Dynasty - What You Need to Know (by JeffHCross)

[JeffHCross]

I planned to do this over a week ago, but you guys all know about me and my master plans. This thread is designed for impressions, things I notice, etc while going through dynasty mode. Initially I'm going to do CPU simulations to test out the Coaching Carousel and see what kind of results I can get.

This is not a Question and Answer thread. If you have a question about something I've posted, feel free to ask it -- I don't mind clarifying. However, I ask that any other questions go to the Dynasty & Coaching Carousel Q&A thread.

[JeffHCross]

First up ... how to setup a multi-team offline dynasty ...

I've seen the question asked several times: Yes, you can still play as multiple teams in a single offline dynasty. However, there are a couple of things you'll need to know before diving in.

1. For Offline Dynasties, only your first coach can "Use Existing Coach". I do not see any way to switch additional coaches to user control. It may be there, but, if it is, it's not obvious. So you can either have 1 existing coach plus X new coaches, or X new coaches in a multi-team offline dynasty.

2. The initial setup will be like you're doing a single-team dynasty. You'll create (or choose to use existing) your first coach, then do any pre-dynasty steps like Custom Conferences or Importing Teambuilder schools, then proceed into dynasty. Once in dynasty you'll go to the new "Coach Central" category and choose the "Coach Info" option. That's where you can customize existing coaches, or add new ones.

3. Any newly created coaches, within Dynasty, are assumed to be user coaches. However, after creating the coach you can select them and choose "Make CPU Controlled".

4. Age and Specialty are not set during creation. You'll have to edit the coach after creation to change these.

5. Prestige and Job Security are not editable within dynasty. You'll be starting at D+ prestige.

[JeffHCross]

Next I'll be doing some CPU simulations of Offline Dynasty to see how job offers and the like go for coaches of different levels.

For this test I have modified the Mountain West to a 12-team conference. BYU and Utah have returned, along with the addition of Nevada and Fresno State.

The conference has been split into two divisions (essentially MWC vs WAC + BYU/Utah):

Mountain	West
Air Force	Boise State
Colorado St	BYU
New Mexico	Fresno St
TCU		Nevada
UNLV		San Diego St
Wyoming		Utah

Here are the existing coaches and the details I considered pertinent for this test:

TCU is under user control, but I will be not be modifying anything and will be letting the CPU control my team (other than in Coaching Carousel).

[JeffHCross]

Goals appear to be primarily processed at the end of the season, during the transition from the regular-season to the offseason. So even if you utterly fail at a goal during the season (such as "beat a rival opponent each season"), you won't see it marked as a failure until the season progresses to the offseason.

[JeffHCross]

When you're given a Contract Offer in the Carousel, you'll have several options.

• View Contract - View the contract offer, and then decide if you want to sign it
• Decline Contract - Declines just this individual offer, without viewing the contract
• Stay with current contract - Declines this offer, and any subsequent offers, while you still can go through the Carousel to see who else is hired.
• Cancel - Just returns you to the previous screen

[jaymo76]

When you're given a Contract Offer in the Carousel, you'll have several options.

• View Contract - View the contract offer, and then decide if you want to sign it
• Decline Contract - Declines just this individual offer, without viewing the contract
• Stay with current contract - Declines this offer, and any subsequent offers, while you still can go through the Carousel to see who else is hired.
• Cancel - Just returns you to the previous screen

So for clarity Jeff, if you view a contract but then press cancel (not decline) is there a time limit you have to sign or can you wait for a better offer and if none comes along, sign the original contract.

[JeffHCross]

So for clarity Jeff, if you view a contract but then press cancel (not decline) is there a time limit you have to sign or can you wait for a better offer and if none comes along, sign the original contract.

As far as I can tell, the offers are processed sequentially. You don't have the ability to consider multiple offers.

As far as I can tell.

[jaymo76]

As far as I can tell, the offers are processed sequentially. You don't have the ability to consider multiple offers.

As far as I can tell.

That's too bad because if you're a top end coach you should be in demand and be flooded with offers all at the same time. Oh well, mabe next year. Thanks for the clarity.

[JeffHCross]

Year 1 Results. The Job Security percentage was taken during the End of Bowl Weeks week. I don't have the ability to look at other contracts after that point, so the numbers may have changed during the advance to the offseason (as I discussed above).

2011	Record	Bowl Result	Prestige	Job Security	Result
Air Force	7-6	Lost, Armed Forces	B+	60%	
BYU	5-7		A	66%	
Boise	13-1	Win, Sugar	A+	84%	Early Extension
Colorado St	8-5	Win, New Mexico	B	86%	
Fresno St	5-7		C+	57%	Contact Extension
Nevada	11-2	Win, Poinsettia Bowl	A+	80%	
New Mexico	3-9		D	20%	Fired. Replaced by Troy DC.
San Diego St	8-5	Win, Hawai'i	D+	84%	
TCU	11-2	Win, Maaco	A+	66%	
UNLV	1-11		D	63%	
Utah	10-3	Win, Independence	A+	77%	
Wyoming	2-10		D	53%

[JeffHCross]

And here's how things stand at the beginning of Year 2. The interesting things to note are that Boise, Fresno and New Mexico all went to ~57%. That seems to be the default amount of job security for a new contract. Also note that New Mexico's Coach Rating (which may or may not be linked to Prestige, I'm not sure right now) is at a B+. I believe that was the rating of the Defensive Coordinator that was hired. So you don't take a hit in prestige for going from OC/DC to HC.


Colorado State will be interesting to watch going forward. With only 1 In-Progress goal remaining, has his rating peaked, or will results allow it to continue to move up?

[jcarne7]

Were there any major coaching changes outside your conference?

[JeffHCross]

Okay, here's one. If you have a goal to "Win 100% of your rivalry games in one season", make sure you schedule your rivals, lol. My TCU team did not play all three rivals (SMU, Baylor, BYU) in one season a single time, so I failed the goal.

[JeffHCross]

Were there any major coaching changes outside your conference?

Here's the Head Coach changes.


There were a lot of OC and DC moves. And 8-10 head coaches had their existing contracts extended.

[Cipher 8]

Okay, here's one. If you have a goal to "Win 100% of your rivalry games in one season", make sure you schedule your rivals, lol. My TCU team did not play all three rivals (SMU, Baylor, BYU) in one season a single time, so I failed the goal.

IMO that needs to be patched. You should not have to change your schedule like that to accomplish a goal, it should recognize which rivals you have on your schedule aka which ones your playing only. One of you should bring that up with them.

[JeffHCross]

One of you should bring that up with them.

I'll consider it, but it's been that way for a while, so I respectfully disagree on this one. You just didn't see contract goals on Online Dynasties, so most people didn't notice it.

If you think about it, it does make some level of sense to force us to schedule all rivals if we want to meet 100%. Otherwise you could "only" schedule your easiest rival and get an easy goal completed.

[JeffHCross]

Post Year 2 results. Wow, look at New Mexico.

New Mexico's coach failed all 8 goals -- I guess maybe you don't have to wait until after the season for some goals to register as failed (may be tied to length of contract). Here were his goals:

• Win 4 games in one season (<<<<<<)
• Finish 6th or better each season (<<<<)
• Sign 1 Top 1000 prospect in one regular season (<<<<)
• Sign a Top 100 recruiting class in one regular season (<<<)
• Win 25% of your games in one season (<)
• Win 100% of your rivalry games in one season (No penalty)
• Win 8 games in one season (No penalty)
• Sign 5 2-star prospects in one regular season (No penalty)

[JeffHCross]

Here's the Head Coach comings-and-goings. Two interesting notes ...

• Michigan's coach had a A+ Rating and a 71% job security going into the offseason. I was shocked to see him fired.
• Duke's HC and Baylor's HC had Penn State and Michigan as their alma maters, respectively. I'm reasonably certain that, plus the fact that both had A+ prestige, was a primary factor in their hiring.

In fact, most of the coach hirings seem to err towards going to their alma mater.

L-O-f-in'-L that the San Jose State coach left for the "better job" as Temple's defensive coordinator.

[JeffHCross]

And here's the status as of the beginning of Year 3. Boise State is important to note ... that coach has gone from A+ in Year 1 to A+ in Year 2 (and a contract extension), to now a C rating and only 35% job security. The pendulum moves fast if you don't meet major goals. One of his failed goals carried a five-arrow (<) penalty.

[JeffHCross]

Done for the night with this. I'll resume tomorrow or Monday.

[SmoothPancakes]

And here's the status as of the beginning of Year 3. Boise State is important to note ... that coach has gone from A+ in Year 1 to A+ in Year 2 (and a contract extension), to now a C rating and only 35% job security. The pendulum moves fast if you don't meet major goals. One of his failed goals carried a five-arrow (<) penalty.

The one concern that I am noticing at the moment, is as some people were worrying about, that we may end up seeing a lot of coaches (more than there should be) end up with an A+ rating. Now obviously, as is the case with Boise, depending on the season outcome and what goals they meet and fail, some of those coaches will see that A+ rating disappear pretty quickly. But for just this situation, with one conference of 12 teams, having half the conference with coaches with an A+ rating, I sort of fear to see what that overall number for A+ ratings will jump to when all of the 108 other teams are counted.