the game. And for those who may have played in the past, these new rule changes may be the reason to get back into it!
Hockey and basketball new products are also available but are still pre-orders. In addition to the current seasons, 1952-53 and 1983-84 are new for hockey and 1965-66 (Windows only) and 1967-68 (ABA - Windows only) for basketball.
Back to baseball, the three new teams that won the vote will be added to ATG in the next two weeks. Player salaries are still being worked on but they will be here soon. Once that’s completed, they will be added to the player set the same we added the first three groups of additions were. That will allow these players to only be added to leagues that haven't drafted yet, leagues that have won't be able to access these players. We will also make sure to include them in the spreadsheet as well.
I will not be here next week so there won't be a blog. However I'll be back in two weeks when the players should be added to the group. In the meantime and as always, please e-mail any questions to onlinegamesupport@strat-o-matic.com! Talk to everyone when I return!
-John
I know most here are baseball-only players but I did want to mention that our latest football products were all released today!
In addition to the 2014 season that saw the Patriots beat out Seattle with a goal-line interception, the two other seasons now available are 1961 and 1975.
New rules and card changes have been made to current season football to improve realism. The main changes are shown below:
SPLIT DEFENSIVE RATINGS
The first major rule change involves the addition of Split Defensive Ratings. One of the most common requests the Company has received over the years has been to offer separate pass and run defensive ratings for linebackers and safeties. With the more detailed ratings metrics that are now available, Strat-O-Matic is finally able to add this feature. For a more detailed explanation of the new Split Defensive Ratings, click here. The new Split Defensive Ratings will be available for all new current Pro Football seasons moving forward, starting with the 2014 Pro Football season. In addition, the 2013 Pro Football Windows Season Roster will also include Split Defensive Ratings.
FLATS AS RUNS
The second major rule change is the consideration of flat passes as runs. In recent years, the flat pass (also designated as a screen pass), has often been utilized in real-life similar to a running play. The completion is frequently made behind the line of scrimmage in order to have as high a completion percentage as possible, and the idea is to gain the same type of yardage that a typical running play might net (or hopefully more with good yards after catch). In essence, teams use these quick passes in lieu of runs. In Strat-O-Matic, this real-life change in strategy, along with a general shift in emphasis towards the passing game, has resulted in gamers guessing “Pass” most of the time, often trying to stop the run by positioning linebackers appropriately. In order to restore a balance to the defensive Run/Pass decision, Strat-O-Matic is introducing this rule that considers flat passes to be runs when determining whether a defense has guessed right or wrong. When using this optional rule, the defense will often have a much more difficult decision to make when guessing Pass or Run, which is the intent of the rule. This rule also includes Strong Safety Flat Pass Containment (which works similarly to linebacker containment but is used to contain Flat Passes). With the use of this rule, All-Pro Strong Safeties such as Troy Polamalu in his prime will become truly important weapons in your Strat-O-Matic games! To read more about the new Flats as Runs rule, click here. Please note that Strat-O-Matic recommends using the Flats as Runs rule for all seasons from 1994 through the current one.
YARDS AFTER CATCH
The third and final major rule change is the addition of Yards After Catch to the game. The ability for some receivers to gain extra yards after catching the ball receives a lot of attention in today’s game. As such, Strat-O-Matic has added this optional rule along with YAC ratings and a chart that will allow great receivers to stand out in this aspect of the game. To read more about our new Yards After Catch rules and ratings, click here. The new Yards After Catch ratings will be available for all new current Pro Football seasons moving forward, starting with the 2014 Pro Football season. In addition, the 2013 Pro Football Windows Season Roster will also include Yards After Catch ratings.
“We have wanted to make these improvements for years,” said Richman. “But now we have the detailed statistical breakdowns that allow us to do this very reliably.”
In addition to the three major rule changes mentioned above, Strat-O-Matic will also be implementing two significant changes to player cards.
The first card change relates to KICKOFFS. Strat-O-Matic has modified the default starting position to better reflect modern day kickoffs. These changes will be most evident for touchbacks. Every kicker will now have four touchback combinations. The remaining touchback options will be listed as either -8 or -9 yards. In doing so, the team returning the kick will now have the option of returning a kick deep in its own end zone. Click here to view a sample card.
The second card change involves QUARTERBACK RUNNING CARDS. All QB running ratings will now exclude yards lost on kneel-downs. In most cases, this change will improve the QB’s running card and will ultimately be a much more accurate representation of his true running capability. While the QB stats listed on the cards will match what they were in real life (which includes yards lost on kneel-downs), the actual QB ratings will not account for the yards lost on kneel-downs.
For any football fans out there, if you have never done it now is the time to try the game. And for those who may have played in the past, these new rule changes may be the reason to get back into it!
Hockey and basketball new products are also available but are still pre-orders. In addition to the current seasons, 1952-53 and 1983-84 are new for hockey and 1965-66 (Windows only) and 1967-68 (ABA - Windows only) for basketball.
Back to baseball, the three new teams that won the vote will be added to ATG in the next two weeks. Player salaries are still being worked on but they will be here soon. Once that’s completed, they will be added to the player set the same we added the first three groups of additions were. That will allow these players to only be added to leagues that haven't drafted yet, leagues that have won't be able to access these players. We will also make sure to include them in the spreadsheet as well.
I will not be here next week so there won't be a blog. However I'll be back in two weeks when the players should be added to the group. In the meantime and as always, please e-mail any questions to onlinegamesupport@strat-o-matic.com! Talk to everyone when I return!
-John