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+---- Thread: (S25) - Ultimus Week (/showthread.php?tid=27221)
RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - StamkosFan - 11-16-2020
SHL CW
[Affiliate, 2.5 TPE]
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14) Greatness emerges through trial by fire. Recount the story of a team who came back from adversity, whether it’s a single miracle game or an entire season or multi-season comeback. How was this team‘s challenge significant, and how did they engineer a recovery? What key moves or plays were the lynchpin to victory?Nobody ever said it would be easy, but having the hottest team in the league, the Orange County Otters, in your division is a trial by fire for sure. Arizona's entire season was riddled with adversity, neck and neck with five teams in their division for the whole year. With a losing record after nine games, it did not look good for the Outlaws playoff hopes; if they made it, it seemed they would just squeak in. The losses in weeks 8 and 9 to Baltimore and Sarasota had really deflated their spirits (and that loss against Sarasota was one of only two home losses they would suffer this season). They had to regroup and pull together to fend off numerous tough opponents, and they were able to get something going at home after those two home losses. That was the motivation they needed to dig their heels in and swing the momentum in the other direction. When they were on their own turf, the fans were able to rally behind them enough to boost them to a 6-2 record at home, and that's a big reason why they survived this grueling season.
The recovery starts against Yellowknife in week 10, as they absolutely crushed them 55-17, which really boosted the team morale and gave them much needed confidence. Winning always helps the energy in the locker room and the performance on the pitch, but a win like that gives a special kind of enthusiasm. A heart breaking loss by just 3 points to New York was not enough to set them back with the Yellowknife win still fresh in their minds. They came roaring back to claim a much needed win against the San Jose Sabrecats, and then came the game they were expected to lose in Week 13. The Otters, an absolute menace who were dominating the division, brimming with confidence and possessing a roster that overflowed with talent. If they could win here, they could all but secure second place in their division and a comfortable playoff seed. But could they really ask for a win? Outlaws fans watched with bated breath as they tore off to an early 10-3 lead after the whole quarter. Arizona was able to thwart Orange County's comeback attempts for the rest of the game, and claimed a commanding 29-19 victory. This was a major upset, and a true triumph of the Outlaws and their fighting spirit. They never gave up, even when the chips were down. They were able to win 2 of their last three games, but no victory was a massive success in the way that that one was; that was where a great run reached its climax.
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27) The league is prone to change. Reflect on a past change in either the ISFL or DSFL that significantly impacted something - be it a rules change, an expansion or contraction, or even a complete rebranding. What were the effects of this change, and how has it shaken the status quo?The site change was a massive success, at least I think most of us would agree to that; after many years on jcink, the league opted to move to its own domain. It has really allowed the ISFL to customize everything and present a more professional layout, which in turn has boosted recruitment; having a site that is visually appealing is the first step in recruiting new users. Our eyes have become accustomed to the sleek black and red color scheme now, but we have forgotten what an eyesore the old site was. I think this has been one of the most positive changes, and it will help us draw in more and more monster draft classes like the trailblazing S22 class. Having more control over our website and its design will only help the league management to give it its own flavor, and also helps with selling the rebrand. As the two pretty much coincided, the rebrand and the site move, they really go hand in hand; it's about leaving the past behind and moving into a new, prosperous era for the league. You can look back at the archives on jcink, but it's dead and dormant, as it should be. This realm is more alive and more personalized than jcink ever could have been.
RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - supertardis101 - 11-16-2020
2. For this point task I want to recount the story of the S24 San Jose Sabercats. While the San Jose Sabercats seemed to have been on an upward trajectory for a bit, no-one expected them to be at all competitive during the S24 season. Most wrote them off as a team that would win 6-7 or even maybe 8 games and perhaps fights for that wild card spot in the playoffs. What followed these projections was some of the craziest and most unhinged sim league shit I have ever seen. The season started with a win over the copperheads and I think everything just kind of exploded from there. It was won after win after win for the sabercats until the last sims of the season. It looked as if we were going to be out of playoff contention, but suddenly we managed to take two games on the best team two teams in the league and then secure our #1 seed in the playoffs. That was a crazy and emotional time for everyone in San Jose. That night I and fellow teammate went out drinking to celebrate the win. That was when everything started to go wrong for us. That night we were in a bar all having fun when we noticed that our beloved leader and team captain Matty had gone missing. We were stunned and scared at this revelation, but none of us knew what to do in the instant. We went outside and we looked around. We walked up and down the wet San Jose streets, but we could not find him. All of a sudden we noticed something in the trees. We saw somethings swoop through ultra-quick like a bullet. As it swooped through we heard a loud and bellowing Scottish scream and we knew that it was Matty. We sprinted down the street as fast as we could to get to the thing. We still did not know what it was, but what we could see is that it was carrying out a beloved team leader. We kept running and running until eventually there was a large brick wall in front of us. We thought that we had caught the beast, but to no avail, he swooped up and away. We were very scared at this moment. The Ultimus was tomorrow and we were without the man who was the glue that kept this team together. We had been through so much in our trials and tribulations leading up to this moment, but in the moment all we could feel was fear. We saw the giant thing go over our heads once again, but this time it was much lower than it had been before. We could see what it was. It was a large yeti. It was the biggest thing I had ever seen. It was as if a Yeti had been surgically given wings. I was in shock at first. I had no idea such a thing existed, but after a few seconds, I managed to get a grasp on myself. I realized who had done this. It was those evil Yeti's that we were going to face in the Ultimus tomorrow. I squinted my eyes tight and focused. I used my 95 speed and I ran and ran as I had never run before. There was a large ramp in front of us that we used for doing kickflips with our motorbikes. I determined that if I got enough speed I could run up that motorbike ramp and then jump a thousand feet in the air to attack the Yeti with wings. I knelt down on the ground and readied myself. I kicked my foot back and began to run. I ran so fucking fast. Forrest Gump happened to be on the side of the road and I heard from giving me a solid 5-second dammmmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnn. I went and I went and I ran up the ramp and I jumped. At first, my eyes were closed. I was afraid, but after I opened them I realized that I was flying. I began to flap my arms like wings and I was moving and soaring like an eagle in the sun. I quickly remembered my target and I began to move towards the flying yeti carrying Matty. I flapped my arms hard until I was flying right beside it. I saw Matty and he saw me and we laughed at the misfortune. I knew my work though. I hopped on the back of the Yeti and began to kick and stomp on him. Eventually, he started to feel this and his wings started to falter. He eventually started to fall near a mountain outside of the city. We were coming in hot, but me and Matty hid behind the yeti and we were able to avoid getting hurt. We all were lying on the ground when the Yeti got up over us. He was looking down at us with his eyes and he began to move his hands to crush us. Me and Matty both closed our eyes in fear, but all of a sudden we heard a loud growl. We looked over to the left and a large sabercat was running at the Yeti at full speed. He jumped onto the Yeti and began to attack it. It was a spectacular battle, but eventually, the Yeti was weakened to the ground. He was lying near a cliff and both me and Matty knew what needed to be done. Matty strolled over and kicked the yeti off the cliff. It was the hardest kick I had ever seen and the Yeti went flying. We were so happy and we looked over to give the Sabercat a nod of thank you. He returned to his cave. It was then that I realized the time. WE HAD 20 MINUTES TO GET TO THE STADIUM. Me and Matty had to run so fast. We ran and ran and luckily made ito the stadium on time. We got on that field. Kicked the Yeti's ass and then went out to celebrate as Ultimus Champs.
(1,019 words; Task 2.)
RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - Hordle - 11-16-2020
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15) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S25 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?The league has been a lot of fun so far. Everyone has been super helpful and fun to be around. People like zEagle, Mag, and South have been super helpful when it comes to building my player and shaping my career. Mag helped me out a lot while I was learning to navigate the forums. Helping me make sure that I didn’t miss out on any tpe or things that I needed to fill out.
Also a big shout out to Glims and the KCC locker room for showing me what an LR was like. If it wasn’t for that I can’t say that I would still be around. The regular ISFL discord is far too crazy for me.
zEagle gave me a good start on being an oline. Giving me direction on how to build an Oline and making my player as strong as he could be. Currently having a great season with 40 Pancakes and only 1 sack allowed. He’s currently one of the top Oline of his class. Of course I’d like to be number one but we’ll take the good start to the season.
Also have to give a shout out to the Ducks for giving me the chance to play and keep their Rookie QB off the ground. Being drafted was an experience. I was shocked to go so early. Being Oline, I expected to fall to the third round or later. But Minnsota took a chance on me with their second round pick and I feel like I’ve done well enough to earn that honor. Going from one of the worst records in the league last season to playoff contention for this one. I think they’re pick wasn’t a waste
.I went from being in zero sim leagues to being in three. All because of ISFL/DSFL and the fun that I was having. I’m really hoping to stick around and maybe lead a team at some point. But at the very least I plan on having at least two more players. The saddest thing is not being able to be a true rookie again. Not getting to experience the first time you get invited to a locker room or the first time you get drafted. There's a different experience the first time. Seeing your name get called early when you very well expected to drop later in the draft.
To wrap this all up, I’ve got one more shout out. Thanks to ART for being a great guy and helping me with an article dream I had before our draft. Even if we didn’t finish it. He didn’t have to do it. He could have taken the idea and just done it himself. But it was a lot of fun and set up my bank account for the future. So thanks dude. You a real one.
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22) Make a scouting report for any of the ISFL or DSFL draftees. Show their stats, abilities, TPE, highlights, or totally fraudulent mail-in ballots. Whatever rookies get up to these days.ISFL Scouting Report for Alexander Franklin.
Standing in at 6 foot 3 inches tall. Weighting 331 pounds. Alexander Franklin is a true North Carolina born man. Living in the state for his entire life. Franklin went to school at UNC. In 2041, Franklin declared for the draft and was picked up by the Minnesota Gray Ducks. A team that had a rough going the year before. The Ducks were able to turn it around and have a playoff run this season. Even though it was cut short. Franklin stood out among rookie lineman.
Racking up a total of forty seven pancakes and only one sack allowed. The following is a breakdown of some of the games. Showing Franklin's consistency and strengths.
In the first game of the season. Where the Ducks faced the Luchadors, the eventual champions. The ducks pulled out a close victory. The final score was 13 to 10. In this game Franklin had four pancakes and zero sacks allowed.
The third game of the season was an exact copy of the first for Franklin. However the Ducks ended up losing. But Franklin pulled out another four sack game.
This seems to be the number for A. Franklin as he had four games with four pancakes. But this seemed to be the area of effect for Franklin. As his highest number of pancakes in a game was five.
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28) Select any player who was drafted in the back half of a DSFL or ISFL draft. Show how that player has outperformed their draft position, or how they will soon do so. You cannot write about your own player.Mario Messi was drafted by Portland at pick thirty seventh and would go on to be the second overall leader in receiving yards his rookie season. Sitting behind only Z, Crossley. Messi had a hell of a season for being a later pic. Being targeted eighty eight times. Messi was able to pull out a solid eight hundred and eighty six receiving yards. His longest being a thirty three yard catch and run. His average yardage was around ten meaning that he was the go to when Portland needed the first down. Being his QB’s Lebron James’ favorite target on the season. It’s easy to see why.
Not only was Messi second in receiving, he led the league in touchdowns with eight on the year. It’s pretty obvious that Messi did better than many believed he would. Out performing the other rookies in his class by at least six yards and three touchdowns. Would not be surprised to see Messi go earlier in the ISFL draft. Even if he stays down for another season expect him to dominate the field once again.
Sure hands and speed to get down the field. Everything you want in a WR and a steal at pick thirty seven. Put that name on your radar people, Mario Messi!
RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - huck24 - 11-16-2020
Tier 2: Short Form Tasks (400+ words)
Choose up to TWO for 5 TPE each.
13) Take a step back and predict what the league will look like three seasons from now. Who do you predict will be the dominant teams? Which young players do you think will have morphed into superstars? Will the league have expanded again in the next three seasons, and where would these new franchises be? Don’t be afraid to be creative, but don’t be entirely outlandish either.
I’m new to the league this season, so it’s tough for me to be able to give a realistic prediction on what the league will look like three seasons from now. What I do know is that there are some very solid players in my draft class, which is going to be happening very, very soon. And I feel that the players in this draft will be crucial to the league’s future three seasons from now. Players like Cobra Kai, LeBron James III, Tugg Speedman, Mr Forty-Two, Richard Littlewood and Quavious McGrady will be getting close to their primes, leading their respective teams on the offensive side of the field. And looking to stop these offensive dynamos will be Moe Skeeter, Ernest Lover, Leonard Taylor, and BamBam McMullet. These are just a handful of S26 players that three seasons from now will most likely be on the squad that drafts them next week, they will be getting close to the top of their games by then and hunger to win for their teams. Who might those teams be? Well, to get the top talent in this draft, the teams that pick first will have a slight advantage. So, I’m looking at the two expansion teams first. The Berlin Fire Salamanders own the first selection in this draft and the New York Silverbacks own the second. Berlin has a slightly younger roster than the Silverbacks, so I’m going to give them a slight edge over their expansion partners, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Fire Salamanders, and the Silverbacks for that matter, closer to the top of the standings. They will both be added a stud player with the #1 and #2 picks in this draft, players that will help them move them up the charts. As for expansion, I am unfamiliar with how often the league looks to grow, but I do have a couple potential options for any future expansion teams. With the league already being international, I feel like my home country of Canada would be a solid place to have a team, I would personally choose Vancouver, British Columbia cause I think the city rocks and it has the population and infrastructure to handle a team. My other choice would be Detroit Rock City. I’m a Lions fan, have been for years and even though I know there is a better chance of them losing than winning when I go see them play, I still go, time and time again cause Detroit is a fun city to go to and they know how to have a good time. So, I think a ISFL team would fit in nicely!
15) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S25 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?
I have really enjoyed the league since I signed up. I’m coming from the SHL where I heard a lot about the league, but for whatever reason, I never actually looked into creating a player. SHL was the first simulation league I’ve ever heard of, let alone joined, and I was hooked after the first day. The same happened here. Everyone has been super helpful since I joined, and I’ve met some pretty great people so far. I forgot how fun the whole draft process can be and how quickly the second draft up to the big leagues comes up. It’s such a rush going through the draft questions and talking to the GMs and scouts and I forgot how exciting it all is! As for my player, I couldn’t be happier with his performance. I was drafted by the Tijuana Luchadores, after which I learned that their LBs (including the best defensive player in the DSFL) had been called up, they were looking to fill their spots. I knew these were shoes that I would never be able to fill, but alongside BamBam McMullet (my fellow draftee) we were going to do the best we could. My player was lucky enough to play alongside such good teammates, that he was able to be voted the best rookie defender. I still can’t believe that he won that award, that wasn’t something I was expecting. But on top of all that, the Tijuana Luchadores did the unthinkable and won the Ultimini!!! That was always and will always be my players goal, to help win championships. And so far I’m 1 for 1! Now I’m gearing up for the ISFL draft, it’s been fun talking to all the teams and starting to speculate again where I might be ending up. I really have no clue though and I’m ok with that, I’ll be happy to play for whichever team takes a chance on my player. As for suggestions on what can be improved? I can’t really think of any, I think I joined at a perfect time. I joined early enough before the draft that I was picked up on waivers, so I immediately got into a locker room to be able to start getting familiarized with the league. I am also coming from the SHL, so I had a pretty good idea on the basics on the league. I’ve really have enjoyed every aspects of my rookie season and can not wait to see what the next steps on Vincent Jones Jr’s career will be!
RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - Cincyfan96 - 11-16-2020
8) Awards season is a big part of the offseason festivities. Take the stand, in 400 words or more, for one or more players that are not your own, and argue why they should receive awards glory. They can be your teammates or anyone in the league. How did their stats and on the field contribution contribute to their case this year?
In a year where my main man Nick Kaepercolin did NOT do so hot (still love ya, coach), there was another quarterback who clearly led the way for the ISFL this year. Dexter Banks II should be a runaway winner for the league MVP this season after leading his team to back to back ISFL Ultimus Championships. Not only did he play great when it mattered, he had a terrific season overall! He led the league with 4799 yards, which only Fujiwara came close to doing this year, and he did so while also throwing 33 touchdowns, 4 more than any other player this season, and with a remarkable QBR of 97.5. Only Wolfie McDummy (he-who-shall-not-throw-a-pick) came even close to this rating, as no other quarterback finished with a rating in the 90’s While Wolfie did certainly have a great season, the combination of Banks’ high volume AND high efficiency and rating puts him a step above any other quarterback this year. “But the MVP shouldn’t just be open to quarterbacks” you might argue. Okay, sure, it pretty much is, but I’ll humor you. Did any other player dominate their position in this way this season? New York’s running back Owens had 1542 yards, almost 300 more than any other player this season, which is impressive until you realize that they also have nearly 100 more carries than any other player and still had half the touchdowns of Jamar Lackson and Zoe Watts (shoutout to Zoe – I hope you win ROTY!). Another favorite of mine, Howlett led the league in both receptions and yards, but was dominated in touchdowns by the likes of Lim, Kingston, and Podolak. On defense, Wilf had an excellent year with 20 sacks along with 20 passes defended, and honestly I see this as the next most impressive accomplishment in the league this season, but even he was dominated when it came to tackles and the power numbers of forced and recovered fumbles (shoutout to Maverick Bowie – I miss you and am just realizing you killed it this season with FIVE forced fumbles!!!) All this to say, while there were certainly other good stories and performances this year, none of them is so incredible or other worldly that they compete with the dominant performance of the Ultimus Champion quarterback, Dexter Banks II. It should be safe to say that he will accomplish his secondary goal this season of becoming the league’s MVP for the first time in his career. Congrats!
9) It’s always important to look forward to the future. Examine your team, and in 400 words or more, talk about how they can improve themselves to get a stab at trophy contention next year. Are you loaded with draft capital for the next draft? Do you have plenty of cap space to sign free agents? Go through the roster and note the different strengths and weaknesses, and how you think those will change over the next few seasons. How should your team adapt?
This was an exciting season for me. Going in, I knew that I was a part of a team that was not going to win the Ultimus. We have the greenest quarterback, lots of first year starting players, and a brand new team, GMs, and locker room to develop. That being said, I was extremely excited to see what was in store for me as a new member of the Berlin Fire Salamanders. Our team is certainly young, but from my perspective is built to be a playoff contender within the next 2-3 seasons. First of all, with only a couple of players starting their careers after S22, we are almost exclusively trending up without fear of regression. Our quarterback, Nick Kaepercolin will be over 1000 TPE to start next season (or very close to it) and is an amazing earner who is putting everything into this team. Fellow season 22 players Claude Miller II and Clark Boyd provide some serious firepower in the trenches, with a strong Tight end and Defensive tackle each over 700 TPE. The defense is full of young budding stars from linebacking duo Hingle McCringleberry and Adam Schell to rising star Swantavius Jones and proven veterans Asher Quinn and Matt Krause making up a formidable cornerback trio. One huge piece to add for this team would be an impactful DE to line up across from Mario VonPebbles and help to make the pass rush on this team a powerful reality. On the other side of the ball, there is a real need for playmaking. While we have a pretty good trio of Cash, Matthews, and Cooper, they all are still a couple seasons away from being potentially elite pass catchers. Same goes for running backs Petrongolo and King. With a couple of seasons for these players to develop, plus the addition of some big blockers up front to help open up some more gaps and give Kaepercolin some more time to make good decisions, this offense has potential to grow into a great unit as well. There are certainly bigger question marks on the offensive side of the ball, but particularly on defense, Berlin is a team that feels like it’s just a couple of years of development away from being an extremely hard matchup for anybody in the league. I know that I’m certainly excited about being a foundational piece of this team for many seasons to come!
RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - Sl1nny92 - 11-16-2020
Tier 3
One write up for 2.5 TPE
16) Create an argument for your own player, or for someone else on your team, as to why they should be nominated for awards. Lay out their stats or compare them to other contenders. Make a convincing case.
As one of the premier pass rushers in the DSFL, Donald McBobby has terrorised offensive lines for the last 2 seasons in Portland. The linebacker has proven time and time again that he can come through in the big moments and force a game-altering play, usually at the expense of the opposing QB. There are few LB's in the DSFL that can get to the QB quite like McBobby does, perhaps have Burfict in London, and his play exceeds that of most of his peers at the position. Now, I know what you might say...'Isn't he just a one-trick pony?'. That, my friends, would be a poor argument to say the least. This season, McBobby has shown a stoutness in both run defence and pass coverage to add to his lethal pass rushing ability. Portland's best linebacker secured 97 total tackles, hit one runner in the backfield for a TFL, jumped athletically onto a fumble to gain possession back for the Pythons and also chipped in with an interception. Not a bad season, don't you think? Well, factor in the double-digit sacks AND the fact that McBobby batted 7 balls down when he wasn't shedding a block and you have a season certainly worthy of a nomination, perhaps even to win an award.
RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - Pat - 11-16-2020
6) Write 800 words or more on something that interests you. It could be related to statistics, to a league issue you take seriously, or a niche part of history that doesn’t fit neatly into either of the above categories. This must be directly related to the league, so don’t wax 800 words about your team’s Werewolf server. Be warned that freedom comes with risk, and this category will be judged especially stringently for anyone trying to spew complete nonsense.
The ISFL has a massive issue when it comes to diversity in player builds and team strategies. The biggest issues I will discuss in this post are centered around position build viability and team strategy.
Issue 1: Very little diversity within Player Archetypes
There are a few positions I will be looking at to illustrate how the league has become very Meta due to the limitations of the DDSPF 16 sim engine and the relative power of a specific attribute - Speed: Running Back, Wide Receiver, Defensive Tackle, and Linebacker
Archetype breakdown for those selected positions (this takes into account ALL players in the TPE Tracker as of 11/11/2020)
Running Back
Speed Back - 37
Receiving Back - 8
Power Back - 8
All-Purpose Back - 7
Blocking Back - 1
Wide Receiver
Speed Receiver - 52
Route Runner - 27
Red Zone Threat - 12
Possession Receiver - 7
Linebacker
Speed Rusher - 37
Balanced - 23
Coverage Linebacker - 8
Power Rusher - 5
Run Stopper - 1
Defensive Tackle
Interior Rusher - 28
Run Stuffer - 11
Nose Tackle - 9
Balanced - 5
Notice a pattern? By and large, the most popular builds by these positions (and these four are not unique) are the ones that have the highest base and starting speed attributes. The league is currently in an arms race to see who can employ the most 100 speed players, and for good reason. In DDSPF16 speed it hands down the most important attribute for every position, even positions that should in theory be able to operate well with lower straight line speed, like a Defensive Lineman. Like any semi-competitive online game, the, "Speed Kills" meta became a thing, and it's pretty well known that for a number of positions if you don't adhere you're in essence hurting yourself and your team. I personally think it kills competition and makes the league less fun. This is supposed to be a place where you can come to live out your fantasy of being a football player, and if your fantasy doesn't include going zoom zoom, then you will be looked down on by a portion of the league population.
Now, I believe that if you are going to complain you need solutions, too. What's my solution, you ask? Make speed-dominant player builds worse. I do not think we need to remove them, as players that are all about speed do exist in the NFL (see: Oakland Raiders' draft strategy 1972-2011), but the problem with our league is that the drop off in other attributes between the non-speed builds and the speed ones is so miniscule, while the difference between even 5 speed at higher levels is night and day. If you want to be a Speed build there NEEDS to be a drawback. I propose that any positional archetype that has 100 maximum speed needs to be noticeably worse in EVERY relevant attribute than the other archetypes. For example, a Speed Back RB is bigger and faster than a Receiving Back, with the same strength, and marginally worse hands. If I'm looking to make a Running Back, Receiving Back holds no value to me when there is a 100% better option available. When one attribute is clearly better than the others, it makes character builds meaningless.
When we move into the new sim engine (yay it's been announced!) I believe the biggest focus of those testing and vetting to prepare for the move MUST be getting all of the player archetypes in line. Yes, this is a dot football league and not real life, but there is no reason that different player types shouldn't have their uses. You don't see everyone in the NFL drafting based solely on 40 times, why should we?
Issue 2: There are pretty well-defined (or at least perceived) "good" and "bad" playbooks
This issue might be informed a little bit by the lack of player build diversity outlined in Issue 1 above. Due to the way DDSPF16 works and values different attributes and positions, obviously the playbooks that give you more of those positions on the field at a time are preferred. When is the last time you saw a team trot out a 4-3 or a 3-3-5 defense? What's that? Oh. Never? That's right, the only two viable defenses in ISFL currently are the 3-4 and the Nickel. It makes things boring. Hell, when people are coming up with strategies they never even bother adjusting defense because it doesn't matter. The same goes for offenses - but albeit to a lesser extent. I think the biggest issue there is simply the game code is older and especially some of the defensive formations can just get to be a little too strong if you don't keep things in check. For instance, with how important speed is, it's not hard to imagine that if you had five maxed out defensive backs sitting in a 3-3-5 and were allowed to run blitzes half the time you would probably see Quarterbacks running for their lives.
When the new sim engine comes out, I wholeheartedly hope that there will be no defined, "meta" and that teams can be successful running whatever schemes they want, given they have the personnel to do so. I want there to be more player type diversity and not just one or two pretty set in stone ways to build your character.
RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - BenDover - 11-16-2020
Task 2: Looking back at the S24 playoffs is a wild ride. Starting off with the ASFC, despite many teams being better than others in this conference, the seeding all came down to the final week of the Season. Going into the week, 5 our of 6 teams were either 9-6 or 8-7, leading to a fun week of tiebreakers, and the results of the conference ended up with San Jose edging out the competition through the tiebreakers, getting home field advantage throughout the playoffs in the Conference of Death. 2nd place in the conference was awarded to the Otters, who lost week 16, giving San Jose the edge in the conference standings. 3rd place was given to the Arizona Outlaws, who won in the last week securing them the 3rd spot, while knocking out the extremely lucky Hahalua and the Second Line in the process. The Playoffs were set for the AFSC, with the Otters against the Outlaws, and the Sabercats getting a 1st round bye. Noving over to the NSFC, there was no competition for the1st and 2nd seeds, with the 14-2 Yeti taking the 1 seed, and the 12-4 Sarasota Sailfish taking the 2nd. The battle for the 3rd seed was a tight race between the Yellowknife Wraiths and the Chicago Butchers, despite losing in the final week to the Sailfish, the Butchers made the playoffs with a sub .500 record at 7-9, a feat that would give them GMOTY at the end of the season.
The stage was set for the wildcard round of the playoffs, starting with the Chicago Butchers @ Sarasota. This game started off with the makings of a defensive battle, with Chicago scoring the first points of the game with 11 seconds left in the 1st quarter, with a long 54 yard field goal by Sam Sidekick, putting the Butchers up 3-0. The Sailfish weren't going down without a fight, scoring a TD in 3 minutes into the 2nd quarter with a 13 yard strike from Banks to the newly renamed RB Raphtalia Chan. The Sarasota Sailfish weren't done scoring either, with Jacob Small hitting a 27 yarder to extend the lead, 10-3. The Butchers again score at the end of the half, with a 7 yard pass to Bender B. Rodriguez, tying the game at 10 a piece. The second half starts with some Deja Vu for the Butchers, with Rodriguez watching another 7 yard TD pass to put them up 17-10 over the much better team on paper. However, the Sailfish went on to dominate the rest of the game, scoring 2 more TDs on a James Angler TD catch, and a Banks QB run, the Sailfish advanced to the Conference Championship, 24-17 ready to face the Yeti. Despite the season standings saying the Outlaws were ahead, the tiebreakers had a different plan in mind when it was broadcast that the Second Line had made the playoffs over the Outlaws! Against a significantly weaker team, the Otters went to work, with the GOAT Franklin Armstrong putting up 264 yards and 2 TDs passing, pairing the performance with a strong rushing attack from RB Tatsu Nakamura and McZeal scoring 2 TDs on the ground, leading the dynasty to a 31-21 win, sending them into a matchup with the Sabercats.
Moving into the Conference Championship round, the Sarasota @ Colorado game started, and in a game where there was little good offense, with Banks putting up no TDs, and McDummy throwing 2 interceptions, the Yeti were able to pull out the win from clutch field goals from Silver Banana, and 3 Rushing TDs split between Ashley Owens, McDummy, and Thubba Bumper, giving the Yeti a close win 24-20, and sending them off to the Ultimus. Going into the more important game, because my player is on the Sabercats, it is the Orange County Otters @ San Jose, and the San Jose Defense shined in this one, holding Armstrong in what would be his final game in the league to a no TD, 1 Interception, while the San Jose Offense thrived, defeating the away team, 17-3, making the Ultimus a battle of the San Jose Sabercats @ the Colorado Yeti.
Despite being heavy underdogs in this game, the Sabercats did not back down from the challenge, and the defensive battle began, with the score tied at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter, the big play happened, with Wolfie McDummy throwing a pass down the middle of the field, and it was Intercepted! Matt Krause is blazing down the sideline, and it is a Touchdown! The Sabercats completely flipped the momentum, with the Sabercats scoring another TD, bringing the lead up to 17-3, the 3rd quarter was quiet, and despite the Yeti's attempting to come back in the 4th quarter, the Sabercats come away with the huge Underdog vicory, 17-12. This playoff was filled with great games, and the ultimate upset in the playoffs, starting off my career nicely with a ring, hopefully we will win more in the future!
Spoiler Alert: we went Back to Back baby!
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RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - Arkz - 11-16-2020
Quote:13) Take a step back and predict what the league will look like three seasons from now. Who do you predict will be the dominant teams? Which young players do you think will have morphed into superstars? Will the league have expanded again in the next three seasons, and where would these new franchises be? Don’t be afraid to be creative, but don’t be entirely outlandish either.
Lets first talk about what the league looked like three seasons ago, compared to now. We might be able to pick out some trends. The NSFC was led by Yellowknife, Colorado, and Philadelphia. Chicago was last with a rough 3-13 record, but Sarasota and Baltimore were competitive. In the ASFC, Orange County led the way with New Orleans and Austin trailing behind. San Jose had a rough season, and Arizona and Honolulu missed out despite decent years. Now lets take a look at the most recent season. Colorado, Sarasota, Chicago, and Baltimore all made the playoffs, with Yellowknife, Philadelphia, and the new Berlin Salamanders missed out. In the ASFC, Orange County, Arizona, San Jose, and Honolulu all made it while Austin, New Orleans and the new New York Silverbacks watched from home.
So what you see is that there will be a few teams that consistently perform, while the rest of the league will bounce around a bit Three seasons from now I'm sure Colorado and Orange County will still be in the mix. Colorado while have gotten over their freshman quarterback struggles and the Otters are the Otters. In the NSFC, I think you can expect teams like Sarasota, Yellowknife, Chicago, and Baltimore to all compete for those remaining playoff spots. There will be a good amount of roster turnover for those teams in three seasons time, but some valuable rookies will have come of age. Arizona, San Jose, Austin, and New Orleans should be in the mix, but Honolulu could surprise. It will be tough for teams like Berlin and New York to make the top of their divisions, but there's no reason why they can't sneak in with that fourth playoff spot in either division. I don't believe the league will have expanded in three seasons time. I think we will still be looking to find our new equilibrium point with the newest round of expansion teams.
One of the biggest question marks when trying to prognosticate the next three seasons is the impact a new sim engine will have on the league. While the engine is made by the same studio and is, potentially, not wildly different from the current sim, there will still be differences and a learning curve. The teams that are able to solve and understand this new sim will be able to succeed quicker. By the third season, I would imagine we'll have a decently clear picture of how the sim operates, but still teams like Orange County and Colorado should have a much firmer understanding compared to other teams, which will tip their hand towards continued league dominance.
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Word count: 437Quote:15) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S25 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?
To break up this task into a couple different components, let me first talk about my player. Dan Foster has been fine. In his first season in Portland in the DSFL, he had a solid year. One of the best freshman cornerbacks for sure, but the DSFL was crowded with defensive talent in S24 so he did not stand out too much. Still he was the starting left cornerback for a playoff team, so that has to count at least somewhere! After the draft (more on that in a minute), he was called up immediately to start for the Yellowknife Wraiths in the ISFL. At that point he was a medium-sized fish in an incredibly large pond. Unsurprisingly, it was a rough year for the young Foster. Although his tackle numbers were decent, he only had one interception all season and a fairly middling number of pass defends at ten. But it was a rough season overall for the Wraiths' defensive backs as a whole, so its not worth digging into too much. Regardless, Foster was a rookie in a difficult situation and he seemed to have made the best of it.
When it comes to the off-the-field and personal development in the league, I don't think it could have gone better. Joining the International Sim Football League was a spur of the moment decision as I was browsing my way through Reddit and saw a post on the NFL subreddit. Its turned into a wonderful decision and a great way to spend free time during COVID and combine my love of writing and sports. When you first enter the league, its a bit of an overwhelming experience. There's all these forum posts and tasks you need to pay attention to. 'TPE' is some sort of abstract thing that happens to be what everyone is focused on and this whole place revolves around. All the players have a bank account and certain activities cost money. Then there's Discord and the multitude of league channels and team locker rooms. All of it adds up and quickly, and its not surprising that some new recruits get discouraged and do not continue in the league.
Fortunately for me, I met a number of great people in the ISFL and DSFL that have been a joy to be around. Folks like Katarn, UberBJ, SouthPaw, qWest, Laser, ZEagle, Saba Donut, Fly, PMoney, and so many more have made being part of this league a joy. I look forward to waking up in the morning and checking Discord and seeing where things are at in my respective war rooms and the league as a whole. My first two seasons as a player have been just okay, but as a user they've been outstanding.
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Word Count: 457RE: (S25) - Ultimus Week - negs - 11-17-2020
Tier 2
15) This task is exclusive to non-recreate rookies of the S25 class and later. In 400 words or more, how has your experience been in the league? Who have you met that has made your time here more fun, friendly, and exciting? Have you been satisfied with your player’s early start? What was it like being drafted for the first time? Do you have any comments or suggestions for the entire league that you think should be implemented?
So far, my league experience has been absolutely amazing. From creating my player on the forum, to the predraft DSFL process, to the draft and the season it has been a blast. One person that I met that has made my experience in the ISFL is TheCC. As my GM and someone who helped me out a lot with the player creation process and walking through the pre draft phase, he really made it easy for me to become acclimated to the league and make it a lot more friendly. The entire Grey Ducks organization has actually made my ISFL experience one of a kind. Every single person in the locker room is a lot of fun from the choccy milk vs strawberry milk debates to their energy and excitement on game day. The absolute chaos in the chat when the Ducks games are being streamed has made me feel like part of the community and improved my experience more than anything. So far, I have been satisfied with my player’s early start to his career in his first year. Although I did not play the best throughout the year, I ended up throwing for the 2nd most yards in the DSFL and tied for the 3rd most touchdowns. Although I had low completion percentage and high interceptions I was expecting a lot worse especially because I came in uncapped and had to progress a lot during the year so at the beginning I was not near the standard I needed. The only thing that bothered me was throwing 4 interceptions against Tijuana in the first half because I felt like I worked so hard for that moment but it did not come to fruition. However, to end the year in the playoffs with a chance at an Ultimini is more than I could imagine asking for at the beginning of my season. Being drafted for the first time was a rush. I did not at all expect to get picked first overall but when the Ducks picked me I could not be more excited and happy. I was jumping up and down yelling about how the team I wanted picked me and at the first pick no less. That draft night is when I knew I would be in this league for the long haul. The feeling of being drafted by a team is unmatched. On top of it, all of the friendships I have created in the locker rooms with my teammates and other members of the league is invaluable. I believe that there should be more activity in a lot of public locker rooms in the ISFL and DSFL; it would pull prospects in and make them want to be a part of the league. That is one of the things I loved about the Ducks was the activity and welcoming of prospects.
8) Awards season is a big part of the offseason festivities. Take the stand, in 400 words or more, for one or more players that are not your own, and argue why they should receive awards glory. They can be your teammates or anyone in the league. How did their stats and on the field contribution contribute to their case this year?
In this section I will be arguing for two awards: One offense and one defense. On offense, I believe it is clear that my teammate Mike Rotchburns should be Running Back of the Year based on his individual performance and how it impacted his team’s success. To start with a telling stat, Big Mike had the most touchdowns in the DSFL with 11 which was 2 higher than the second most. This stat is vital to Rotchburns claim for Running Back of the Year because in the DSFL, scoring comes at a premium due to the dominance of defenses and the lack of TPE on the offensive side for a lot of teams. Through all of this, Rotchburns was able to power into the endzone on 11 separate occasions even going for a 59 yard touchdown, revealing his explosiveness and big play ability. Additionally, Rotchburns was second in the entire DSFL in rushing with 1488 yards. Although he was about 150 yards behind the leader, Mike was much more efficient. He rushed for 4.7 yards per attempt compared to the leader’s 3.9. Rotchburns carried the ball 106 less times but only had 150 less yards. If we give Rotchburns the amount of carries the top back received, he would be the leader by about 300 yards. Another scenario which again promotes Rotchburns for RB of the year is the departure of James Vermillion mid season to the ISFL. Before, Rotchburns and Vermillion were a 2 man dragon in the Ducks backfield. Without him, Rotchburns carried the load and took over the backfield. Not only did he rush for more yards and touchdowns, he maintained his efficiency which is all the more impressive when you consider he was the only running back on the Ducks roster for about 5 weeks. The other one of my teammates who deserves an award is Damian Blackfyre for Defensive Back of the Year. In every sense of the phrase, Blackfyre was a swiss army knife for the Ducks. He had elite coverage, blitzing, and run stopping skills. To begin, Damian led the league in interceptions with 5, showing off his elite pass coverage. Not only did he have those interceptions, he had 5 passes defended as well. Blackfyre also had 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. He was not afraid to get into the box and hit someone. With 8 total forced turnovers, he led the league in that category by 2 more than anyone else. As a blitzer against both the run and pass, he racked up 3 sacks and a tackle for loss proving he can do both at a high level. Some may have had higher statistics in one category than Blackfyre, but no one can say they were above average or elite in every statistical category. Damian Blackfyre can.