dev diary #34 Punts

[Rocketcan]

Hello Coaches!

 

Welcome to another Dev Diary for NewSim on SimFBA!

 

This Dev Diary continues to explain the transition to the new game engine. Last time, we talked about kickoffs and kickoff returns. This time, we are talking about punts and punt returns.

 

So there are 4 or so important groups of players for punt plays right now. Some groups aren't as fleshed out as others. They are:

• Punter
  
• Blockers/Coverage Players
  
• Returners
  
• Punt Rushers/Return Blockers
  

Punter:

For now, we won't really be worried about long snappers, so punters are where the sim first cares about what happens. There are two skills that matter to a punter: Punt Power and Punt Accuracy. The sim first will look at the punt power to see just how far the punt will travel. If you're pinned back, then the longer the punt the better, but if you're closer to midfield or just past it, then you also don't want to boom a punt through the endzone and generate a touchback. That is where punt accuracy comes in. Basically, each punt is "aimed" at the 10 yard line, and high punt accuracy will allow punters to get those punts closer to the 10 yard line. Expect low accuracy punters to get a bunch of touchbacks.

 

Punt Coverage:

Players here are worried about one thing: speed. In a later update, these guys will also have to worry about skills like tackling and agility, but for now, speed is the only skill that matters. And even then, it is just used to determine WHO made the tackle, not WHERE. So, faster players are more likely to make the tackle than slower players, but a faster punt coverage team (for now, this WILL change) will NOT affect the return distance. When Return blockers actually blocking is added, then other skills will come into play.

 

Returners:

There are always two returners for the Punt Return team. Punts will be fielded by Returner #1 about 70% of the time, and Returner #2 will handle the other 30%. From there, if the ball was fielded in the endzone, there will always be a touchback.

 

Otherwise, the returner will try to return the ball as far as possible. This brings us to the skills important to a returner: Speed and Agility. Speed is the most important and you will really want to put a blazer here. The faster a player is, the farther they are likely to go on their return.

 

If a player is agile enough, and rolled well enough on the initial return, there is the possibility of a "multiplying" roll. If this occurs, the sim will roll to see if there were extra yards gained based on the agility of the returner (higher agility means better chance of breaking away). Once a breakaway occurs, the speed of the player comes into play once again, and determines how far they go with that extra space (faster players will make more of any opportunities created by their agility). So to summarize: high agility translates to more chances to break away, and high speed will translate into doing more with each individual chance.

 

Punt Rushers/Return Blockers:

For now, these players are just kind of "on the field". Their attributes don't really affect anything for now. In the future, they will be pitted against the blockers/coverage players to determine modifiers for a potential blocked punt. So the only thing these players can do is be randomly attributed with a blocked punt if it occurs, and then potentially recovering it.

 

Here's the part I bet you're waiting for: examples!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this Dev Diary. Please check in next time when we will probably keep the focus on Special Teams!

 

Until next time,

 

Rocketcan

[TuscanSota]

Another significant step towards our authentic David Ross simulator

[subsequent]

Sweet! Love it. Aiming at the 10 yard line is quite interesting. Is the punt aimed there even if youre on your own 10 yard line, too?

[Rocketcan]

Yes, but obviously it is MUCH more difficult to get it there. And punters that have enough leg to get close probably won't have enough accuracy to actually move it there.

[subsequent]

Sweet, thanks for the clarification!