I can't wait to see....

[Shackdaddy]

How BTS football handles historical replays. I play Second and Ten Football which is absolutely outstanding for historical replays, historical custom leagues and tournaments and has an integrated encyclopedia which is almost as good (in my opinion) as profootballreference.com. I can't imagine how BTS football could do it any better.

HOWEVER, Second and Ten is extremely weak for fictional custom leagues, mainly because there is no fictional player generation and is very difficult to create a league with non-NFL cities (San Antonio, Portland, Los Angeles, etc.). If BTS addresses this, I will definitely buy BTS and play both games.

I am a big fan of OOTP (since version 2). I would like to see BTS reach the same level of greatness but I am too old to wait seven or eight versions

[colourmebrad]

Francis has said that historical stuff won't be in V1

[Ambermonk]

Originally Posted by colourmebrad

Francis has said that historical stuff won't be in V1

You are right, of course, but the main (stated) goal of version 1 is to get the fundamentals in place and working properly.

After that, the game should evolve in a similar fashion to OOTP, which adds new features annualy for each new release. The BTS community, myself included, would be well advised to take the long view rather than to over-focus on the initial release.

[RchW]

I'm afraid that train left the station some months ago.

[Shackdaddy]

I think the biggest challenge for the programmers of BTS in computer generating football players as compared to baseball (and almost every other team sport) is that the positions in baseball are more similar to each other than in football.

For example, in baseball ALL players can hit, run field and throw or pitch and ratings can be created for those skills. In football, a left tackle is completely different than a quarterback and has completely different skills on which to be rated.

I mentioned earlier in this thread that Second and Ten does not generate fictional players.

HOWEVER, you can manually create fictional football players but there are so many categories it is overwhelming to even TRY.

I guess my point is that in my opinion especially since historical play is further down the road for BTS, is that the very first programming priority should be is creating a good player generation system. I think that should be the foundation of BTS and will set it apart from Second and Ten.

[Ambermonk]

I think it would clear the air considerably if Francis would post a list of the key elements that he plans to have working well in V1 of BTS, a list of the additional elements that he would like to get started in V1, and also a list of the elements that he plans to put off for V1.

[Francis Cole]

I would like to hope I've already been pretty honest about the bits which won't be in V1 (for example Historic play, designing your own playbooks etc).

[Ambermonk]

Originally Posted by Francis Cole

I would like to hope I've already been pretty honest about the bits which won't be in V1 (for example Historic play, designing your own playbooks etc).

What you say is true Francis, but what elements do you intend to be rock solid with the release of V1? And what elements will be in place, but requiring additional enhancement with future versions? For example...

2D Graphics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Player Salaries --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Team profit & loss --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
In game News coverage --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Stadium issues --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Player statistics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Team statistics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Solo leagues --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Weather --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Online play --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Player injuries & fatigue --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Player draft mechanics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Team colors & logos --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Penalties mechanics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Off-field player issues --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
User manuels --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
User interface --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Post-season playoffs --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Coaching abilities & preferences --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Audio elements --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Operating system compatability --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Graphics resolution --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Colors & jersey numbers on 2D-display --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Game timing for individual plays --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Trading players --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Injured Reserve, PUP list, etc. --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Weight room training --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
OTAs, Spring training, & preseason games --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Manually creating players --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Randomly generated players, teams, etc. --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Off-season activities --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

Keep in mind, I'm not asking for the status of these things. I'd just like to get your ideas regarding their availability at the time of initial release of V1.

I very much appreciate your hard work on the BTS project, and I hope you have some very talented people helping you as well. Thanx for your efforts.

[Francis Cole]

Please note these are my views at the current time, if in a year we find some things have changed then that's something which can't be helped If there's something we promised below and we find it can't be in V1 we have not done it on purpose to annoy you guys!

2D Graphics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

In terms of the graphics, it will be the same as the UI. I'd like to think it's rock solid, but there is always room for improvement - like OOTP15 has gone to a new UI this year.
In terms of the engine which controls the players on the field, this is going to be a module which is never finished. It can never be perfection (i.e. like real life) so I will improve it every version, just like Madden and FM etc do with their engines.

This is especially true when we do college leagues and then historic leagues as the play on the field in historic years is totally different to today's NFL.

Player Salaries --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

I would like to think as close to Rock solid as we can get.

Team profit & loss --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

The aim at the moment is for a realistic "rock solid" Cap, so Team profit and loss (e.g. ticket sales, TV contracts etc is TBD).

In game News coverage --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

In place, hopefully going towards rock solid!

Stadium issues --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

Not sure what this means, sorry.

Player statistics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
Team statistics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

The stats the players/teams produce is determined by the match/game -engine, so see the first answer.

Solo leagues --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

Rock solid, but there is always room for improvement.

Weather --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

Not time for V1, sorry.

Online play --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

TBD

Player injuries & fatigue --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

As close to rock solid as possible.

Player draft mechanics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

Same.

Team colors & logos --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

In place I guess? Users should be able to do their own logos just like OOTP. Hopefully that's what you mean.

Penalties mechanics --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

Generally rock solid, the main thing which is TBD is challenging etc.

Off-field player issues --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

In place leaning to TBD.

User manuels --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

TBD, one of the very few things which I am not totally responsible for!

User interface --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

I'd like to think rock solid, but the UI is such a personal choice. Some people prefer the OOTP14 interface to the OOTP15 for example. (I'm not one of those people btw!)

Post-season playoffs --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

Real: Rock Solid
Fake Leagues: In Place

Coaching abilities & preferences --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

In Place

Audio elements --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

TBD

Operating system compatability --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

PC/Mac/Linux (the ones OOTP supports)

Graphics resolution --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

Same as OOTP15 as far as I'm aware.

Colors & jersey numbers on 2D-display --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

See first answer

Game timing for individual plays --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

Anything to do with the game/match Engine is in Answer one, but if you'd like to explain this question some more I'll be happy to answer

Trading players --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

I'd like to think it would be rock solid, but just like OOTP, the trading AI will continually be improved on.

Injured Reserve, PUP list, etc. --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

Rock solid

Weight room training --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,
OTAs, Spring training, & preseason games --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

Training/OTA - TBD, Preseason games - rock solid/in place (in terms of the AI playing its backups in game 4 etc which I guess is what you mean)

Manually creating players --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD,

You can edit a player. Not sure if this is what you mean?

Randomly generated players, teams, etc. --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

One of those things which are never finishes, but I'd like to think fairly rock solid.

Off-season activities --- Rock solid, or in place, or TBD

Have to explain more of what you mean? FA, the draft? OTAs etc?

I very much appreciate your hard work on the BTS project,

Thanks!

I hope you have some very talented people helping you as well

We have a very talented artist helping, which is a great thing as I can't draw anything! Not even stick figures!

Thanks,
Francis

[Ambermonk]

Very useful answers Francis. Thank you very much.

By stadiums, I meant: will users be able to customize individual stadiums, especially regarding the end zones & the 50 yrd line.

Also perhaps to allow users to install a picture of outside the stadium to display at the beginning of the game, with people walking into the game. Sort of a user-supplied splash screen to display at the beginning of a game.

And let me say once again, that I appreciate your efforts, and your attention to the forums.