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I know the engine is bad, but how is it that some users can consistently throw for five TDs and no picks when everyone has even QBs? I'm new to this. trying to figure out how to get better. is it just a matter of practice makes perfect?

It is a combination of player skills and play-calling. Further than that, they are unpredictable on when they call passing plays. That is the simplest explanation on why.

https://lol.myfootballnow.com/forums/1/565?page=1

This covers a lot of ground and should help a little. If data is more you're thing try this thread

https://bigdata.myfootballnow.com/forums/1/42?page=1

This is useful too

https://bigdata.myfootballnow.com/forums/1/25?page=1


As for passing - you need a strong OL who can both pass block (70+) and run block (70+) with depth.

If you don't have that, then you need to get creative in your playcalling.

Short, Mid and Long passes refer specifically to how long the play takes to develop rather than the 'expected' yards. So 'Short' passes should enable you to get the ball out quickly before the pass rush arrives.

You can load up with Jumbo packages if you have TE's and FB's who can block. If you can delay the rush, your QB gets more time.

Play shotgun formations, the QB stands back from the line of scrimmage and again gets a little more time to make a play.

Use Play Action passes, most teams have become run heavy following the switch to 4.6 so they are more likely to 'key' on runs. Play Action essentially is designed to misdirect a D and again buy time for a QB to get the job done.

Look at what works for your team and build on it, gameplan a variety of play styles to keep your opponent guessing.

Good luck

I just feel like nothing matters, and the only way to really win in this system is to understand ways to break the system, which seems inherently flawed.

It's very frustrating when I'm putting my players, on very skilled teams, in the perfect position all game, and they're losing. I outplay GMs all game, can't seem to perform in the red zone, and then somehow my offense goes from Jekyll to Hyde, and can't do anything while I watch a team with 60 yards passing, and 1.9 ypc rushing all game somehow explode on two drives, and win in the last 2 minutes. I've seen this exact situation play out maybe 20 times since re-joining MFN.

Player ratings don't seem to matter. Maybe there is something I'm missing with game planning, and rules, but my rules are solid, and somehow my team will still have a phantom inside run on 3rd and 8 even though I have "ruled" against that. I've combed through my rules, and gameplan many times when I see these "flaws," and I see nothing that tells the sim to run on 3rd and 8.

1. I don't overuse 5 of the same plays, but I see people doing that and having success, which is stupid.
2. The volatility that seems baked into the code is discouraging. I think it's meant to bring evenness to MFN, but it's doesn't do this in the right way. A 90 rated player should outperform a 60 rated player in any system regardless of which specific skills he has. Like in Madden... ratings actually mean something. I commonly hear "your 65 rated RB is faster and that's why," but that's not really good enough for me.
3. Sacks are absurd. Even if I have an O line of all phenomenal pass blockers.
4. I just allocated a team with players that have really great ratings with discipline. The team is somehow being penalized non stop so what am I missing there?

Should I just scrap all of my hard work with rules and game planning, and start fresh? Who has the time? My rules are well thought out, and I'll spend time prepping for a GM only to watch someone not move the ball at all, and then beat me in the last 4 minutes. I've combed through this site, asked veteran GMs for help, so I know my planning is solid. What am I missing?

Well thought out rosters, and drafting mixed with high attention to detail game planning should be a recipe for success. Utilizing certain players that have speed, or high blocking rating doesn't seem to work in this algorithm.

I quit worrying about game mechanics awhile ago. I just worry about getting good players and regularly self scouting my offense. I check my average yards per play and get rid of the underperforming ones and try something else.

I don't throw long passes anymore. None, nada, zero, zilch. That's asking to get sacked or intercepted. You need to have an offense that can run the ball because you need to sustain drives for success.

Penalties are a crapshoot. To the best of my knowledge there is nothing you can do about it other than what you've already done regarding discipline.

Make sure your matrix matches your rules so the engine doesn't screw you.

Feel free to look over this team https://usflwfl.myfootballnow.com/team/31. I am nowhere near the best GM in MFN but I've won some championships and this team I linked to had success in version 4.5 and 4.6.

What I think helps me in this league is having 3 or 4 speedy RB with skills, 4-5 good WR with speed and skills, a solid OL and TE to go with a very solid defense.

Full disclosure about defense. Some of us play in a no rules league https://death-and-destruction.myfootballnow.com/ and we drafted our offense first before any defensive players. A couple even use an all CB defense and have great success. This leads me to believe it almost doesn't matter who you have on defense as version 4.6 is a big boost on that side of the ball.

My suggestion is to concentrate on offense, especially skill players. Accumulate as many good ones as you can so even if your main guy gets hurt or tired, there isn't much dropoff to the next guy. Good luck to you and keep trying.

a 60 speed 90 skill dB/wr will lose out over a 90 speed 60skill player. Maybe even lose to a 30 or 40 skill player. Run them short but it’s the yards after the catch that burns and the speed vs speed if you get a longer pass off. Play overuse doesn’t effect speed so if you don’t have weapons with elite speed the overuse penalties are seen less. Qb accuracy might be the most important rating. Then speed but that does bode to play style as only speed really dictates what I applied

I feel like, even with the emphasis less on being able actually control our defenses, that I have some really good situational rules for d that I see work consistently. I’ve been playing this game long enough to know what the sim likes to do in so many situations, and also what a lot of you stud GMs like to do, which has helped me adopt a lot of cool things on offense too. The annoyance is when I gameplan correctly, and watch the team fail at execution (high quality teams as well as rebuilds). I’ve hit the forums hard, and have honed my rules over the last few years, to really minimize some of the natural sim ridiculousness. I haven’t used long passing since coming back, and have found a lot of success in the medium passing game at the expense of getting sacked a lot. I have squads that run outside very well, and others that can pound the rock inside, but with no success outside.

My main issue is when I write rules, and the team executes those rules, but I still get torched in the 4th quarter (and sometimes against terrible QBs/slow and low rated skill positions). If my opponent has the ball, and I know he’s going to pound the ball (based on situational scouting), and I rule in all run stuffing plays (in run key), I don’t understand why it wouldn’t consistently stop the opponent. It does work 60-70% of the time, but there are those outliers where someone is ripping 10-15 yards runs in succession even though I’m in run key, and in successful run stuffing formations.

And my offenses consistently move the ball between the 20s and in the first half of games; but they don’t convert TDs, miss WAY too many field goals (regardless of kicker ratings), and fall off so hard in the second half that I swear I’m watching The Giants with Joe Judge and Jake Fromm. I’m gonna keep trying new things until I figure this algorithm out. I do like some things about 4.6, But it feels like patchwork sometimes.

4.6 is a patch for the sacks out of the 46 and punt blocks. Both were corrected by focusing on the size of the players in matchup when pertaining to how fast they move. Blitz pickups were adjusted as overloads to one side let In rushers .

Another change was raising zero speed which highlights weak spots of 4.5 like how good pass defense is. The sacks and pressure I register is low compared to the nfl but I blitz a lot which is counterintuitive but that how the game is.

This bleeds in to the run game. Again the raising of zero speed has blocking juiced through guys getting into position quicker. 4.5 running was low and run blocks had to be held too long to compensate. Now with a small tweak it’s overpowered, but wait ......fill the run gaps with pre snap alignments and blitzes as it makes the run game tougher but at the expense of the long pass.

I use no rules but shutting down the run is key( not that I use keys much unless an opponent is real unbalanced or it’s the playoffs) then I look at the pass. Like I said presnap alignment and timely blitzes are the key.

Offensively , blockers almost seek out a predestination or man on that run play and that part needs to be refined. Same as how often blockers engage and reengage....they are way too stiff.

Like those base nickle plays vs 3wr sets. If the run is to the weak side the defenders are at a severe disadvantage....the DT2 leaves a huge run gap there due to presnap alignment, which leaves the Center free to get to the LB at the second level. Great pass defense though

Great stuff, Ray thank you!